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We believe in God, Creator of
the world; and in Jesus Christ, the Redeemer
of creation. We believe in the Holy Spirit, through whom we acknowledge
God’s gifts, and we repent of our sin in misusing these gifts to idolatrous
ends.
We affirm the natural
world as God’s handiwork and dedicate ourselves to its preservation,
enhancement, and faithful use by humankind.
We joyfully receive
for ourselves and others the blessings of community, sexuality, marriage,
and the family.
We commit ourselves to
the rights of men, women, children, youth, young adults, the aging, and
people with disabilities; to improvement of the quality of life; and to the
rights and dignity of racial, ethnic, and religious minorities.
We believe in the
right and duty of persons to work for the glory of God and the good of
themselves and others and in the protection of their welfare in so doing; in
the rights to property as a trust from God, collective bargaining, and
responsible consumption; and in the elimination of economic and social
distress.
We dedicate ourselves
to peace throughout the world, to the rule of justice and law among nations,
and to individual freedom for all people of the world.
We believe in the present and final triumph of God’s Word in human affairs
and gladly accept our commission to manifest the life of the gospel in the
world. Amen.
(It is recommended
that this statement of Social Principles be continually available to United
Methodist Christians and that it be emphasized regularly in every
congregation. It is further recommended that "Our Social Creed" be
frequently used in Sunday worship.)
(From The Book of
Discipline of The United Methodist Church - 2000. Copyright 2000 by The
United Methodist Publishing House. Used by permission.)
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What We Believe
As United Methodists, we have an obligation to bear a faithful Christian
witness to Jesus Christ, the living reality at the center of the Church’s
life and witness. To fulfill this obligation, we reflect critically on our
biblical and theological inheritance, striving to express faithfully the
witness we make in our own time.