October 2025 Connection
The United Methodist Social Creed
We believe in God, Creator of the world; and in Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of creation. We believe in the Holy Spirit, through whom we acknowledge God’s gifts, and we repent of our sin in misusing these gifts to idolatrous ends.
We affirm the natural world as God’s handiwork and dedicate ourselves to its preservation, enhancement, and faithful use by humankind.
We joyfully receive for ourselves and others the blessings of community, sexuality, marriage, and the family.
We commit ourselves to the rights of men, women, children, youth, young adults, the aging, and people with disabilities; to improvement of the quality of life; and to the rights and dignity of all persons.
We believe in the right and duty of persons to work for the glory of God and the good of themselves and others and in the protection of their welfare in so doing; in the rights to property as a trust from God, collective bargaining, and responsible consumption; and in the elimination of economic and social distress. We dedicate ourselves to peace throughout the world, to the rule of justice and law among nations, and to individual freedom for all people of the world.
We believe in the present and final triumph of God’s Word in human affairs and gladly accept our commission to manifest the life of the gospel in the world. Amen.
The words you just read are from The United Methodist Church’s “Social Creed.” This statement, first originated in the early 20th century as a response to – or perhaps a voice crying out for justice in a world that was facing societal, relational, as well as geopolitical challenges that threatened the wellbeing of the global community. As it has been updated in the 100+ years since to reflect continued relevance, it remains a valuable part of The United Methodist’s theological and Christ-focused presence in the world.
My hope is that you’ve already read the “Social Creed” (unless you skipped over it to get to my article), but I want to encourage you to go back and read it again. I wonder, what stood out to you most?
Perhaps what stood out to you was the beginning words which sound much like the other Christian creeds we’re familiar with. The United Methodist “Social Creed” begins with statements of belief about God as Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) and God’s forgiveness toward us as a response to our sin and our repentance. I think it’s important to note that our denomination has always held – and continues to hold to a fidelity to God’s redemptive and restorative work in the world through God’s Holy Spirit!
Or, perhaps what caught your attention most was the way the “Social Creed” addresses various social issues that have a timeless relevance in our world: our intrinsic human worth; dignity in our work, living, and relationships; commitments to justice, the rule of law, and individual freedoms; and much more. While it may seem as though each of these hold self evident importance, it is worth noting that we (both the church and secular society) regularly struggle with these concepts, particularly as we find ourselves, from time to time, abandoning our fidelity to Christ in exchange for a fidelity to idols – particularly idols which have earned broad social acceptance.
We confess that, at times, we celebrate and promote economics that base a persons worth on their ability to work/produce. Historically and even presently, we find that value is afforded to certain populations over others based on socioeconomic status, particular utility, and even racial/ethnic prejudice. We allow the sins of nationalism, xenophobia, and desires for homogony to dismiss the importance of the global community and the values of the beloved community that are present in the Kingdom of God. We prioritize comfort, profit and prosperity at the expense of environmental stewardship. We simply must confess that we have fallen short of Christ’s command to love God and to love our neighbor as ourselves. We have work to do.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our confession.
Finally, I wonder if what caught your attention was the closing sentence: “We believe in the present and final triumph of God’s Word in human affairs and gladly accept our commission to manifest the life of the gospel in the world.” Here, we find ourselves recommitting to the incarnation of God’s love present in Christ, and to being reflections of the grace we discover in the gospel – the good news. In a world full of hunger for good news, is there anything more refreshing than Christ’s gospel in our worldly affairs?
The word “Creed” simply means “belief.” As Christians, we simply cannot escape the fact that any proclamation of our love for Christ – our beliefs - must be met with a concern for the well-being of our neighbors and all of God’s creation. It is my prayer that we will recognize that one without the other – love of Christ without care for God’s creation – is not reflective of the fullness of the gospel. May we commit ourselves to the words of this “Social Creed” and pledge to live them out in our lives.
Peace & love,
Pastor Brian
We affirm the natural world as God’s handiwork and dedicate ourselves to its preservation, enhancement, and faithful use by humankind.
We joyfully receive for ourselves and others the blessings of community, sexuality, marriage, and the family.
We commit ourselves to the rights of men, women, children, youth, young adults, the aging, and people with disabilities; to improvement of the quality of life; and to the rights and dignity of all persons.
We believe in the right and duty of persons to work for the glory of God and the good of themselves and others and in the protection of their welfare in so doing; in the rights to property as a trust from God, collective bargaining, and responsible consumption; and in the elimination of economic and social distress. We dedicate ourselves to peace throughout the world, to the rule of justice and law among nations, and to individual freedom for all people of the world.
We believe in the present and final triumph of God’s Word in human affairs and gladly accept our commission to manifest the life of the gospel in the world. Amen.
The words you just read are from The United Methodist Church’s “Social Creed.” This statement, first originated in the early 20th century as a response to – or perhaps a voice crying out for justice in a world that was facing societal, relational, as well as geopolitical challenges that threatened the wellbeing of the global community. As it has been updated in the 100+ years since to reflect continued relevance, it remains a valuable part of The United Methodist’s theological and Christ-focused presence in the world.
My hope is that you’ve already read the “Social Creed” (unless you skipped over it to get to my article), but I want to encourage you to go back and read it again. I wonder, what stood out to you most?
Perhaps what stood out to you was the beginning words which sound much like the other Christian creeds we’re familiar with. The United Methodist “Social Creed” begins with statements of belief about God as Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) and God’s forgiveness toward us as a response to our sin and our repentance. I think it’s important to note that our denomination has always held – and continues to hold to a fidelity to God’s redemptive and restorative work in the world through God’s Holy Spirit!
Or, perhaps what caught your attention most was the way the “Social Creed” addresses various social issues that have a timeless relevance in our world: our intrinsic human worth; dignity in our work, living, and relationships; commitments to justice, the rule of law, and individual freedoms; and much more. While it may seem as though each of these hold self evident importance, it is worth noting that we (both the church and secular society) regularly struggle with these concepts, particularly as we find ourselves, from time to time, abandoning our fidelity to Christ in exchange for a fidelity to idols – particularly idols which have earned broad social acceptance.
We confess that, at times, we celebrate and promote economics that base a persons worth on their ability to work/produce. Historically and even presently, we find that value is afforded to certain populations over others based on socioeconomic status, particular utility, and even racial/ethnic prejudice. We allow the sins of nationalism, xenophobia, and desires for homogony to dismiss the importance of the global community and the values of the beloved community that are present in the Kingdom of God. We prioritize comfort, profit and prosperity at the expense of environmental stewardship. We simply must confess that we have fallen short of Christ’s command to love God and to love our neighbor as ourselves. We have work to do.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our confession.
Finally, I wonder if what caught your attention was the closing sentence: “We believe in the present and final triumph of God’s Word in human affairs and gladly accept our commission to manifest the life of the gospel in the world.” Here, we find ourselves recommitting to the incarnation of God’s love present in Christ, and to being reflections of the grace we discover in the gospel – the good news. In a world full of hunger for good news, is there anything more refreshing than Christ’s gospel in our worldly affairs?
The word “Creed” simply means “belief.” As Christians, we simply cannot escape the fact that any proclamation of our love for Christ – our beliefs - must be met with a concern for the well-being of our neighbors and all of God’s creation. It is my prayer that we will recognize that one without the other – love of Christ without care for God’s creation – is not reflective of the fullness of the gospel. May we commit ourselves to the words of this “Social Creed” and pledge to live them out in our lives.
Peace & love,
Pastor Brian
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