What We Believe

United Methodists are monotheists.

We believe in one God, revealed through the scriptures of the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament) and the New Testament. We experience God as Creator, or Father.

United Methodists are Christians.

We experience God in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, whom we believe to be the Messiah, or Christ. We experience God's presence in our daily lives. We call this reality of God's presence the Holy Spirit. We call these three expressions of God the Trinity.

United Methodists are Protestants.

We affirm the Protestant belief that disciples of Jesus have the right and responsibility to read and interpret scripture. We believe in the primacy of God's grace, or unmerited forgiveness, which we experience through Christ.

United Methodists historically have emphasized several themes:

• The Bible as the foundation of our faith
• God's grace, available to all persons
• Discipleship, involving both faith and action
• The spiritual life as both personal and social
• The church as a community of disciples in mission
• Intellect and devotion as inseparable components
• Holy living in individual life and in society
• Partnership in mission with other United Methodists
• An ecumenical spirit toward other Christians
• Inter-faith dialogue and cooperation where possible