FAQ’s for Burnt Factory United Methodist Church

What do United Methodist’s believe?

• 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 Christ, we participate in the first fruits of God’s coming reign and pray in hope for its full realization on earth as in heaven.
• United Methodists share a common heritage with Christians of every age and nation. This heritage is grounded in the apostolic witness to Jesus Christ as savior and Lord, which is the source and measure of all valid Christian teaching.
• 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 crisis of human existence. The preaching and teaching of our forbearers were grounded and revealed in scripture, illuminated by tradition, vivified in personal experience, and confirmed by reason.
• Grace pervades our understanding of Christian faith and life. By grace we mean the undeserved, unmerited, and loving action of God in human existence through the ever present Holy Spirit.
• Despite our brokenness, we remain creatures brought into being by a just and merciful God. The restoration of God’s image in our lives requires divine grace to renew our fallen nature. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is a gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast.” Eph. 2: 8

How can I join?

• The first thing to do is to contact the pastor. We offer counseling for everyone who feels the call of God upon their hearts to join us in membership.
• The only physical requirement is baptism. We honor other denominations baptisms as long as they are Trinitarian. We do not re-baptize. There is a service of re-affirmation of baptism if desired. We offer three modes of baptism: sprinkling, pouring, and immersion. Baptism, along with Holy Communion, is the two sacraments that United Methodists practice.
• Once you are baptized, you are required to make your Profession of Faith in a New Member Recognition Service. If you are transferring, we simply send a letter, on your behalf, to the church where you held previous membership.
• We offer and promote infant baptism and then when the child reaches adolescence, he/she can enter into Confirmation classes where they can, for themselves, decide to confirm what God started in their lives as an infant.
• When joining the church, we ask you to be loyal to the United Methodist Church, loyal to the local congregation known as Burnt Factory UMC and to support the ministries of the church with your prayers, your service, your gifts, your presence, and your witness.

What is this Apostle’s Creed you recite every Sunday?

• Although the United Methodist Church is not a creedal church; in that we do not believe any creed can communicate or capture all the mystery of God, we do rely on the historic creeds of the one true apostolic and historic church to affirm what we believe. The Apostle’s Creed, the Nicene Creed, and others supply a succinct and sincere synopsis of our beliefs.

Why are there trailers behind the church?

• We refer to them as cottages and the lower cottage is our administrative cottage where the pastor’s study, conference room, and administrative office are located. The upper cottage is where our youth ministries are located, including senior high Sunday school classes.

Do you have a vision/mission statement?

• Yes, our mission is to “Make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” Our motto is to “Sharing the love of Christ with all people.” And our unifying scripture is: “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5: 16