A friend from another denomination half-jokingly said one can be a United Methodist and believe anything. Why does that impression exist among some people?
Probably because The United Methodist Church is not a creedal church that requires members to subscribe to a closely detailed system of beliefs. This does not mean, however, that United Methodists are not committed to basic Christian doctrines. Both the Articles of Religion and the Confession of Faith are embodied in our Book of Discipline as the doctrinal standards of the church. In addition, the Standard Sermons and Notes upon the New Testament from Methodism’s founder, John Wesley, are included in the existing and established standards of doctrine and are accepted as landmark documents for United Methodists. We affirm core Christian doctrines such as: the Trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – both in personal experience and in the community of believers; salvation by grace through faith in Christ as Savior; the universal Church; the reign of God as both a present and future reality; the authority of Scripture in matters of faith; and the essential oneness of the Church in Jesus C
