All the faith, hope and love. None of the judgement.

One of the things I found deeply disturbing about the splintering

of the United Methodist Church was the misinformation that

has been leveled at those of us who have stayed in the church.

Folks said that we no longer believe in the Bible, that we no longer

believe that Jesus was raised from the dead, and that we no longer

teach sound Christian beliefs. You who attend our church know that

it is not true.

I thought it important to make a statement that we are still teaching

the faith.

Hope and love have always been the hallmarks of the Methodists in

Prescott. Long before the United Methodist Church existed our

religious forebearers overcame the North/South separation by

forming one church out of two and placing it on the corner we still

occupy.

Overlooking differences and finding common ground is one of the

best ways to bring hope. We share the love of Jesus Christ by our

warm congregational orientation but also with our works of mercy in

the community and world.

When I ask people why they don’t come to church, the top response I

get is that they are fearful that they will be judged by others. Haven’t

we all been afraid of that at one time or another? Meeting the

parents for the first time. Going to a new school. Starting a new

job. Often our fears about judgment go unfounded but that doesn’t

mean the fears aren’t real.

At PUMC we are proud to stand in our orthodox Christian tradition

while at the same time being welcoming to anyone who wants to

darken our door. The best way that I can think to express that is:

All of the faith, hope, and love. None of the judgment.

See you in church,

—Pastor Dan