THE FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH FAMILY

First UMC is a small United Methodist church family worshiping in a beautiful historic space on the square in downtown Mansfield. We are old and young. We are small but strong. We are not a perfect church - is there really such a thing? We do not always agree, but we love Jesus and are growing in our faith, together. We love our city and offer free meals to the Mansfield community twice a month. During the week we offer our space to various groups seeking to improve the quality of life for residents of Richland County. We are proud to be the first worshiping congregation in Mansfield, Ohio - before it was even a city - and we are dedicated to seeing Christ in our neighbors and offering grace to people who need to know how truly loved they really are.

THE uNITED METHODIST CHURCH

We are part of the East Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church.  The United Methodist Church is a global church that opens hearts, opens minds, and opens doors through active engagement with our world.  The early Methodists placed primary emphasis on Christian living, putting faith into action.  We welcome all who are seeking to learn more about God or to grow in their faith.

our mission

The mission of the East Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church - and our mission at First UMC of Mansfield - is to make and mature disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

core beliefs

God

God, who is one, is revealed in three distinct persons.

JESUS

We believe in the mystery of salvation through Jesus Christ. God became human in Jesus of Nazareth; and his life, death and resurrection demonstrates God's redeeming love.

THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Holy Spirit is God's present activity in our midst. When we sense God's leading, God's challenge, or God's support or comfort, it's the Holy Spirit at work.

HUMAN BEINGS

Genesis 1:27 asserts that we've been made in the image of the Creator. Like God we have the capacity to love and care, to communicate, and to create.

THE CHURCH

The church is the body of Christ, an extension of Christ’s life and ministry in the world today.

THE BIBLE

We believe the Bible is the story of how God has chosen to reveal God's self in the world.  We believe that God speaks to us through the Bible, and it is a guide for our faith and life. We know the Bible is a challenging book that can be misunderstood, so we believe that scripture needs to be interpreted faithfully in community, relying on the most current scholarship. We seek to understand how the authors of scripture interpreted God’s work during the time in which they lived, and then we seek to understand how God is calling us to apply scripture to our life today.  

growth

We believe that we are called to grow deeper in our faith and love of Jesus Christ - to learn, to serve, to pray and to love!

social principles & social creed

To help guide our thinking and acting about how we live in, and are in engaged in ministry in the world, The United Methodist Church has created statements to guide the church in its efforts to create a world of justice. The United Methodist Social Creed is a basic statement of our global church's convictions about the fundamental relationships between God, God's creation and humanity. This basic statement is expanded in our "Social Principles." All United Methodists do not agree on every social issue - we believe God created us to be different, and we seek to find unity in our diversity. Above all, we know that God is love - and God calls us to love.

more united methodist resources

Photo courtesy of United Methodist Communications