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"United Methodists profess the historic Christian faith in God, incarnate in Jesus Christ for our salvation and ever at work in human history in the Holy Spirit. Living in a covenant of grace under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, we participate in the first fruits of God's coming reign and pray in hope for its full realization on earth as it is in heaven.
"Our heritage in doctrine and our present theological task focus upon a renewed grasp of the sovereignty of God and of God's love in Christ amid the continuing crises of human existence.
"Our forebears in the faith reaffirmed the ancient Christian message as found in the apostolic witness even as they applied it anew in their own circumstances.
"Their preaching and teaching were grounded in Scripture, informed by Christian tradition, enlivened by experience, and tested by reason [the italicized words form the so-called Wesleyan quadrilateral, the four pillars upon which United Methodists arrive at theological consensus].
"Their labors inspire and inform our attempts to convey the saving gospel to our world with its needs and aspirations"
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Scripture
Tradition
Experience
Reason
A
Triune God
Prevenient
Grace
Justification
and Assurance
Question? Ask Here
The
Sacraments
With many other Protestant denominations, United Methodists recognize and celebrate only two Sacraments, Baptism and the Lord's Supper (or Holy Communion).
We baptize children, youth, and adults. For us, this rite is always membership in the Body of Christ, the Church.
With most United Methodists, Kenwood celebrates the Lord's Supper regularly, usually on the first Sunday of each month. We believe it to be both a converting and confirming Sacrament. "All persons who love the Lord Jesus Christ, who earnestly repent of their sins, and seek to live in peace and love with one another" are welcome at the table of the Lord's Supper.
The United Methodist Church looks to John Wesley for its faith and practice. This 18th century reformer "combined a belief in grace, justification, assurance, and sanctification in a powerful manner to create distinctive emphases for living the full Christian life.
"Grace, the undeserved, unmerited, and loving action of God in human experience through the ever-present Holy Spirit, pervades our understanding of Christian faith and life. . . And for Wesley there is no religion but social religion, no holiness but social holiness. The communal forms of faith in the Wesleyan tradition not only promote personal growth; they also equip and mobilize us for mission and service to the world"
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