Our Mission & Core Beliefs

The mission of First United Methodist Church of Lancaster is to connect people to Jesus and the Church, make and grow Christian Disciples, and relieve suffering.

Our vision is to be the hub of Christian living in Lancaster and beyond. 

We are both Christ-centered and people-focused,
scripturally and sacramentally guided,
prayerfully and missionally devoted,
emotionally and intellectually engaged,
tradition-honoring and innovatively creative,
evangelistic and socially active,
locally and globally involved.

Jesus Christ is at the center of everything we believe.
We believe:

• Jesus lived a sinless life, died in our place, and rose again in victory. 
• Only Jesus can reconcile us to God.
• He is alive today and will return again as promised.

We believe in one eternal God—Creator of all things—who exists in three persons:

• God, the Father
• God, the Son (Jesus Christ)
• God, the Holy Spirit

He is perfectly holy, fully loving, and always present.

We believe the Bible is God’s Word—vital to our faith and daily life. We view it as:

• A Library: 66 books written across centuries, telling the story of God’s covenant with humanity.
• Sacred Scripture: Guided by the Spirit and affirmed by generations of believers.
• God Speaking: The Bible contains all things necessary for salvation and reveals God's will.
• A Guide for Life: We study Scripture together, asking how it shapes our faith, community, and personal growth.

We believe the Church is the body of Christ—called to continue Jesus' work in the world.
The church is:

• A community of disciples, past, present, and future.
• A place to worship God and grow in faith.
• Called to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

We celebrate two sacraments in the United Methodist Church:

• Baptism: The beginning of our faith journey and belonging to Christ.
• Holy Communion: A sacred meal that sustains us and draws us closer to God.

John Wesley (1703-1791), born in England, is considered the founder of the Methodist branch of what is now The United Methodist Church. A co-founder of this Methodism was John's brother Charles (1707-1788), the outstanding hymn-writer.  Charles Wesley's hymns are not only sung by Methodists but are found in the hymnals of a variety of Protestant churches as well as in Roman Catholicism.  Among them are such favorites as "O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing," "Hark, The Herald Angels Sing," and "Christ The Lord Is Risen Today."  

Both brothers were missionaries to the American Georgia colony in the 1730s.  John was an energetic preacher, traveler, and organizer who delivered approximately 40,000 sermons in Britain and America during his lifetime.  His sermons, diaries, and other writings include 35 volumes.  Today's United Methodist Church has several million members in Africa, Asia, the United States, and Europe.  There are many other Christian denominations in the United States and around the world which trace their origins to the Wesley brothers.  Among them are the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Church of the Nazarene, the Korean Methodist Church, Methodist Church of Mexico, Great Britain Methodist Church, Free Methodist Church, Wesleyan Methodist Church, African Methodist Episcopal Church, and others.  The Wesleyan family of churches embraces more than 42,000,000 members.

Discover the Handbook of The United Methodist Church—a digital, print-ready resource designed to help you understand who we are, how we are connected, and how we live out our shared mission together. Updated for the current quadrennium, this handbook offers clear explanations, helpful visuals, and trusted information for learning, teaching, and leading in The United Methodist Church. You can also find a conversation guide for new church members explaining what means to be a United Methodist. You can download a free digital version of the UMC Handbook, or you can order printed copies at the UMC Store. The handbook is available in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish.