Our congregation is part of the Church universal. All persons, regardless of race, color, national origin, or economic condition, are welcome to attend our services of worship, receive Holy Communion, and be baptized and admitted into membership.  Women and men, as well as children, youth, and adults of all ages, are invited to full participation in our life together.

Our Mission . . .
Central United Methodist Church is a congregation of disciplined Christians committed to making disciples of Jesus Christ through our hospitality, worship, nurture, and service.  We welcome guests into our church, share with them the good news of Jesus Christ, prepare people for ministry, and send forth persons into mission throughout the world.

Our History . . .
In England, in 1729, a small group of Oxford University students were ridiculed as "Methodists," because they spent so much time in methodical prayer, outreach, and Bible study.  Led by John Wesley, the students ignored jeering crowds and preached, prayed, and worked with people among the lower classes of English society.

Methodists immigrated to North America, formed societies of believers, and worshiped in the Concord area as early as 1783.  In 1784, the Methodist Church became the first denomination in the United States established after the American Revolution, and our first bishop, Francis Asbury, greeted George Washington at his inauguration.  Until the middle of the 20th century, Methodists were the largest denomination in the United States.  The United Methodist Church is the result of a merger in 1968 of several similar denominations.

In 1836, the Reverend David Derrick began to preach in the Concord area, and Concord Methodist Church was organized in 1838.   The first church building was a one-room facility built in 1839 just around the corner of the current facility; lighting in that building was by candles on wooden brackets.   In 1860, the congregation moved to our present site.  The current sanctuary was completed in 1974.   A set of drawings in the church detail the five major phases of our congregation’s growth.   Throughout its history, Central has had a rich tradition of strong preaching, excellent music, extensive local and foreign missions, and ministries with children and youth.

Our congregation has many opportunities for children, youth, and adults of all ages to learn how to follow Jesus through worship, education, and outreach.  Through these efforts, our congregation continues to grow in ministry and service.

Our Beliefs . . .
United Methodist preaching and teaching are grounded in Scripture, informed by Christian tradition, enlivened by personal experience, and tested by reason.

Scripture
The Old and New Testaments are our unique and authoritative standards for Christian doctrine.  Biblical authors testify to God as revealed in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, as well as in God's work of creation and the Holy Spirit's ongoing activity in human history.

Tradition
Our understanding of God does not start anew with each generation or each person.  Our faith celebrates the ideas of Christian thinkers and preachers through the centuries.

Experience
We examine experience, both personal and church-wide, to confirm God's grace as found in Scripture.  Experience authenticates the truths revealed in Scripture and illumined in tradition.

Reason
Although God's revelation and our experiences of God's grace continually surpass the scope of reason, we also believe that disciplined theological work calls for the careful use of reason.   God gave us minds, and we are expected to use them.

A Triune God
We believe in a triune God C Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  We believe in God's self-revelation as three distinct but inseparable persons.

The Father
We believe in one true, holy, and living God who is Creator, Sovereign, and Preserver of all things.  God is infinite in power, wisdom, justice, goodness, and love.

The Son
We believe that we best know and understand God in the life of Jesus of Nazareth.  We believe that the redeeming love of God is best found in the teachings of Jesus, his death and resurrection, and promised return.

The Holy Spirit
We believe that God is known by the activity of the Holy Spirit, both in our personal lives and in the church. The Holy Spirit is a constant presence in our lives.  The Spirit comforts, sustains, and empowers us.

God's Grace
Grace is a primary emphasis within The United Methodist Church.  In spite of suffering, violence, and evil, we assert that God's grace is present everywhere.  Through grace, God summons us to repentance, pardons us, claims us as new people in Christ, and gives us hope of life eternal.  Grace is the undeserved and unmerited love of God in human lives.

While the grace of God is undivided, grace may be described in three forms: Prevenient Grace affirms God's presence in our lives, convicts people of their sin, and enables people to respond to God's call; Justifying Grace makes persons daughters and sons of the Almighty; and Sanctifying Grace leads people to a life in perfect harmony with God.

Justification and New Birth
In justification, through faith, God forgives our sins and restores us to God's favor.  This process of justification and new birth is often called conversion. Such a conversion may be sudden and dramatic, or gradual and cumulative. Some people are Christians throughout their lives, while other people become Christian through a significant experience.  This change in a person's life marks a new beginning, yet it is also part of an ongoing process. Baptism is the sign of this new birth.

Sanctification and Perfection
Having been accepted by God, God's grace continues to nurture our growth.  Through the power of the Holy Spirit, God enables us to increase in the knowledge and love of God and in love for our neighbor.

Faith and Good Works
God's grace and human activity work together in faith and good works.  While faith is the only response essential for salvation, salvation shows itself in good works. Salvation always involves service to the world.

Service to the World
We believe that Jesus calls us to put our love into action.  The United Methodist Church reaches out to establish peace and justice throughout our world through many ministries.  For example, our congregation supports dozens of local missions, as well as missionaries around the world.  One third of our monies go to persons outside our congregation.

Worship
We worship God by reading the Bible, preaching, singing and listening to both traditional and contemporary Christian music, and celebrating Holy Communion regularly.  Our church observes the seasons of the Christian year, along with occasional services of healing and special song services.

The Sacraments
We believe that there are two sacraments: Baptism and Holy Communion. Both are initiated by Jesus Christ as symbols and pledges of God's love for us.

Baptism
Baptism is the sign of our entrance into the church and may include persons of all ages.  Baptism is followed by nurture and in the growing awareness by baptized persons of Christ=s claim upon their lives.  Persons baptized as infants and children accept baptismal promises through a time of preparation culminating in Confirmation.  We baptize persons by sprinkling, pouring, or immersion.

Holy Communion
We believe the Lord's Supper is a living memorial of the suffering, death, and resurrection of Christ and a present sign union Christians have with Christ and with one another.  All persons saints and sinners, children and adults, members and guests are welcomed at our Savior's table.

The Universal Church
With other Christians, we declare the essential oneness of the Church in Christ Jesus.  We affirm our unity with other Christian communities as we confess one holy, universal, and apostolic Church. As a sign of our unity, we welcome persons baptized in and members of other Christian communions as sisters and brothers in Christ.