Children and Youth Ministries
Tremont United
Methodist Church
112 W. Pearl St.
PO Box 52
Tremont, IL 61568
Phone: (309) 925-2011
Fax: (309) 925-2021
web admins.
Pastor's Hours - Tuesday - Friday 9am -12pm & 1pm - 3pm
Associate Pastor Hours - Sun. & Wed
Secretary's Hours - Monday - Friday 8:30am to12pm
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United Methodist and Tremont UMC History |
Organized Methodism began in Tremont in early 1891 when Rev. Alonzo Smith and seven Methodists organized the First Methodist Episcopal Church which struggled to survive. They worshipped in the former Congregational Church which was given to them by the Congregationalists whose strength had declined and in discouragement had closed the church.
In 1904 a move was made into our present sanctuary with 58 members.
Building projects in 1953 and 1984 have given us our present facility.
On June 9, 1929 a new pipe organ was dedicated. It was rebuilt in 1965 and is still in use.
August, 1989, our United Methodist Church Child Care Center was opened as a mission of the church. It is staffed by certified personnel and is non-profit. It provides child care for children 2 years of age, pre-school, 3 to 5 year olds, and after school care for children through the 5th grade. It is housed in the church basement.
Our church is rich in history and fortunate to have had concerned members with foresight, commitment and dedication to God.
We are united for the purpose of worshipping God and being of service to all people in need.
What is a United Methodist?
In the words of John Wesley (1703-1791) "a Methodist is... one who loves the Lord his God witl all his heart, with all his soul, with all his mind, and with all his strength."
John Wesley was an ordained Anglican priest: At a prayer meeting in London on May 24, 1738, he had a powerful spiritual experience which inspired him to become the first teacher of "Methodism." John said: "I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine,
and saved me from the law of sin and death"
Today, John Wesley's life and teaching still carry a special meaning:
GOAL of being faithful disciples of Jesus Christ
EXAMPLE of sharing God through missions
CONCERN with social problems
BELIEF in the grace and forgiveness of God's love
OPENNESS to ecumenism
What is the United Methodist Church?
The United Methodist church is grounded in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Methodism traces its history from the early Christian church,
through Roman Catholicism and the Protestant Reformation
After John Wesley's experience in 1738, he set out with his brother Charles to form
societies of "Methodists," so called because the members followed a daily routine of religious observance and social work. Wesley never intended to break from the Church of England,
and died an Anglican priest.
In America, itinerant lay preachers spread the gospel and Wesley's teachings to the settlers.
After the Revolution a separate church was formed, the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Other Wesleyan denominations also formed. In 1968 the Evangelical United Brethren church
and Methodist Church join to form The United Methodist Church -
his country's second largest Protestant denomination.
What do United Methodists Believe?
This is not an easy question, since United Methodists don't agree on all aspects of doctrine.
The distinguishing marks of a United Methodist are probably best illustrated by a commitment
to the basics of Christianity and by a Christian lifestyle -
rather than by assenting to a particular scheme of beliefs
In generals United Methodists agree on major aspects of theology and our sources of faith include:
The Bible
John Wesley writings
The articles of Religion
The Confession of Faith
The United Methodist "Book of Discipline"
Theologians and Educators
United Methodists share a common heritage with other Christians:
Conviction that God has mercy and love for all people
Belief in a triune God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit
Faith in the mystery of salvation through Jesus Christ
Celebration of the sacraments
In these and many other ways, Methodism affirms the unity of all Christians in the Body of Christ.
United Methodists also share four main guidelines for belief. These guidelines help us understand our faith, and include:
Scripture - Tradition - Experience - Reason
They are interdependent and allow for variety in theology.
Primacy of Grace: God who is revealed through Jesus Christ, loves human beings and all creation. Grace in God's loving action in human existence through the Holy Spirit.
Holiness: Christians are to allow the Holy Spirit to shape them more and more into the image of Christ. Faithful disciples work fro a world of reconciliation, peace, justice and love.
Human Worth: Even though all human beings are sinners, God endows each person with worth and moral responsibility. Reconciliation between humans and God is chief among God's purposes. The full splendor of true humanity is seen in Jesus Christ.
Conversion and New Birth: God forgives sins and changes the human heart when persons repent and trust in Christ. Not all Christians experience
the workings of divine grace in the same ways.
Prevenient Grace: This is the Grace - the divine love - that "runs ahead" of our conscious impulses and leads our hearts toward faith.
Faith and Good Works: They belong together. Personal salvation leads to involvement in Christian Mission in the world. Personal religion and Christian social action
are mutually reinforcing.
Tolerance: while we retain much from several heritages, different theological positions grow out of the circumstances and experiences of different groups. It acknowledges the virtues of different points of view even within the same community of believers.