Statement of Faith - Mt. Zion United Methodist Church

The constitution of the UMC establishes The Articles of Religion of the Methodist Church and The Conference of Faith of the Evangelical Brethren Church as doctrinal standards that shall not be revoked, altered or changed.  These historical statements may be found in their entirety in the Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church.

A brief Statement of Faith in the spirit of the aforementioned historical statements is offered here to the members of Mt. Zion United Methodist Church.

1. We believe there is one true and living God, of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness; the maker and preserver of all things; one God, eternally existent in three persons:  Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
2. We believe in Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of the Father, truly God and truly man, born of the virgin Mary, by the power of the Holy Spirit.  He suffered, was crucified, dead and buried as an atoning sacrifice for the sin of humankind.  He rose from the dead, ascended to the right hand of the Father, intercedes for us, and shall return in power and triumph.
3. We believe in the Holy Spirit, proceeding from the Father, of one substance, majesty, and glory with the Father and the Son, very and eternal God.
4. We believe the Scripture of the Old and New Testaments to contain all things necessary to salvation; to be infallible and inerrant; received through the Holy Spirit as the true rule and guide for belief and practice.
5. We believe that all human beings have been created in the image of God, but our nature has been corrupted by sin so that we are very far gone from original righteousness, and of our own nature inclined to evil, and that continually.
6. We believe that we are saved from the wrath of God due our sin by the grace of God and not by any merit of our own.  He sought us when we did not seek Him (Prevenient Grace).  He reconciled us to Himself by the shed blood of Jesus Christ (Justifying Grace).  He sanctifies us by the power of His indwelling Holy Spirit (Sanctifying Grace).  All who repent of sin and put faith in Jesus Christ shall be saved, born anew by the Spirit of God.
7. We believe that "faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead" (James 2:17); that, in the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit, faith working through love is the goal and aim of every child of God.
8. We believe the Church is the Body of Christ, the community of all true believers under the Lordship of Jesus Christ where the Word of God is preached and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper are administered.  All believers are baptized into the Body of Christ by the Holy Spirit, and thus, having become members one of another, are responsible to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  The Church exists for the maintenance of worship, the edification of believers, and the redemption of the world.
9. We believe all persons stand under the righteous judgment of Jesus Christ, both now and in the last day.  We believe in the resurrection of the dead, the just to life eternal and the unjust to everlasting punishment.