We believe in the triune God, The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

About God:

We believe that God is the Creator and Ruler of the Universe. He has eternally existed in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three are coequal and are one God. We believe God’s grace is the foundation of our relationship with Him. Through grace, God makes the first move toward us, enabling us to respond.

About Jesus Christ:

We believe Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary, was fully human and fully God. His life gives us an example of what true humanity should look like. His victory over death, on the cross, accomplished what only God could achieve for us— abundant new life on earth and the gift of eternal life with God forever. We believe that once we accept God’s grace by confessing Jesus as Lord and Savior, we are justified by faith, and our sins are forgiven.

About the Holy Spirit:

The Holy Spirit is coequal with the Father and the Son of God. He is the abiding presence of the very life of God. The Holy Spirit lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation and is the power of the risen Christ at work in our hearts. He provides power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance into holiness. The Holy Spirit equips us with spiritual gifts and seals us until the day of redemption.

The Bible:

We believe the Bible is the infallible word of God and is the foundation of our faith and practice. According to 2nd Timothy 3:16-17, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” It is the inspired word and source of truth for Christian Beliefs and Living. We believe human authors, supernaturally inspired by God, wrote both the Old and New Testaments, which contain everything necessary for salvation.

Humanity:

We are made in the spiritual image of God, to be like Him in character. Our story does not begin with sinfulness. Instead, our story begins with God’s amazing grace seen through the goodness of creation. Yet, we rebelled against the One who created us. In that rebellion, humanity fell into brokenness, which marred us with a state of disobedience toward God. This state is called “sin.” Sin disrupts our relationship with God. The amazing gift of God’s grace pursues, reconciles, and restores us through the sacrifice made through Christ Jesus.

Salvation:

The gift of Salvation is the means through which God chose to restore us to Himself. Because God first loved us, He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for our rebellion against Him. Jesus defeated sin and death so that we might be reconciled to God and receive the gift of eternal life. The offering He freely made on the cross is the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world. The gift of salvation is open to all people. It cannot be earned because it is freely given, and we must accept it by faith. This is how the gift is made effective in our lives. Because God genuinely loves us despite our willful sin, God summons us to repentance and pardons us that we might receive the grace given to us in Jesus Christ. Once grace is received through faith in Jesus Christ, we are justified, just as if we had never sinned

Eternity and the Resurrection:

God gives us eternal life as a gift through Jesus Christ. As a result, the true believer is secure in union with God for eternity. Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into his/her life. It is the grace and keeping power of God that gives us this assurance. St. James Alpharetta Inc. believes that Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. Through His bodily resurrection, He affirmed His victory over sin and death, giving the hope of eternal life to all believers. We believe Christ rose from the dead and His resurrection is the basis for hope, new life, and reconciliation with God forever. St. James Alpharetta Inc. celebrates the resurrection of Christ, not only as an event in the past, but also as a power that enables believers to live a transformed life and be agents of change in the world today.

Sacraments:

• Holy Communion
Holy Communion or the Lord’s Supper is a common name for the last meal Jesus had with His disciples, foreshadowing His suffering, death, and resurrection for the forgiveness of sin. We believe that by the power of the Holy Spirit, Christ is present with us during Holy Communion, just as Jesus was with the Disciples at the table. By receiving the bread and cup, the Spirit makes for us the body and blood of Christ. The bread represents the body of Christ, which was broken for the redemption and freedom of all believers from sin and death. The cup represents the blood of Christ and the new covenant offered through His sacrifice. The cup also represents forgiveness of sins, redemption, and reconciliation with God, made possible through His atoning work on the cross.

Celebrating the Lord’s Supper together nourishes and sustains us in our journey as disciples of Jesus Christ. As we pray and receive the bread and cup of Christ together, we are united with Christ, becoming one with Him and one with each other in ministry to all the world. All are welcome to participate in Holy Communion at St. James Alpharetta Inc. It is the Lord’s open table.

• Baptism:
Baptism is a sacrament of initiation into the Body of Christ, the Church, which joins the new member with Christians everywhere. It incorporates new members into the church to promote their spiritual growth. Baptism identifies the recipient as a baptized Christian, signifies death, rebirth, and new life, and assures us that our sins are forgiven. Baptism is a sacrament ordained by Christ. It can be received only once, but its effects are lasting. Baptism marks the beginning of our lifelong journey as disciples of Jesus Christ. Persons of any age may be baptized: infants, children, youth, and adults. Children of believing parents through Baptism become the special responsibility of the Church. Parents who present their children for baptism should answer the covenant questions by affirming the following questions:

On behalf of the whole church:

• Do you confess Jesus Christ as your Savior, trust His grace, and promise to serve Him as your Lord in union with St. James Alpharetta, Inc.
• Will you nurture the child in Christ’s holy church so that by your teaching and example, they may be guided to accept God’s grace for themselves, profess their faith openly, and lead a Christian life?
• Adults presented for Baptism should answer the following questions:
• Do you confess Jesus Christ as your Savior, trust His grace, and promise to serve Him as your Lord in union with St. James Alpharetta, Inc.
• Will you resist evil, injustice, and oppression by the grace and power of God?

St. James Alpharetta, Inc. baptizes in various ways: immersion, pouring, or sprinkling. However, a person receives the sacrament of baptism only once.

Although someone can only be baptized once, we believe the act of remembering one’s baptism is acceptable through immersion, pouring or sprinkling.

Grace:
Grace is a core concept, offering forgiveness for sins and a new life in Christ. It provides a path to salvation and reconciliation with God. His grace is described as His unmerited, transformative love. God’s grace is available to all individuals. Grace is an active and pervasive presence in an individual’s journey toward salvation and sanctification. Three primary forms of grace mark this journey:
• Prevenient Grace:
This is the grace that “goes before” or precedes human awareness. Wesley called this grace Prevenient preceding or coming before we are aware of it. It is the divine love that surrounds all humanity and precedes all our conscious impulses. This grace prompts our first wish to please God, our first glimmer of understanding God’s will, and our “first slight transient conviction” of sinning against God. It is a gift that is always available but that can be refused. God’s grace stirs up within us a desire to know God and empowers us to respond to God’s invitation to be in a relationship with God.
• Justifying Grace:

Sometimes called conversion, regeneration, or the new birth, it is the moment or process where an individual recognizes and accepts God’s forgiveness. Through justifying grace, we are reconciled to God and are transformed from a state of estrangement and condemnation to one of redemption and assurance.

• Sanctifying Grace:

After justification, the journey continues in the experience of sanctification, which seeks the fullness of God’s love in the believer’s heart. Sanctifying grace draws us toward the goal of perfection in love, where we are enabled to love God and neighbor fully and grow in holiness.
The Wesleyan Quadrilateral:
While the Holy Scriptures are the primary source for theological guidance, Wesleyan theological thought subscribes to the “Wesleyan Quadrilateral,” which considers Scripture, tradition, reason, and experience as four interrelated sources for theological understanding. This approach allows for a nuanced and comprehensive interpretation of faith and doctrine.

In practical terms, the Wesleyan Quadrilateral is understood as follows:• Scripture, as the primary source for Christian theology, is where we find God’s revelation of God’s self that includes God’s work and relationship with the creation throughout history, culminating in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Bible provides the foundation for understanding Christian faith and life.

• Tradition helps us to read and understand Scripture by connecting with the experiences, learnings, and reflections of those who have gone before. Tradition serves as a living witness to the good news, bringing the witness of Scripture to life. The tradition of the church informs the liturgies, prayers, hymns, creeds, and affirmations of faith.

• God sheds light on God’s Word through the exercise of reason. Through reason, we practice the freedom God has given us to question, think, and grow in discernment and understanding of God. Reason illuminates and animates the Christian faith and life, opening our minds to the wisdom of God’s Word and the experiences of tradition. By using reason, we can perceive and recognize God’s sovereignty, majesty, mystery, and work.

• Experience speaks of our encounter with God in everyday life. These experiences help us develop and establish a personal relationship with God, supporting and informing our study of Scripture and tradition. The Holy Spirit works through our experiences, giving us life and strengthening our faith to become disciples and witnesses for Jesus Christ in the world.
Statement on Equality:

We believe all persons are of equal sacred worth. Therefore, we gladly welcome all who seek to grow in their relationship with God to attend worship services and participate in church ministries. No person shall be disqualified from becoming a congregation member. St. James Alpharetta Inc. expressly renounces all racial, gender, and ethnic discrimination and commits itself to working towards full racial, gender, and ethnic equality in the church and society. We believe women and men are called to the ministry and gifted for ordained ministry.
Statement on Marriage and Sexuality:
We believe marriage and sexual intimacy are good gifts from God. We believe God intends His children to practice sexual purity: faithfulness in marriage and celibacy in singleness. We believe all people are individuals of sacred worth and affirm that God’s grace is available to all. We believe God creates each person as male or female. We believe the term “marriage” unites one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as Scripture delineates (Gen. 2:18-25). Marriage ceremonies performed in any facility or space owned, leased or rented by St. James Alpharetta Inc. will join one man and one woman.

Statement on Human Dignity:
Everyone must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity. Hateful, harassing, and discriminatory behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual or group are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture or the doctrines of St. James Alpharetta Inc.
Statement on Divorce and Remarriage:

Our first counsel when considering divorce is always to exhaust every avenue of reconciliation. However, when a married couple is estranged beyond reconciliation, even after thoughtful prayer, consideration, and counsel; divorce is a regrettable alternative in the middle of brokenness. Divorce is always less than what God intended for marriage. However, through healing and restoration, people can be restored to the community and have healthy and whole relationships that may include remarriage.