We are a community created by Christ sharing one faith, one Lord, and one baptism. We are called to engage in a life of ministry with one another and the world. Through Baptism we share a life in Jesus that brings together people of every tribe, nation and language. Communion tells us of a Christ who breaks down barriers of race, class, and gender by inviting us to His table to share one loaf and one cup. Healing and Hope Jesus, the Morningstar, is the healing light for broken people in a broken world. We will be the healing presence of God in broken hearts and lives. We will be in ministry with people who may have been discouraged by other spiritual experiences, those people whom other religious institutions have not welcomed as well as those with no affiliation will find a home in our church.
About the United Methodist Church and Morningstar
Morningstar is a United Methodist Church, part of a church which literally spans the globe. As of 1968, the United Methodist Church had 11 million members. Morningstar is part of the Charlotte District, and the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church.
The roots of the Methodist Church can be traced to two brothers, John Wesley (1703-1791), and Charles Wesley (1703-1788). The Wesleys were part of the 18th Century Evangelical Revival. The Wesleys were clergy in the Church of England. The Wesleys sought to bring spiritual renewal to the Church of England. John Wesley's efforts within the Church of England at the time were largely unwelcome, and he was increasingly shunned by the church hierarchy.
In March of 1736, the Wesley brothers came to the colonies as missionaries to Savannah. The results of this trip were disillusionment and a quick return to England. Seeing a growing mission field in North America in later years, Wesley sent representatives to the United States to minister to the expanding frontiers. Additionally, early Methodist leaders came from those who made the long trip across the Atlantic, including Robert Strawbridge, who worked in Maryland and Virginia in 1760. The early Methodists were known for their spiritual discipline, their works of charity, and their enthusiasm. Some key beliefs of United Methodist Christians: "From The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church—2000. Copyright © 2000 by the United Methodist Publishing House. Used by permission."
1. "The church is a community of all true believers under the Lordship of Christ. It is the redeemed and redeeming fellowship in which the Word of God is preached by persons divinely called, and the sacraments are duly administered according to Christ's own appointment. Under the discipline of the Holy Spirit the church seeks to provide for the maintenance of worship, the edification of believers, and the redemption of the world."
2. "The United Methodist Church is a part of the church universal, which is one Body in Christ. Therefore all persons, without regard to race, color, national origin, status, or economic condition, shall be eligible to attend its worship services, to participate in its programs, and, when they take the appropriate vows, to be admitted into its membership in any local church in the connection."
3. "United Methodists profess the historic Christian faith in God, incarnate in Jesus Christ for our salvation and ever at work in human history in the Holy Spirit. Our forebears in the faith reaffirmed the ancient Christian message as found in the apostolic witness even as they applied it anew in their own circumstances. Their preaching and teaching were grounded in Scripture, informed by Christian tradition, enlivened in experience, and tested by reason. United Methodists share a common heritage with Christians of every age and nation. This heritage is grounded in the apostolic witness of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, which is the source and measure of all valid Christian teaching."
