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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.
Excerpt from
What Every Teacher Needs to Know About Theology
(Discipleship Resources, 2002), p. 13.
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.
Read more about our belief in God
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.
Read more about our belief in Jesus
Christ
Read more about our beliefs about
salvation
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.
Read more about our belief in the Holy Spirit
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.
Read more about confessions of sin
Read more about our beliefs about
salvation
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 God’s Word.
- 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.
Read more about our belief in the Bible
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 although 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.
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
- 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.
Read By Water and Spirit, the church's official
statement on Baptism
Read about baptism in the MethoPedia
The Lord's Supper (Communion, Eucharist)
- The Lord's Supper is a holy meal of bread and wine
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.
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