Welcome
We are an inclusive and diverse congregation, open to all people regardless of creed, color, culture, gender, and sexual identity.
We believe this, because we believe that God, and God’s word, calls us to this welcome.
WE MEAN IT WHEN WE SAY “ALL ARE WELCOME!” No tricks. No gimmicks. No hidden “gotchas.”
We know that many church-seekers have been burned other place, by churches who hide their true theology, or harmful rhetoric, behind a “friendly” welcome.
So we seek to be transparent about who we are, and what we believe.
We are proud to be a spiritual home, and community hub, for North Oak Cliff.
Our neighborhood is vibrant, diverse, open-minded, and forwarding thinking. We strive to be the same. KPUMC has been a “hub” for Oak Cliff for 100 years, and we are committed to loving and serving the incredibly diverse neighbors around us, understanding our complex diversity by race, gender, sexual orientation, and economic circumstance. God calls us to serve God’s diverse people.
We take the Bible seriously, but not literally.
Progressive Christians reject “Biblical inerrancy” as as literal and factual impossibility. But we do take our Bible, espcially the moral and social teachings of Jesus, very seriously, and seek to shape our lives by its core teaching.
We are United Methodist in tradition, and progressive in theology
The United Methodist Church has recently undergone a “split” where conservative churches have formed their own denomination. We have remained United Methodist, and we hopeful about our denomination’s future.
Progressive United Methodists make space for genuine questions, and invite members and friends to seek understanding in their faith walk.
We do affirm things such as our historical Trinitarian Christian faith, even as we are constantly critiquing and seeking to understand it better.
We are happy for you to check out what the UMC says about its beliefs, which we espouse as well.
We believe in an “incarnational faith” that practices seeing the face of God in all human beings, and seeks to avoid “Otherizing” or demonizing language or behavior.
We believe in a “resurrection faith” that sees the cycle of death and rebirth as a part of our life journey.
We believe God calls us to both have a bedrock trust and faith in God, while also continuing to grow, change, and learn.
We believe God’s primary character is LOVE, GRACE, COMPASSION, JUSTICE…not personal judgment or personal moralizing.
We believe when you’re at church, you shouldn’t have to check your brain at the door.
In worship and life, we wrestle with the hard questions, and we invite others to wrestle with us. We believe faith makes space for doubt, and that God can always take our questions. Doubts are never the opposite of faith, but a part of our calling and journey. Our Methodist theology means we’re never done growing, learning, challenging ourselves, no matter where we are in our faith journey.
We believe “faith” is more than intellectual belief.
Faith is more than believing “propositions” about God, and even more than “feeling” certain things when you worship or pray. Faith is bedrock and foundation trust in God, manifest in how we live each and every day. As such, we believe in the inner spiritual life, but also an outward life of “faith in action.” We believe in prayer and meditation. We believe public worship is an important. Like going to the gym, worshiping together keeps our spiritual life “in shape.”
We seek to serve people of all ages…children, youth, adults, older adults…at all points in their life path.
In our post-pandemic world, we’re grateful for the change to grow our ministries will all these groups, and invite you to join us!
Our members are deeply passionate about social justice in our community and world.
Kessler Park members serve their neighbors through a variety of mission and justice ministries. These are examples of how we live our faith, not just profess it with our mouths. We often stand in solidarity with neighbors and friends seeking social justice, without demanding they believe as we do. The key word is “solidarity.”
We truly beieve in serving our community, and calling for justice in areas such as immigration, Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ rights, housing, economic injustice, and many other areas.
We welcome you to our community of faith and would love to support you in your spiritual journey.
“We are a community of hope,
founded in faith,
fostering spiritual growth
and meeting human needs
by reflecting God's love
in Christ's name.”
Mission Statement of Kessler Park United Methodist Church
We are United Methodist.
General Church Resources
FAQs About Methodist Beliefs
Christian Heritage & Core Beliefs
What the Church Says About Various Topics & Issues
Foundational Documents of the United Methodist Faith
Four Areas of Focus of the United Methodist Church
The Social Principles of the United Methodist Church
We are a proud member of the Reconciling Ministries Network, which means that we welcome all persons, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
Regional Church Resources
North Texas Conference
Metro District