BEING WESLEYAN

During the 18th century, John and Charles Wesley founded the Methodist Movement to revitalize the Anglican Church. They focused on personal piety and acts of service and emphasized the role of the Holy Spirit in both these endeavors. The doctrines from this movement are carried on today in the United Methodist Church.

As a UMC and Wesleyan congregation, we respect the heritage that the Wesleys created and seek to live out their hopes of a revitalized, holy church.

THE CHRISTIAN LIFE

One of the unique markers of Wesleyan theology is our beliefs around salvation. We believe the goal of the Christian life is this: to become more like Jesus.

This process is called sanctification and is achieved through the deliberate process of spiritual formation. While salvation is not based on this continual process, it is the call of every Christian life and requires the Christian to make intentional choices to follow Jesus. We can not expect to make this journey on our own but require the Holy Spirit to aid us in our formation.

THE CHRISTIAN IDENTITY

We all have lots of identities in the world- professional, social, political, educational.

When you live into your calling as a Christian, your identity in Christ becomes primary. It is the lens through which you view the world and all the choices you make. While we may take on certain identities during our lives, they are always taken on in the context of better serving the Lord in the world around us. Loving one another and loving God is non-negotiable no matter which "side" you stand on.

WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP

We believe God has gifted all of his people, regardless of their gender, to serve the Lord and proclaim his good news in and out of the church. In our view, the Gospels speak clearly about the inclusion of men and women in leadership within the early church. Because of this, we celebrate both men and women in all positions of leadership in our church.