There are three ways to become a member of Trinity UMC:
1) By Transfer of Membership from Another United Methodist Church.
2) By Transfer of Membership from Another Christian Denomination.
3) By Profession of Faith and Baptism.
Please scroll down to see what fits you best.
1) By Transfer of Membership from Another United Methodist Church
We can transfer your membership from another United Methodist Church. Please get in touch with the pastor to be transferred. During the liturgy, you will be asked the following question: “As a member of this congregation of the United Methodist Church, will you faithfully participate in its ministries by your prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness?”
If you are transferring from another church, our office staff will notify your previous church of your wish to be transferred to our rolls.
2) By Transfer of Membership from Another Christian Denomination
Many people joining the United Methodist Church have already professed their faith and been baptized in other Christian Denominations. We believe that Jesus established one faith and that the various denominations are simply different expressions of that one universal worldwide faith.
If you are already a full member of another church, we are glad to recognize your baptism and profession of faith. Contact Pastor Richard to schedule a date to receive you into membership.
During the liturgy you will be asked the following question: “As a member of this congregation of the United Methodist Church, will you faithfully participate in its ministries by your prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness?”
3) By Profession of Faith (and Baptism)
If you have never made a profession of your faith in Jesus, you may do that during any worship service. This does not always entail standing up and giving a personal witness as you might have seen done somewhere else. We do ask you to answer the following traditional questions:
- Do you renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness, reject the evil powers of this world, and repent of your sin?
- Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves?
- Do you confess Jesus Christ as your Savior, put your whole trust in his grace, and promise to serve him as your Lord, in union with the church which Christ has opened to people of all ages, nations, and races?
- As a member of this congregation of the United Methodist Church, will you faithfully participate in its ministries by your prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness?
After you have answered those questions, if you have not been baptized previously, we will ask you to have a small bit of water poured over your head. This practice is an ancient ritual that even Jesus participated in. It symbolizes a washing away of an old way of life—often called “washing away your sin”—and the claiming of a new life in Christ. This form of baptism is called “sprinkling”, and it is the most common way we baptize people in our church. However, United Methodists are allowed to baptize people in various ways. Suppose you wish to be baptized by full immersion; that is possible by scheduling it with the pastor. The amount of water used is not as necessary as what occurs between you and God in this life-changing experience.
United Methodists believe that baptism is an act of God and that there is never a need to re-baptize anyone. God chooses to call a person to baptism in God’s time, and God doesn’t make mistakes. However, we know there are occasional times when an individual needs to be reminded of their baptism, and we are glad to assist with a ritual that does precisely that.
Following your baptism and/or profession of faith, we will ask you two additional questions in the following two sections below. The first question is a proclamation of your interest in joining the larger Christian community of the United Methodist Church. The second question is a proclamation of your interest in joining the congregational community of Trinity United Methodist Church of Bordentown.
More information about the United Methodist Church:
How do you become United Methodist?
The Meaning of Membership in the UMC
Trinity UMC - Bordentown 