Beliefs
We stick to the basics. When new members join a local congregation of the Evangelical Covenant Church, they answer two questions: “Do you confess Jesus Christ as your Savior and promise to follow him as Lord?” and, “Do you accept the Holy Scriptures, the Old and New Testaments, as the word of God and the only perfect rule for faith, doctrine, and conduct?” They are then asked if they intend to live as faithful followers of Christ and members of the church and denomination.
What does the Evangelical Covenant Church believe?
The immigrants who founded the Covenant were products of a trans-Atlantic evangelical renewal movement that emphasized life in the Spirit over the rigid confessions of the state church. Valuing genuine devotion over empty ritual, they renounced forms of church life that elevated doctrinal confessions over Scripture, and that sought to control the individual’s conscience. Rather, they viewed personal faith as evidence of a vital relationship with Jesus Christ. They often asked each other, “How goes your walk with Jesus?” and “What do the Scriptures say?”
Our Six Affirmations
- We affirm the centrality of the word of God.
- We affirm the necessity of the new birth.
- We affirm a commitment to the whole mission of the church.
- We affirm the church as a fellowship of believers.
- We affirm a conscious dependence on the Holy Spirit.
- We affirm the reality of freedom in Christ.
While the Covenant is nonconfessional, we take our theology and our history seriously, and we value the early creeds. Our common Christian affirmations are that we are an apostolic, catholic, Reformation, and evangelical church. In that heritage, we share central Christian beliefs, which draw us together in faith and fellowship and make possible a freedom among us on more widely ranging issues.
We hope that as you read these affirmations you will find yourself identifying with them in your own faith experience. If they raise questions for you or you would like to read further, we encourage you to ask your pastor (if you are already in contact with a Covenant church) or any Covenant pastor for more suggestions.
