Who we Are
We are a community who gather for worship, study and fellowship, and go out to serve Christ in our homes, the community and the world. We are a part of the Alaska Missionary Conference of The United Methodist Church . Edward Paup in Seattle, Washington is our Bishop.
Rev. Rachel Lieder Simeon (umc@alaska.net) is the superintendent of The Alaska Missionary Conference which is located at 1660 Patterson, Anchorage, Alaska 99504
Cooking Crew at Habitat for Humanity site.
Apostle Build build work day at Habitat for Humanity site.
Service is a big part of our church family .
What Methodists Believe
- God will comfort, guide, and forgive every person, no matter who they are or what they've done.
- Serving others and Christian faith go hand in hand.
- We find peace with God and spiritual fulfillment both in solitary moments of reflection and in a community of faith.
- Our Church is made up of people who share faith in Jesus Christ.
- We seek to make our private and our public actions congruent with our faith.
- We are a global movement of churches that's making a difference in the world.
In practice, we are similar to other Protestant denominations, affirming our beliefs through the sacred symbols of baptism and communion. We are convinced that Jesus Christ is the living Word of God in our midst whom we trust in life and death. Our preaching and teaching are grounded in Scripture, informed by Christian tradition, enlivened in experience, and tested by reason.
There is no strict rule among United Methodists about how baptism must be performed, although sprinkling water on the head of the person being baptized is most common. Everyone is accepted and welcome at the communion table, whether members of the Church or not, kids or adults. New members promise to support the church with their prayers, presence, gifts and service.
Our identity as a denomination started with founder John Wesley , who felt his own heart strangely warmed nearly three centuries ago. After this experience, he was compelled to reach out to England 's poorest citizens, which he did with the help of his brother, Charles. Their work launched a movement that spread to the American colonies and took hold with a fervor that still exists almost 300 years later.
Today, United Methodists comprise the second largest Protestant denomination in the United States . Our churches are connected by a system to guide our work and govern our policies. We continue to take the lead in social, spiritual, political and moral concerns. In the tradition of John and Charles Wesley, our members study scripture, encourage thoughtful debate, and confront the tough issues of the day. We still lead with our hearts, keep our minds open, and welcome everyone through our doors.
Our church is made up of people, not drywall and plywood and stucco. Church carries a lot more importance and has more soul than a building; it is a "community of faith," meaning that church can be out in the streets, or wherever "two or more are gathered," as Jesus told us. While the unique function of the church is worship, it is also wherever its members gather to celebrate God in their lives. When we pray together, make plans together, do volunteer work together, have worship services together, that's church.
Being a United Methodist doesn't mean that you must believe everything all other Methodists believe. This church encourages you to seek the answers to deep questions not in doctrine, but instead through your own ability to reason, using experience, tradition, and, most important, the Bible as a guide. One of our church leaders, Bishop Bruce Blake, made this point crystal clear: "United Methodists are never expected to agree with the church 100% because every United Methodist has a brain and is encouraged to use it."