MEMBERSHIP VOWS IN THE
UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
From the United Methodist Book of Worship
Introduction
Brothers and sisters in Christ:
Through the Sacrament
of Baptism
we are initiated into
Christ’s holy church.
We are incorporated into God’s
mighty acts of salvation
and given new birth through
water and the Spirit.
All this is God’s gift,
offered to us without price.
Through confirmation, and through the reaffirmation of our faith, we renew the covenant declared at our baptism, acknowledge what God is doing for us, and affirm our commitment to Christ’s holy church.
On behalf of the whole church,
I ask you:
Do you renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness, reject the evil powers of this world, and repent of your sin?
I do.
Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves?
I do.
Do you confess Jesus Christ
as your Savior, put your whole trust in his grace, and promise to serve him as your Lord, in union with the church which Christ has opened to people of all ages, nations, and races?
I do.
According to the grace
given to you,
will you remain faithful members of Christ’s
holy church and serve as Christ’s representatives in the world?
I will.
Do you believe in God
the Father?
I believe in God,
the Father Almighty,
creator of
heaven and earth.
Do you believe in
Jesus Christ?
I believe in Jesus Christ,
his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by
the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died,
and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day
he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
is seated at the right
hand of the Father,
and will come again to
judge the living
and the dead.
Do you believe in
the Holy Spirit?
I believe in
the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection
of the body,
Remember your baptism
and be thankful.
Amen.
As members of Christ’s
universal church, will you be loyal to Christ through
The United Methodist Church,
and do all in your power to strengthen its ministries?
I will.
As members of
this congregation, will you faithfully participate in its ministries by your
prayers, your presence, your gifts, your service, and your witness?
I will.
The Local Church Covenant:
The Work of the Church
for the Present Time
We Covenant
- To be Church by
- Experiencing together the love and praise of God,
- As we
- Intentionally form disciples of all members,
- Who shall be committed to Christ & the Church,
- To receive the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit
- Through the means of grace, which include both:
- Inner spiritual development and discipline, and
- Outward service, resources and witness,
- That produces the fruit of the Spirit.
- In living, thinking, feeling and doing the good, and
- Avoiding & working against known evils, as we
- Engage in relevant ways with our cultural context,
- To spread the love of God & scriptural holiness,
- For the glory of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Amen
