What is it?

The word theology is a combination of two Greek words, theos (God) and logos (word/reason), which, when put together, mean something like God-talk. Theology is what we are doing whenever we reflect on our experiences of the Divine Mystery and talk about God together. Theology in the Wesleyan tradition emphasizes grace, God’s love for us & life among us. John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, once wrote this word of advice about spiritual reading: “Labor to work yourself up into a temper correspondent with what you read; for that reading is useless which only enlightens the understanding, without warming the affections.”  In our congregation we endeavor to practice this union of thought and feeling, understanding and devotion.

The Trinity & the Image of God

We believe in a triune God – Father/Creator, Son/Savior, and Holy Spirit/Sustainer – three persons sharing in the one divine nature. God is a perfectly united fellowship, a divine dance of love. Since we are created in the image of this Triune God, we believe that we, too, are made for the enjoyment of safe, fulfilling, just, and generous relationships with others. To that end, we practice forgiveness and reconciliation in Jesus’ name.

The Mystery of God & the Spiritual Journey

We are all on a journey of life and faith. No two journeys are exactly alike. Even so, we trust that for all of us who have been united in baptism Jesus has become “the way, the truth, and the life.” This diversity in unity grounds our congregation’s worship, preaching, and teaching. We don’t settle for easy answers but we do come together around shared rituals, symbols, and scriptures, trusting that each of us will receive exactly what we need from God for taking the next step on our path. 

The Scriptures

The Hebrew Bible and the Christian New Testament are the scriptures which testify to our God as one who creates and covenants, becomes flesh and dwells among us, suffers, dies, and resurrects, forgives and reconciles, pursues and makes new. The Scriptures form the foundation of our congregation’s preaching, teaching, and discipling. We revel in their complexity and historicity; we read them prayerfully and playfully; we trust that when they are preached and heard in faith they become the living and active Word for us, by the power of the Spirit. 

God’s Call

We believe that God calls every one of us into some form of Christian ministry. All – whether clergy or laity – are called to be disciples of Jesus Christ. A disciple is a “student,” “follower,” or “life-long learner.” As disciples, we all are responsible for embodying the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20), sharing the love of God generously and the resources of creation justly wherever we go. Some of us are called into vocational Christian ministry as elders, deacons, local pastors, or missionaries. Most of us are called to work out our discipleship as lay members of the Church, suffusing every facet of life with the light and hope of God.

Theology

Some questions we get asked:

  • Yes, at every level and in any position.

  • Yes – and not just welcomed but also called into service, affirmed as image bearers of the Divine, baptized, confirmed, married, commissioned, and loved. We participate in the Reconciling Ministries Network, a fellowship of churches advocating for the full participation of LGBTQ+ persons in the United Methodist Church at large.

  • Yes. The Table belongs neither to our congregation nor to the United Methodist Church, but to Jesus whose invitation is for all.

  • Most of the time, no. Standard practice in United Methodist churches is to not rebaptize, because we believe that God marks us as God’s own once for all, and that our baptismal identity goes with us wherever we go. There are many beautiful ways to ritualize your recommitment to faith or remembrance of your baptism. However, while we actively and gratefully partner with the Latter-Day Saints community in ecumenical service to our community, United Methodists do not consider an LDS baptism to be a Christian baptism, and we will urge you to be baptized here.