Our Beliefs
As United Methodists, we affirm the faith shared by Christians across the globe, with emphasis placed on God’s grace and Christian living. John Wesley and the early Methodists placed primary emphasis on Christian living, on putting faith and love into action. This continues to be one of the key elements of modern day United Methodism.
We believe God our creator has always desired to be in relationship with human beings, and that every human being is a reflection of God, and has great worth.
Ultimately, we believe that relationship was made possible through God when He sent His son, Jesus, the Christ, to be born and raised on earth. We believe Jesus’ death, remembered on Good Friday, is sufficient for the sins of the world, and provides forgiveness for any sin we have committed. We believe that Jesus rose from the dead, celebrated on Easter, and that all who put their trust in Him have a promise of resurrection someday, to a home being prepared for us by Him.
Once we accept that forgiveness, the Holy Spirit begins a work inside of us, making our hearts more similar to Christ’s, as well as giving us gifts to equip us for ministering to and for others, which brings us to the Church, sometimes called “the body of Christ.” The church is not a building, but a fellowship of imperfect human beings who encourage and equip one another for our primary task, to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
We believe you fit into that work, and that God sees great potential in you. While we believe God has a plan and purpose for each of us, we also believe we have free will. Bad things happen to good people, and that is not God’s will, but part of the reminder that this life is not heaven.
We believe the Bible is inspired by God, shared by human beings so others could be more aware of the mind of God, and can know what pleases Him.
For more detail about the beliefs of the United Methodist Church, click here.
The Hocking River District of the United Methodist Church
District Superintendent Rev. Mark Chow
The West Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church
“Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors”