OUR BELIEFS
The Motto “God Our Father, Christ Our Redeemer, the Holy Spirit Our Comforter, Humankind Our Family” is a great summary of what the African Methodist Episcopal Church believes.
Also known as the A.M.E. Church for short, the denomination is Methodist in terms of its basic doctrine and order of worship. It was born, through adversity, of the Methodist church and to this day does not differ in any major way from what all Methodists believe. The split from the main branch of the Methodist Church was not a result of doctrinal differences but rather the result of a time period that was marked by man’s intolerance of his fellow man, based on the color of his skin. It was a time of slavery, oppression and the dehumanization of people of African descent and many of these un-Christian practices were brought into the church, forcing Richard Allen and a group of fellow worshippers of color to form a splinter denomination of the Methodist Church. To find the basic foundations of the beliefs of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, you need look no further than The Apostles’ Creed and The Twenty Five Articles of Religion.
The word African means that the church was organized by people of African descent and heritage. It does not mean that the church was founded in Africa, or that it was for persons of African descent only.
The church’s roots are of the family of Methodist churches. Methodism provides an orderly system of rules and regulations and places emphasis on a plain and simple gospel.
Episcopal refers to the form of government under which the church operates. It means that the church is governed by bishops. The chief executive and administrative officers of the African Methodist Episcopal denomination are the Bishops of the church.
APOSTLES' CREED
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ his only son our Lord who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead; and buried. The third day he arose from the dead’ he ascended into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Church Universal, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. Amen.
25 ARTICLES OF RELIGION
The 25 Articles of Religion are a set of doctrinal statements that outline the key beliefs of the Methodist Church, reflecting core Christian teachings as interpreted by the early Methodists. These articles were originally derived from the 39 Articles of the Church of England and provide a foundation for the Methodist faith. The articles address various aspects of theology, including:
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The nature of God and the Holy Trinity.
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The authority of the Scriptures.
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The sacraments, including baptism and the Lord's Supper.
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The role of the church and its ministers.
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Salvation through faith in Christ and the grace of God.
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The importance of good works and living a holy life.
The articles emphasize key Christian doctrines such as the divinity of Christ, the necessity of repentance, and the importance of living according to God's commands. They serve as a guide to understanding the theological framework within which Methodism operates.