Our Beliefs

Congregational Values

Christ-Centered Worship

Pursuing and praising Jesus together

Healthy Relationships

Seeking and speaking Truth in love

Real Compassion

Caring for and sharing with those in need

Intentional Disciple-Making

Being formed by Christ and forming others

Scriptural Foundation

Connecting with the God revealed in Scripture

Thankful Generosity

Giving as we have received

Theological Distinctives

Baptism

Baptism is the “rite of entry” into the people of God and one of two Sacraments recognized by Christ United Jackson (a Sacrament is a physical symbol that expresses and conveys the love and grace of God). In baptism, our sins are washed “clean” and we become new people in Jesus Christ.

As circumcision in the Old Testament was a one-time rite of entry for Jewish people into a relationship with God, baptism is a one-time rite of entry for those who profess faith in Jesus Christ and enter the Church. Baptism may be administered by sprinkling, immersion, or pouring. Because baptism is a one-time event, Christ United Jackson does not practice re-baptism. We do offer occasional opportunities in worship for people to remember and celebrate anew their baptism.

We believe God’s grace invites us into connection and relationship even before we are consciously aware of it. Infant baptism is one way we affirm this “prevenient grace” at work. We baptize infants before they have conscious awareness of their need for God because of our conviction that God is already reaching out to them through the Church to draw them into God’s love. We baptize infants and children with the clear understanding that parents are the primary spiritual guides responsible for helping their children experience a personal relationship with Jesus Christ with the help of the church. Christ United Jackson also offers “believers’ baptism” to those who have not been previously baptized and are old enough to commit themselves to Christ on their own.

Human Sexuality, Gender, and Marriage

All people are individuals of sacred worth. We affirm that God’s grace is available to all, no matter their current or past expression of gender identity or sexuality. In keeping with the teaching of Scripture and the historic, orthodox Christian tradition through the ages, we believe “God created human beings in his own image… male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27). We acknowledge and respect God’s authority to assign gender by biological design. We believe that God’s intention for humanity is faithfulness in marriage and celibacy in singleness. We believe that marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union (Genesis 2:24-25; Matthew 19:5; 1 Corinthians 6:16; Ephesians 5:31), and that sexual intimacy is a precious gift, reserved exclusively for this covenant of marriage. We believe any sexual behavior outside of these standards is not in line with God’s will, as revealed in the teachings of Scripture and is considered sin (1 Corinthians 6:12-20).

It is our conviction that God calls his people to live by his standard of holiness in all areas of their lives and that “He [Jesus] himself bore our sins in His body on the cross so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness, ‘by His wounds we are healed’” (1 Peter 2:24). No matter our station – married, single, widowed, divorced – we are all in need of God’s grace and daily dependent on the indwelling Holy Spirit to enable the sexual purity his word commands. We strive to be a church that supports all people in honoring and serving God through holy sexuality.

Holy Communion

Holy Communion, also known as the Lord’s Supper and the Eucharist, is one of two Sacraments recognized by Christ United Jackson (a Sacrament is a visible symbol that expresses and conveys the spiritual presence and grace of God). Using bread and wine, Jesus instituted “Holy Communion” with his disciples at the Last Supper (Luke 22:14-20). The bread and wine symbolized Jesus’ body and blood which would be “broken” and “poured out” on the cross. In Holy Communion, bread and non-alcoholic grape juice are consecrated by a priest or minister, then shared with the people. Jesus commanded his followers to observe this “holy meal” often. We believe Holy Communion is God’s gift, offered by Jesus at God’s table; therefore, all are invited to join us in receiving the grace God offers to us through it.

Women in Ministry

With the Apostle Paul, we affirm that the Kingdom of God inaugurates a new way of seeing and relating to one another. Previous cultural distinctions lose their power in the Kingdom of God. In the Kingdom of God, the Holy Spirit falls on young and old, men and women. Men and women are given new life in Christ, receive the Holy Spirit, and are called by God to use their gifts in ministry, including pastoral ministry. In the resurrection narratives, women were the first preachers of the Gospel. Women were the first to go to the tomb, see it empty, hear about the resurrection from an angel (Matthew 28:5-7; Mark 16:5-7; Luke 24:5-6), and then go and tell the disciples.

Singleness

The Bible affirms both marriage and singleness as gifts from God (1 Corinthians 7). Singleness comes in many forms: those who are not married yet; those who have never married; and those who are single again because of the death of a spouse or divorce. Our world tends to view “singleness” as the absence of something (a spouse), but the Apostle Paul describes it as a unique opportunity to experience the presence of something. Singleness provides the opportunity for a person to live with a “single-minded devotion” to the Lord. There is no greater example of this than Jesus; despite the “cultural norm” to marry in ancient Judaism, he remained a single person in adulthood.

Divorce

God recognizes at times the painful reality of divorce and provides two concessions. Jesus gives one exception – in cases involving sexual infidelity (Matthew 5:32). The Apostle Paul gives another: “If the unbelieving spouse separates, let it be so. In such cases, the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace” (1 Corinthians 7:15). While marriage is the single, exclusive union of a man and a woman for life, if an unbelieving spouse leaves with no intention of returning, he or she has broken the covenant bond between God and their spouse. In such cases, the remaining spouse is free to seek either reconciliation or divorce. In situations of spousal abuse or divorce, we commit to offering guidance, love, grace, dignity, prayer, and appropriate counseling.

Core Beliefs

God – Our Creator and Redeemer

We believe in one God, Creator and Sustainer of all, eternally existing in three Persons, distinct but inseparable, united in holiness and love: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

God the Father is holy and eternal and chooses to be in a personal relationship with everyone, forever proclaiming His love for us and all He created.
God the Son is the eternal Word of God. Because of God’s desire to be in relationship with humanity, He became one of us – Jesus Christ of Nazareth, who is fully God and fully human. Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, then suffered and died as the only sufficient sacrifice for our sins. He conquered sin and death by rising from the dead and ascended to the Father where He intercedes for us, and will return as sovereign King and Judge in final victory.
God the Holy Spirit is the eternal living presence of God convicting us of our rebellion against God, revealing God’s love through Jesus Christ, enabling us to experience new birth, transforming us into the likeness of Christ and producing within us the fruit of holiness and love.

The Holy Bible – Our Resource

We believe the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, are the inspired word of God and are without error. God reveals himself through the Scriptures, which provide all things necessary to be in a right relationship with him. The Bible is a gift from God, the final authority for our beliefs and the guide for daily living.=

Humanity – Our Brokenness

We believe God created humanity in his image to be in relationship with him. Therefore, each of us has great worth. However, our sin and lack of trust in God mars his original intention for us. Our self-centeredness alienates us from our true selves, others and God.

The Church – Our Family

We believe the Church is the redeemed people of God, the living Body of Christ and the Community of God’s Kingdom, committed to grow into the likeness of Christ and to proclaim the Good News of salvation, love, reconciliation, healing and hope.

Salvation – Our Transformation

We believe that in mercy, God has made a way for all of us to be eternally reconciled to him and have his image restored in us. By grace, God affords all of us an opportunity to respond to him through faith. When we turn from our self-ruled life and trust only in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, we accept God’s forgiveness, are born again, and begin to be transformed into the likeness of Christ. The Holy Spirit increasingly delivers us from rebellion toward God and makes true love for God and others possible.

Articles of Faith | Explanation

Articles of faith (also referred to as Articles of Religion, Statements of Faith, or Doctrinal Statements) are summary statements that express the foundational beliefs of individuals, churches, or denominations. These articles set forth the essential truths which guide every aspect of faith and practice. Some articles of faith are written in very simple form to allow for a wide spectrum of beliefs; others are very detailed in order to narrow the scope of accepted beliefs and practices.

These foundational beliefs have often been preserved and affirmed in the form of creeds. One such “article of faith” is found in Deuteronomy 6:4-7: Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. Commonly called the “Shema”, these words serve as the underlying foundation of all the commandments given by God. The Shema establishes the priority of knowing, loving, and serving God. The Ten Commandments are an elaboration of this foundational statement; the 613 commandments of the Hebrew Bible are further elaborations of the Ten Commandments (and the Shema).

Christian scholars identify 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 as an early creed for the Church: Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you – unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. This “creed” (article of faith) presents the essentials of the Gospel: we are saved by God’s grace through faith in what Christ Jesus accomplished in his life, death, and resurrection. This and similar statements helped establish a “common core” of Christian teaching/doctrine around which people could come together in unity in the faith (1 Corinthians 1:10).

The development of creeds and articles of faith in the early church was often done in response to the threat of and danger posed by false teachers. In the face of questionable teaching and practices, Christian leaders were forced to study the Scriptures and clarify the true (“orthodox”) beliefs of the faith.

An example of this is seen in Acts 15:1-29, when the issue arose of whether Gentiles had to be circumcised in order to be followers of Jesus. The apostles and elders in Jerusalem discerned that keeping the Mosaic Law was not required in order for Gentiles to be Christians. In the past, it was much more common for believers to memorize catechisms and creeds, which provided them with a “summary statement of faith” by which they could evaluate new “ideas”.

In the centuries after the Apostles, other creedal statements like the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, and others were formulated in response to challenges to orthodox beliefs. Today many churches neglect “statements of faith” and creeds as an unnecessary relic of liturgy. Congregations would do well to return to creedal statements in light of the threats to the Gospel by the Prosperity Gospel movement, Christian Nationalism, and other “pseudo-gospels”.

Today, most articles of faith address the primary areas of doctrine with short summary statements about each topic. Some of the key topics usually included in Christian articles of faith are: Bibliology – Doctrine of the Bible; Theology – Doctrine of God; Anthropology – Doctrine of Man; Hamartiology – Doctrine of Sin; Christology – Doctrine of Christ; Soteriology – Doctrine of Salvation; Pneumatology – Doctrine of the Holy Spirit; Ecclesiology – Doctrine of the Church; Eschatology – Doctrine of Future Things. Churches and denominations often vary significantly on their beliefs in these areas.

Today, many Christians would be unable to state what their specific church or denominational beliefs are on any range of issues. Most Christians live with a patchwork of beliefs that come from local churches, podcasts, and TV evangelists – which are (not surprisingly) contradictory. One thing is clear: church history has taught us that no matter what our articles of faith, they are useless unless they are known and followed by churches and individuals.

The Word of God tells us to “prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). Articles of faith/religion help us do this by providing us with a connection to historic Christianity and the tradition that came before us. The great creeds and articles of faith from the past help us know what we believe and why we believe.
Our Wesleyan Heritage

Wesleyan theology is a subset of theological belief within the larger framework of the Christian Church that emphasizes the importance of Christian growth and holiness. It is developed from the teachings, writings, sermons, notes, and hymns of Revs. John and Charles Wesley. The Wesleys were brothers and priests in the Church of England in the mid-18^th century. Both experienced dramatic spiritual conversions in 1738; they became the co-founders of the early Methodist movement.

Influenced by the teachings of Jacob Arminius (a Dutch Reformed theologian), Wesleyan theology stresses God’s gift of a “freed will” – the freeing of all human will bound by sin through the giving of the Holy Spirit. This “freed will” allows for a free human response to the offer of salvation solely because of the grace of God. This stands in opposition to the doctrine of “unconditional election”, which teaches that God has already chosen or “elected” those who will be saved and those who will not, with no regard for human choice. Because of its emphasis on “freed will”, Wesleyan theology teaches that God’s “grace” – God’s unexpected, undeserved love – is constantly with us. This “grace” is experienced in various ways: prevenient grace (God’s love at work in us before our conscious awareness of it); justifying grace (God’s grace that allows us to respond affirmatively to God’s love and mercy); sanctifying grace (God’s grace that transforms us and forms us into the likeness of Jesus); and perfecting grace (which enables us to love as God loves, even our enemies).
Sources of Authority in Matters of Faith and Practice

Scripture (the word of God and the ultimate source of authority)
Tradition (the collective wisdom of the saints throughout the centuries)
Reason (our God-given capacity to think and evaluate matters of truth and faith)
Experience (the teachings of Scripture must be borne out in the lives of people; as someone has said: What Scripture teaches, Tradition affirms, and Reason supports must be experienced in Christian community and life. Without authentic experience, we never move beyond the faith of the devils. Christian truth leads to a living orthodoxy.)

THE APOSTLES CREED
THE NICENE CREED