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we have distilled from the
Bible and the historic confessions of faith those doctrines which we
believe to be essential-the absolutes on which we will not compromise.
these are set forth in the document "The Essentials" (see below). |
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we have identified
specifically the primary task of the Church in our Book of
Government: "The first duty of the Church is to evangelize by
extending the Gospel both at home and abroad, leading others to a
saving knowledge of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior." |
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in order to
maintain the best elements of a Presbyterian form of government
(rule by elders), we have provided that there shall be a ratio
of 2 ruling elders to 1 teaching elder (pastor) in the
Presbytery and General Assembly. |
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we are fully
Trinitarian. we believe strongly in all three Persons of the
Godhead. we affirm the priority of the fruit of the Holy
Spirit over the gifts, but count on His gifts to energize
the work of His church. we are reformed, not pentecostal, in
our theology of the Spirit. |
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we have
addressed the difficult and sometimes emotional issue of
the role of women in the leadership of the church by
allowing each individual congregation to make that
decision for themselves. |
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we
have specified certain rights that are reserved to
individual congregations, such as the right to own
its own property, to withdraw from the denomination
with its property if it so decides, and the right to
call its own pastor. |
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we
have a voluntary "per member asking" to support
the administrative and benevolence work of the
denomination, not as a required "per capita
tax". |
