Our Beliefs

Our Beliefs

SJR is part of the Methodist Church, a worldwide church that was begun in the 18th century (see www.methodist.org.uk)

Our beliefs align with other mainstream protestant churches, summed up in the historic creeds.

What do Methodists believe?

Jesus preached the Gospel – the good news of the Kingdom of God. Through Jesus’ death on the cross, and his resurrection, Christians believe that God has broken the power of all that is evil, in the world and in ourselves. If we accept forgiveness and liberation, and are willing to be open to the Holy Spirit, God can enable us to resist evil and to live life to the full.

A white background with a red curved design in the upper right and lower left corners. Red text reads "The calling of the Methodist Church is to respond to the gospel of God's love in Christ and to live out its discipleship in worship and mission." Below the text in smaller font is "Our Calling" and at the bottom is "The Methodist Church" with a cross logo.

Methodist belief is summed up in the ‘four alls’

  • All need to be saved
  • All can be saved
  • All can know they are saved
  • All can be saved to the uttermost

All need to be saved

No-one is perfect and without perfection our relationship with God is marred and distorted: so, all need to be saved from the weakness and fault that has traditionally been called ‘sin’.

All may be saved

No-one is beyond the reach of God’s redeeming love. Through Christ – his perfect life, death and resurrection – all people have the opportunity to respond to God’s love, finding forgiveness for past errors, peace and strength in the present, and confident hope that reaches through our futures and into eternity.

All may know that they are saved

And because this ‘salvation’ has nothing to do with what we have done for God, but everything to do with what he has done for us in Christ, we can be assured of our faith in Him.

All may be saved to the uttermost

The Christian life isn’t just about being forgiven now and waiting for heaven. It’s about our lives being changed for the better now. We believe God wants to do that through the power of the Holy Spirit. We want to live differently as a sign of gratitude for God’s love. We want to make a difference in the world as a result. We want our lives to reflect Jesus more and more in what traditionally was called ‘holiness’…a process of getting nearer and nearer to Jesus, Summed up in words of a Charles Wesley hymn:

That I your mercy may proclaim,
that all the world your truth may see,
hallow your great and glorious name,
and perfect holiness in me.

Your sanctifying Spirit pour
to quench my thirst and make me clean;
now, Father, let the gracious shower
descend, and make me pure from sin.

Now let me gain perfection’s height,
now let me into nothing fall,
be less than nothing in your sight,
and feel that Christ is all in all.

Charles Wesley (1707–1788)