Founded in 1840, First United Methodist Church of Austin (FUMC) is an inclusive faith
community of Christian believers in the heart of downtown. We balance traditional worship
services with progressive theology. More than a neighborhood church, we are a church for all
of Austin. Our members gather from across Central Texas and share a commitment to engaging
conversations, community service, a growing faith, social justice, and Jesus’ commandment to
love our neighbors.. Come worship with us under the dome on Sunday mornings. All are
welcome.
Our Mission
First United Methodist Church exists to build a community where all people are invited to know
God’s love and sent to join God in transforming the world.
Our Invitation
We believe every person is a beloved child of God. We believe every person is on a journey to
God, with God. We freely admit that we do not have all the answers, but we believe that Jesus
points the way. When we practice genuine hospitality, engage in heartfelt acts of service,
advocate on behalf of the powerless and excluded, and embrace the gifts of people from
different backgrounds and experiences, the church becomes the authentic expression of God’s
unconditional love for us all.
Our Values
● JUSTICE | FUMC is a community that seeks to embody God’s shalom in the world,
especially for the excluded and marginalized. We are committed to join God in the work
of justice as we learn, name, and work to eradicate injustice in our church, our
community, and around the world.
● BRIDGE-BUILDING | Relationships are the primary way in which God transforms lives. We
nurture lasting, multi-generational friendships within our church family, which form a
web of support and life-long growth as disciples. We commit to build relationships with
those who come from different backgrounds and have different perspectives, to
promote understanding and humility. We rely on relationships with Church and
community partners to effectively participate in God’s work.
● STORYTELLING | Through storytelling, we understand who God is and who we are. God is
made known when we share our own stories of faith, of doubt, of relationship, and of
growth. The primary stories that inspire and animate our community are found in the
Old and New Testaments. We also learn of God through the stories of others who were
faithful to God's vision, such as St. Francis of Assisi, Martin Luther, John Wesley, Harriet
Tubman, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
● ACTIVE LEARNING | Believing that a life of faith fully involves head, heart, and hands, we
pursue knowledge and understanding in our faith journey. We encourage all to ask
difficult questions, even when we don’t know the answers. We trust God to grow our
capacity to know and understand.
● SERVICE | At FUMC, we “work out our salvation” (Philippians 2:12) by serving others. We
believe that all people have needs and all have the capacity to serve, so we seek
mutually empowering service opportunities through which all can be blessed and have
their needs met.
● CONSTRUCTIVE DISRUPTION | We believe that Jesus is the primary example of disrupting
systems of power in order to enact the world God envisions (Luke 4:18-21). We seek to
create positive change in the world by using our words and courageous action to
creatively disrupt mindsets, systems and structures that cause injustice. These actions
may be as complicated as Political Advocacy or as simple as sitting down for a meal with
someone whose life experience is different from our own.
Founded in 1840, First United Methodist Church of Austin (FUMC) is an inclusive faith
community of Christian believers in the heart of downtown. We balance traditional worship
services with progressive theology. More than a neighborhood…