What We Believe

At Auburn First UMC, we believe the following:

We believe that God was revealed through and in the life and teachings of Jesus. We support each other along the way as we strive daily to live out these teachings, grow in wisdom, and deepen our relationship with God and with all those we meet.

We believe that we do not have a monopoly on the truth and we value different opinions and insights. Collectively, we understand that questions are often as valuable as answers and that easy answers are rarely satisfying for the problems a complex world provides. We hold personal integrity and individuality as higher values than conformity.

We believe that all people are welcome to participate in our community and worship life at any stage in their faith journey. We do not believe in a God that discriminates based upon race, nationality, gender, age, class, ability, or sexuality. We do our best to live into this understanding of God.

We believe that our true values and beliefs are expressed through the actions we take rather than in the words we profess. We believe we are called to work acts of justice for our sisters and brothers in need throughout the world because we know that the love God has for us is only equaled by the love God has for them.

We believe we are imperfect people striving to walk more perfectly with God. John Wesley, our founder set us the goal of going on toward perfection, understanding perfection as a state where we have love for God and others that empowers us to transform, and not conform, to the world around us. While we might fall short of this goal, we continue to strive to be ever more transformed.

Inclusive Statement

Auburn First UMC is an inclusive community that affirms every person is a beloved child of God. All are invited into full participation in the life of our faith community. We welcome and affirm people of every gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, race, national origin, physical or mental abilities, age, marital status and family structure, economic condition, and immigration status.

As followers of Jesus, we commit ourselves to the pursuit of justice and pledge to stand in solidarity with all who are marginalized and oppressed.

Read more about our inclusive ministry here.

Land Acknowledgement

We acknowledge that we work and live on the unceded, traditional ancestral lands of the first people of Auburn, the Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla and Muckleshoot Tribes, the original stewards of the land, past and present. We honor with gratitude and acknowledge the ancestors of this place, and recognize that we are here because of the sacrifices and colonial oppression forced upon them. As we remember and repent of this story, and the harm caused to these peoples and this land, let us seek to honor their legacy, their lives, and their descendants by the work we do here, and commit to acts of reconciliation and justice in this present moment - and for all time.