Our Vision
Extending Radical Hospitality.
Transforming Lives.
Pursuing Justice.
Welcome to National United Methodist Church in Washington, D.C. We are glad you’re here.
We hope this website provides you with useful information about our church, our community, and our beliefs. There’s a lot happening at National UMC and we hope this virtual meeting will lead to an opportunity for us to get to know you over a cup of coffee, in service, or in worship.
In this section of the site, we’ve provided some basic information about who we are as a United Methodist Church and tried to answer some of the most frequently asked questions.
So explore, engage, and discover National United Methodist Church.
A Reconciling Congregation
We celebrate God’s gift of diversity and value the wholeness made possible in community equally shared and shepherded by all. We welcome and affirm people of every gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation, who are also of every age, race, ethnicity, physical and mental ability, level of education, and family structure, and of every economic, immigration, marital, and social status, and so much more. We acknowledge that we live in a world of profound social, economic, and political inequities. 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.
Lighthouse Congregation
National UMC is a Lighthouse Congregation that offers intentional stability and welcome to all who find themselves exiled from former houses of worship which became increasingly intolerant of progressive ideals. We seek to provide a place of welcome and belonging during this time of grief and transition with caring relationships, listening hearts, unconditional love, and “no pressure” ministry opportunities.
We invite you to join worship and other ministry opportunities in-person or online |10 am (Eastern) -- Zoom Meet and Greet Session
Online participants can access the session via Zoom:
Meeting ID: 834 8394 7618
Through the Lighthouse meetings, we will create space for newcomers to find each other and find the love of God.
We Are Christians
We believe in one God. We believe that God created and sustains the universe. We believe that God came into this world in a special way through the ministry, teachings, suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. We believe that the Holy Spirit is the way that the love of God is present in the world.
“To become a Christian involves learning the story of Israel and of Jesus well enough to interpret and experience oneself and one’s world in its terms.”
— George Lindbeck (1923-), The Nature of Doctrine:Religion and Theology in a PostliberalAge. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, c1984, p. 34.
Doubts and Questions Are Part of the Journey
Faith grows and changes for everyone throughout life’s journey. Most of us have questions about our faith. We welcome people who are unsure what they believe and are seeking a community in which to explore their beliefs.
Respect for Other Faiths
We believe that God loves all humankind, no matter which religion we belong to, or if we belong to no religion at all. Several interfaith families belong to our congregation. We welcome the richness they bring to our community.
Our Sacraments
Together with many Protestant churches, we recognize two sacraments: Baptism and Communion. In a sacrament, God uses tangible, material things to express sacred mysteries.
Holy Baptism is the sacrament that initiates us into the church “through water and the Spirit.” In Baptism we become members of Christ’s church.
Holy Communion is the sacrament that nourishes us in our journey by using real food and drink to re-enact Christ’s last meal with his disciples. Over and over again, it gives us the experience of being part of the church as the body of Christ in the world. Our celebration of Communion is open to all who wish to participate in Christian community.
Our Sacred Writings
We believe that the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament are collections of writings inspired by God and written down by fallible people. We believe they contain what is needed to give life meaning. We believe they are worthy of our study, preaching and meditation.
A Congregation of the United Methodist Church
We belong to The United Methodist Church, which traces its history back to John Wesley’s ministry of church renewal in England and North America. Through Wesley (1703-1791), we share in older Christian tradition reaching back in history through the Church of England and the Catholic Church back to the earliest Apostles. Today, the United Methodist church is a denomination of 8.5 million Christians in the United States and about one million more around the world. We are a member of the Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference (regional area) of the United Methodist Church.
The “Wesleyan Quadrilateral”
United Methodists have four guidelines, which help us make decisions. They were developed by John Wesley and are called the “Wesleyan Quadrilateral.” They ask these questions:
Is this consistent with the teachings of the Bible?
Is it consistent with the traditions of the church?
Is it consistent with reason and common sense?
Is it consistent with personal experience?
We Respect Science
We respect the insights and discoveries of natural science. We believe that God works through the laws of natural science. We accept the validity of evolution and understand it to be compatible with the Bible’s teachings.
We Are a Caring Community
Our commitment to a common faith draws us together as a church family. We value our experiences of community and mutual support. Our choirs, women’s circles, study classes, children’s programs, leadership teams, committees and mission trips are some of the large and small groups in our church which nurture community.
A Passion for Social Justice
During his ministry Jesus healed the sick, fed the hungry, welcomed children, forgave sinners and sought out society’s outcasts. We seek to continue his work for human wholeness by addressing both immediate needs and long-term sustainable solutions.
We engage in a variety of social justice ministries with both local and global partners.