The First United Methodist Church of Perry welcomed two young men from the Perry area into their membership April 23 in confirmation ceremonies. The Rev. Paul Burrow, pastor of the church, presided over the ceremony of welcome for Beau Nelson and Caden Steva.
Nelson and Steva began their confirmation classes in late October 2016, according to Burrow, and finished in late April of this year. Burrow said that except for the Thanksgiving and Christmas weeks, the duo met every Wednesday for 60 to 80 minutes.
If they missed a class, they had to make it up, Burrow said, but “this only occurred a couple of times, and the young men were very dedicated to their course of study in confirmation class.”
The course of study included doctrines relevant to the United Methodist Church’s beliefs and foundation, such as the doctrines of God, sin, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, God’s church, denominations, John Wesley, early Methodism, the modern United Methodist Church, the different arms and branches of the United Methodist Church and the basic creeds of the church.
The course of study ended with vows. After completion of the coursework, Burrow asked with each student whether he wished to become a member of the United Methodist Church.
When confirmation students wish to become members after completing the coursework, they need to write a personal belief statement, which includes the topics studied. Each potential member then presents these belief statements in front of the congregation.
Nelson and Steva delivered their belief statements to the congregation, and the students took vows to support one other in their faith journey. The new members were then officially welcomed into the church by the membership in a ceremony called the Baptismal Covenant 1-Confirmation.
After the service, Nelson and Steva were honored with a reception hosted by the congregation. A cake was baked by Marilyn Pentico.
