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
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We
believe in one God, who created the world and all that is in it.
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We
believe that God is sovereign; that is, God is the ruler of the
universe.
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We
believe that God is loving. We can experience God’s love and grace.
Read more about our belief in God
Jesus
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We
believe that Jesus was human. He lived as a man and died when he was
crucified.
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We
believe that Jesus is divine. He is the Son of God.
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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.)
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We
believe that Jesus is our Savior. In Christ we receive abundant life and
forgiveness of sins.
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We
believe that Jesus is our Lord and that we are called to pattern our
lives after his.
Read more about our belief in Jesus Christ
Read more about our beliefs about salvation
The
Holy Spirit
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We
believe that the Holy Spirit is God with us.
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We
believe that the Holy Spirit comforts us when we are in need and
convicts us when we stray from God.
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We
believe that the Holy Spirit awakens us to God’s will and empowers us to
live obediently.
Read more about our belief in the Holy Spirit
Human
Beings
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We
believe that God created human beings in God’s image.
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We
believe that humans can choose to accept or reject a relationship with
God.
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We
believe that all humans need to be in relationship with God in order to
be fully human.
Read more about confessions of sin
Read more about our beliefs about salvation
The
Church
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We
believe that the church is the body of Christ, an extension of Christ’s
life and ministry in the world today.
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We
believe that the mission of the church is to make disciples of Jesus
Christ.
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We
believe that the church is “the communion of saints,” a community made
up of all past, present, and future disciples of Christ.
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We
believe that the church is called to worship God and to support those
who participate in its life as they grow in faith.
The
Bible
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We
believe that the Bible is God’s Word.
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We
believe that the Bible is the primary authority for our faith and
practice.
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We
believe that Christians need to know and study the Old Testament and the
New Testament (the Hebrew Scriptures and the Christian Scriptures).
Read more about our belief in the Bible
The
Reign of God
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We
believe that the kingdom or reign of God is both a present reality and
future hope.
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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.
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We
believe that although the fulfillment of God's kingdom--the complete
restoration of creation--is still to come.
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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.
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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.
Read more about our belief and trust in the Lord of
the future
Sacraments
With
many other Protestants, we recognize the two sacraments in which Christ
himself participated: Baptism and the Lord's Supper.
Baptism
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Through baptism we are joined with the church and with Christians
everywhere.
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Baptism is a symbol of new life and a sign of God's love and forgiveness of
our sins.
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Persons of any age can be baptized.
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We
baptize by sprinkling, immersion or pouring.
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A
person receives the sacrament of baptism only once in his or her life.
Read about baptism in the MethoPedia
The
Lord's Supper (Communion, Eucharist)
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The
Lord's Supper is a holy meal of bread and wine that symbolizes the body and
blood of Christ.
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The
Lord's Supper recalls the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and
celebrates the unity of all the members of God's family.
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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.
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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 United Methodist
church's official statement on Communion
Questions and answers about communion
Read more about communion in the MethoPedia
