Statement of Faith

Each church within our conference ascribes to the following 16 Articles of life and practice.

Articles of Religion

I. Of Faith in the Holy Trinity

There is but one living and true God, everlasting, without body or parts, of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness the maker and preserver of all things, visible and invisible   And In unity of this Godhead there are three persons, of One substance, power, and eternal the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

II. Of the Word, or Son of God who was made very Man

The Son, who was the Word of the Father, the very and eternal God, of one substance with the Father, took mans nature in the womb of the Blessed Virgin: so that two whole and perfect nature, that is to say, the Godhead and Manhood, were Joined together in one person, never to be divided whereof is one Christ, very God and very Man, who truly suffered, was crucified, dead, and buried, to reconcile His Father to us, and to be a sacrifice, not only for original guilt but also for the actual sins of men.

III. Of the Resurrection of Christ

Christ did truly rise again from the dead, and took again his body, with all things appertaining to the perfection of man’s nature, wherewith He ascended into heaven, and there sitteth until He returns to judge all men at the last day.

 

IV. Of the Holy Ghost 

The Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and Son, is of one substance, majesty, and glory With the Father and the Son, very and eternal God.

 

V. The Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures for Salvation

The Holy Scriptures contain all things necessary to salvation so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man that It should be believed as an article of faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation   In the name of the Holy Scriptures we do understand those canonical books of the Old and New Testament of whose authority was never in doubt in the Church the names of the canonical books are:
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, The First Book of Samuel, The Second Book of Samuel, The First Book of Kings, The Second Book of Kings, The First Book of Chronicles, The Second Book of Chronicles, The Book of Ezra, The Book of Nehemiah, The Book of Ester, The Book of Job, The Psalms, The Proverbs, Ecclesiastes or the Preacher, Canticle or Song of Solomon, Four Prophets the Greater,Twelve Prophets the Less.
All the books of the New Testament, as they are commonly received, we do receive and account canonical.

VI. Of the Old Testament

The Old Testament is not contrary to the New for both in the Old and New Testament everlasting life is offered to mankind by Christ who is the only Mediator between God and man, being both God and Man   Wherefore they are not to be heard who feign that the old fathers did look only for transitory promises   Although the law given from God by Moses as touching ceremonies and rites doth not of necessity be received in any commonwealth, yet notwithstanding, no Christian whatsoever is free from the obedience of the commandments which are called moral.

 

VII. Of Original/Birth Sin

Original sin standeth not in the following of Adam (as the Pelagians do vainly talk), but it is the corruption of the nature of every man, that naturally is engendered of the offspring of Adam, whereby man is very far gone from original righteousness, and of his own nature is inclined to evil, and that continually.

VIII. Of Free Will

The condition of man after the fall of Adam is such that he cannot turn and prepare himself, by his own natural strength and works to faith, and calling upon God wherefore we have no power to do good works, pleasant and acceptable to God, without the grace of God by Christ preventing us, that we may have a goodwill, and working with us when we have that goodwill.

IX. Of the Justification of Man

We are accounted righteous before God only for the merit of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, by faith, and not for our own works or deserving’s   Wherefore, that we are justified by faith only is a most wholesome doctrine, and very full of comfort.

 

X. Of Good Works

Although good works, which are the fruits of faith, and follow after Justification, cannot put away our sins and endure the severity of God’s judgments yet are they pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ, and spring out of a true and lively faith, insomuch that by them a living faith may be as evidently known as a tree is discerned by its fruit.

 

XI. Of Works of Supererogation

Voluntary works besides, over, and above God’s commandments which are called works of supererogation, cannot be taught without arrogance and impiety   For by them men do declare that they do not only render unto God, as much as, they are bound to do, but that they do more for his sake that of bounded duty is required, whereas Christ saith plainly   “When ye have done all that is commanded of you, say, We are unprofitable servants.”

 

XII. Of Sin after Justification

Not every sin willingly committed after justification is the sin against the Holy Ghost, and unpardonable   Wherefore, the grant of repentance is not to be denied to such as fall into sin after justification after we have received the Holy Ghost, we may depart from grace given, and fall into sin, and, by the grace of God, rise again and amend our lives   And therefore they are to be condemned who say they can no more sin as long as they live here, or deny the place of forgiveness to such as truly repent.

 

XIII. Of the Church

The visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithful men in which the pure Word of God is preached, and the Sacraments duly administered according to Christ’s ordinance, in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same.

 

XIV. Of Purgatory

The Romish doctrine concerning purgatory, pardon, worshipping and adoration, as well as, images of relics, and also invocation of saints, is a fond thing,  vainly invented, and grounded upon no warrant of scripture, but repugnant to the Word of God.

 

XV. Of Speaking in the Congregation in such a Tongue as the People Understand

It is a thing plainly repugnant to the Word of God. and the custom of the primitive Church, to have public prayer in the church, or to administer Sacraments, in a tongue not understood by the people.

 

XVI. Of the Sacraments

Sacraments ordained of Christ are not only badges or tokens of Christian men’s profession, but rather they are certain signs of grace, and God’s goodwill toward us by that which He doth work invisibly in us. and doth not only quicken but also strengthen and confirm, our faith in Him.

 

 

CORE DOCTRINES

Our Core Doctrine surrounds Holiness in the scriptural sense both in Faith and Practice.  While Methodist is the accepted place of Christian Perfection promoted by John Wesley the founder of the Movement.