Statement of Faith

 

The Apostles’ Creed is a leading statement of core, orthodox Christian belief. Attributed to the earliest followers of Jesus, the creed is a basic outline of what it means to be a Christian while still reflecting the depth and richness of what it proclaims.


We believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth.
We believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
And born of the virgin, Mary.

He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
And is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

We believe in the Holy Spirit,
The holy Christian church,
The communion of saints,
The forgiveness of sins,
The resurrection of the body,
And the life everlasting.

The Christian faith, however, is more than a set of shared, creedal beliefs—it also embraces shared ideals and behaviors. With this in mind, we endorse the Lausanne Covenant and its call for Christians to work together to make Jesus Christ known throughout the world. It is a commitment with one another and with God himself.

The Lausanne Movement that drafted the Covenant was initiated in 1974 by Dr. Billy Graham. It has helped shape evangelical thinking to embrace holistic, or integral, mission in a world of political, economic, intellectual, and religious upheaval.

Section #5 “Christian Social Responsibility” of the Covenant affirms the social responsibility that accompanies Christian faith and inspires our Bridges4Justice mission.


We affirm that God is both the Creator and the Judge of all men. We therefore should share his concern for justice and reconciliation throughout human society and for the liberation of men and women from every kind of oppression. Because men and women are made in the image of God, every person, regardless of race, religion, color, culture, class, sex or age, has an intrinsic dignity because of which he or she should be respected and served, not exploited....we affirm that evangelism and socio-political involvement are both part of our Christian duty. For both are necessary expressions of our doctrines of God and Man, our love for our neighbor, and our obedience to Jesus Christ....The salvation we claim should be transforming us in the totality of our personal and social responsibilities. Faith without works is dead.


You can read the entire Lausanne Covenant Here.