Centenary United Methodist Church
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
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> Beliefs | Centenary UMC top of page Centenary UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 309 New Street, New Bern, NC, 28560 P.O. Box 1388, New Bern, NC 28563 PHONE: 252.637.4181 EMAIL: centenaryumc@centenarychurch.com Home About Us Beliefs Our Team Visit Us History Service times Weddings Experience Grow Serve Share & Volunteer Worship Archives Give Give Online Make a 2026 Giving Commitment Music Connect Bible Studies Preschool Preschool Page Preschool Activities Children & Youth Children's Ministry Children's Ministry Events Scouts T-Ball and Rookie Ball Youth Ministries Youth NeSource ↗
about_us
<!DOCTYPE html> About Us | Centenary UMC top of page Centenary UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 309 New Street, New Bern, NC, 28560 P.O. Box 1388, New Bern, NC 28563 PHONE: 252.637.4181 EMAIL: centenaryumc@centenarychurch.com Home About Us Beliefs Our Team Visit Us History Service times Weddings Experience Grow Serve Share & Volunteer Worship Archives Give Give Online Make a 2026 Giving Commitment Music Connect Bible Studies Preschool Preschool Page Preschool Activities Children & Youth Children's Ministry Children's Ministry Events Scouts T-Ball and Rookie Ball Youth Ministries Youth NSource ↗
wikipedia_intro
Centenary United Methodist Church is a Methodist church in New Bern, Craven County, North Carolina, built in 1904–1905 as an irregularly shaped multipurpose brick complex. The front facade includes a five-bay arcade entrance beneath a low conical roof, flanked by square corner towers of unequal height. It belongs to the United Methodist Church and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.Source ↗
beliefs
--> Beliefs | Centenary UMC top of page Centenary UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 309 New Street, New Bern, NC, 28560 P.O. Box 1388, New Bern, NC 28563 PHONE: 252.637.4181 EMAIL: centenaryumc@centenarychurch.com Home About Us Beliefs Our Team Visit Us History Service times Weddings Experience Grow Serve Share & Volunteer Worship Archives Give Give Online Make a 2026 Giving Commitment Music Connect Bible Studies Preschool Preschool Page Preschool Activities Children & Youth Children's Ministry Children's Ministry Events Scouts T-Ball and Rookie Ball Youth Ministries Youth News & Events ScholaSource ↗
about
--> About Us | Centenary UMC top of page Centenary UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 309 New Street, New Bern, NC, 28560 P.O. Box 1388, New Bern, NC 28563 PHONE: 252.637.4181 EMAIL: centenaryumc@centenarychurch.com Home About Us Beliefs Our Team Visit Us History Service times Weddings Experience Grow Serve Share & Volunteer Worship Archives Give Give Online Make a 2026 Giving Commitment Music Connect Bible Studies Preschool Preschool Page Preschool Activities Children & Youth Children's Ministry Children's Ministry Events Scouts T-Ball and Rookie Ball Youth Ministries Youth News & Events ScholSource ↗
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