Whereas, all candidates for ordained ministry must agree to believe, preach, and maintain the doctrines of The United Methodist Church; and
Whereas, it is the role of General Conference to interpret, maintain, and guide the application of the doctrinal standards of the Church; and
Whereas, teaching of various doctrines and practices has aroused confusion and caused division within the Church, hindering our mission;
We petition the 1996 General Conference to uphold the centrality of Christ in the doctrinal standards of The United Methodist Church, particularly reaffirming our faith in:
- the triune God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit)
- Jesus Christ as the unique Son of God
- salvation by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord
- the sacrificial death of Christ as the sole required redemption and satisfaction for sin
Thereby, specifically rejecting these current examples of theology as contrary to our doctrinal standards:
- acts of worship addressed literally or metaphorically to Sophia as a substitute for Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- teaching that Jesus Christ is only one of many incarnations of God, or that Jesus is not the incarnation of God
- teaching that Jesus' sacrificial death was not necessary for our salvation
- teaching that religions other than the Christian faith provide a means of salvation apart from God's grace manifested in Jesus Christ
- practicing non-Christian religious rituals in the context of United Methodist worship.
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
Petition Text: 22207-DI-NonDis-O
1996 United Methodist General Conference