Ordination Paper

BIOGRAPHICAL SECTION

1. Personal Conversion

I was raised in a faithful Christian family, with a dad and mom who loved Jesus and who sought to faithfully follow God. They raised my brothers and I in the church, and we were faithfully discipled by our parents and by the church to know Scripture and to follow Jesus. I committed my life to Christ before kindergarten. 

Throughout my childhood, I grew in the knowledge of Scripture and God’s Kingdom. Through a rigorous Sunday School program taught by volunteers, I was exposed to theology and biblical thought. Through AWANA, youth group, and Bible quizzing I engaged with Scripture, memorizing verses and large passages and learned the structure and sequence of the Bible. In church, I sat under faithful preaching that connected the Bible to the everyday life of the people I saw seeking to live faithful lives. And in my home, I saw biblical truths lived out: tithing, devotions and spiritual disciplines, a reliance on prayer, and the peace that comes from knowing God is sovereign and in control. 

My wife was raised in a nominally Christian home, and struggled with following God. She learned the basics of God from her church, but doesn’t remember hearing talk of the transformational power of the gospel. At 16, she was pregnant and desperately needed community. Her boyfriend’s mother spoke to her about Jesus and took her to church, where she was surrounded by a community of older women who loved her and supported her. As a young single mom, she found her place in the local church and was introduced to the gospel power of Jesus. My wife and I met five years after she had committed her life to Jesus, when I was in my first full-time ministry assignment. I had the privilege of baptizing her. As she has sought to faithfully follow Jesus, her parents have moved closer to Jesus as well, following Him and being transformed by His grace. 

2. Call to Ministry 

Due to my growing passion to help people follow Jesus and the good examples of faithful pastors around me, during my Junior year of high school I set my mind towards ministry. This desire was affirmed by my youth pastor, parents, and small group leader. Since my first ministry placement, my spiritual gifting in preaching, teaching, and faith has been affirmed by friends, family, leaders, and other church members. 

My wife has been a faithful supporter of my passion and direction our entire marriage. She has encouraged me and clearly spoken truth into my life as well. She is a quiet cheerleader; eager to serve and care and affirm my direction and call.

3. Ministry Preparedness

I have been a consistent attendee of faithful, Bible-teaching churches for my entire life. I have read and studied Scripture extensively. I have an undergraduate degree in Biblical and Theological Studies from Wheaton College (May 2008) and a MA in Biblical and Theological Studies from Western Seminary (April 2022). I have served in a full time pastoral role since 2008 – as a youth pastor in an independent church until 2013, and then as a family pastor and teaching pastor at Woodlands Church in Plover (EFCA).  

Doctrinal Section

God

We believe in one God, Creator of all things, holy, infinitely perfect, and eternally existing in a loving unity of three equally divine Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Having limitless knowledge and sovereign power, God has graciously purposed from eternity to redeem a people for Himself and to make all things new for His own glory.

Above all, God is. There is no greater, more defining and clarifying statement in the entire universe than ‘God is.’ He Himself used the same construction to name Himself as YHWH – I AM (Exodus 3:14). He is first. He is primary. He existed when nothing else did, and He is the sole reason anything beyond Himself exists. He needs nothing beyond Himself, and is entirely self-sufficient (Acts 17:24-25).

God is one (Deut 6:4, 1 Cor 8:6), and God is supreme. As created beings, we do not choose to worship or follow gods or various spiritual beings, but instead must worship and pledge allegiance to God, the creator and supreme singular deity. To deny the singularity and supremacy of God is idolatry; YHWH alone is worthy of worship. He is one. 

In His oneness, God is three. God is Trinity, eternally existing as three co-equal Persons – each fully and perfectly God, and each individual (Matt 28:19, John 15:26). In his internal-self-sufficiency, God is relational (Gen 1:2-3, 26, John 1:2), and at all times each person of the Trinity is in perfect relationship with one another within the Godhead (John 5:30, John 15:13). The Trinity acts in perfect unity within itself (John 16:13-15). In relationship to one another, the Father eternally begets and exercises authority over the Son (John 1:14, John 5:19-27, Psalm 2:7), and the Spirit proceeds from both the Father and the Son (John 15:26).

Nothing can exist apart from God, and nothing that happens can happen apart from God. He holds all things together, and at all times causes all things to exist. He exercises divine control through His supreme power, dictates providence through His omniscient will, and holds sway over all things at all times. As such, God has complete knowledge of everything that has happened, does happen, and will happen. This includes actions, intentions, purposes, feelings, and motivations. There is nothing secret from God or unknown by Him (Heb 4:13, 1 Chron 28:9). Humanity is invited to know and be in relationship with God, but is warned that His thoughts, understandings, and actions are beyond the full scope of understanding and expression (Isaiah 55:6-9, Psalm 131:1, Job 40;1-8).

All God does, including the salvation of His people, is meant for His glory (Isaiah 43:7, Isaiah 60:21, 61:3).  In His omniscience, God has predestined some of humanity to redemption, and this is for His ultimate glory and honor (Ephesians 1:4-6). Although He may allow sin in the heart of humans, God never sins. To sin would be to act against His own character. God’s actions ultimately glorify Himself. Nothing could in any way better the plans or actions of God (1 Cor 2:16), and because God is omnipotent and omniscient, His plan, which is being worked out continually in our lives, is the perfect plan of a perfect and good God (1 Peter 5:10-11).

God is the progenitor and creator of everything that exists outside of the Godhead, seen and unseen. Everything within the Godhead is pre-existent, and the nature of God’s reality need not be questioned. God created outside Himself through an act of divine ordination and through an act of divine unity in the Holy Trinity (Genesis 1:1-2, John 1:1-3). He created the realms of Heaven and of Earth, all the material and immaterial world, including all the inorganic material in the universe, as well as all plants, animals, humans, angels, gods, and any other thing which exists outside the Holy Trinity.

God created all things ex nihilo, so that nothing which now exists apart from the Holy Trinity existed prior to creation (Hebrews 11:3). No person of the Trinity acted alone in creation, nor did any person of the Trinity work without the consent, approval, and help of the other two persons of the Trinity. Creation was in no way necessary for God, nor did God in any way require the existence of creation. Creation is willed, ordained and is eternally sustained by God (Revelation 4:11). Ultimately, creation was designed to bring glory to God (Psalm 104:31-33, Isaiah 47:3, Jer 10:12, Col 1:16).

Scripture records the creation and ordering of all created things in Genesis 1-2, and references it elsewhere (Exodus 20:11, Psalm 33:6, Isaiah 42:5, 2 Cor 4:6, 2 Peter 3:5). These passages make clear the perfection and goodness of the original creation, as well as the uniqueness of original man. When Scripture talks of creation, it is primarily concerned with the teleological process of creation, rather than creation’s ontological progenesis. Genesis 1-2 should be focused on as a truthful testimony: pointing toward the ‘why’ of God’s creation – that we would image God and glorify him, pointing towards the ‘what’ of creation – that is, all things,  and pointing towards the inherent order of creation. To focus in Genesis 1-2 on the timeline or order of creation – to make it about creationism – is to miss the point of the passage. 

Textually, it is not necessary for the act of God’s creation to have been completed in six literal days. The ancient human authors and recipients of the original text did not have modern ontological questions in mind. Modern science, which in its purest state should be a faithful exposition of God’s creation, generally understands that God used other means than immediate creation in six literal days. However, it’s impossible to imagine that the ancient authors or recipients, when pressed in their understanding of the modern questions from the original text, would offer any answer other than a young earth position. Therefore, it’s best to speak of mystery, textual purpose, and divine trust when discussing these modern questions of creation and progeneration. God has created everything; the text says he did so in six days; science might argue He used methods and millenia; there is an allowable, faith-fueled contradiction here.   

The Bible

We believe that God has spoken in the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, through the words of human authors. As the verbally inspired Word of God, the Bible is without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of His will for salvation, and the ultimate authority by which every realm of human knowledge and endeavor should be judged. Therefore, it is to be believed in all that it teaches, obeyed in all that it requires, and trusted in all that it promises.

God has revealed Himself through creation, so that His intrinsic qualities – including His justice, goodness, and holiness – are universally known (Psalm 19:1, 4; Isaiah 6:3) to an extent by which humanity can be held accountable (Rom 1:19-25). But the specific revelation of God’s character, God’s salvation through Jesus Christ, and God’s will for humanity is exclusively found recorded in the Bible (Psalm 119) – the 66 books canonically adopted by the early church through usage, ecumenical proclamation, and universal attestation. 

The 39 canonical books of the Old Testament are held by Jewish tradition and New Testament usage to be useful, helpful, and inspired by God. The 27 books of the New Testament were established by early church tradition and use, shown and trusted to be written by original sources close to Jesus and to be faithful to apostolic teaching, and widely treated as inspired and inerrant by the first generations of Christ-followers (2 Peter 3:15).

The original texts of the Bible are infallible and perfect. The Bible is entirely inspired at a verbal plenary level, and has fully recorded the entirety of that which God desired should be written. God wrote the Bible through the Spirit-directed faithfulness of human authors over the course of centuries, continents, and languages, and yet completed it is an exquisitely composed work with one primary, overarching interpretative message: Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Specific revelation has come primarily through God’s Holy Word and through the incarnation of Jesus, so that humanity can come to know fully the nature of God. God does this to reveal His perfect plan for humanity’s salvation, to allow us to interact on a personal level with Himself, and to give us hope (Rom 15:4).

General revelation is that which is clearly seen and observable about God through creation (Psalm 19:1, Rom 1:19), reason, and understanding (Isaiah 40:21-22). While general revelation will lead to worship and a deeper knowledge of God’s character, person, and glory, it is insufficient to lead anyone to a saving knowledge of who God is; sin too fully clouds understanding apart from the illuminating work of the Holy Spirit.  

The Bible is the completed specific revelation of God (Deut 4:2, Matt 5:19, Rev 22:18-19). The entirety of understanding necessary for salvation and godly-living is within the scope of Scripture (Luke 16:29-31), and although Scripture is many thousands of years old, it is fully applicable and helpful in the modern age (Matt 5:18). What’s more, the corpus of Scripture has been preserved by a faithful God so that it is entirely helpful and useful for instruction and rebuke (2 Tim 3:16-17). 

The Bible itself makes claims that force us to either accept it as the verbally inspired Word of God, or reject it outright. It is full of fulfilled prophecy, given hundreds of years before it came to pass (Isaiah 7:14), it claims to be the verbally inspired Word of God (2 Peter 1:19-21, Psalm 19:7, I Thess 2:13), and it claims to be powerful and effective in the life of the believer (2 Tim 3:16-17, Isaiah 55:11, Psalm 119:105).

However, not everyone who reads the Bible reads it rightly or accurately (2 Peter 3:16). Our understanding of the Bible is driven by God’s Spirit and by Scripture itself. We must interpret Scripture by Scripture, and allow the Spirit to speak to us in and through the reading of God’s Word. We cannot rely on ourselves to properly understand the Bible. All of Scripture points towards Jesus and the work he came to accomplish (John 5:39, Luke 24:27). We must seek to understand the biblical texts within their appropriate ancient contexts and genres, with an aim to understand the intention of the original authors (1 Cor 5:9), and with a desire to hear the texts and understand the texts as the original recipients would. This includes careful study, both of the primary sources but also of secondary sources that help better inform our understanding of the language and context in which Scripture was originally read. 

Because the authority of Scripture is absolute, it is a high privilege and responsibility of Christ followers to interpret and teach Scripture (2 Tim 2:14-16). Since it is to be fully believed, obeyed, and trusted, Christ followers must be diligent to correctly understand what Scripture teaches, commands, and promises.  

The Human Condition

We believe that God created Adam and Eve in His image, but they sinned when tempted by Satan. In union with Adam, human beings are sinners by nature and by choice, alienated from God, and under His wrath. Only through God’s saving work in Jesus Christ can we be rescued, reconciled and renewed.

The world God created was without the brokenness of sin. At the pinnacle of creation God placed humanity (Gen 1:26, Psalm 8:6-8). God’s creation of Adam and Eve was His masterpiece – a work He viewed as “very good” (Gen 1:31). He created Adam and Eve without sin (Ecc 7:29), and with the distinction that they were, “in His image” (Gen 1:27). In declaring man and women both “in His image,” God established the equal value and worth of both men and women.

The image of God in humanity distinguishes and elevates us above the rest of creation. It primarily speaks to the purpose of humanity: that in looking at humanity, God’s character and persona should be seen. Fundamentally, humanity is to exercise creative dominion and care over creation (Gen 1:28, 2:15). In this care, humanity is to reflect and represent God Himself. In order to exercise this care, humanity is distinguished from the rest of creation by nature of intelligence, creativity, emotional understanding, communication, and reasoning. For humanity, these set us apart, but they serve to help us accomplish our purpose of imago dei rather than defining imago dei. Our creatio imago dei speaks to the divine teleology of our creation rather than a component or construct of our creation. 

It is true that the Hebrew word Adam simply means, “man,” but the authors of Scripture clearly view Adam and Eve to be historic, real people – the parents of all humanity (Matt 19:4-6, 1 Tim 2:13-14). Scripture is clear that in God’s original creation, Adam and Eve lived in perfection, without the presence of sin and without an internal draw to sin (Genesis 2:25, Rom 5:12). That which God created is a goal to which we would return.

But when Satan, in the form of a serpent, tempted Adam and Eve to disobey God – and when Adam and Eve did disobey of their own free will – the consequences were just, stark, and far reaching (Genesis 3:1-19). God’s wrath burns against disobedience (Rom 1:18). Every act of disobedience drags creation away from God’s original good design. In His justice, God must punish and discipline our disobedience. It is the presence of sin in our lives that causes us to be separated from a holy and righteous God, and it is God’s just and necessary act of discipline which has brought about the curse of Genesis 3 and the brokenness of this world. 

As a result of sin, a beautiful, creative act like childbearing is now accompanied by fierce pain (Gen 316). Our God-given job of work and labor (Gen 2:15) is now difficult and a struggle (Gen 3:17-19). In both of these areas, humanity’s ability to live out its created purpose of imaging God is fundamentally hindered. In sin, a pervasive sense of purposelessness reigns. Families are broken (Gen 3:16, 4:7-8), lives are lost (Gen 4:8), we cheat, steal, break, kill and destroy – all because of sin. Natural disasters, global hunger – even death by natural causes are ultimately a result of the presence of sin, a deviation from God’s original good creation, and the far-reaching brokenness of the world.  

Every person has within him or herself an inescapable bent and predisposition toward sin (Psalm 51:5, Isaiah 53:6), because of our relationship with the first human, Adam (Rom 5:12). God allows us to choose to disobey Him, and we choose to do so eagerly and often. Humanity is totally immersed in sin –  while most are not as fully engrossed as they might be, there is no aspect of humanity that has not been touched by or perverted by sin (Rom 1:24-32). We have inherited Adam’s fallen state – his total depravity – and as we sin of our own volition we also share in his guilt and deserve death (1 Cor 15:21-22).

This is the nature of humanity: we still carry the purpose of reflecting God (Gen 5:1-3, Jas 3:9), and in our conscience we may desire to live out God’s character. But our lives are darkened by the inescapable reality of our sin nature and so we find ourselves at war. God’s holiness demands that He judge us not on the balance of good and sin in our lives, but based on the very presence of sin in our lives (Matt 5:48, Jas 2:10). And there is no one who can stand on their own against that standard.

We cannot bear the weight of our sin alone (Proverbs 20:9). Instead, we must be saved, by a Savior able to not only remove our sins and restore our relationship with God (Hebrews 9:14), but to also replace our sinful nature with one which delights to follows God’s heart (Ez 36:26); a nature which restores the image of God in our lives (Col 3:10). That Savior is Jesus.

Jesus Christ

We believe that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, fully God and fully man, one Person in two natures. Jesus—Israel’s promised Messiah—was conceived through the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father as our High Priest and Advocate.

Jesus is the second individual person of the Trinity, of the same substance as the Father and the Holy Spirit, and eternally uncreated (John 1:1). Jesus became incarnate as a baby (Gal 4:4), being conceived by the Holy Spirit and being born of the virgin Mary (Luke 1:31-35). In his human birth he assumed a human nature, becoming our second Adam – a father of humanity not to destruction, but to redemption (1 Cor 15:45-48). Jesus retains, now and forever, both his human and his divine nature (Phil 2:7-8, 1 Tim 2:5). 

The birth of Jesus was prophesied in great detail throughout the Old Testament, starting in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:15, 21) and continuing through the prophets (Isaiah 9:1-7, Zech 9:9). Jesus’ unique birth (Isaiah 7:14), birthplace (Micah 5:2), type of death (Psalm 22:16, Isaiah 53:12), and resurrection (Psalm 16:10) were all carefully prophesied hundreds or thousands of years prior to his birth. We can be confident that Jesus’ birth, life, death and resurrection were exactly as God designed. 

In taking on a human nature and human body, Jesus emptied himself of the glory of his heavenly status, for a time (Phil 2:7). This emptying was a necessary humiliation in the form of incarnation for the sake of creation’s redemption (2 Cor 8:9) and His ultimate glorification (John 17:5, Phil 2:11). It serves a profound example of Christian living (Phil 2:5).

Jesus was fully human and yet lived a perfect and sinless life (Hebrews 7:26). He was tempted by Satan in the desert for a period of forty days and withstood those temptations (Matt 4:1-11). While the hypostatic union prevented the possibility of sin, nonetheless His temptation was real, profound, and fully reflected our human experience in temptation (Heb 4:15-16)..

 At the end of His ministry, as ordained by God, Jesus was handed to the Romans by the Jewish people and leaders (Luke 23:13-23), was tried and found not guilty (Luke 23:4), was crucified on a cross and died in extreme humiliation and mockery (Mark 15:6-37). He was buried in a tomb (Luke 23:50-56). And then He rose from the grave with a resurrected, physical body after three days (Matt 28:1-9, 1 Cor 15:1-28, 42-49), interacted with His followers and believers for a period of forty days (Acts 1:3), and then ascended into Heaven (Luke 24:50-53). 

Jesus ascended with a physical, human body (Acts 1:11), and retains that human body now and will forever (Heb 2:17, 10:12, Phil 2:9). In His physical ascension and in his divine human hypostatic union, Jesus has eternally united humanity with the divine, and declared the intrinsic goodness and eternal value of humanity. 

Jesus remains in Heaven, preparing a place for us (John 14:1-4) and advocating and interceding on our behalf (Rom 8:34, Heb 7:25, 1 John 2:1). His is our true sacrifice, our true high priest and our true King.

The Work of Christ

We believe that Jesus Christ, as our representative and substitute, shed His blood on the cross as the perfect, all-sufficient sacrifice for our sins. His atoning death and victorious resurrection constitute the only ground for salvation.

At the hands of the Rom, incited by the Israelites – God’s chosen people –  Jesus was crucified. As He died on the cross, God the Father expressed His holy and righteous judgment on the sins of humanity (Isaiah 53:5-6). While on the cross, God’s holy wrath against sin was instead poured out upon Jesus (1 Peter 2:24), allowing Jesus to serve as a perfect and complete sacrifice for anyone’s sin (Rom 3:25, 5:8). Jesus’ shed blood provides for the removal of sin guilt (Hebrews 9:22) and His death serves as an atoning sacrifice, opening the way for any person to be forgiven of their sin (Hebrews 2:9). In His death, His followers die (2 Cor 5:14), and incredibly, Jesus’ righteousness becomes their own (2 Cor 5:21). All are now able, through the gift of Christ, to bring glory to God by fulfilling the purpose for which they have been created (Col 1:20-22).

In redemption, Jesus also claims victory over sin and death by rising from the dead (Acts 1:3, Acts 2:24, Rom 1:4, Rom 6:9, 1 Cor 15:1-5). After the pouring out of God’s full and righteous wrath, and after Jesus Christ suffered the pain and anguish of that wrath, and after Jesus died and was buried, He bodily rose from the grave to the glory of God the Father (Phil 2:11). This was not a faked or falsified resurrection, nor was it a merely spiritual resurrection (Luke 24:38-43). Jesus Christ’s resurrection is the first sign of that which will be for all believers for all eternity (Rom 8:11, 1 Cor 15:20-22).

Jesus’ death and resurrection is the power of God in the life of the believer, and is that which enlightens, enables, and empowers those united with Christ to faithful living (Ephesians 1:18-21, Phil 2:12-13). Jesus’ resurrection is for God’s glory and for the good of those who follow Him. 

God desires that all people would come to salvation (1 Tim 2:4, Ez 18:23). But not all will (Rev 20:15). Salvation is granted when an individual, led by the Holy Spirit, acknowledges and repents from their sinfulness (Acts 3:19) and places their life under the Lordship of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:12, Gal 2:16, Eph 1:11-14). This process is empowered and instigated by God himself, and thus is His work in our lives (Eph 2:8-9, John 6:44, Acts 5:31, 2 Tim 2:25, Acts 13:48, Rom 8:28-30, 9:11-18, Eph 1:4-11). In salvation, Christ’s followers are united with Christ and become co-participants in His victorious resurrection (Rom 6:4, Galatians 2:20). We become recipients of God’s grace and power (Galatians 2:21). The participation of Christ-followers in the death and resurrection of Jesus – the union of the saved to Christ – is the transformative moment of justification and the true beginning of sanctification (Rom 6:1-14). 

Christ’s death and sacrifice, although being for all persons, does not result in the salvation of all persons (Matt 22:14, Rom 9:6-23). God still allows humanity to go against His will, thereby not glorifying Him, and those who refuse to relinquish the chains of sin will still face sin’s penalty (Hebrews 10:28-31). Jesus’ work on the cross is universal in its availability (John 3:16), complete in its efficacy (Col 2:13-3:4), but defined in its application (Rom 5:8-10, John 17:6-12, Matt 7:21-23).

The Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit, in all that He does, glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ. He convicts the world of its guilt. He regenerates sinners, and in Him they are baptized into union with Christ and adopted as heirs in the family of God. He also indwells, illuminates, guides, equips and empowers believers for Christ-like living and service.

The Holy Spirit is the third individual person of the Trinity; He proceeds from both the Father and the Son for the edification and sanctification of believers (John 15:26, 2 Thessalonians 2:13). The Holy Spirit is an eternally pre-existent Person of the Trinity and is no less God than the Father or the Son. He has been present and acted throughout the moments of history: Creation (Gen 1:2), the giving of the Bible (Ez 2;2, 1 Peter 1:21), Jesus’ birth (Luke 1:35), Jesus’ baptism (Luke 4:4), Jesus’ resurrection (Rom 1:4) and the institution of the church (Acts 1:8). Before Jesus’ work, the Holy Spirit moved in moments in the lives of God’s followers, according to the will of God (Judges 14:19, 1 Sam 16:13). After Jesus, the Holy Spirit has been given to all believers, and is personally involved in their lives, not as an unknowable, distant force but as an individual person of the Trinity (Acts 15:28, John 14:16).

Because the work of Jesus is the supreme example of God’s glory, power, and goodness on earth, the Holy Spirit faithfully proclaims and makes much of Jesus’ work (John 15:26, Eph 3:16-17). The Holy Spirit illuminates the gospel as the most important reality of our earthly lives, and faithfully stirs the gospel in believer’s souls, pointing our attention and worship towards the author and perfecter of our faith (John 16:12-15).

Jesus’ death and resurrection is the means of atonement for sin, but it is the Holy Spirit who convicts hearts and opens the unbeliever to the power of the gospel (John 16:7-8). In this way, the transformative reality of the gospel is truly a Trinitarian work: the Son atones for our sins, the Father justifies and declares us righteous, and the Spirit transforms our hearts and minds. The Holy Spirit is the catalyst for evangelism in the growth of the church (Acts 1:8).

In addition, the Holy Spirit empowers, regenerates and equips believers for faithful service to God in His Church. It is His work in our hearts, after accepting Jesus’ death and resurrection, that allows us to faithfully live out the commands of God in our lives (Ezek 36:25-27). He comforts, convicts, strengthens. and instructs all followers of Christ, and it is the Spirit’s work in us to produce personal character which reflects God’s character (Gal 5:22-23).

The Spirit uniquely unifies and edifies the church by providing and empowering spiritual gifts in all believers (1 Cor 12:4-11). According to the abilities, experiences, and divine empowerment of the individual, every believer is gifted in various ways to be a blessing and a participant in a local church body. The various lists of gifts in the New Testament are not exhaustive, but serve to demonstrate the type of giftings. While the Spirit is readily able to move miraculously in the world, so called “sign gifts” seem to be used in the frontiers of Christian mission rather than universally (Acts 14:3, 19:10-12). 

The Church

We believe that the true church comprises all who have been justified by God’s grace through faith alone in Christ alone. They are united by the Holy Spirit in the body of Christ, of which He is the Head. The true church is manifest in local churches, whose membership should be composed only of believers. The Lord Jesus mandated two ordinances, baptism and the Lord’s Supper, which visibly and tangibly express the gospel. Though they are not the means of salvation, when celebrated by the church in genuine faith, these ordinances confirm and nourish the believer.

The universal Church is the prime institution of God’s intention, work, and presence on Earth in the present age. The head of the true Church is Christ (Eph 1:22-23) and the true Church is made up of all whom God has called into salvation through his son Jesus (Rom 1:6, Eph 2:19, Eph 3:15, 1 Peter 2:9-10). The Church is united in its purpose and mission by the work of the Trinity (Phil 2:1-2, Rom 12:5, Eph 4:4-6), and displays who God is (John 17:23) in order to bring unbelievers to repentances and discipleship (Mat 28:18-20), and believers to greater maturity in Christ (Eph 4:13).

The Church is the Body of Christ – His representative and agent in the world. The Church is the Bride of Christ – purchased for marriage by the blood of Christ and never to be abandoned or released (Eph 5:25-27). The Church is the hope of the world – it is an example, declaration, and primary means by which God calls people to Himself (Matt 5:14). 

The true Church is gathered into local churches – discrete gatherings seeking to faithfully represent Jesus in their local context. These churches are independent and autonomous from one another (Rev 2-3). A local church will reflect the nature and makeup of its local community, and there is biblical warrant for differing beliefs and nuances on the small points of doctrine from local church to local church (Rom 14). However, it is good for like-minded local churches to fellowship together, share resources and knowledge, and serve alongside one another for the gospel of Christ (Col 4:16). Ministry is enriched, faithfulness is enabled, and purity is guarded when local churches allow themselves to be directed within denominational affiliations. 

The local church should reflect the multiplicity and multiethnicity of the universal church (Col 3:11, Rev 5:9).

 Christ is the ultimate source of the authority for the local church (Matt 16:18, Matt 18:20, Gal 1:1). Each local church is to be governed by an elder board (Acts 14:23) consisting of married family men of high reputation who have demonstrated unimpeachable Christian character (Tit 1:6-9, 1 Tim 3:1-7). They are to be devoted to prayer and the ministry of the Word (Acts 6:4) in order to discern Christ’s leadership, guard the church from heresy (Acts 20:28-31), and oversee faithful church discipline (1 Peter 5:1-5, 1 Cor 5:1-12). 

Within the local church, leaders should also be appointed to direct specific ministries viewed as important and essential by the elders (Acts 6:1-6). These servant-leaders are also to be of high repute and character (1 Tim 3:8-13). Part of their role should be to equip the body for growth, unity and maturity (Eph 4:11-13), leading their fellow Christ-followers to use unique and differing gifts and abilities to further God’s work on earth (1 Cor 12, 1 Peter 4:7-11). 

Because we live in a broken world and because the church is God’s primary means to “go into all the world” (Matt 28:18), all churches will be filled with both the elect and with non-Christians. However, every effort must be made to preserve the identity of the church as a place for people redeemed by Christ. A healthy membership process, rightly discerning between elect and unredeemed, will guard the identity of the church (1 Peter 5:1-5). 

A local church is to be led by Christ, governed by an elder board, and directed by servant leaders. The ministry is to be done by the congregation (Eph 4:12), and all Christian congregants should have a voice in the church’s direction, development, leadership appointment, and ministry (Acts 1:15-26, 6:5). Because each congregant is called to be discerning and wise (Gal 1:6-9), the congregation is the ultimate steward of a church’s faithfulness to Christ as a bodily whole (1 Cor 5:3-5). As such, congregational members should provide final-say affirmations toward the leading of the elders in whole church matters, such as annual budgets and appointment of members and elders (Acts 15:22).

The church is to exercise two ordinances of faith, baptism and the Lord’s Supper, as outward signs and seals of Christ’s presence and God’s unity within the church (Eph 4:4, 1 Cor 11:23-25). While some view baptism as a covenantal model reflecting inclusion in a family of faith, and others take literally the Scriptural language of “sprinkling” (Heb 10:22), Jesus modeled and commanded baptism by immersion and at a stage of life of belief and understanding (Luke 3:21, Matt 28:19-20). This model is extended throughout Scripture (Acts 9:18, 16:33). 

Jesus also modeled the Lord’s Supper here on earth (Luke 22). The Lord’s Supper invites intimate participation with our crucified, risen Savior, and serves as a testimony to our communal identity and unity in Christ (1 Cor 11:18-22), our continual and dependent need for Jesus (Acts 2:42), and as an invitation into personal relationship with our living Savior. While the Lord’s Supper is practiced as a reminder (1 Cor 11:26), weight must also be given to consistent testimony regarding a mysterious presence of Christ throughout the elements (John 6:53-58). To participate in the Lord’s Supper as a believer is to participate, in reality, with the body of Christ (1 Cor 10:16-17). 

Both baptism and that Lord’s Supper are spoken of in Scripture as important in the life of a Christ follower. The ordinances are not sources of salvation or grace, but rather remind and reflect the Christian of the power of the gospel (1 Cor 11:24, Luke 22:19). They call our attention to our daily need for the continual work of Christ in our lives. Because baptism is a mark of belief and obedience (Acts 10:47, 16:30-33), it should be required for membership into a local church. Furthermore, as it is the entry point into the body of Christ, baptism should be viewed as a prerequisite for the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor 11:29), which serves as nourishment for the body of Christ.

Christian Living

We believe that God’s justifying grace must not be separated from His sanctifying power and purpose. God commands us to love Him supremely and others sacrificially, and to live out our faith with care for one another, compassion toward the poor and justice for the oppressed. With God’s Word, the Spirit’s power, and fervent prayer in Christ’s name, we are to combat the spiritual forces of evil. In obedience to Christ’s commission, we are to make disciples among all people, always bearing witness to the gospel in word and deed.

It is the work of Christ to restore His people to relationship with God (Col 3:1-4), and this includes setting His followers free from sin (Col 3:5-11), and forming them into His image (Col 3:12-17). The work of the gospel – Jesus’ efficacious death and resurrection – is twofold: it provides immediate justification from sin – a right standing before God and guaranteed access into God’s presence – and it also begins the process of sanctification (Rom 8:9-11). 

Sanctification is the lifelong and transformative process whereby Christ-followers are increasingly conformed to the image of Jesus. It is ordained by God the Father (I Thes 4:3, Eph 1:4), initiated and powered through the blood of Jesus (Heb 13:12), and accomplished by the continual work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer (2 Thess 2:13, 1 Peter 1:2). As with all the work of God, this is for the glory of His name (Ezek 36:32, 39:7, 1 Peter 4:7-11).

The lives of Christ-followers then by nature look differently than those of non-Christ followers (Matt 7:15-20, Phil 2:14-16). Sanctification involves both the mortification of sin as well as the creation and growth of virtue (Col 3:1-17). As Christ-followers revel in the mystery of the gospel (1 Peter 2:9-12), gaze on Christ (Gal 5:24), meditate on Scripture (1 Peter 2:2-3, Jas 1:25), confess sins (1 John 1:9) and pray (Ps 145:18), a delight and hunger for sin is replaced with a delight and hunger for the things of God.   

The process of sanctification means that followers of Jesus will be actively involved in ministries and lifestyles of love (Col 3:14). Primarily, they will be shaped by their ever-increasing love for God. This love will result in greater submission, honor, and active participation in the things of God. But it is impossible for one growing in love for God to not also grow in love for one another (1 John 4:20). Love of God unites the church in love for one another, and creates a growing love for those outside the church (John 15:12). 

In their love, Christ followers will be marked by a care for the marginalized, broken, and least – according to the world – because God’s heart beats for these (Jer 22:16). In Scripture, God demonstrates His love for the outcast (Zec 7:10), and calls His followers to show love and care for the socially oppressed (Ps 82:3), widows and orphans (Jas 1:27), and the poor (Pr 29:7). God is a God of justice, and as such, those who love God should deeply desire that all those created in God’s image be given dignity, respect, and extended basic human rights (Jer 5:28). It is impossible to separate loving God from striving for biblical justice, applied as broadly and as fairly as possible (Ps 146:7-9).

The concern of the Christ-follower is first for those outcast and struggling within their own local church, and then for those outside the church, throughout society (Gal 6:10). This social engagement is not done primarily through the government or through secular means, but primarily through our Christian communities, called out from the brokenness and wickedness of the world for the sake of God’s glory (1 Peter 2:9-11, John 15:19, Jer 22:3). These communities – local churches – are to powerfully engage with practical social justice needs. As we care for the outcast and hurting, we honor and glorify God (Matt 25:34-39).

God calls us to be wise, discerning, and intentional in our care for the hurting and needy. Scripture’s caution against enabling or empowering sloth is striking (2 Thess 3:6-12, 1 Tim 5:3-16), and so we must be wise in providing care. But it is also important to note that these biblical cautions are given to enable care and compassion ministries, not restrict them (1 Tim 5:16). We should be eager to show compassion, mercy, and to pursue justice. 

The process of justice and sanctification does not merely involve the physical and temporal, but the spiritual as well (Eph 6:12), praying and fighting against spiritual forces of evil. Satan and his forces are real, and are active in this world, oppressing men and women and seeking to oppose all of God’s good work (1 Peter 5:8). The reality of spiritual agents of injustice and oppression will cause the church to engage in justice work in a fundamentally different way than the social work of the world (2 Cor 10:3-4). The church’s engagement with the brokenness of the world demands prayer (Eph 6:18, Ex 17:11, Act 12:5) and the strength of God (Eph 3:16, 2 Tim 2:1), because God is the true agent of transformational change (Rom 8:9-11).

Finally, the work and command of Jesus calls Christ-followers to actively seek to spread the good news of the gospel to the ends of the world (Matt 28:16-20). The call to make disciples of all people is a fundamental purpose of the church, and was given to the leaders of the early churches. It remains a fundamental purpose of each local church community today. Disciple making takes place through evangelical proclamation of the gospel, participation in the ordinances, and a deepening knowledge of what it means to be obedient to all that Jesus commands (Matt 7:24-25). This active evangelical work is to be done both through actions and words, proclaiming what God has done on the behalf of sinners and the hope for those found in Him (Isaiah 52:7, Eph 3:8, Luke 24:47). The love the church has for one another is a primary demonstration of Christ’s Lordship (John 13:35).

Christ’s Return

We believe in the personal, bodily and glorious return of our Lord Jesus Christ. The coming of Christ, at a time known only to God, demands constant expectancy and, as our blessed hope, motivates the believer to godly living, sacrificial service and energetic mission.

Jesus Christ will return to earth soon (Rev 22:7). His return will not be metaphysical or mystical, mysterious or unknown; rather, at His bodily, physical return, the whole world will know that Jesus is Lord of all things (Phil 2:9-11). Where Jesus’ first coming was as a baby, unassuming and inauspicious, His second coming will be as a conquering King, riding through the skies over the earth on a majestic warhorse and followed by the army of Heaven (Rev 19:11-16). He is returning to judge and make right all wrongs, to defeat and completely remove the power of Satan throughout the world (Rev 20:10), and to remake and restore all that has been broken by sin but redeemed by Christ’s blood (Rev 21:3-8). As much as any promise for the follower of Christ, Jesus’ second coming should bring believers joy, expectation, and hope (Titus 2:13). 

Scripture is clear that Christ’s second coming will be at a time known only to God the Father (Matt 24:36, 44; 25:13, 1 Thess 5:2). There are signs and wonders that will precede Christ’s return. The troubles of the world will continue up until His glorious second coming, including war, famine, disease, and death. Immediately preceding his return, the world will go through a unique season of tribulation, where the church and the unredeemed will suffer alongside one another. Despite these warnings and signs, the return of Jesus will be unexpected; believers are encouraged to remain vigilant so as not to be caught unawares (Matt 25:11-13).

At his return, Jesus will declare and complete swift war against the forces of evil at work throughout the world (Rev 20:9). There will be an eternal finality in his return, and as such, Christ’s return will mark the end of the evangelistic mission of the church and usher in an eternal age of rest, rejoicing and worship (Rev 22:1-5). 

The book of Revelation deals most fully with what believers are to expect to take place during the second coming of Jesus, doing so using complex imagery, complicated timelines, and possible repetition and restatement of similar themes. What must not be missed is the intention of Revelation – it is to provide hope. It unequivocally describes God as majestically reigning, and Jesus’ victory over the spiritual forces of evil as absolute and unquestionable. Whatever does happen will happen according to the perfect knowledge of God, and when we stand in the eschaton, we will fully understand how the text of Revelation perfectly reflected God’s intention for that period.  

As a central point of contention, believers have disagreed in their understanding of the extended period of Christ’s physical reign on earth prior to the final defeat of His enemies – often referred to as the millennium (Rev 20:1-10). Some believe the millennium refers to the period we are currently in – the Church age. Others believe it is speaking to a period yet to come, which will be markedly different from our current age. Others believe it is a metaphorical description. 

Ultimately, the historic premillennial position is the most faithful reading of the text, especially as the understanding of first century hearers is concerned. But, like creation, it is too easy to obscure the intention of the text by debating nuance; the depiction of the millennium is first an illustration of the ready-to-rebel attitude of the unrenewed human heart, rather than a necessarily prescriptive text for the eschatological timeline. It is clear from the text that it describes a period of a thousand years where Jesus’ reign is real and physical, present and perfect, and during which the influence of the spiritual forces of Satan are tempered and restricted; and yet, at the end of that time, Satan is released and quickly “deceives the nations” and gathers an army opposed to God’s righteous reign, “their number is like that sand of the sea” (Rev 20:8). This brief biblical account makes it clear that only the renewal of the Spirit through the death and resurrection of Jesus is sufficient to transform the human heart – even unregenerate humanity, raised under the perfect Lordship of Jesus, will still rebel. There is no alternative for Jesus’ work on the cross. 

All who enjoy eternal life with God will do so on account of Jesus’ death and resurrection. This includes the Jewish people – those who put their faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior will enjoy all the covenant benefits that have been offered since Abraham (Rom 11:6). All of Israel will be saved (Rom 11:26); both Jewish believers and Gentile believers who have been grafted into the promises offered (Rom 11:24) will be united with Christ. God’s salvation brought to the people of Israel will not be exclusively on account of their historic ethnicity, but rather their ethnicity will be granted on account of God’s call on their life – as it has always been (Deut 10:12-22, 28:9-10, 1 Peter 2:9). Through faith in Jesus, the Church is united with Israel in the promises and purposes of God, and will richly worship together in humility and awe at the return of Jesus (Zeph 3:9-20, Rev 7:1-10). 

The surety of Jesus’ return motivates those who trust and follow Christ to complete surrender for the purpose of His Great Commission (Matt 28:16-20). Christ’s return reminds us that the current troubles and trials do not compare to the glory that awaits us (Rom 8:18, 2 Cor 4:17, 1 Peter 5:10), and so we live with unshakeable hope and confidence through any circumstance we face. It also reminds us that our eternity is provided for, and so we have no need to fear privation or loss – we can freely and eagerly give away our possessions and sacrifice for that which matters and lasts (Matt 6:19-21). The more fully we consider these assurances and hopes, the more readily, eagerly, and entirely will we submit to God and participate in His work.  

Response and Eternal Destiny

We believe that God commands everyone everywhere to believe the gospel by turning to Him in repentance and receiving the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that God will raise the dead bodily and judge the world, assigning the unbeliever to condemnation and eternal conscious punishment and the believer to eternal blessedness and joy with the Lord in the new heaven and the new earth, to the praise of His glorious grace. Amen.

Jesus’ return will begin a period of restoration, judgment, justice, and eternal consequence according to one’s earthly allegiance. All – the living and the dead (Dan 12:2, John 5:28-29), the repentant and the rebellious (Acts 24:15) – will be judged by Jesus before the Great White Throne (Rev 20:11-15). As such, all are called – in this life today! – to respond to Jesus’ invitation to follow Him, to confess their sins and failures and inadequacies, to turn away from rebellion to Jesus’ Lordship, to surrender their lives and selves to Him, to be granted new life and a new identity in Jesus, and to faithfully follow and serve Him for the remainder of their earthly lives. 

Immediately following the defeat of Satan, the physical world as has been known will be done away with (Rev 20:11), the entirety of humanity will be gathered before God (Rev 20:11-15, Matt 25:31-32), and each will be judged individually according to what he or she has done. This judgement is passed for both the unbeliever and the believer. For those who have rejected Jesus as Lord and Savior, their names will not be found in the book of life, and they will be cast away from God (Rev 20:15). For those who have placed their trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior, their names will be found written in the book of life and they will enjoy eternity with God in the New Heavens and New Earth, and their actions in faithfulness and response to God will be rewarded (Rom 2:6, 1 Pet 1:17, 1 Cor 3:15, 1 Cor 9:25). Any regret they might face regarding personal unfaithfulness or poor stewardship will be quickly overwhelmed in astonishment at God’s goodness and His faithful work throughout the world (Rev 21:4, Rom 8:28, 2 Tim 2:13). 

Following the moment of God’s Great White Throne judgment, the opportunity for repentance and a turn to Christian allegiance will end. Scripture does not deal directly with the fate of those who have never had an opportunity to confess Jesus as Lord, whether because of physical separation, the age of their death, or because of an inability to understand or comprehend the gospel. Instead, we must trust in our good God, who judges righteously and impartially (Ps 9:8, 1 Peter 1:17), who desires that all people would be saved (1 Tim 2:5), and who greatly values the innocence of children (Matt 18:3-6). We cannot say with confidence how God will judge those who have had no earthly opportunity to respond to Jesus’ gospel invitation; we can say with confidence that God’s judgement will be good and right and that we will worship Him for that judgement. 

Those who have lived their lives in rebellion to Jesus will live their eternity separated from God, suffering in eternal separation from the goodness of God and forever touched by and given over to the depraved evil of sin (Matt 8:12).

Scripture uses different images and parables to illustrate this separation and consequence. The parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) illustrates the divide, separation, and obstinate rejection of the unregenerate. It is striking that the Rich Man speaks of no desire to leave torment – instead, he wishes to see Lazarus join him and minister to him in his suffering. Likewise, the parable of the prodigal son describes the older brother as one who was unwilling to participate in the celebration and reception of the redeemed brother because of his arrogance and entitlement. This is a profound picture of the unregenerate throughout eternity – their arrogance will forever prevent a turn towards grace, would even the offer of salvation yet remain. The Valley of Gehenna – known as Hell – is a place of refuse and horrible sin, and is pointed towards metaphorically as the place of eternal torment (Matt 25:41, Matt 18:19). This Hell will be a place of suffering and torment, forever increasing in its severity because its citizens will forever increasingly willfully reject the goodness and Lordship of Jesus. This serves as the just and good punishment for their willful disobedience and rejection of Christ’s salvation.

Those who have claimed allegiance to King Jesus will spend eternity in the presence of God’s goodness. God will exercise perfect dominion over the world, remaking it into perfection (Isaiah 65:17-25) – the New Heavens and New Earth. It will be a physical, real place, reformed and refilled perfectly according to God’s good intention where peace, comfort, worship, and joy will reign for eternity. Those in Christ will be given redeemed, physical, eternal bodies and will enjoy life in the New Heavens and Earth, joyfully working alongside others and eternally worshiping their redeemer in God’s recreated perfection. 

Thus will God’s purpose and intention be fulfilled; He created and redeemed for Himself a people who will know Him, live with Him, worship Him, enjoy Him, and spend eternity in relationship with Him. Sin and death, suffering and alienation will be no more, and the goodness of God’s creation will extend forever. His people will work and play alongside one another in shalom, living in their imago dei purposely, relationally, and perfectly. “No longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord” (Jer 31:34) 

PASTORAL AND PERSONAL SECTION

CURRENT DOCTRINAL ISSUES

1. Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage

I believe God created marriage as the highest human relationship. Marriage is intended by God as being between one biological man and one biological woman (Matt 19:4-6). Marriage was created initially to fulfill Adam’s need for relational connection as one created in God’s image (Gen 1:26-28, 2:24), and marriage also represents the gospel and Christ’s sacrificial love for His church (Eph 5:22-33). To sever a marriage in divorce is to show contempt toward those lofty representations (Matt 19:6). However, once that contempt has already been shown for the beauty and purpose of marriage – through unrepentant adultery (Matt 5:32) or abandonment (1 Cor 7:15) – it may be necessary to accept divorce. In these sad situations remarriage is allowable in accordance with Scripture and wisdom. 

2. Abortion, Infanticide, Euthanasia

Every human life is uniquely created in the beautiful image of God (Gen 1:26, Jer 1:5, Psalm 139:13-16), and as such is imminently worthy of protection, dignity, honor, and preservation. According to Scripture, human life begins at conception (Jer 1:5, Gal 1:15). Abortion is a tragedy and moral wrong, often pursued from a misunderstanding of the value of life and a deep place of brokenness; couples and women who have pursued abortion should be treated with compassion, care, and with a heart to restore. Infant life should always be valued and cherished.

In regards to end of life situations, where death is imminent and painful, it can be cruel to prolong that death, but it is also immoral to accelerate it. Death belongs to God, and it is His prerogative to take life. As hard as it might be, it is devaluing to accelerate death or take life from a misguided sense of comfort or care.

3. Role Distinctions for Men and Women in the Home and the Church

Both Scripture and common sense make it clear that men and women are different – sharing different general characteristics, strengths and abilities. These differences complement one another. Men alone can be husbands and fathers, who are uniquely (but not exclusively) called in Scripture to be sacrificial, loving (Eph 5:25), understanding, honoring (1 Peter 3:7), compassionate (Psalm 103:19), patient (Eph 6:4), and disciplining (Eph 6:4, Heb 12:9). Women alone can be wives and mothers, who are uniquely (but not exclusively) called in Scripture to be submissive (Eph 5:24, Col 3:18, Titus 2:5, 1 Peter 3:1, 5), nurture and care for their household, and manage their household well (1 Tim 5:14). 

Scripture clearly limits the church leadership office of Elder to those who are faithful husbands and fathers (1 Tim 3:1-5, Titus 1:6). Outside of this office, I see no other biblical restraints on the role of faithful men or women in the church (I do not read 1 Corinthians 11 or 1 Timothy 2:11-12 as restrictive towards gender roles in a church).

4. Homosexual Belief and Conduct (and other sexual perversions of God’s design for human sexuality)

Sex is designed as a good gift for enjoyment and fruitfulness for a biblically married couple. Any expression of sex outside of that boundary is a departure from God’s intention and desire (Heb 13:4). This includes homosexual expressions, pre and extra-marital sex, pornography and lust. Those who engage in such actions without conscience and repentance rebel against the authority of Jesus over their lives. 

However, especially in the modern world, sexual attraction and orientation may be twisted by the brokenness of this world and directed towards the same sex (or even elsewhere). Orientation or attraction do not define God’s created intention, and begets no excuse for behavior. This brokenness should be met with compassion and grace, rather than revulsion or expulsion. A same sex-attracted individual may just as faithfully and fully follow Jesus; Jesus does not need to ‘heal’ these individuals of their desires before they faithfully follow Him, though He may choose to do so.

ISSUES RELATED TO LIFESTYLE

1. Spiritual Disciplines

It’s important to intentionally pursue a deepening relationship with God through the practice of spiritual disciplines and habits. Fundamentally, these include Scripture reading and study, and prayer. I read Scripture on a daily devotional basis in the mornings, spending time considering the text and praying with God. Throughout the work day, I engage in conversational prayer as well, seeking to pray without ceasing. I set aside time in the mornings for devotional prayer, and during my work day for pastoral prayer for those under my care. 

2. Stewardship, Personal Finances, and Debt

All our resources – financial, physical, time, etc – belong to God. We are called to faithfully steward them for God’s glory, for the good of those around us, and for our own good. I believe God blesses us with resources for our enjoyment, but He also challenges and invites us to be generous givers and to not be enslaved to a love of money. I personally believe one of the most helpful practices is the free-will gift of at least 10% of my financial income to the local church, for the church to use as they please. This is an ‘open handed’ approach to finances. Beyond that, I believe we should be ready to give generously to those in need, or those going on missions trips or seeking support. We should support other organizations and missions we believe in. Our finances and resources should reflect our trust in God to meet our needs. 

3. Moral Purity (Including Pornography)

A faithful Christ-follower must strive for moral purity in every area of their life. This includes integrity, faithfulness, and purity.  Believers should be diligent in paying what they owe, covering debts, allowinging their yes to be yes and their no to be no. 

They also must not allow a hint of sexual immorality. In our digital world, this takes special care. I have purity software on my computers and mobile devices, and seek to be transparent with both my wife and friends regarding temptation or questions. I avoid movies and media that are sexualized. 

4. Marriage and Family Priorities

Marriage and family are a biblical priority for the faithful Christ follower. I want to be first a faithful follower of Jesus, then a healthy husband, then a diligent dad, and finally an effective, engaged pastor. I prioritize date times with my wife, and share eagerly with her. I listen to her concerns, and seek to serve and lead her well. We pray together when walking through difficult situations, and encourage each other to be in the Word and to more faithfully follow Jesus. 

I seek to be present in my children’s lives: loving, encouraging, challenging, supporting, disciplining them, and ultimately pointing them towards Jesus. We are seeking to read Scripture together and make the language of following Jesus a fundamental part of our family life. 

ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE EVANGELICAL FREE CHURCH OF AMERICA: 

1. The Evangelical Free Church of America purposely allows latitude in significant areas of doctrine (e.g. the age of the universe, Arminianism and Calvinism, the use of the gifts of the Spirit particularly the miraculous gifts, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, the tribulation, etc.). This has been referred to as the “significance of silence,” viz. we will debate these issues, but we will not divide over them. Are you willing to minister alongside those whose views differ from yours on nonessential matters?

Yes.

2. Are you in harmony with the mission of the EFCA “to glorify God by multiplying healthy churches among all people,” as well as our distinctives? Please see the following link: http://go.efca.org/explore/who-we-are

Yes.

3. Are you willing to live in accordance with the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws and policies of the EFCA? (This does not mean that you may not support a change to any of them through the proscribed process, cf. the next question.) Please see the following link: http://go.efca.org/resources/document/bylaws

Yes. 

4. Are you willing to follow and adhere to the congregational processes at the local church, district and national conference level in seeking changes in the programs or policies of the EFCA?

Yes.

5. Is it your intention and desire to work in cooperation with the EFCA and the district in which you serve?

Yes.

6. If at any time you change your doctrinal beliefs and/or find yourself in disagreement with the statement of faith and/or policies of the EFCA, would you be willing to surrender your credentials to the EFCA?

Yes.

7. Is there any area or issue in your life which, if known because it has not been dealt with responsibly in a way that can be attested by spiritually mature believers, would bring disrepute on the Lord or the Church (drunkenness, gambling, plagiarism, pornography, racism, addictions, felony or “things like these” (Gal. 5:19-21))?

No.