Christ as the example to strive for

We believe that the example of Christ is what we should all strive for. Both in his love and generosity, as well as in his courage to face injustice, speak the truth and even fight when necessary.

Authority of church institutions

We believe in the authority of traditional church institutions, as established by Jesus himself (Matthew 16:19) to lead the way and interpret scripture and God's Will for the people. Although access to God's voice is available to all, the people inside the traditional church institutions are trained professionals who spend all of their time dedicated to hearing from God. Most people are simply too distracted to hear from God in the same way as the Church Authorities.

Evolution As God's Tool

We believe in the concept of theistic evolution, as accepted by the Catholic Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Episcopal Church (United States), and some other mainline Protestant denominations; virtually all Jewish denominations; and other religious groups that lack a literalist stance concerning some holy scriptures. Various biblical literalists have accepted or noted openness to this stance, including theologian B.B. Warfield and evangelist Billy Graham. We explicitly reject the belief of young earth creationists as backward and toxic to the future of Christianity.

Containment of evil

We believe that true evil exists. We reject the idea of privatio boni. Evil is not merely the absence of good, but a force that deliberately seeks to destroy. Our Mission as Christians is to recognize the presence of evil on earth, and contain said evil until the Lord returns.

Satan as God’s instrument

Despite the existence of evil, we believe that God rules over us with Christ in the one hand, and Satan in the other. Taking a larger, zoomed out view of the whole, we believe that Satan’s evil machinations, and our struggle to contain them, serve to create growth of humanity toward the image of God.