Joining & Membership
Joining Saint Paul United Methodist Church
The best way to really live out what it means to be part of the joyous Body of Christ is to take that next step of membership. It means that you are taking your faith-walk seriously and that you want to be a part of the wonderful miracles that God is working in and through the Church. You can't do that by watching from the sidelines! So come and join us!
Baptism is a requirement for membership. If you have not been baptized, please contact the pastor to schedule a personal pre-baptism counseling session. If you have been baptized in any Christian denomination, you are free to join whenever your heart is called to do so. The United Methodist Church does not re-baptize people who have been baptized as infants or adults in another church. We practice both infant and adult baptism. We baptize infants because Christ has expressly given little children a place among the people of God (Matthew 19:14).
Persons may become members of The United Methodist Church by:
- Vows and profession of faith;
- Transfer from another United Methodist Church;
- Transfer from another body of the Christian Church;
- The renewal of vows if they have lapsed;
- Affiliate transfer if they are United Methodists and will be in town a short while (such as UALR students) and wish to retain their home church membership; or
- Associate transfer if they belong to another denomination and are in town for a short while and wish to retain their home church membership.
Profession of faith includes:
- Affirming your baptismal vows; or being baptized if you have never done so.
- Commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord;
- Accepting the Old and New Testaments as normative for faith and practice; and
- Commitment to live the Christian life and remain a faithful member of Christ's Holy Church through your prayers, your presence, your financial commitment, and your service.
You can live out these vows at St Paul UMC by promising:
- To worship regularly.
- To continue to grow in your faith by participating in a Sunday School or other small discipleship group.
- To serve God with your hands, by giving in service to the congregation and the community and world.
- To give in proportion to your income.
If you would like to discuss membership with a pastor, the following options are available to you:
- Indicate "Desire to Join" when filling out the registration pad or the visitor's card
- Call or email the pastor.