What We Believe

When we say the Apostles' Creed, we join with millions of Christians through the ages in an understanding of God as a Trinity—one God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We affirm that God is the Creator and sustainer of all life, Jesus Christ is God made flesh who reveals divine love and brings salvation, and the Holy Spirit is God’s presence with us, guiding, comforting, and empowering the Church. Together, the Trinity reflects the mystery of God’s unity and the fullness of divine love at work in the world.

In trying to find words to express their faith in Jesus, the New Testament writers gave him various names. Jesus was Master, Rabbi, Teacher. He was the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He was the Doorway to the sheepfold, the Light of the world, the Prince of Peace, and more.

We believe that Jesus Christ is fully divine and fully human. Through his incarnation, life, death, and resurrection, Jesus reveals God’s love for the world and brings this love to our missteps. We believe Jesus is our Savior, Redeemer, and Lord—inviting us to follow his example of compassion, justice, and grace as we grow in faith and live as his disciples in the world.

The Holy Spirit is God’s active presence in the world and in our lives today. The Spirit comforts, guides, and empowers us to live as faithful followers of Jesus Christ. Through the Holy Spirit, we experience God’s grace, are united as the Church, and are equipped with spiritual gifts to serve others and share God’s love in the world.

We believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God, a rich and complex library of books written across centuries, each with its own history, context, and journey of interpretation. To our regret, the Bible has been misused and misunderstood throughout the centuries to promote violence, abuse, and oppression. We are called and committed to being thoughtful readers and faithful stewards of the Scriptures, engaging them with care, discernment, and openness to how God speaks to us today. With God’s helps, the Bible continues to reveal God’s love and the story of salvation through Jesus Christ.

We believe that humans are created in God’s image (Gen. 1:27) but are broken by sin, which separates us from God and one another. This human condition makes us inclined towards power, greed, and selfishness, but the image of God within us draws us towards love, joy, justice, and peace.

God’s grace is always greater than our sin. Through Jesus Christ’s life, death, and resurrection, we are offered forgiveness, healing, and redemption, which we respond to by sharing God’s love with others, working for justice and reconciliation, and living lives marked by compassion, humility, and service. In this way, we participate in the restoration of God’s creation and the transformation of our own hearts.

Below is the Prayer of Confession, written by Rev. Doug McLemore, that we pray every Sunday as we prepare for Holy Communion. It displays how we posture ourselves as those who want God’s help to realize a better day for us and for all creation:

“God of Justice, as we draw nearer towards your table of promise, we admit that tables have been built where not all are welcome. Tables that oppression dines on, sexism thrives on, and racism lives on.

God of Justice, help us be mindful of where we are when we forget the subtle ways we unknowingly support oppression, inequalities, sexism, and racism.

Help us make our church and our community a garden for all where love abounds and blooms.

God of our hearts be in our decision making.Draw near to our choices. Help us bring love to our missteps. With hope we pray for a better day. Amen.

We believe that God’s grace is a gift freely given to all people, guiding, saving, and transforming us. God’s love is everywhere and reaches out to us even before we are aware of our need, drawing us toward faith. Through faith in Jesus Christ, we are forgiven, reconciled, and made right with God. This same grace continues to work throughout our lives, continually shaping us into Christlike disciples and empowering us to live in love, service, and holiness. Grace is never earned—it is God’s unending gift at every stage of our journey.

When Jesus preached in Nazareth, he cited the prophet Isaiah saying:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me.
He has sent me to preach good news to the poor,
to proclaim release to the prisoners
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to liberate the oppressed,
and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

As those who follow in the ways of Jesus, our faith compels us to be agents of liberation for those who are oppressed and short on hope. How we participate in this work of God in the world is the ongoing task of discipleship. Positions on social topics vary widely from person to person and church to church. And yet, the United Methodist Church has published Social Principles that lead and guide us in our social witness.

Curious to learn more? Click on the link below to read and download the 2024 Revised Social Principles of the United Methodist Church and let us know your thoughts. We would love to talk more with you about how we put our faith into action!

2024 Social Principles of the United Methodist Church