God
1. 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.
The Bible
2. 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.
The Human Condition
3. 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.
Jesus Christ
4. 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.
The Work of Christ
5. 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.
The Holy Spirit
6. 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 Church
7. 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.
Christian Living
8. 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.
Christ's Return
9. We believe in the personal, bodily and premillennial
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.
Response and Eternal Destiny
10. 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.
EFCA MISSION STATEMENT
The EFCA movement exists to glorify God by multiplying healthy churches among all people.
The Evangelical Free Church of America is an association of some 1250 autonomous churches united by a mutual commitment to serve our Lord Jesus Christ with the guidance of the Holy Spirit and obedience to the Word of God. We are committed to cooperate with one another in ministry and fellowship as we seek to fulfill the Great commission, which Christ has entrusted to His church. The growing ministry of the EFCA currently extends to some 42 nations of the world, encompassing nearly 1400 additional congregations.
The term EVANGELICAL refers to our commitment to the proclamation of the Gospel and to the authority of Scriptures as being inerrant in the original autographs and the only safe and sufficient guide to faith and practice.
The term FREE refers to our form of church government which assures that our local churches are free from a central controlling body. Evangelical Free Churches depend upon the active participation of pastors and lay people in the decisions and direction of the local church.
