About the United Methodist Church

Methodists trace their roots on the family tree of Christanity, back to the eighteenth century religious revivals in England and North America. Methodism's founder, John Wesley, advocated an intense and methodological brand of Christianity that united personal salvation, the quest for "perfect love" (or "holiness"), with concern for the poor and the social gospel. Today, the United Methodist Church is diverse and is one of the largest of the Protestant denominations in the United States. 

Most Methodists agree on essential and basic Christian beliefs. United Methodists practice an "episcopal" form of government, with pastors under the authority of a Bishop and an "annual conference" of representatives from all United Methodist Churches in the jurisdiction. 

The United Methodists at Hillsgrove take the Bible seriously, believe in the transformation of the heart by God's love, and in a strong community vision for justice and mercy in the world that God loves.