We affirm the historic Christian faith outlined in the Apostles Creed and Nicene Creed; these are the beliefs the majority of Christians hold true. Additionally, our theology is based on a Wesleyan understanding of Scripture. (Learn more about the founder of Methodism, John Wesley.)
We believe in one God in three persons - the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
The Father is the Creator and Sustainer of all things, visible and invisible. He created a perfect world and created humanity in His image to govern the earth, but humanity chose to rebel against God, introducing sin and death to the world.
Through the power of the Spirit, the Father sent the Son to be born of the virgin Mary, fully human and yet fully God, so Jesus might redeem all aspects of humanity and destroy the power of sin and death. (Learn more about Jesus.)
We believe that humanity is born with a fallen nature, inclined to do evil, and in this natural state, humans cannot respond to God.
We believe that God desires for all people to be saved, and that the Holy Spirit is at work in every person, restoring one’s ability to respond to God. Through this prevenient grace, the Spirit draws us to God, convicts us of sin, and enables us to accept or reject God’s offer of relationship and salvation.
We believe salvation, or being restored into right relationship with God, is available only through the work of Jesus Christ. All who repent and believe in Jesus and follow Him are made right with God and rescued from the power of sin and eternal separation from God.
We believe that one can never be saved by doing good works, but those that are saved will do good works and the fruit of the Spirit will be produced in their lives as evidence of their relationship with God. God expects us to grow in holiness and become perfect in love, like Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit. We believe the Spirit calls and empowers both men and women to do all aspects of His work, including ordained ministry.
We believe the Holy Spirit is active in the world today, empowering each Christian to not only submit their life to God and grow in holiness, but also to reveal God to the world, including through signs and wonders, such as healing and miracles.
We believe the Bible is the inspired word of God and contains all we need for salvation. Scripture is our authority for what we believe and how we live.
We believe that God extends grace to us in many ways, but particularly through the two sacraments of baptism and holy communion. These sacraments are outward and visible signs of God’s inward, invisible grace given to us.
We believe baptism is a sign of being included in the Kingdom of God by the grace of God. Infants are baptized as a sign of God’s grace already at work in their lives and their inclusion in the church until the time they can actively choose to confirm their own relationship with God. Adults who come to faith are also baptized as a response to God’s grace at work in their lives and their initiation into the Church. We practice all forms of baptism: sprinkling, pouring, and immersion.
We believe that we experience the grace of God in holy communion as we remember Jesus’ last meal of bread and wine with His disciples. While we do not believe Jesus is physically present in the elements of bread and wine that represent His body and blood, we experience God’s presence in a unique way through holy communion that restores and transforms us, enabling us to be the body of Christ for the world. We celebrate holy communion on the first Sunday of every month, using bread (or gluten free wafers) and grape juice so all may participate.
We believe that Jesus will return to earth at the end of the age, judging the living and the dead and resurrecting those who believe in Him. God will restore the world, bringing heaven to earth and making all things new, and He will dwell among His people again.