Thursday, February 3, 2011

Where We Stand

Crossway Church is thankful that we can present our Statement of Faith at this time. One of the most important and foundational documents for our church and for who we are, this statement sets forth what we believe. In reading our statement, you will find that it represents historic Christian beliefs. We are Protestant/Evangelical, Baptist, and Reformed in our beliefs about God's grace in salvation.

With a few revisions, our statement is an abbreviated form of the Baptist Faith and Message, 2000 (our article on "man" looks back to the BF&M 1925 as well). We chose this particular Statement of Faith not only because of its wide acceptance and proven faithfulness but because it uniquely helps us to put forward what we believe. For example, we wanted a statement that reflected our emphasis on the one God as triune, and this statement teaches biblical truth about each person of the Trinity. The article on salvation, in the same way, gives both an overview and particular details of our redemption in Christ.

Other things that we really appreciate about this statement include these:

- No one, specific position is represented in the article on "Last Things," but the glorious Bible truths about the end times are clear.

- The statement overall is general enough to highlight historic Christianity but specific enough to help us express our stand on sometimes controversial issues (e.g. the office of pastor is limited to men).

- Doctrinal statements aren't limited to "theoretical" issues alone. So, article IX identifies our belief in the priority of the Great Commission (while article V identifies what we believe to be the sure foundation for the success of this gospel call).

Enjoy reading our Statement and being reminded of central truths!