NVEFC STATEMENT OF FAITH
The Evangelical Free Church of Canada is an association of autonomous churches united in a common commitment to God’s evangel--the gospel of Jesus Christ, who died and rose again to give us eternal life. To God's glory, the gospel is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. Our essential theological convictions are vitally connected to this gospel.
God’s gospel originates in and expresses the wondrous perfections of the eternal, triune 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.
God’s gospel is authoritatively revealed in the Scriptures.
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.
God’s gospel alone addresses our deepest need.
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.
God’s gospel is made known supremely in the Person of 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.
God’s gospel is accomplished through 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.
God’s gospel is applied by the power of 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.
God’s gospel is now embodied in the new community called 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.
God’s gospel compels us to Christ-like living and witness to the world.
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.
God's gospel will be brought to fulfillment by the Lord Himself at the end of this age.
9. We believe in the personal, bodily and glorious return of our Lord Jesus Christ with His holy angels when He will bring His kingdom to fulfillment and exercise His role as Judge of all. This 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.
God's gospel requires a response that has eternal consequences.
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.
Distinctives
"In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, charity. In all things, Jesus Christ."
Rupertus Meldenius
1. The Evangelical Free Church is inclusive not exclusive.
Today's culture consists of people with sad histories of dysfunction, failed relationships, emotional trauma and scarring due to a variety of sins of the past. It is the conviction of Evangelical Free Church people that a person in Christ is a new creation of God. If such persons qualify to be members of the body of Christ, then surely they must be made welcome as members and participants in the Evangelical Free Church family. We seek to be inclusive!
2. The Evangelical Free Church is evangelical but not separatistic.
The Evangelical Free Church is born out of a heritage of commitment to the authority and inerrancy of Scripture. We have our convictions and we state them positively and with biblical persuasion, but we are not ready to draw battle lines over minor points. We do not make minor issues of doctrine a test of fellowship in the local church. We are evangelical, we believe in separated living, we promote personal holiness, but we are not separatistic in our mindset.
3. The Evangelical Free Church is ecumenical in spirit though not in structure.
The Evangelical Free Church of Canada cooperates with the Evangelical Free Church of America in a partnership relationship in overseas missions. It is also a member of The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada and its auxiliary relief agency, World Relief Canada. In addition, local Evangelical Free Churches, district organizations, and the national office of the EFCC are quick to join with other movements, causes, and organizations that seek to advance the cause of Christ. We want to be first Kingdom-minded and only secondarily denominationally-minded.
4. The Evangelical Free Church believes in liberty with responsibility.
We believe in Christian liberty, but freedom always has its limitations. Responsible people never abuse freedom. The Apostle Paul speaks forcibly on Christian liberty in the book of Galatians. He shatters the legalist with the doctrine of grace. But in the books of First and Second Corinthians and Romans, the apostle also rebukes believers when liberty is abused. He declares boldly the principles of Christian liberty but speaks with equal forcefulness about Christian accountability. The Evangelical Free Church desires to preserve our freedom in Christ, but wishes its people to be responsible, godly men, women and young people who want to live in obedience to the principles and precepts of God's Word and live in harmony with God's will for life as revealed in the Scriptures.
5. The Evangelical Free Church believes in both the rational and relational dimensions of Christianity.
We believe the Scriptures must be applied to our individual lives with warmth of heart, warmth of message, and warmth of concern. We believe it is essential to have solid biblical content in our doctrinal understanding of faith, but it is equally important to have a dynamic, vital relationship to God the Father through Jesus Christ the Son and live in the power of the Holy Spirit. Sound Christian doctrine must be coupled with dynamic Christian experience.
6. The Evangelical Free Church is congregational in government.
The Evangelical Free Church is committed to a congregational form of government, as stated in Article 10 of our Statement of Faith: "We believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and Head of the Church, and that every local church has the right, under Christ, to decide and govern its own affairs."
Strong pastoral leadership coupled with Spirit-controlled Christian lay people can produce efficient and effective church growth. The New Testament emphasizes the importance of the "body" of Christ ministering through the spiritual gifts that have been given to each believer. The congregational form of church government gives the fullest opportunity to harness and utilize the gifts to be used within the local church.
God’s gospel originates in and expresses the wondrous perfections of the eternal, triune 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.
God’s gospel is authoritatively revealed in the Scriptures.
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.
God’s gospel alone addresses our deepest need.
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.
God’s gospel is made known supremely in the Person of 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.
God’s gospel is accomplished through 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.
God’s gospel is applied by the power of 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.
God’s gospel is now embodied in the new community called 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.
God’s gospel compels us to Christ-like living and witness to the world.
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.
God's gospel will be brought to fulfillment by the Lord Himself at the end of this age.
9. We believe in the personal, bodily and glorious return of our Lord Jesus Christ with His holy angels when He will bring His kingdom to fulfillment and exercise His role as Judge of all. This 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.
God's gospel requires a response that has eternal consequences.
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.
Distinctives
"In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, charity. In all things, Jesus Christ."
Rupertus Meldenius
1. The Evangelical Free Church is inclusive not exclusive.
Today's culture consists of people with sad histories of dysfunction, failed relationships, emotional trauma and scarring due to a variety of sins of the past. It is the conviction of Evangelical Free Church people that a person in Christ is a new creation of God. If such persons qualify to be members of the body of Christ, then surely they must be made welcome as members and participants in the Evangelical Free Church family. We seek to be inclusive!
2. The Evangelical Free Church is evangelical but not separatistic.
The Evangelical Free Church is born out of a heritage of commitment to the authority and inerrancy of Scripture. We have our convictions and we state them positively and with biblical persuasion, but we are not ready to draw battle lines over minor points. We do not make minor issues of doctrine a test of fellowship in the local church. We are evangelical, we believe in separated living, we promote personal holiness, but we are not separatistic in our mindset.
3. The Evangelical Free Church is ecumenical in spirit though not in structure.
The Evangelical Free Church of Canada cooperates with the Evangelical Free Church of America in a partnership relationship in overseas missions. It is also a member of The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada and its auxiliary relief agency, World Relief Canada. In addition, local Evangelical Free Churches, district organizations, and the national office of the EFCC are quick to join with other movements, causes, and organizations that seek to advance the cause of Christ. We want to be first Kingdom-minded and only secondarily denominationally-minded.
4. The Evangelical Free Church believes in liberty with responsibility.
We believe in Christian liberty, but freedom always has its limitations. Responsible people never abuse freedom. The Apostle Paul speaks forcibly on Christian liberty in the book of Galatians. He shatters the legalist with the doctrine of grace. But in the books of First and Second Corinthians and Romans, the apostle also rebukes believers when liberty is abused. He declares boldly the principles of Christian liberty but speaks with equal forcefulness about Christian accountability. The Evangelical Free Church desires to preserve our freedom in Christ, but wishes its people to be responsible, godly men, women and young people who want to live in obedience to the principles and precepts of God's Word and live in harmony with God's will for life as revealed in the Scriptures.
5. The Evangelical Free Church believes in both the rational and relational dimensions of Christianity.
We believe the Scriptures must be applied to our individual lives with warmth of heart, warmth of message, and warmth of concern. We believe it is essential to have solid biblical content in our doctrinal understanding of faith, but it is equally important to have a dynamic, vital relationship to God the Father through Jesus Christ the Son and live in the power of the Holy Spirit. Sound Christian doctrine must be coupled with dynamic Christian experience.
6. The Evangelical Free Church is congregational in government.
The Evangelical Free Church is committed to a congregational form of government, as stated in Article 10 of our Statement of Faith: "We believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and Head of the Church, and that every local church has the right, under Christ, to decide and govern its own affairs."
Strong pastoral leadership coupled with Spirit-controlled Christian lay people can produce efficient and effective church growth. The New Testament emphasizes the importance of the "body" of Christ ministering through the spiritual gifts that have been given to each believer. The congregational form of church government gives the fullest opportunity to harness and utilize the gifts to be used within the local church.