Batavia United Methodist Church has been a continuous Methodist worshiping community in Batavia since 1836. As a church in the worldwide United Methodist connection, our church participates in local, regional, and worldwide mission and service.
Vision Statement
Batavia United Methodist Church is a vibrant congregation and community hub that welcomes and accepts all, where people can explore faith in God, serve, and change both their lives and the lives of others.
The United Methodist Church
More than 12 million members in Africa, Asia, Europe and the United States represent the person next door, the church on the other side of the country, and the worshiping community across the globe. Together, we share a legacy of living as disciples of Jesus Christ, sharing God’s love both in what we say and how we serve our neighbors.
The mission of The United Methodist Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
A United Methodist is someone who joins in that mission by putting faith and love into action. We believe that God loves all people, and that we share in expressing that love. So the United Methodist tradition emphasizes God’s grace and in serving others. We believe that Jesus Christ is the fullest expression of God’s love–showing us the fullness of God’s care through Jesus’ teachings, death and resurrection.
John Wesley started the Methodist movement in 18th century England. His teachings on practical divinity (living out our faith) and appeals to reason and experience form important aspects of United Methodist practice today.
Read more: What is a United Methodist?
The UMC is an episcopal denomination, meaning that members of the Council of Bishops provide spiritual leadership to millions of persons in a broad range of settings on four continents, including North America, Europe, Africa and Asia. In the United Methodist tradition, bishops are not “ordained” as bishops, but are clergy elected and consecrated to the office of bishop. Batavia United Methodist Church is a member of the UMC Northern Illinois Conference.
Bishop Dan Schwerin has been assigned to the Northern Illinois-Wisconsin Episcopal Area effective September 2024. He now oversees two conferences.
