Our Statement of Faith
The Lausanne Covenant
Introduction
We, members of the Church of Jesus Christ, from more than 150 nations, participants in the International Congress on World Evangelization at Lausanne, praise God for his great salvation and rejoice in the fellowship he has given us with himself and with each other.
The Purpose of God
We affirm our belief in the
The Authority and Power of the Bible
We affirm the divine inspiration, truthfulness
The Uniqueness and Universality of Christ
We affirm that there is only one Savior and only one gospel. Jesus Christ, being himself the only God-man and son of our Lord, who gave himself as the only ransom for sinners, is the only mediator between God and people.
The Nature of Evangelism
To evangelize is to proclaim the good news through word and deed that Jesus Christ died for our sins and was raised from the dead according to the Scriptures, and that as the reigning Lord he now offers the forgiveness of sins and the liberating gifts of the Spirit to all who repent and believe.
The Church and Evangelism
We affirm that Christ sends his redeemed people into the world as the Father sent
Cooperation in Evangelism
We affirm that the Church’s visible unity in truth is God’s purpose. Evangelism summons us to unity. Evangelism also summons us to unity, because our oneness strengthens our witness, just as our disunity undermines our gospel of reconciliation.
Churches in Evangelistic Partnership
As a new missionary movement begins, we affirm the need to partner with everyone in the body of Christ across the globe. Through the work of the Spirit, a growing partnership of churches will develop and the universal character of Christ’s Church will be more clearly exhibited.
The Urgency of the Evangelistic Task
More than 2,700 million people, which is more than two-thirds of all humanity, have yet to be evangelized. We are ashamed that so many have been neglected but realize that right now there is a unique receptivity to the Gospel around the world.
Evangelism and Culture
The development of strategies for world evangelization calls for imaginative pioneering methods that take into account the beauty of human culture while acknowledging the supremacy of Scripture over culture.
Education and Leadership
We confess that we have sometimes pursued church growth at the expense of church depth and that some missions work has been too slow to equip national leaders.
Spiritual Conflict
We believe that we are engaged in constant spiritual warfare with the principalities and powers of evil, who are seeking to overthrow the Church and frustrate its task of world evangelization.
Freedom and Persecution
It is the God-appointed duty of every government to secure conditions of peace, justice
The Power of the Holy Spirit
We believe in the power of the Holy Spirit. The Father sent his Spirit to bear witness to his Son; without his witness ours is futile. Conviction of sin, faith in Christ, new birth and Christian growth are all his work. The Spirit also calls the Church into mission and evangelism.
The Return of Christ
We believe that Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly, in power and glory, to consummate his salvation and his judgment and we look forward with eager anticipation