First United Methodist Church of Atlanta
AI summary — doctrinal positions on this page are inferred by AI from this church's own public statements and may be inaccurate.
Historical
Historical details
Founded1903
ArchitectureGothic Revival
Heritage statusNational Register of Historic Places listed place
Inherited from denomination
What United Methodist Church teaches
Positions bound by the denomination's confessional standards. This is what the tradition teaches; whether this specific congregation publicly holds each is a separate question — see Statements below.
Affirms
- Homosexual practice and biblical sexual ethicsweakSame-sex marriage authorization implies moral affirmation.
- Infant BaptismstandardWestminster XXVIII; Book of Concord SC IV; Council of Trent Session VII; Wesleyan Articles Art. XVII
- Permissibility of divorce and remarriageweakMatthew 19:9 (adultery ground); 1 Corinthians 7:15 (abandonment ground). Practice varies.
- Women in pastoral / ordained officeweakVarious denominational actions (TEC 1976, ELCA 1970s, PC(USA) 1956, AG 1935, CofE 1994 priests / 2014 bishops, etc.)
Denies
- Assumption of MaryweakUniversal Protestant rejection — not attested in Scripture; not received as dogma.
- Immaculate ConceptionstandardUniversal Protestant + Orthodox rejection. Orthodox reject on the grounds that they hold prepurification at the Annunciation, not conception.
- Marriage as one man and one womanweakPC(USA) 2015; ELCA 2009; TEC 2015; UMC 2024. Same-sex marriage authorized in polity.
- Perpetual Virginity of MaryweakNatural reading of Matthew 13:55–56 (brothers of Jesus); typical modern Baptist / evangelical position.
- TransubstantiationstandardOrthodox reject the Aristotelian metaphysics; Lutherans use 'sacramental union'; 39 Articles Art. XXVIII rejects explicitly; Reformed/Baptist reject substance-change.
Wrestles with
- Apostolic SuccessionweakLutheran and Methodist bodies retain 'succession of doctrine' language without the tactile chain.
- Believer's BaptismweakPaedobaptist bodies practice adult baptism on credible profession where infant baptism was omitted, but do not consider it normative.
- Pacifism vs. just-warweakDefault just-war framework — usually unwritten. Inheriting at weak confidence.
- Real PresenceweakCalvin's spiritual presence (genuinely present but not physically) is neither strong affirm nor deny; Anglican/Methodist typically hold a receptionist view.
- TheotokosweakConfessionally valid title (Ephesus is a received council) but not used devotionally; retained in liturgy where liturgy is retained.
In their own words
Statements
statement_of_faith
<!DOCTYPE html> What We Believe – Atlanta First United Methodist Church Skip to content Welcome to Atlanta First! What We Believe How to Get Here Atlanta First Online Campus Meet Our Staff Hiring Atlanta First’s History Online Connect and Engage Card Today@AFUMC worship Online Connect and Engage Card The Sacraments We Celebrate Live Online Worship Worship Videos Video Archive Sermon Videos and Podcasts Concert Videos Our Music Ministry serve grow engage Rooted In Grace Affordable Housing Merch 175th Anniversary Archive Calendar Prayers GivSource ↗
wikipedia_intro
The Atlanta First United Methodist Church has existed for more than 160 years and is one of the oldest churches in Atlanta. The current building was constructed in 1903, and the current name was adopted in 1968. The same bell has been used in three buildings since 1850, and it is the only church bell in Atlanta that is known to have survived the American Civil War. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.Source ↗
mission
What We Believe – Atlanta First United Methodist Church Skip to content Welcome to Atlanta First! What We Believe How to Get Here Atlanta First Online Campus Meet Our Staff Hiring Atlanta First’s History Online Connect and Engage Card Today@AFUMC worship Online Connect and Engage Card The Sacraments We Celebrate Live Online Worship Worship Videos Video Archive Sermon Videos and Podcasts Concert Videos Our Music Ministry serve grow engage Rooted In Grace Affordable Housing Merch 175th Anniversary Archive Calendar Prayers Give Menu What We Believe This community of faith believes in radicaSource ↗
Related