What We Believe

We believe that God is One in Three Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and that God entered humanity fully through the Son, Jesus Christ.  The Holy Spirit animates Christ’s church which is the hands and feet of Christ in the world today, carrying forward his ministry and mission in line with his life and actions told in the Gospels.

We believe that humankind was created good along with the rest of the world, but that humans are uniquely capable of and bound by sin which causes harm to creation, to other persons, and separates us from God.  Through his life, death and resurrection, Jesus Christ forgives our sin, and offers pardon and peace to all persons who repent and seek to follow him.

We believe that Jesus Christ taught, healed, and transformed individuals in historical Galilee, and that Christ is still active today through faith and the church.  Christ’s ways challenge and critique the culture, values and institutions still today, and that as his disciples we are called to transform the world and promote justice, love and peace which are hallmarks of God’ rule which Jesus proclaimed.

We believe that the Bible contains all knowledge necessary
for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ
and the story of his life, death and resurrection told in its pages.

We believe that because God loves us unconditionally, God’s grace is free, unmerited and is active even before a person becomes aware of it.  Through the Holy Spirit, God makes faith possible when a person confesses their need for forgiveness through Jesus’ saving acts upon the cross.  Even after a person accepts Christ’s leadership, God’s grace continues to work in their life leading them to help others and to do good works.

We believe that faith and good works go hand in hand.  The Bible teaches us that the love of God is always linked with love of neighbor, so that we have a passion for justice and renewal in the life of the world.  We work to help those who are hungry, who need shelter and clothing, who are seeking healing, peace and wholeness in body and soul.

We believe the church is a combination of human efforts and divine direction.  The United Methodist Church welcomes people of all races, ethnicities, classes, genders and identities.  The church is not infallible, and stands in need of reform, repentance and renewal as does all humanity and its institutions.