UMC Core Beliefs
United Methodists stand squarely in the theological center of the Christian faith tradition. We hold to the Bible as the primary source of truth about God, and we have four specific documents in our tradition which we hold to be faithful historical expressions of Biblical truth: The Articles of Religion of the Methodist Church and Confessions of Faith of the Evangelical United Brethren Church , along with Sermons on Several Occasions and Explanatory Notes on the New Testament, two books by John Wesley (the founder of Methodism) which set forth the beliefs and perspectives of early Methodists. These writings form the basis of our “doctrinal standards,” which contain the following core beliefs:
The Bible Is the Word of God
The Bible is the revelation of God's truth, so that our knowledge of God comes not from our own speculation but from the self-revelation of God. "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." (II Timothy 3:16) "The Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation." (Articles)God Is Creator
God is the Creator and Preserver of all things. God is "infinite in power, wisdom, justice, goodness, and love, and rules with gracious regard for the well-being and salvation of men." (Confession) "In the beginning, God created." (Genesis 1:1)God Acts In Grace
The "grace" of God is the love of God freely given, the fact that God loves us even though we have not earned that love. "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that God loved us, and sent His Son to be the expiation for our sins." (I John 4:9)Jesus Is the Son of God
The central action of God's grace is that God sent Christ into the world. The virgin birth testifies to the fact that Jesus is not simply a good man but is the "Word become flesh" (John 1:14). In Jesus God has entered into our world for our salvation, to dwell among us and to reconcile us to God.Jesus Is the Savior
In his life, Jesus proclaimed the forgiving love of God, and in His death on the cross, Jesus took our sins upon Himself, so that we might be forgiven and enter into new life with God. "Since all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, they are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus." (Romans 3:23-24)Jesus Is the Risen Lord
In His resurrection, Jesus broke the bonds of death, and opened up the way for us into everlasting life. "In fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep . . . . In Christ shall all be made alive." (I Corinthians 15:20,22)We Are Saved through Faith
We receive new and eternal life not through our own efforts but through faith—believing in Christ as our Savior and trusting in Christ as Lord of our life. "If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9)We Are Renewed in Christ
As we trust in Christ we are spiritually renewed. "You have put off the old nature with its practices and have put on the new nature, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator." (Colossians 3:9-10) This renewal or "new birth" is "the renewal of man in righteousness through Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, whereby we are made partakers of the divine nature and experience newness of life." (Confessions)We Grow in the Spirit
The Christian life is a process of continually growing in Christ. This growth happens through the working of the Holy Spirit—the indwelling and empowering presence of the Lord in us. "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you." (Acts 1:8)We Reach out in Love
The greatest gift of the Spirit is love. (I Corinthians 13) As followers of Christ, we reach out into the world to bring the good news and love of God to others. "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. . . . I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit." (John 15:12,16)We Share in Worship
God's people in all ages have joined together in worship. Worship refreshes our fellowship with God and each other. In worship we praise God for the gifts of God's grace, we open our lives to the working of God's Spirit, and we are inspired anew to live in faith. "O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker! For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand." (Psalm 95:6-7)We Are the Church
The Christian life is not a solitary venture. Jesus called twelve disciples, and He calls His followers in every age to be in community with one another. "And all who believed were together." (Acts 2:44) We become part of the church because it is in Christian community that we can truly grow and serve as disciples of Christ.We Have a Bright Future
We look forward to the day when Christ will bring all things to a consummation in the everlasting Kingdom of God. "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth . . . and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling of God is with His people . . . He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.'" (Revelation 21:1-4)
Emphasis In Methodist Beliefs
In addition to sharing certain foundational beliefs with all Christians, United Methodists have had some particular emphases in our beliefs, which have provided the United Methodist denomination with some of its unique character. These emphases include the following:
The Primacy of Grace
Our salvation depends on the grace of God—God reaches out to us with freely given love, even before we respond, and though we have not earned it. The Christian life, then, means accepting God's love and living with joy in the knowledge that we are now embraced by the love of God. This emphasis gives United Methodism an upbeat tone and a consistent stress on the image of God as loving. "We love, because God first loved us." (I John 4:19)The Need for Conversion
While God takes the initiative—reaching out to us with saving love—it is necessary for us to finally make a personal decision to accept God's love and the offer of salvation in Christ. This decision may occur in one transforming moment, or it may involve a series of decisions across a long period of time. In any case, we have the freedom to make a personal choice to receive God's offer of love and life. "I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life, that you and your children may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying His voice, and cleaving to Him." (Deuteronomy 30:19-20)The Need for New Birth
The Christian life involves not only an assent to certain beliefs; it involves far more a renewal of our spirit. "You must be born again" (or "born from above"), said Jesus. (John 3:17) Unfortunately, the phrase "being born again" has been woefully misused in our time as a means of claiming spiritual status or insisting that others must have the same kind of spiritual experience as oneself. Because of this misuse, United Methodists seldom use the term today. But the idea is still present—that Christ will bring about spiritual renewal in the lives of all believers.The Validity of Varied Experiences of God
United Methodists believe that the Spirit of God works in people's lives in many different ways. The Spirit, like the wind, said Jesus, "blows where it will." (John 3:8) Some, like the apostle Paul, have a dramatic "turnaround" conversion experience. Others, like Paul's pupil, Timothy, whose grandmother and mother were Christians, grow up gradually in Christian faith. Still others have a story like Peter—coming to faith, then falling away, then being renewed in faith again. In the United Methodist view, each kind of experience is a way in which the Spirit may lead us to faith in Christ; we value everyone's journey and look for how Christ is truly at work in each person's life.Faith and Good Works Belong Together
We are saved from sin and given the promise of everlasting life not because of our "good deeds" but because of what Christ has done for us; thus, as noted above, we believe that we are saved through faith in Christ. At the same time, if we truly have faith, and are following Christ and being filled with God's love, then good works—acts of love—will naturally flow from us. As James wrote, "Faith without works is dead," (James 2:17) and "Be doers of the word, and not hearers only." (James 1:22) This emphasis on faith expressing itself in works has led United Methodists to be a very action-oriented church, with numerous forms of service and mission in the world.The Dignity of All Persons
United Methodists hold fast to the Biblical teaching that all persons are created like Adam in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) and are therefore of equal value and infinite worth in God's sight. With this conviction, United Methodists have historically been on the forefront of struggles for human rights—going all the way back to John Wesley's stand against slavery—and United Methodist churches and leadership positions are fully open to persons of all races.Along these lines, our church has adopted the following welcoming statement according to our interpretation of this philosophy:
You are welcome here: The United Methodist Church of Kent joyously proclaims Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and follows the example of Jesus in welcoming all. We welcome persons of every age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, family configuration, marital status, political affiliation, faith history, economic status, educational background, and developmental or physical ability. All are invited to share in this community of faith, where we are growing in a relationship with Christ that empowers us to serve the world in Christian love.
We Are Connected Together
In the early church as described in the book of Acts, there was no such thing as an "independent church." All the congregations were very much connected in organization and mission together. In the United Methodist Church today, we attempt to carry forward this principle in our church organization. We are "connectional," which means that every local church is connected to the others; we share in decision-making and in mission to the world.
We welcome you to review the latest UMC Handbook which is updated regularly by the United Methodist Church and provides a very useful guide to the beliefs and practices of the church.