The United Methodist Church is a Christian denomination founded in 1968 through the union of The Evangelical United Brethren Church and The Methodist Church, which itself has a history dating back to the 1770s. Today the church has 11 million members worldwide and is the third largest Christian denomination in the United States. Their core belief in "practical divinity," which they describe as "the implementation of genuine Christianity in the lives of believers," inspires active charitable and missionary work by members.
The College Ave. congregation in Somerville recently moved from their landmark stone church on the corner of Chapel St. and College Ave. Services are now held at Unity Church of God just one block away. Pastor Justin Hildebrandt leads the congregation.
The United Methodist Church's core beliefs include:
"We believe in one God, who created the world and all that is in it."
"We believe that Jesus is our Lord and that we are called to pattern our lives after his."
"We believe that the Holy Spirit is God with us."
"We believe that the Bible is God's Word."
"We believe that Christians need to know and study the Old Testament and the New Testament."
"We believe that God is loving. We can experience God's love and grace."