our beliefs
We believe in the one True God, maker of heaven and earth. We believe that God is three-in-one: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
We believe in Jesus Christ; that He is fully God and fully man; that He became incarnate by the power of the Holy Spirit and was born of the Virgin Mary.
He is the Savior and Mediator of all who place full faith in Him and accept the grace He offers. We believe Jesus suffered and died on the cross for us, was buried, arose again on the third day, ascended into heaven, and now sits at the right hand of God to intercede for us. He shall come again at the last day to judge the living and the dead.
We believe in the Holy Spirit; that He is equal in being with the Father and the Son, and that He comforts the faithful, and guides them into all truth.
We are made in the image of God, created to care for the Earth and to live in communion with God. Mankind rebelled against God, bringing sin and death into the world. We cannot obtain salvation by our own efforts; rather, we must have faith in Jesus Christ, true repentance, forgiveness of sins, and a life that seeks to follow the ways of Jesus Christ.
We believe that the Holy Bible, Old and New Testaments, is the Word of God; that it contains the only true way to our salvation; that every true Christian is bound to acknowledge and receive it with the influence of the Spirit of God as the only rule and guide.
Salvation is a gift to humanity. As people who are dead in our sins, we are unable to connect with our holy God and unworthy to enter Heaven. On the cross, Jesus voluntarily took the punishment for our sins, paying our debt, and reconciling us to the Lord. Salvation is obtained by grace through faith in Christ alone, not by works.
We believe that baptism and remembering the sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ in communion should be practiced by all Christian churches. Our denomination allows flexibility regarding the manner in which baptism and communion are practiced.
At Anchor, we offer baptism to professing believers. We share Communion together typically on alternating Sundays.
Marriage, social issues, and many others are covered in our denomination’s book of Discipline. Follow this link for more complete statements on our theology and beliefs.
UBGlobal, Redemption House, Lexi’s Voice, NeighborLink, Associated Churches, and more.
Where We Fit
About the UB Denomination
We are Christian, and we are Orthodox.
Within Christianity, there are groups that hold the traditional, orthodox theological doctrines–and there are cults, which hold some beliefs which are far from orthodox. We are definitely orthodox.
We are Protestant.
The orthodox churches can be divided into Catholic and Protestant. We are part of the wide variety of Protestant denominations.
We are Evangelical.
Protestant denominations fall along a continuum with fundamentalist groups to one side, and liberal groups to the other. Traditionally evangelicals held to the middle ground. However, in recent years the label of evangelical has taken on a wide variety of meanings. At this level, the labels begin getting blurry.
We are (mostly) Arminian Theologically.
Evangelical churches can be divided into three theological strains: Lutheran, Arminian, and Calvinist. While we are a predominantly Arminian denomination, ministers and members with Calvinist or Lutheran leanings are also welcome in the U.B. family.
As our Discipline states, “The church’s historic position has been to stand firm on biblical absolutes, allow freedom where the Bible allows freedom, and maintain unity when disagreements arise.”
Three Enduring Commitments
Throughout our history, the United Brethren in Christ have been
characterized by commitments to the Gospel, to Unity, and to Mission.
Gospel- We are committed to being spiritually alive in Christ.
Unity- We are committed to being relationally connected to one another.
Mission- We are committed to being missionally engaged with the world.
Who We Are
The Church of the United Brethren in Christ, USA, consists of about 200 churches and other ministries in the United States. We are part of an international United Brethren fellowship which includes around 560 churches in 18 countries. The US national office and the UB Global missions headquarters are located in Huntington, IN.
We trace our beginning to 1767 outside Lancaster PA, when a Mennonite evangelist and a German Reformed preacher began working together. Despite many differences in belief and practice, they realized they agreed on the need for a life-changing conversion experience.
We are Kingdom-minded. Non-legalistic. Bible-centered. Loving.
Interesting Notes about U.B. (United Brethren)
We were the first denomination to begin in America, rather than be transplanted from Europe. We were one of the first denominations to take a strong stand against slavery, clear back in 1821. Our colleges have always admitted women and minorities.
We don’t get hung up on worship styles, methods of baptism, end times scenarios, Bible versions, and a lot of other issues. We stick to the core of the Gospel, desiring unity amidst diversity.
Most of our churches in the U.S. are located in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan.