​​​We are Center Church. Our mission is to keep Christ Centered. We do this by loving our neighbors and community, by serving those in need, by keeping our church alive and vital to share God's goodness with the world, and by truly welcoming everyone.

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Our pastor is Rennie.  A native of Louisiana who grew up outside of Knoxville, Tennessee, Pastor Rennie Salata earned his divinity degree from Duke University and was ordained in 2015. Pastor Rennie was appointed to Center in 2022.  He leads our worship, staff, and congregation with tenacity, conviction, and love for Jesus Christ. He makes authentic connections with our community through his leadership, service, and dedication. He is welcoming to all, and offers support to everyone on their faithful journey to keep Christ centered.  He has a lovely family, Rev. Lauren Salata of Leaksville UMC, and their son Ben.  Pastor Rennie is also a very gifted musician, and will delight the congregation with musical theater snippets from time to time.

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We are a United Methodist Church. The UMC opens hearts, opens minds and opens doors through active engagement with our world. The mission of The UMC 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.

 

Like many other Christian groups, we affirm the beliefs expressed in the Apostles Creed. These include:

• The belief in one God, who is the Creator and sustainer of the universe.

• The belief in the Trinity, that there is one God in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

• The belief in the divinity of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is fully human and fully divine.

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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.  We insist that personal salvation always involves Christian mission and service to the world.