Our Beliefs

Centenary United Methodist Church invites all who are curious about their faith to join us! Here is a little about what we preach and teach:

We believe in one eternal God, who created all things.
God exists in three forms — Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
God has always existed and always will exist.
God loves all people, regardless of age, race, color, sexual orientation, gender preference, socio-economic status, or how many times you’ve been in church.

Jesus is both fully God who was present at the creation and fully human who entered the earth in the form of a baby via a miraculous birth to the virgin Mary, a wondrous event we call Christmas.
Jesus taught about love for neighbor, which is all of humanity. By paying attention to what Jesus did and said while on Earth, we know we are called to show mercy to all who need it, to fight for justice to end systemic barriers to equity for all people, and to show love regardless of a person’s appearance, behavior or circumstances.
Jesus lived a sinless life but was convicted in a sham trial. He died on the cross to absolve all of humanity for its sins.
Jesus, the Son in the triune God, serves as judge of all. But he didn’t come to earth to condemn us but rather to save us from our sins.
All who believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior receive the gift of eternal life.
Jesus will personally return at some point. Nobody knows when that will be, but we are called to be prepared for when that day comes.

The Spirit of God completes the Trinity. The Holy Spirit (sometimes called the Holy Ghost) came to remind us of what Jesus taught during his time on Earth.
Often referred to as The Advocate, the Holy Spirit is with all people at all times, providing the presence of God in everyday life, not just during the highs and lows of life.
The Holy Spirit helps give you the power to overcome temptation, defeat sin and usher in righteousness in a believer’s life.
The Holy Spirit provides all people with spiritual gifts meant to help them grow in their holiness and to help make disciples of others to further the work of the kingdom.

Our beliefs are formed with four primary sources, as detailed by John Wesley, an Anglican priest who founded the Methodist movement.

The Bible

We believe the Bible is the inspired messaging from God meant to help us pattern our lives after Jesus and the Holy Spirit as we seek to serve our loving God.
We believe God has preserved the Bible as the foundation for our faith and life. It speaks to us, even today, with authority for our faith along life’s journey.

Tradition

As Christians, we are linked to the traditions of the past, stretching back from our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters up to the more recent traditions formed over the years.

Experience

Each of us comes to faith in a different way along a different path. What we learn over the years and through each of these experiences creates the building blocks of our faith.

Reason

Finally, please understand this: If you join us for worship, please don’t check your brain at the door! You are encouraged to take in the words in the hymns we sing, the sermon and other aspects of worship and ponder it to make up your own mind on many matters of faith.

We believe salvation is open to all people by the saving Grace of Jesus Christ. His death on the cross and your subsequent belief that He died for the sins of all humankind are all that is required for eternal life in the Heavenly Kingdom.
All people have grace available to them, but they must accept it and then are what we call “justified” (some people may call it “saved”). We then embark on a lifelong journey toward what is called sanctification, or a continued effort to be the best people we can possibly be in this life.

We believe it’s important to be part of a community of believers. Called “the church,” this community is made up of all who believe in the Lord Jesus. The church is not the building, but the group of people who worship in a building.
Scripture commands believers to gather together as they devote themselves to worship, fellowship, ministry, outreach, prayer, teaching, and to receive the sacraments of baptism and communion.
Each church should provide leadership that will provide direction to the community of faith so those believers can fulfill their purpose in an environment that fosters service to community, accountability, discipline, unity of purpose, and care.

We believe that science and faith can exist in harmony. The Bible is not a historical or scientific document, and science is not a basis for faith. Together, they explain our world and why some things have come into existence. For example, we believe the Biblical creation story is in perfect harmony with the theory of evolution. We also believe in vaccinations and other medical procedures meant to prolong life and improve quality of life.