What We Believe as a Congregation

United Methodist beliefs are not easily delineated in a paragraph or two.  Suffice it to say that United Methodists themselves often  take pride in the fact that this is so.  The reason is that we understand our belief systems to be uniquely personal and that there is often a difference of opinion among us as to what is a core belief and  what is not.

With that understanding in mind, it is safe to suggest, however, that our beliefs are centered around the word and witness of Jesus whom we believe to be the Christ (Messiah, Son of God).  We believe that, in Jesus, we see what God is like.  In the self-less love of Jesus and his willingness to become a humble servant to others, we discover the very nature of  God and the very purpose to which we have been called.  We believe that we are called by God to live and to love even as Jesus, in other words, to follow him.  To be a follower of Jesus means practicing a radical, inclusive love that is rooted in the concepts of forgiveness and grace.

As human beings, we know what it means to be broken and, by the grace of God, we also know what it means to be forgiven and made whole.  This is what it means to experience  the transforming power of God’s grace and it is central to our understanding of the Christian life.  As we understand it, this personal transformation is one that invites us to join forces with one another to work for the transformation of the world.  As the Franciscan priest, Richard Rohr, has suggested, “Only transformed people transform people.”

Ultimately, we believe that too many Christians often spend far too much time arguing about their beliefs and not nearly enough time translating those beliefs in to compassionate action.  We believe that we are called to be advocates for those whom Jesus referred to as “the least of these.”  In other words, those living on the margins of society, the hungry,  the naked, the sick, the imprisoned and the stranger (immigrant).