MT. PLEASANT UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
“OUR MISSION IS TO SEEK THE LOST, MAINTAIN STRONG COMMUNITY TIES, PREPARE BELIEVERS TO KNOW CHRIST AND BECOME FAITHFUL WITNESSES FOR HIM”
HISTORICAL TURKEY CREEK COMMUNITY
REV. KORDELL SIMS, SR. , SENIOR PASTOR | REV. DENONDREA SIMS, ASSOCIATE PASTOR
About Us
Our Beliefs
United Methodist preaching and teaching is grounded in Scripture, informed by Christian tradition, enlivened in personal experience, and tested by reason. United Methodists are part of the larger Christian faith and affirm all of the historic beliefs of the faith as articulated in the historic creeds of the church. We affirm the God of Israel who has been decisively revealed in Jesus of Nazareth and continues to be present and at work in our lives in the form of the Holy Spirit. This understanding of God is known as the Trinity. We believe that God has been revealed through the Bible, and especially through the witness of the New Testament.
Scripture – The Holy Bible is our primary source for Christian doctrine. Biblical authors testify to God’s self-disclosure in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as well as in God’s work of creation, in the pilgrimage of Israel, and in the Holy Spirit’s ongoing activity in human history.
Tradition – Our attempt to understand God does not start anew with each generation or each person. Our faith also does not leap from New Testament times to the present as though nothing could be learned from all Christian thinkers and preachers in between. We learn from traditions found in many cultures, but Scripture remains the norm by which all traditions are judged.
Experience – In our theological task, we examine experience, both personal and church-wide, to confirm the realities of God’s grace attested in Scripture. Experience is the personal appropriation of God’s forgiving and empowering grace. Experience authenticates in our own lives the truths revealed in Scripture and preserved in tradition.
Reason – Although we recognize that 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. By reason we read and interpret Scripture. By reason we determine whether our Christian witness is clear. By reason we ask questions of faith and seek to understand God’s action and will.
WE BELIEVE IN THE TRIUNE GOD
With Christians of other communions, we believe in a triune God–Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We believe in God’s self revelation as three distinct but inseparable parts.
The Father
We believe in one true, holy, and living God who is creator, sovereign and preserver of all things visible and invisible. God is infinite in power, wisdom, justice, goodness, and love, and rules with gracious regard for the well-being and salvation of all people.
The Son
We believe that God is best known in the life of Jesus of Nazareth. He is the source and measure of all valid Christian teaching. We believe in the mystery of salvation in and through the redeeming love of God found in the teachings of Jesus, in his resurrection, and in his promised return. The Son is the Word of the Father and one substance with the Father, Through him we are forgiven and reconciled to God.
The Holy Spirit
We believe that God’s love is realized in human life by the activity of the Holy Spirit, both in our personal lives and in the church. The Holy Spirit, proceeding from the Father and the Son, is a constant presence in our lives, whereby we find strength and help in time of need. The Spirit comforts, sustains, and empowers us.
God’s Grace / The Sacraments
By grace we mean the undeserved, unmerited, and loving action of God in human existence through the ever-present Holy Spirit. While the grace of God is undivided, it precedes salvation as “prevenient grace,” continues in “justifying grace,” and is brought to fruition in “sanctifying grace in the life of the believer.”
In spite of suffering, violence, and evil, we assert that God’s grace is present everywhere. Despite our brokenness, we remain creatures brought into being by a just and merciful God. The reign of God is both a present and a future reality.
God summons us to repentance, pardons us, receives us by grace given to us in Jesus Christ and gives us hope of life eternal.
We believe there are two sacraments, ordained by Christ as symbols and pledges of God’s love for us–Baptism and Communion.
Baptism – Entrance into the church is acknowledged in Baptism and may include persons of all ages. Baptism is followed by nurture and awareness of the baptized of Christ’s claim upon their lives. For persons baptized as children, this claim is ratified by the baptized in confirmation, where the pledge of Baptism is accepted.
Communion – While we believe the Lord’s Supper is a memorial of the suffering and death of Christ and a symbol of the union Christians have with Christ and with one another, we also believe that Christ is spiritually present in the elements of Communion. All persons, regardless of age and regardless of church affiliation, are invited to the table of our Lord.
News
COVID-19
COVID Safety Scale
If you score ‘4’ points or greater, you should consider avoiding large, in-person, gatherings such as church until the advent of an effective vaccine. If you score less than 4, it is reasonable to attend large, in-person, gatherings such as church with appropriate precautions, including face masks and some degree of social distancing.
- 1 Point for age 60 or older
- 1 point for African American ethnicity
- 1 point for COPD or excessive smoking or vaping
- 1 point for hypertension/heart disease
- 1 point for active treatment for cancer/autoimmune disease
- 1 point for obesity (BMI greater than 30)
- 1 point for diabetes
QUESTIONNAIRE FOR EACH POTENTIAL WORSHIP ATTENDEE TO ASK EACH SUNDAY
If you answer “yes” to any of these questions, you should stay home and watch on FACEBOOK or church website that particular Sunday to avoid potentially infecting other church members.
- Do you have chills and temperature (greater than 100 degrees)?
- Have you taken any fever reducing medicine in the past 4-6 hours?
- Do you have a cough?
- Do you have a sore throat?
- Are you experiencing shortness of breath?
- Are you experiencing any acute digestive symptoms such as diarrhea, loss of appetite or vomiting?
- Are you experiencing a loss of taste or smell?
- Have you been in contact with someone who has or is under investigation for COVID in the past 2 weeks?
Become a Member
*Attend services. Find Methodist congregations in your area and attend church services at each. Engage with other attendees and members and ask about their experiences with the church. Decide which one best fulfills what you’re seeking.
*Speak with the pastor.
*Understand what it means to be a member. Inquire about what will be expected of you. At the very least, expect to:
- Attend both regular services and additional activities.
- Support the church financially.
- Serve the church’s mission locally, regionally, and/or worldwide.
- Live your life in accordance to a commitment to Christ.
*Decide on a level of membership. Speak with the pastor about the level of commitment you intend to pledge to their congregation. Decide between being a full member, an affiliate, an associate, or a preparatory member.
- Full members join a new congregation on a permanent basis, with full voting privileges and the ability to run for church offices not held by clergy.
- Affiliate members join a new congregation on a temporary basis while maintaining full membership in another Methodist congregation. They may vote on issues effecting the United Methodist Church as a whole, but not on issues that solely effect their new, temporary congregation. To become an affiliate, provide the pastor with the name and contact info of your permanent congregation for notification of your new affiliation.
- Associate members join a new congregation on a temporary basis while maintaining full membership in another Christian denomination. They may not vote on issues pertaining to either their new congregation or the United Methodist Church as a whole. To become an associate, provide the pastor with the name and contact info of your permanent church for notification of your new association.
- Preparatory members are baptized children under the age of 18 who are still awaiting confirmation within the Methodist faith. While adults are welcome to join the UMC immediately upon receiving baptism, there is a delay for children so that they have the time to mature and absorb what it means to be a member and then make up their own mind about moving forward. Children generally begin taking classes to prepare for confirmation around the age of 12 or older. Speak with the pastor about attending classes.
*Discuss baptism. In order to join the UMC at any level of membership, you need to have been baptized within the Christian faith. Inform the pastor if you’ve already been baptized, since the UMC accepts baptisms performed by other Methodist congregations as well as other Christian denominations, so they won’t require you to repeat it in either case.
- If you’ve already been baptized by another Christian church, either show the pastor a certificate or some other record of baptism, or contact that church and ask them to send you proof.
- If you’ve never been baptized, the pastor will do so during the service in which you become a member. Talk about your options beforehand. The UMC uses three methods for baptism: sprinkling water over your head, pouring water over your head, or immersing your entire body. Sprinkling is the most common, but if you prefer one method over the others, let the pastor know.
*Choose when to become a member. All services will include an opportunity for new members to join the church.
CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO BECOME A MEMBER:
STORM ALERT TRACKING SALLY
We are praying everyone’s safety as we watch the progression of Hurricane Sally! Please keep us updated if there are any needs within our congregation and/or community.
Pastor Kordell & Pastor De
GRIEF GUIDE PDF
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