Our Purpose

To maintain and promote public and private worship of God. The UPA seeks to advance the teachings and spirit of Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ of faith, to develop Christian fellowship, and to minister to and in the world. The Parish also seeks to support and enable members in their individual ministries. (adopted 2009)

Our Mission

Responding to God’s love as revealed through Jesus Christ, we commit ourselves to be a worshiping, welcoming, open-and-affirming (g/l/b/t/q-friendly), and caring fellowship that nurtures our individual and communal relationships with God, empowering us to share each other’s burdens and joys and to reach out in love with justice to our local and world communities.

Open and Affirming/Reconciling Statement

In April of 2000, the UPA publicly affirmed its commitment to welcome all people to worship and fellowship with God by adopting the following ‘Open & Affirming and Reconciling’ statement:

Recognizing that the church historically has not always welcomed all persons, we affirm the God-given worth and dignity of every individual as our sister or brother, and we welcome all persons, including those who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender to the full life and ministry of the United Parish of Auburndale. We celebrate all relationships founded on the principles of God’s love, compassion and faithfulness and embrace the responsibility to work against all forms of discrimination.

We are UNITED METHODIST.

We are CONGREGATIONAL (United Church of Christ).