Church Vision

“We strive to be a church that uplifts the kingdom of Christ by being loving, welcoming, and nurturing as we grow spiritually.”

Church Mission

“We are working together to lead souls to the Kingdom of Christ!”

Affirmation of Faith

“I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Church universal, the communion of the saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.”

Articles of Religion of the CME Church

Article 1. 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, both visible and invisible. And in unity of this God-head, there are three persons of one substance, power, and eternity — the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

Article 2. Of the Word or Son of God Who Was Made Very Man

The Son, who is the Word of the Father, the very and eternal God, of one substance with the Father took man’s nature in the womb of the blessed Virgin; so that two whole and perfect natures—that is to say the God-head 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 actual sins of men.

Article 3. 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.

Article 4. Of the Holy Ghost

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

Article 5. The Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures for Salvation

The Holy Scriptures containeth 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 the faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation. In the name of the Holy Scripture, we do understand those canonical books of the Old and New Testaments, of which authority was never any 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 Esther, the Book of Job, the Psalms, the Proverbs, Ecclesiastes or the Preacher, Canticle or Songs 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.

Article 6. Of the Old Testament

The Old Testament is not contrary to the New; for both in the Old and New Testaments 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 to Moses, as touching ceremonies and rites, doth not bind Christians, nor ought the civil precepts thereof of necessity to be received in any Commonwealth; yet notwithstanding, no Christian whatsoever is free from the obedience of the commandments which are called moral.

Article 7. Of Original or 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 inclined to do evil, and that continually.

Article 8. 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 good will, and working with us, when we have that good will.

Article 9. 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 deservings; wherefore, that we are justified by faith only, is a most wholesome doctrine, and very full of comfort.

Article 10. 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 judgment; yet are they pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ, and spring out of a true and lively faith, insomuch that by them a lively faith may be as evidently known, as a tree discerned by its fruit.

Article 11. Of Works of Supererogation

Voluntary works, besides,over and above God’s commandments, which are called works of supererogation, cannot be taught without arrogancy 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 than of bounden duty is required whereas Christ saith plainly, “ When ye have done all that is commanded of you, say. We are unprofitable servants.”

Article 12. 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 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.

Article 13. 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.

Article 14. Of Purgatory

The Romish doctrine concerning purgatory, pardons, worshipping, and adoration as well of images as 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.

Article 15. 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 minister the sacraments in a tongue not understood by the people.

Article 16. 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 good will toward us. He doth work invisibly in us and doth, not only quicken, but also strengthen and confirm our faith in Him. There are two sacraments ordained of Christ our Lord in the Gospel; that is to say, Baptism and the Supper of our Lord.

Those five commonly called sacraments—that is to say Confirmation, Penance, Orders, Matrimony, and Extreme Unction — are not to be counted for Sacraments of the Gospel, being such as have partly grown out of the corrupt following of the apostles and partly are states of life allowed in the Scriptures, but yet have not the like nature of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, because they have not any visible sign or ceremony ordained of God.

The sacraments were not ordained of Christ to be gazed upon, or to be carried about; but that we should duly use them. And in such only as worthily receive the same, they have a wholesome effect or operation; but they that receive them unworthily, purchase to themselves condemnation as Saint Paul saith, I Cor. 11:29.

Article 17. Of 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.

Article 18. Of the Lord’s Supper

The Supper of the Lord is not only a sign of the love that Christians ought to have among themselves one to another, but rather 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.

Transubstantiation, or the change of the substance of bread and wine in the Supper of the Lord, cannot be proved by Holy Writ; but is repugnant to the plain words of Scripture, overthroweth the nature of a sacrament, and hath given occasion to many superstitions.

The body of Christ is given, taken, and eaten in the Supper only after a heavenly and spiritual manner. And the means whereby the body of Christ is received and eaten in the Supper, is faith.

The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper was not by Christ’s ordinance reserved, carried about, lifted up, or worshipped.

Article 19. Of Both Kinds

The cup of the Lord is not to be denied to the lay people; for both parts of the Lord’s Supper, by Christ’s ordinance and commandment, ought to be administered to all Christians alike.

Article 20. Of the One Oblation of Christ Finished Upon the Cross

The offering of Christ once made is that perfect redemption, propitiation, and satisfaction for all the sins of the whole world, both original, and actual; and there is no other satisfaction for sin but that alone. Wherefore the sacrifice of masses, in which it is commonly said that the priest doth offer Christ for the quick and the dead, to have remission of pain or guilt, is a blasphemous fable and dangerous deceit.

Article 21. Of the Marriage of Ministers

The ministers of Christ are not commanded by God’s law either to vow the estate of single life, or to abstain from marriage; therefore it is lawful for them, as for all other Christians to marry, at their own discretion as they shall judge the same to serve best to Godliness.

Article 22. Of the Rites and Ceremonies of Churches

It is not necessary that rites and ceremonies should in all places be the same, or exactly alike; for they have been always different, and may be changed according to the diversity of countries; times; and men’s manners, so that nothing be ordained against God’s Word. Whosoever, through his private judgment, willingly and purposely, doth openly break the rites and ceremonies of the Church to which he belongs, which are repugnant to the word of God, and are ordained and approved by common authority, ought to be rebuked openly, that others may fear to do the like, as one that offendeth against the common order of the Church, and woundeth the conscience of weak brethren.

Every particular Church may ordain, change, or abolish rites and ceremonies, so that all things may be done to edification.

Article 23. Of the Rulers of the United States of America

The President, the Congress and the general assemblies, the governors, and the councils of state, as the delegates of the people, are the rulers of the United States of America, according to the division of power made to them by the constitution of their respective states. And the said states are a sovereign and independent nation and ought not to be subject to any foreign jurisdiction.*

Article 24. Of Christian Men’s Goods

The riches and goods of Christians are not common, as touching the right, title, and possession of the same, as some do falsely boast. Notwithstanding every man ought, of such things as he possesseth, liberally to give alms to the poor according to his ability.

Article 25. Of a Christian Man’s Oath

As we confess that vain and rash swearing is forbidden, Christian men by our Lord Jesus Christ and James, His apostle; so we judge that the Christian religion doth not prohibit, but that a man may swear when the magistrate requireth, in a cause of faith and charity, so it be done according to the prophet’s teaching on justice, judgment and truth.

* As far as it respects civil affairs we believe it the duty of Christians and especially all Christian ministers, to be subject to the supreme authority of the country where they reside, and to use all laudable means to enjoin obedience to the powers that be and therefore it is expected that all our preachers and people who may be under any foreign government, behave themselves as peaceable and orderly subjects.