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CONFESSION OF FAITH
We live in a time when there are many uncertainties in life.
War, disease, violence and many other circumstances can cause us to
fear and lose hope. Our faith is not, however, in things that are
seen, but rather in the living God, who desires that we live an
abundant life, despite the circumstances and trouble that seems to
be increasing in this world.
We believe that abundant life comes from knowing Jesus Christ as
Lord and Savior. God sent Jesus into the world not to condemn us,
but to rescue us. Jesus gave his life for each and every one of us.
It is a free gift for all who are willing to turn their lives over
to him and receive it. It is our desire, if you do not have a
personal relationship with Jesus Christ, that you would accept Him
for who He is, confess that He is Lord and yield your life to Him.
We believe in the only true God
- the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are
one. This God created the heavens and the earth and everything in
them, visible and invisible. He sustains, governs, and protects it
all.
We believe in Jesus Christ.
He is both God and man. Jesus became human by the power of the Holy
Spirit, and was born to the Virgin Mary. He is the Savior and
Mediator of the whole human race, if they with full faith in Him
accept the grace offered through Jesus. Jesus suffered and died on
the cross for us, was buried, arose on the third day, ascended into
heaven, and now sits at the right hand of God interceding for us.
Someday he will come again to judge everyone, living and dead.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
who is equal in being with the Father and the Son. He comforts the
faithful and guides them into all truth.
We believe in a holy Christian church,
the fellowship of Christians, the resurrection of the body, and
eternal life.
We believe that the Bible, Old and New
Testaments, is the Word of God. It teaches the only
true way to have eternal life. Every Christian must acknowledge and
receive the Bible as the only rule and
 guide.
Without faith in Jesus Christ, true repentance, forgiveness of sins,
and following after Christ, no one can be a true Christian.
We believe that what is contained in the
Bible - Adam's fall into sin and the redemption
offered in Jesus Christ - must be preached throughout the world.
We believe that the ordinances - baptism
and the Lord's Supper - are to be practiced by all
Christians. However, the method should always be left to the
judgment and understanding of the individual.
CORE VALUES
We Adhere to the Confession of Faith
The United Brethren Confession of Faith, adopted in
1815, states the core doctrinal beliefs which all of our churches
and members must follow. On many issues, people of equal Christian
commitment and insight may interpret the Bible differently. We allow
room for that. But when it come to the simple statements contained
in the Confession of Faith - on God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the
Church, the Bible, salvation, and the ordinances - we do not allow
diversity. As such, it is our denomination's key unifying document,
or line in the sand which must not be crossed.
We Respect Unity Amidst Diversity
The United Brethren church began with two very
different men. Martin Boehm and William Otterbein, who realized that
on the essentials of the faith, they were alike - that they were
brothers in Christ. They differed in church background, in
temperament, in stature, and in the finer points of theology. But
when it came to the core of what it means to be a Christian, they
found unity.
This spirit has characterized the United Brethren church over the
years. We allow diversity when it comes to worship style, Bible
versions, military service, social and political action, church
programs, methods of baptism, end times scenarios, and other issues,
as long as the positions taken don't clearly conflict with the Bible
or our Confession of Faith.
In the same way, we let churches organize in the way they think best
fits their vision, needs, and culture. We don't want our mission to
be hindered by man-made structures. We also realize that a
persecuted, underground United Brethren church will look much
different from a UB church in a free society, and that various
cultural issues will cause further diversity. Our mission is more
important than methods.
Yet amidst this diversity, we expect unity. We stand firm on
biblical absolutes, allow freedom where the Bible allows freedom,
and try to maintain unity when disagreements arise.
We Seek the Lost
We began as a movement of people with a passion to
reach lost people. They were willing to do whatever would bring
people to Christ. As people accept Christ as Savior, we then lead
them further down the road of discipleship, which includes baptism,
training in righteousness, and holy living.
We believe in a conversion which results in a transformed life. This
goes beyond head knowledge, beyond church attendance, beyond
religious practices. Christ's presence in a Christian's life is
revealed by a lifestyle of faithfulness and obedience to God.
We Preserve Our Christian Witness
We believe that our lifestyles need to reflect God to
other people. For that reason, we will make choices sometimes stated
through moral and social standards, to behave in certain ways which
identify us as Christians and protect the integrity of Christ's
church. These choices will vary from culture to culture, and may
involve participating or not participating in certain activities.
While we resist legalistic rules, we value a lifestyle which clearly
honors Christ in the eyes of others, both Christians and
non-Christians.
We Protect the Family
God instituted the family as our main social unit,
and it is within the family that children are to be created,
nurtured, and trained. Families come in many forms, but all need to
be regulated by God's Word. A husband and wife must remain faithful
and loving to each other, and faithful and loving to the children
God has entrusted to them.
We realize we must constantly resist the forces attempting to
undermine the strength and integrity of marriages and families, and
the design outlined for them in God's Word: a married husband and
wife, and any children they might have.
We recognize that there are many broken, hurting families that need
the encouragement of the church family.
We Esteem Each Other
We are a connectional church. As United Brethren
people across the world, we recognize that what happens in any of
our churches matters to each of us. We are concerned about the
welfare of sister churches not only in the next town, but in other
countries. We help each other, we learn from each other, we respect
each other, and we cooperate with each other to accomplish more for
Christ that we could by ourselves.
In the same vein, we value "the counsel of the brethren," meaning
the collective wisdom and advice of our fellow believers. While
individuals may not agree with the decision of a committee,
commission or conference, or with a stand taken by the conference or
denomination, unity demands that we respect that corporate view as
the counsel of the brethren and follow it. We believe in holding
each other accountable to the standards set corporately.
We Link with the Larger Church
We value connections with Christians outside of the
United Brethren family. We are not separatist in mentality or
practice. Rather, we intentionally develop connections with other
Christian denominations and groups which are similar in purpose and
spirit, so that we can more broadly advance the work of the Great
Commission and impact our world.
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