On December 8, 2002, the United Church of Rogers Park and Wheadon United Methodist Church merged to become "The New" United Church of Rogers Park. At that time, the new church affirmed the mission statements of both congregations. It was agreed that both mission statements would stand until which time as the new church adopted a new mission statement. The following statements stand as another window into who we are as United Church.

Mission Statement and Affirmative Action Plan of the United Church of Rogers Park

The United Church of Rogers Park - a diverse, urban congregation - seeks, by thinking globally and acting locally, to make known God's love for persons of all races, ethnic groups, sexual orientations, physical/mental abilities, and classes. Drawing membership primarily from East Rogers Park and serving persons in all stages of the life cycle, United Church will:

1. provide the means for spiritual formation through worship, prayer and study; 
2. create an atmosphere for redemptive interpersonal relations, confront our personal and institutional racism and homophobia, and build productive community with all persons; 
3. secure understanding of, and commitment to, the Christian faith; 
4. equip laity for leadership, advocacy and service, especially in the areas of peace and justice in ministry to the world; 
5. serve as a resource broker for persons in need, especially for children, youth and families; 
6. promote and indigenous, relevant and transformational ministry of the arts; 
7. make our building available and safe for ministries and groups that liberate and transform, and accessible for persons of varying physical abilities.

To implement these goals, we will discipline ourselves until we hear the cries and laughter around us that the actions and stances we take may be faithful to the needs around us and to the will of God.

Mission Statement of Wheadon United Methodist Church 

The mission of Wheadon United Methodist Church is to be an open and diverse community of faith, living boldly today and into the future, drawing on a rich and prophetic history. As a congregation and as individuals, we actively seek justice, dignity and freedom for all people. We invite persons to share in this Christian community as we nurture and challenge each other inspired and led by the love of God as expressed in the liberating life of Jesus. 

Values Statements of Wheadon United Methodist Church 

We believe in God who is within us and beyond us. We claim God's power for our daily lives and affirm God's grace sustaining us to meet the overwhelming needs of the world. Confessing our human imperfection, we commit ourselves to participating in God's transforming acts which move us toward justice and God's promise of the New Earth.

We are committed to worship celebration that includes Biblical, prophetic preaching, life-giving sacraments, and congregational prayer and dialogue. In keeping with the tradition of John Wesley, we are committed to individual and communal transformation, self-examination and growth through experience, spiritual disciplines, and social action.

We are committed to the ministry of the laity. We claim our individual vocational callings and commit ourselves to lay leadership in our worship, wide participation, and consensus decision making in all community matters.

We are committed to inclusive diverse community. We celebrate the gifts of men, women and children of all ages, and individuals of all races, ethnic backgrounds and sexual orientations. We support each other on our life-long spiritual journeys. We seek to be inclusive in our language, attitudes, and actions.

We are committed to our witness as a reconciling congregation. We celebrate the full participation of gay men, lesbians, and bi-sexuals, transgendered persons and their families in the life of our congregation. We witness against heterosexism in the larger church and community.

We are committed to healing personal and institutional racism within our community and beyond it. We seek to be racially and ethnically inclusive, to engage in study and dialogue on racism, and to ally ourselves with those who suffer from racist violence and discrimination, collaborating with others working for this purpose.

We are committed to working for political and economic justice. We work on behalf of victims of oppression within our community and around the world. This has included making our church a sanctuary for political refugees from Central America. We pledge ourselves to work for fair wages, food, housing, health care, and education for all.

We are committed to ecologic wholeness for the planet that respects the sacredness of nature. We continue to examine the ecological consequences of our individual and corporate lifestyles, as we work for sustainable development.

We are committed to work for peace with justice. We promote reconciling, non violent, negotiated settlement to conflicts whenever possible. We seek to transfer destructive military technology and spending to creative, life-affirming purposes. We have declared our church a nuclear weapons free zone.

We seek more people to share our journey of discipleship and to impact the larger world. We want to share our belief that faith lived with passion in community is sustaining and motivating.

In this and in all things, we open ourselves to the signs of God which lead us where we did not plan to go.