Beliefs and Structure

Beliefs

The Gause Methodist Church is a member of the Global Methodist Church.  As such, our beliefs mirror those of the denomination. We adhere to a set of beliefs and practices rooted in traditional Wesleyan theology. Here are the salient beliefs of our church:

1. Authority of Scripture

• We hold that the Bible, as the inspired Word of God, is authoritative in all matters of faith and practice. We emphasize the primacy of Scripture in guiding the beliefs and behaviors of our members.

2. Wesleyan Theology

• The church is grounded in the theological traditions of John Wesley, including the doctrines of prevenient grace, justification by faith, and sanctification. It upholds the Wesleyan quadrilateral of Scripture, tradition, reason, and experience, with Scripture as the primary source.

3. Doctrinal Standards

• The Gause Methodist Church follows historic creeds such as the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed. It follows the Articles of Religion and the Confession of Faith, foundational documents of Methodism.

4. Holiness and Sanctification

• Emphasis is placed on personal and social holiness, believing in the transformative power of God's grace to perfect believers in love.

5. Evangelism and Mission

• The church is committed to evangelism, discipleship, and mission work, seeking to spread the gospel and make disciples of Jesus Christ throughout our community and the world at large.

6. Marriage and Sexuality

• Our church upholds traditional Christian teachings on marriage, defining it as a covenant between one man and one woman. It maintains traditional views on sexual ethics.

7. Church Governance

• The Gause Methodist Church operates with a connectional polity having a streamlined decision-making process and enhanced accountability. We utilize the single board model and believe it enhances our ability to conduct our work in the Kingdom.

8. Inclusivity and Diversity

• While holding to traditional doctrinal standards, our church believes in being inclusive and welcoming, emphasizing the importance of diversity within the bounds of doctrinal commitments.

9. Social Issues

• We engage in social justice issues, advocating for the poor, marginalized, and oppressed, reflecting Wesleyan social principles but grounded in our conservative theological stance.

10. Holy Sacraments

• We observe two sacraments: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. These are seen as means of grace, vital for the believer's spiritual life and growth. We believe our Communion Table is open to all who believe in Jesus Christ without having to be a member of our church or even being a Methodist.

11. Discipleship and Accountability

• A strong emphasis is placed on small groups, accountability, and spiritual growth, reflecting Wesley’s methodical approach to Christian living and community.

12. Specific Theological Beliefs

Some of our theological beliefs are:

• We believe in one Triune Godhead: God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

• We believe that Christ was born of the Virgin Mary and was God on Earth in human form.

• We believe he was persecuted and suffered mightily and was then crucified on a wooden cross, and died.

• We believe he was entombed and and on the third day he arose.

• We believe he died for our sins.

• We believe he ascended up to Heaven and now sits with God the Father.

• We believe he will return one day and will preside over the judgement of all.

• We believe in the ultimate resurrection of our bodies and life everlasting with our Lord and Savior.

• We believe that all we do is enveloped in the community of faith. Wesley said, "there is no holiness but social," meaning that the faith walk is not a solo endeavor, but one we travel with others.

These beliefs collectively shape the identity and mission of the Gause Methodist Church, distinguishing it from other Methodist churches who are not members of the Global Methodist Church denomination, particularly in its adherence to traditional Christian doctrines and ethics.

Our Structure

The Gause Methodist Church is part of the Global Methodist Church.

At the top of the heirarchy is Methodism.  It contains a number of different Methodist denominations each with its own specific beliefs and organization.

The Global Methodist Chuch is one such denomination.  It is then divided into geographic regions,  known as Annual Conferences.  The term "annual conference" comes from the historical concepts of the denomination coming together annually for worship and to determine the rules by which the denomination and that specific conference will govern itself.

Our church is part of the Trinity Confernce which covers Eastern Texas, Arkanasa and Lousiana. Next, under the conference are Areas, each of which has a Presiding Elder, who is also pastors a church.  Presiding Elders are not paid, but they coordinate the activities of all the churches in their Area. The Gause Methodist Church is part of the Brazos Area.

Global Methodist Churches, including the Gause Methodist Church, are laity led organizations. Each church has a pastor who is responsible for the spiritual health of the congregation as well as the overall operation of the church. Each church has a Lay Leader who keeps the pastor aware of issues within the congregation. The Lay Leader also is the lay representative to the Trinity Annual Conference and is responsible for ensuring the congregation is aware of the status of the denomination and the priorities set by the Annual Conference.

 This overall Gause Methodist Church operation is governed by the Church Council, consisiting of all the primary church leaders. Each leader is charged with specific responsiblities for certain aspects of the church's operation. Meetings are held as necessary and are chaired by a Council Chair. There is no committee structure, but the primary leaders obtain volunteers from the congregation to assist in conducting their functional area responsibilities.

The Gause Methodist Church has no full time staff, so all functions are performed by volunteers.