Beliefs

What we believe at Hilldale UMC about Jesus, the Bible, and the Church

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, both visible and invisible. And in unity of this Godhead there are three persons, of one substance, power, and eternity—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

Jesus Christ

We believe in Jesus Christ, truly God and truly human, in whom the divine and human natures are perfectly and inseparably united. He is the eternal Word made flesh, the only begotten Son of the Father, born of the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit. As ministering Servant he lived, suffered and died on the cross. He was buried, rose from the dead and ascended into heaven to be with the Father, from whence he shall return. He is eternal Savior and Mediator, who intercedes for us, and by him all humanity will be judged.


Read more here.

The Holy Spirit

We believe in the Holy Spirit who proceeds from and is one in being with the Father and the Son. The Spirit convinces the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. The Spirit leads humans through faithful response to the gospel into the fellowship of the Church. The Spirit comforts, sustains and empowers the faithful and guides them into all truth.


Read more here.

The Church

We believe the Christian Church is the community of all true believers under the Lordship of Christ. We believe it is one, holy, apostolic and universal. It is the redemptive fellowship in which the Word of God is preached by men divinely called, and the sacraments are duly administered according to Christ’s own appointment. Under the discipline of the Holy Spirit the Church exists for the maintenance of worship, the edification of believers and the redemption of the world.

The Bible

We believe the Holy Bible, Old and New Testaments, reveals the Word of God so far as it is necessary for our salvation. It is to be received through the Holy Spirit as the true rule and guide for faith and practice. Whatever is not revealed in or established by the Holy Scriptures is not to be made an article of faith nor is it to be taught as essential to salvation.


Read more here.

The Sacraments

Sacraments ordained of Christ are not only badges or tokens of Christian profession, but rather they are signs of grace, and God’s good will toward us, by which he works invisibly in us, strengthening and confirming our faith in him. There are two Sacraments ordained of Christ our Lord in the Gospel: Baptism and the Last Supper of the Lord.

Holy Communion

The Supper of the Lord is not only a sign of the love that Christians ought to have among themselves, but is a sacrament of our redemption by Christ’s death; insomuch that, to such as rightly, worthily, and with faith receive the same, the bread which we break is a partaking of the body of Christ; and likewise the cup of blessing is a partaking of the blood of Christ.


Read more here.

Baptism

Baptism is not only a sign of profession and mark of difference whereby Christians are distinguished from others that are not baptized; but it is also a sign of regeneration or the new birth. The Baptism of young children is to be retained in the Church.


Read more here.

Our Wesleyan Heritage

Hilldale UMC is a part of the United Methodist tradition and comes from a long line of Wesleyan churches. By "Wesleyan" we mean that we are influenced by the Christian church revitalization movement that began with John Wesley.


Learn more about our heritage here.

Our Theological Guidelines

Theology is simply how we understand God together. Hilldale UMC, and all other UMC churches, take on this task through our understanding of Holy Scripture, Tradition, Reason, and Experience. This is the framework we use to interpret God's action in the world and how we should live in response to our Faith.


Read more about our Theological Guidelines here.

Got questions?

The best way to go deeper in understanding who we are and what we believe is to meet with our pastor. Let us know you would like to get together for coffee and our pastor will get back with you ASAP...