We affirm our faith in one eternal God, as Creator and Lord of the world, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who governs all things according to the purpose of His will. He has been calling, from the world, a people for Himself, and sending them into the world as His servants and witnesses, for the extension of His Kingdom, the building up of the body of Christ, and the glory of His Name. We confess with shame that we have often denied our calling and failed in our mission, either conforming to the world or separating ourselves from it. Nevertheless, we rejoice that, though in earthen vessels, the Gospel remains a precious treasure. To the task of making that treasure known, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we desire to rededicate ourselves. Isa. 40:28; Matt. 28:19; Eph. 1:11; Acts 15:15; John 17:6, 18; Eph. 4:12; 1 Cor. 5:10; Rom. 12:2; 2 Cor. 4:7.

We affirm the divine inspiration, faithfulness, and authority of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, without error in all that they assert, and that they are the only infallible standard of faith and conduct. We also affirm the power of the Word of God to accomplish His purpose of salvation. The message of the Bible is directed to all humanity, since God's revelation in Christ and in the Scriptures is unalterable. Through it, the Holy Spirit continues to speak today. He illuminates the minds of God's people in every culture, enabling them to perceive the truth anew with their own eyes, and thus reveals to the entire church more of the manifold wisdom of God. 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:21; John 10:35; Isa. 55:11; 1 Cor. 1:21; Rom. 1:16; Matt. 5:17,18; Jude 3; Eph. 1:17,18; 3:10,18.

We affirm that there is only one Savior and one Gospel, even though there are diverse approaches to evangelism. We recognize that all people have some knowledge of God through His general revelation in nature. But we also reject, as an insult to Christ and the Gospel, all forms of syncretism and dialogue that imply that Christ speaks equally through all religions and ideologies. Jesus Christ is the God-man who gave Himself as the only mediator between God and humanity. There is no other name by which we can be saved. All people perish because of sin, but God loves all people and it is His desire that none should perish, but that all should repent.

However, those who reject Christ reject the joy of salvation and condemn themselves to eternal separation from God. Proclaiming Jesus as "The Savior of the world" is not to claim that all people are automatically or ultimately saved, and even less to claim that all religions offer salvation in Christ. Rather, it is to proclaim Him to the world of sinners and invite all people to respond to Him as Lord and Savior through the personal and authentic surrender of repentance and faith. Jesus Christ has been exalted above every name: we await the day when every knee will bow before Him and every tongue confess Him as Lord. (Gal. 1:8-9; Rom. 1:18, 32; 1 Tim. 2:5-6; Acts 4:12; John 3:16-19; 2 Thess. 1:7-9; John 4:42; Matt. 11:28; Eph. 1:20-21; Phil. 2:9-11)

Evangelizing is spreading the good news that Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose from the dead according to the Scriptures, and that now as the reigning Lord he offers forgiveness of sins and the liberating gift of the Holy Spirit to all who repent and believe.

Our Christian presence in the world is essential for evangelization; so too is dialogue aimed at listening attentively in order to understand. But evangelization itself is the proclamation of the historical and biblical Christ as Savior and Lord, with the goal of persuading people to come to Him personally and be reconciled with God.

In extending the invitation of the Gospel, we are not free to conceal or minimize the cost of discipleship. Jesus still calls all who wish to follow Him to deny themselves, take up their cross, and identify with their new community. The results of evangelism include obedience to Christ, incorporation into His church, and responsible service in the world. (1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Acts 2:32-39; John 20:21; 1 Corinthians 1:23; 2 Corinthians 4:5; 5:11-20; Luke 14:25-33; Mark 8:34; Acts 2:40, 47; Mark 10:43-45)

We affirm that God is both the Creator and the Judge of all humankind. Therefore, we must share His concern for justice and reconciliation throughout human society, and for the liberation of all people from every kind of oppression.

Humanity was made in the image of God; consequently, every person, regardless of race, religion, color, culture, class, sex, or age, has an intrinsic dignity, by virtue of which they must be respected and served, not exploited. We also express our regret, both for our negligence and for having sometimes conceived of evangelization and social concern as mutually exclusive. Although reconciliation with humanity is not the same as reconciliation with God, nor is social commitment the same as evangelization, nor is political liberation the same as salvation, we nevertheless affirm that evangelization and social and political action are part of our Christian duty.

Both are necessary expressions of our doctrine of God and humanity, of our love for our neighbor, and of our obedience to Jesus Christ. The message of salvation also implies a message of judgment against all forms of alienation, oppression, and discrimination, and we must not be afraid to denounce evil and injustice wherever they exist. When people receive Christ, they are born again in His Kingdom and must both manifest and spread His justice in the midst of an unjust world. The salvation we claim to have must transform us in the fullness of our personal and social responsibilities.

Faith without works is dead. Fact. 17:26,31; Gen. 18:25; Isa. 1:17; Ps. 45:7; Gen. 1:26,27; St. 3:9; Lev. 19:18; Luc. 6:27,35; St. 2:26-26; John 3:3,5; Matt. 5:20; 6:33; 2 Cor. 3:18.

Evangelizing is spreading the good news that Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose from the dead according to the Scriptures, and that now, as the reigning Lord, he offers forgiveness of sins and the liberating gift of the Holy Spirit to all who repent and believe. Our Christian presence in the world is essential for evangelization; so too is dialogue whose purpose is to listen attentively in order to understand.

But evangelization is the very proclamation of the historical and biblical Christ as Savior and Lord, with the aim of persuading people to come to Him personally and be reconciled to God. In extending the invitation of the Gospel, we are not free to conceal or downplay the cost of discipleship. Jesus still calls all who wish to follow Him to deny themselves, take up their cross, and identify with His new community.

The results of evangelism include obedience to Christ, incorporation into His church, and responsible service in the world. 1 Cor. 15:3,4; Acts 2:32-39; John 20:21; 1 Cor. 1:23; 2 Cor. 4:5; 5:11-20; Luke 14:25-33; Mark 8:34; Acts 2:40,47; Mark 10:43-45.

Evangelizing is spreading the good news that Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose from the dead according to the Scriptures, and that now, as the reigning Lord, he offers forgiveness of sins and the liberating gift of the Holy Spirit to all who repent and believe. Our Christian presence in the world is essential for evangelization; so too is dialogue aimed at listening attentively in order to understand. But evangelization itself is the proclamation of the historical and biblical Christ as Savior and Lord, with the aim of persuading people to come to him personally and be reconciled with God.

In extending the invitation of the Gospel, we are not free to conceal or downplay the cost of discipleship. Jesus still calls all who wish to follow him to deny themselves, take up their cross, and identify with his new community.

The results of evangelism include obedience to Christ, incorporation into His church, and responsible service in the world. 1 Cor. 15:3,4; Acts 2:32-39; John 20:21; 1 Cor. 1:23; 2 Cor. 4:5; 5:11-20; Luke 14:25-33; Mark 8:34; Acts 2:40,47; Mark 10:43-45.

We rejoice that a new missionary era has begun. The old model of Western domination is rapidly disappearing. God is raising up great new resources for world evangelization from young churches, demonstrating that the responsibility to evangelize belongs to the entire body of Christ.

All churches, therefore, must ask God and themselves what they should do to evangelize their own area and send missionaries to other countries of the world. The evaluation of our responsibility and missionary task must be ongoing. In this way, fellowship among churches will grow, and the universal nature of Christ will be more clearly manifested.

We also give thanks to God for all the agencies that work in Bible translation, theological education, mass media, Christian literature, evangelism, missions, church renewal, and other specialized fields.

They too must engage in constant self-criticism in order to evaluate their effectiveness as part of the Church's mission. Rom. 1:18; Phil. 1:5; 4:15; Acts 13:1-3; 1 Thess. 1:6-8.

More than 2.7 billion people—over two-thirds of humanity—have not yet been evangelized. We are ashamed that so many have been neglected; this is a constant reproach for us and for the entire church. Today, however, there are many parts of the world where there is an unprecedented receptiveness to the Lord Jesus Christ. We are convinced that this is the time for churches and para-church agencies to pray earnestly for the salvation of the unconverted and to initiate new efforts to evangelize the world.

A reduction in the number of missionaries and in funding from abroad may sometimes be necessary to facilitate the growth of a self-reliant national church in an evangelized country and to redirect resources to other, unevangelized areas. There should be a free exchange of missionaries from all continents to all continents, in a spirit of humble service.

The goal must be, by all available means and in the shortest possible time, that every person has the opportunity to hear, understand, and receive the Good News. We cannot expect to achieve this goal without sacrifice. We are all shaken by the poverty of millions and disturbed by the injustices that cause it.

Those of us who live in circumstances of wealth accept our duty to develop a simple lifestyle in order to contribute more generously to both material aid and evangelism. John 9:4; Matthew 9:36-38; Romans 9:1-9; 1 Corinthians 9:19-23; Matthew 16:15; Isaiah 58:6,7; James 1:27; 2:1-9; Matthew 25:31-46; Acts 2:44,45; 4:34,35.

Developing a strategy for world evangelization requires imagination in the use of methods. With God's help, the result will be the emergence of churches rooted in Christ and closely connected to their culture. Culture must always be tested and judged by Scripture. Since humanity is God's creation, some elements of human culture are rich in beauty and goodness. But because of the Fall, all of human culture is tainted by sin, and some aspects are demonic.

The gospel does not presuppose the superiority of one culture over others, but rather evaluates all cultures according to their own standards of truth and justice, and insists on absolute moral principles within each culture. Missions have all too often exported a foreign culture along with the gospel, and churches have been more enslaved to that culture than subject to Scripture.

Evangelists of Christ must humbly strive to empty themselves of everything except their personal authenticity in order to be servants of others, and churches must strive to transform and enrich their culture, all for the glory of God. Mark 7:8, 9, 13; Genesis 4:21, 22; 1 Corinthians 9:19-23; Philippians 2:5-7; 2 Corinthians 4:5.

We confess that at times we have pursued church growth at the expense of depth, and we have divorced evangelism from Christian growth. We also acknowledge that some of our missions have been slow to equip and encourage national leaders to assume the responsibilities to which they are entitled. However, we accept the principles of self-criticism and long for every church to have national leaders who demonstrate a Christian style of leadership—not in terms of domination, but of service.

We recognize that there is a great need to improve theological education, especially for church leaders. In every nation and culture, there should be an effective training program for pastors and laypeople in doctrine, discipleship, evangelism, growth, and service. Such training programs should not rely on a stereotypical methodology but should be developed according to creative local initiatives in accordance with biblical standards. (Colossians 1:27-28; Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5, 9; Mark 10:42-45; Ephesians 4:11-12)

We believe we are engaged in a constant spiritual battle against the principalities and powers of evil, which seek to destroy the church and thwart its mission of world evangelization. We know our need to put on the full armor of God and fight this battle with the spiritual weapons of truth and prayer, as we perceive the activity of our enemy not only in false ideologies outside the church, but also within it, in false gospels that distort Scripture and place man in the position of God. We need vigilance and discernment to safeguard the biblical gospel.

We recognize that we ourselves are not immune to worldliness in thought and action—that is, a compromise with secularism. For example, while studies of church growth, both numerical and spiritual, have their place when done carefully, we have sometimes neglected them. At other times, in our desire to ensure a response to the gospel, we have softened our message, manipulated our listeners through pressure tactics, become overly concerned with statistics, and even been dishonest in our use of them.

All of this is worldly. The Church must be in the world, but the world must not be in the Church. Eph. 6:12; 2 Cor. 4:3, 6; Eph. 6:11, 13-18; 2 Cor. 10:3-5; 1 John 2:18-25; 4:1-3; Gal. 1:6-8; 2 Cor. 2:17; 4:2; John 17:5.

It is a divinely appointed duty that every government ensure conditions of peace, justice, and freedom in which the Church can obey God, serve the Lord Jesus Christ, and preach the Gospel without hindrance. Therefore, we pray for national governments and call upon them to guarantee freedom of thought and conscience, and the freedom to practice and propagate religion, in accordance with God's will and as set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

We also express our deep concern for those unjustly imprisoned, and especially for our brothers and sisters who suffer for bearing witness to the Lord Jesus. We promise to pray and work for their freedom. At the same time, we will not be intimidated by what happens to them. With God's help, we too will strive to stand firm against injustice and remain faithful to the Gospel, whatever the cost.

Let us not forget Jesus' warning that persecution is inevitable. 1 Tim. 1:1-4; Acts 4:19; 5:29; Col. 3:24; Heb. 13:1-3; Luke 4:18; Gal. 5:11; 6:12; Matt. 5:10-12; John 15:18-21

We believe in the power of the Holy Spirit. The Father sent His Spirit to bear witness to His Son; without His witness, our witness is in vain. Conviction of sin, faith in Christ, the new birth, and Christian growth are all His work. Moreover, the Holy Spirit is a missionary Spirit, and therefore evangelism should flow from a Spirit-filled church.

World evangelization will be a realistic possibility only when the Spirit renews the Church in wisdom, faith, holiness, love, and power. Therefore, we call upon all Christians to pray for a visitation of the Spirit of God, so that all His fruit may be seen in His people, and all His gifts may enrich the body of Christ.

Only then will the entire Church become a suitable instrument in His hands, so that the whole world may hear the voice of God. 1 Cor. 2:4; John 15:26,27; 16:8-11; 1 Cor. 12:3; John 3:6-8; 2 Cor. 3:18; John 7:37-39; 1 Thess. 5:19; Acts 1:8; Ps. 85:4-7; 67:1-3; Gal. 5:22,23; 1 Cor. 12:4-31; Rom. 12:3-8

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly, in power and glory, to accomplish His salvation and His judgment. This promise of His coming powerfully compels us to evangelize, because we remember His words that the Gospel must be preached to all nations. We believe that in the period between Christ's ascension and His second coming, the mission of God's people must be completed, and we cannot stop before the end. We also remember His warning that false prophets and false Christs will arise as forerunners of the final Antichrist.

Therefore, we reject any self-sufficient and arrogant dream that humankind can build a utopia on earth. Our Christian confidence is that God will perfect His kingdom, and we eagerly await the day when there will be new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness will dwell and God will reign forever.

Meanwhile, we rededicate ourselves to the service of Christ and of humanity, joyfully submitting to His authority over our entire lives. Mark 14:62; Hebrews 9:28; Mark 13:10; Acts 1:8-11; Matthew 28:20; Mark 13:21-23; John 2:18; 4:1-3; Luke 12:32; Revelation 21:1-5; 2 Peter 3:13; Matthew 28:18