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Who Are We?
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John Wesley and the early
Methodists were particularly concerned about inviting people to experience God’s
grace and to grow in their knowledge and love of God through disciplined
Christian living. They placed primary emphasis on Christian living, on putting
faith and love into action. This emphasis on what Wesley referred to as
"practical divinity" has continued to be a hallmark of United
Methodism today. We invite you to learn more about our rich theological
heritage.
United Methodists share a common
heritage with all Christians. According to our foundational statement of beliefs
in The Book of Discipline, we share the following basic affirmations in common
with all Christian communities:
Trinity
We describe God in three persons.
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are commonly used to refer to the threefold nature
of God. Sometimes we use other terms, such as Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer.
God
 | We believe in one God,
who created the world and all that is in it. |
| We believe that God is
sovereign; that is, God is the ruler of the universe. |
| We believe that God is
loving. We can experience God’s love and grace. |
Excerpt from What Every Teacher
Needs to Know About Theology (Discipleship Resources, 2002), p. 13.
Jesus
| We believe that Jesus
was human. He lived as a man and died when he was crucified. |
| We believe that Jesus is
divine. He is the Son of God. |
| We believe that God
raised Jesus from the dead and that the risen Christ lives today.
(Christ and messiah mean the same thing—God’s anointed.) |
| We believe that Jesus is
our Savior. In Christ we receive abundant life and forgiveness of
sins. |
| We believe that Jesus is
our Lord and that we are called to pattern our lives after his. |
Excerpt from What Every Teacher
Needs to Know About Theology (Discipleship Resources, 2002), p. 13-14.
The Holy Spirit
| We believe that the Holy
Spirit is God with us. |
| We believe that the Holy
Spirit comforts us when we are in need and convicts us when we stray
from God. |
| We believe that the Holy
Spirit awakens us to God’s will and empowers us to live obediently. |
Excerpt from What Every Teacher
Needs to Know About Theology (Discipleship Resources, 2002), p. 14.
Human Beings
| We believe that God
created human beings in God’s image. |
| We believe that humans
can choose to accept or reject a relationship with God. |
| We believe that all
humans need to be in relationship with God in order to be fully human. |
Excerpt from What Every Teacher
Needs to Know About Theology (Discipleship Resources, 2002), p. 14.
The Church
| We believe that the
church is the body of Christ, an extension of Christ’s life and
ministry in the world today. |
| We believe that the
mission of the church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ. |
| We believe that the
church is “the communion of saints,” a community made up of all
past, present, and future disciples of Christ. |
| We believe that the
church is called to worship God and to support those who participate
in its life as they grow in faith. |
Excerpt from What Every
Teacher Needs to Know About Theology (Discipleship Resources, 2002), p. 14.
The Bible
| We believe that the
Bible is the inspired word of God. |
| We believe that the
Bible is the primary authority for our faith and practice. |
| We believe that
Christians need to know and study the Old Testament and the New
Testament (the Hebrew Scriptures and the Christian Scriptures). |
Excerpt from What Every Teacher
Needs to Know About Theology (Discipleship Resources, 2002), p. 15.
The Reign of God
| We believe that the
kingdom or reign of God is both a present reality and future hope. |
| We believe that wherever
God's will is done, the kingdom or reign of God is present. It was
present in Jesus' ministry, and it is also present in our world
whenever persons and communities experience reconciliation,
restoration, and healing. |
| We believe that the
fulfillment of God's kingdom--the complete restoration of creation--is
still to come. |
| We believe that the
church is called to be both witness to the vision of what God's
kingdom will be like and a participant in helping to bring it to
completion. |
| We believe that the
reign of God is both personal and social. Personally, we display the
kingdom of God as our hearts and minds are transformed and we become
more Christ-like. Socially, God's vision for the kingdom includes the
restoration and transformation of all of creation. |
Adapted from Who Are We? Leader's
Guide, p. 28.
Sacraments
With many other Protestants, we
recognize the two sacraments in which Christ himself participated: Baptism and
the Lord's Supper.
Baptism
| Through baptism we are
joined with the church and with Christians everywhere. |
| Baptism is a symbol of new
life and a sign of God's love and forgiveness of our sins. |
| Persons of any age can be
baptized. |
| We baptize by sprinkling,
immersion or pouring. |
| A person receives the
sacrament of baptism only once in his or her life. |
From
By Water and Spirit, the church's official statement on Baptism
The Lord's Supper (Communion,
Eucharist)
| The Lord's Supper is a holy
meal of bread and juice that symbolizes the body and blood of Christ. |
| The Lord's Supper recalls
the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and celebrates the unity of all
the members of God's family. |
| By sharing this meal, we
give thanks for Christ's sacrifice and are nourished and empowered to go
into the world in mission and ministry. |
| We practice "open
Communion," welcoming all who love Christ, repent of their sin, and
seek to live in peace with one another. |
Read
This Holy Mystery, the church's official statement on Communion
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