Who are we, the people of Bergen United Methodist Church?
We are a community of believers in Bergen, New York who believe it is the role of the church to grow disciples so that they will be people who speak for Jesus in the world today. We believe that disciples are grace-filled Christ followers who put faith into action to love others as Christ first loved us. We believe if the world is to know of the saving grace of God, if real change in our communities is possible, it is only through the work of Christ on the cross made known through the people who believe it and live it – the Church.
What is a United Methodist?
Bergen UMC is part of the United Methodist denomination, the second largest Protestant denomination in America. We uphold our heritage by pursuing ministry in keeping with this tradition. We seek to be generous in spirit, broadminded, devoted to Jesus Christ, and wholly surrendered to God. We strive for personal holiness by inviting people into a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ, and we pursue social holiness in the public sphere by addressing key issues of our time so that our world will look more like the Kingdom of God.
United Methodists share a common heritage with other Christians, holding to the historic essentials of the Christian faith. We have a passionate faith with strong convictions, but we also recognize that the world is not always black and white, We are willing to ask questions, to wrestle with difficult issues, and to do so with grace and compassion. We are “people of the Boo,: whose faith is firmly rooted in and built upon the scriptures. We hold the Bible to be divinely inspired and are committed to living by its words and we recognize the Bible was written by people who heard God in the light of their own cultural and historical circumstances. As such, we make use of scholarship and study the scriptures carefully. We we encounter theological differences, we bear in mind John Wesley’s approach, “in essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity.”
We believe the goal of the Christian life is to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love your neighbor as your love yourself. From the beginning of the Methodist movement, we were known as “reasonable enthusiasts,” those who were both emotionally and intellectually engaged. We value passionate worship, relevant preaching, small groups to hold Christians accountable to one another, and serving those who are in need, We value the spiritual disciples and take a “methodical” approach to growing in faith. United Methodists value the full participation of women and men, people of all backgrounds in every facet of fellowship and leadership within the church and society.
This is our heritage, and it continues to shape the Bergen United Methodist Church in every area of our ministry.