ST. PAUL AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH
P.O. Box 619 - 98 W. Cedar St. Cedarville, Ohio 45314 spcdrvl@aol.com
Rev. Kristie Charleston-High, Pastor
About us
St. Paul A.M.E. Church exists to follow the will of God our Father, live according to the
teachings of Jesus Christ Our Redeemer and administer to the needs of all men, our
brothers and women, our sisters.
The Motto "God Our Father, Christ Our Redeemer, The Holy Spirit Our Comforter,
Humankind Our Family" is a great summary of what we in African Methodism believe.
The denomination is Methodist in terms of its basic doctrine and order of worship.
The split from the main branch of the Methodist Church was not a result of doctrinal
differences but rather the result of a time period that was marked by man's
intolerance of his fellow man, based on the color of his skin. It was a time of slavery,
oppression and the dehumanization of people of African descent and many of these
un-Christian practices were brought into the church, forcing Richard Allen and a
group of fellow worshippers of color to form a splinter denomination of the Methodist Church.
To find the basic foundations of the beliefs of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, you need look no further than The Apostles' Creed and The Twenty Five Articles of Religion:
Apostle's Creed
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ his only son our Lord who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead; and buried. The third day he arose from the dead' he ascended into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Church Universal, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.
Amen.
Twenty Five Articles of Religion
1. The Holy Trinity - We experience the one God through the three aspects of His personality; namely, Father, Son and Holy
Spirit.
2. The Incarnation of Christ - In Christ there are two natures, The Divine and the Human joined together in one person.
3. The Resurrection of Christ - Christ truly arose from the dead and ascended into heaven.
4. The Holy Spirit - The Holy Spirit is of one substance with the Father and the Son.
5. The Holy Scriptures - The Bible contains all we need to know to be saved.
6. The Old Testament - The Old Testament is not contrary to the New; in both the Old and the New Testament eternal life is offered
to mankind.
7. "Original Sin" - This corruption of the nature of every man is called "Original Sin." It goes back to Adam, the first man.
8. Free Will - Every person is free to choose right or wrong; but even if you choose right, you must have God's help to live a good
and holy life.
9. The Justification of Man - We are saved by faith in Christ and by that faith alone. Good works cannot save us.
10. Good Works - Good works are fruits of our faith in Christ
11. Works of Supererogation - The belief one can do more good than God requires is called "works of supererogation."
12. Sin After Justification - Christians who truly repent receive God's forgiveness and rise again to a good and holy life.
13. The Church - The Church of Christ is a congregation of faithful men and women in which the pure word of God is preached and
the sacraments duly administered.
14. Purgatory - we do not believe in the idea of purgatory, which is the doctrine that here is a place other than heaven or hell where
souls go to be cleansed.
15. Familiar Speech - Public worship and the sacraments should be conducted in a language the people can understand.
16. The Sacraments - There are only two sacraments: Baptism and the Lord's Supper.
17. Baptism - Baptism is the sign of regeneration or the new birth.
18. The Lord's Supper - The supper of the Lord is a symbol of Christ's suffering and death for us.
19. Communion in Both Kinds - Both the bread and wine are to be given to the people in the Lord's Supper.
20. The Sacrifice of Christ - The sacrifice of Christ is for the sins of the whole world, both original and actual.
21. The Marriage of Ministers - The ministers of Christ are not commanded by God's law to abstain from marriage.
22. Rites and Ceremonies of the Church - It is not necessary that the rites and ceremonies should in all places be the same or
exactly alike.
23. The Government of the United States - All righteous government should be supported and defended by Christians.
24. Christian Men's Goods - Christians have a right to own private property. However, every man should give liberally of his
possessions to help others.
25. A Christian Man's Oath - Christians should not swear. They may take oath, however, as may be required by the courts of the
land.
St. Paul History
On October 10, 1878, William Jones, James Gaines and Nickolas Foreman trustees of the A.M.E Church Cedarville, Ohio, purchased property in the sum of $25.00 from James Williams and Margaret Williams. The property purchased is a part of lot #2 of Osborn Walker, Greene County, Ohio. The transaction as acknowledged in the presence of Alexander Noble, Adam W. Osborn, notary public, James Williams and Margaret Williams. The deed was signed on October 10, 1878 and filed and recorded on December 21, 1878, in the office of the Recorder Greene County, Ohio.
St. Paul A.M.E. church is known for having a uniquely loving and welcoming spirit. Today, in 143 years of service, St. Paul AMEC, under the pastorate of Rev. DeBora M. Duckett, is still committed and responding to the call of Christian excellence, through faith in action and showing Christ's love, acceptance and compassion. For we are; St. Paul A.M.E. – Cedarville “Where Jesus and His Love STILL REIGN.”
Church Scripture: Ephesians 2: 8-10, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For WE ARE HIS workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
