What We Believe

The Spirit unites us together at Christ's table, where God's grace abounds.

Sylva First United Methodist Church is a congregation that is working to experience Christ and offer Christ to others. As we do so, we are living into a tradition of a people called “Methodists."

A United Methodist is a Christian who is intentionally working toward being made perfect in love. Methodism was a movement started by John and Charles Wesley in the 1700’s.

There’s a lot to say about what Methodists believe about God – but the highlights revolve around grace, experience, and learning.

John Wesley preached a gospel of God’s grace that covers our whole lives. God’s grace for us begins before we even ask for it (it’s “prevenient”). God’s grace redeems us and makes us “at one” with God (it’s “justifying”). God’s grace keeps working in us our whole lives long, moving us toward being made perfect in love (it’s “sanctifying”).