The history of
Three Oaks
Fellowship UMC
Hardy, Virginia wasn’t always the home of Three Oaks Fellowship. Towards the end of 2000, Belmont United Methodist Church made the decision to close the church and purchase land from the Patsell family. After the church closed, our congregation was able to hold services in the old Hardy Post Office building. Our church worshiped there for the next four years while we made plans to build a new church on the land.
In June 2005 we were able to move into our new church building and selected the name Three Oaks Fellowship after the three large oak trees in front of the church. This has been a labor of love by many of our members present and past. We continue to grow and work together in Christ.
What’s So Great About Being a United Methodist?
(Though we face many challenges and struggles we have much to be thankful for and even more to build upon)
Is thine heart right, as my heart is with thy heart?… If it be then give me thy hand. (As to things that do not pertain to salvation) we think and let think.
John Wesley
We hold onto the EXTREME MIDDLE which holds together the doctrinal tensions than many denominations ignore. We are not either/or as much as both/and. For example:
We believe that God is BOTH in control (God’s sovereignty) AND gives us free will.
We believe that BOTH our God reigns AND that “stuff” happens
We believe in BOTH orthodoxy (right beliefs) AND orthopraxy (right actions)
We believe in BOTH loving God AND loving our neighbors as ourselves.
We believe in BOTH grace (God’s gift) AND good works (our response)
We are BOTH evangelical AND liturgical.
AND we refuse to explain away these paradoxes.
United Methodism is one of the best equipped faith families in polity and doctrine to reach the today’s culture and post modern world.
I believe that if revival comes to our nation it will be through the (United) Methodists.
Bill Graham
Christians do not have to think alike, we only have to love alike
John Wesley