Who we are

Our Values
Our Pastor
What We Believe
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Washington Central Church is a vibrant United Methodist community of God in Maysville, kY that seeks to welcome all people to Worship, Grow, Serve, and Transform our world through the love of Christ. Washington Central Church is a merger of 2 historic Mason County (KY) United Methodist Churches: Central UMC and Washington UMC. Central UMC was founded in 1886 and Washington was founded in 1786. Both churches have been active in ministry throughout their history. The community of Washington Central Church exists to connect people to the love of Christ.

We are God-Centered.

We are people focused.

We operate as a team.

michael

Rev. Michael Sweeney Senior Pastor

The Rev. Michael Sweeney has served Washington Central Church since June of 2019. He grew up in south Alabama,and received his bachelor’s degree in Finance at the University of Kentucky before going on to earn his Master of Divinity degree at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, KY. He is an ordained Elder in the United Methodist Church, and served in the Kentucky Conference since 2007. He has served Augusta Trinity UMC, Taylor Mill UMC, Webb Memorial UMC, and Cairo UMC.  Michael and his wife, Brittany, have twin boys, William and Wesley. Michael is a big sports fan. He loves the Kentucky Wildcats, the Alabama Crimson Tide (football), Cincinnati Reds, and Manchester United.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow– not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below– indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39 (NLT)

What we believe

We are a United Methodist congregation who believe....

  • in the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
  • that God created the universe.
  • that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
  • in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit.
  • that Jesus Christ came to redeem God's creation.
  • in the death and the full bodily resurrection of Christ.
  • that through the death of Christ that those who believe in Christ will have eternal life.
  • that the Bible is the Word of God.
  • that Holy Communion and Baptism are sacraments instituted by Jesus Christ.
  • in the statements of faith found in the Apostle's Creed and the Nicene Creed.
  • in the Wesleyan understanding of the insurmountable grace of God.

What do we mean by a Wesleyan understanding? We approach theology from a Wesleyan understanding, and below is a great explanation of what we believe about the grace of God.

(From Grace Church UMC in Fort Meyers, FL.)

We believe

  • that every person on this blue green planet, more than 7.3 billion people, live under the umbrella of God’s grace.
  • that from start to finish, from our first breath to last, God’s reckless love covers us whether we realize it or not! God is crazy in love with every person on this planet.
  • that God’s not a judge who wants to condemn us. He’s not some ogre who wants to harm us. God is a Father. Remember, Jesus called God his Abba, Papa, Daddy who wants to be in an intimate and personal relationship with all us.
  • that we experience God’s amazing grace in distinct, definable stages or phases.
  • that before we knew God, we lived under “even there,” prevenient grace. God has been trying to get our attention or woo us into a relationship.
  • that we come to a moment or a season when we recognize God’s unconditional, relentless love for us, and enter into “even now," justifying grace. God takes the initiative to restore our broken relationship with him because of sin.
  • that God isn’t finished with us yet, because though he loves us exactly where we are, he loves us too much to leave us there. Growing followers of Jesus learn to cooperate with Holy Spirit in the gift of Christian community and experience “even more,” sanctifying grace. This is when we learn to love God and other people even more and our lives begin to reflect the character of Jesus even more.
  • that this journey of sanctification leads us to death’s door. Because at the end of our lives, God’s arm is not short! God leads us by the hand through the veil of death as we graduate from this life temporal to that life eternal. We will experience “even when” I die, glorifying grace. It’s our homecoming day when we will see Jesus face to face!

Credit: A Grace-Full Life, by Jorge Acevedo & Wes Old