United Methodism
Although John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, embraced the concept of original sin, he also paradoxically embraced something akin to original blessing in his doctrine of “Prevenient Grace.” His critics often called him neo-Pelagian because he rejected the Augustinian doctrine of predestination. Wesley believed that each human being has a free will and through grace, can attain perfect love in this lifetime. While Wesley also believed in original sin, he rejected the fatalist notion of original sin espoused by Augustine. Instead, he believed that we are all Divinely endowed at birth with the power to strive for both “personal holiness” (a committed spiritual life) and “social holiness” (a faith manifested in acts of compassion and social justice).
Trinity remains loyal to the United Methodist Church as a congregation within the Southwest Texas Conference. We contribute to the greater United Methodist Church through Apportionment giving and other special ministries. We also are committed to diligently working to effect change from within the church — particularly in those places where the UMC remains closed off to its own values of compassion and inclusiveness, such as its rejectionist policies toward lesbians, gays, and their families. Trinity’s pastor, Sid Hall, is ordained through the United Methodist Church and is a member of the Southwest Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church.
