History of the United
Methodist Church
On April 23, 1968, the United Methodist Church was
created when Bishop Reuben H. Mueller, representing The
Evangelical United Brethren Church, and Bishop Lloyd C.
Wicke of The Methodist Church joined hands at the
constituting General Conference in Dallas, Texas.
With the words, "Lord of the Church, we
are united in Thee, in Thy Church and now in The United
Methodist Church," the new denomination was given birth
by two churches that had distinguished histories and
influential ministries in various parts of the world.
Theological traditions steeped in the
Protestant Reformation and Wesleyanism, similar
ecclesiastical structures, and relationships that dated
back almost two hundred years facilitated the union. In
the Evangelical United Brethren heritage, for example,
Philip William Otterbein, the principal founder of the
United Brethren in Christ, assisted in the ordination of
Francis Asbury to the superintendence of American
Methodist work. Jacob Albright, through whose religious
experience and leadership the Evangelical Association
was begun, was nurtured in a Methodist class meeting
following his conversion.
What We Believe
As United Methodists, we have an obligation to bear a
faithful Christian witness to Jesus Christ, the living
reality at the center of the Church's life and witness.
To fulfill this obligation, we reflect critically on our
biblical and theological inheritance, striving to
express faithfully the witness we make in our own time.
Two considerations are central to this endeavor: the
sources from which we derive our theological
affirmations and the criteria by which we assess the
adequacy of our understanding and witness.
Wesley believed that the living core of the Christian
faith was revealed in Scripture, illumined by tradition,
vivified in personal experience, and confirmed by
reason.
Doctrinal Standards and Our Theological Task |
The Ministry of All Christians
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Social Principles
For Additional
Information on the United Methodist Church, please visit
their website by clicking on the Bible below or through
www.umc.org .
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CUMC Ministry
Covenant
(Click on the image
above to open the CUMC Ministry Covenant)
"The ministry of all
Christians consists of privilege and obligation. The
privilege is a relationship with God that is deeply
spiritual. The obligation is to respond to God's call to
holy living in the world. In the United Methodist
tradition, these two dimensions of Christian
discipleship are wholly interdependent."
Source - The Book of Discipline 2004, Page 91
The CUMC Ministry
Covenant is our churches road map.
It is a living
document, and consists of the following:
Mission and
Goals in the Church for the upcoming year
Core Values and Beliefs
Mission and Goals for the Pastor for the upcoming year
Safe Sanctuary
Policy
(Click on the image
above to open the Safe Sanctuary Policy)
The Centreville United Methodist Church is discharging
its Christian and ethical responsibilities by providing
a safe and secure environment for children, youth, and
adults with specific needs, and hereby adopts the
following Safe Sanctuary policy:
Throughout the gospels, Jesus provides teachings on
providing a peaceable kingdom for all of God’s people,
including our most precious gifts, our children and
youth. An example may be found in Luke 18:15-17. When
the disciples tried to keep children away from Jesus, he
instructed them to let them come. Jesus welcomed and
included children and lifted them up as examples to the
faithful. He warned against putting anything in their
path that would cause them to stumble.
The church continues to welcome children, knowing that
for some it may be the only place where they will
experience God’s unconditional love and grace. As
Christians, we take our responsibilities to children and
youth very seriously. We are committed to providing a
safe and secure environment for all children and those
who participate in the ministries and activities
sponsored by Centreville United Methodist Church. The
Safe Sanctuary Policy will be posted and available in
the Church Office, Nursery, CYM Room, Fellowship Hall,
the Sunday School wing, and the CUMC website (www.centreville-umc.com).
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