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SALVATION

1.        All persons are in need of salvation and can do nothing to merit their salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 3:23).  
  <--Listen to the whole of Romans 3
2.        Salvation involves the redemption of the whole person and is offered freely by God to all who accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord (Romans 3:21-26; John 1:12-13; Titus 2:11-14).
3.        Salvation includes regeneration, sanctification, and glorification (Titus 3:4-7; Ephesians 5:25-27; Romans 8:30).
4.        All true believers will persist in the faith, striving always to imitate Christ (Hebrews 3:14; I Peter 1:13-15).
5.        Consistent with the free will of persons, God offers the choice of salvation (I Peter 3:9; Joshua 24:15).

THE BIBLE

1.        The Bible is the inspired, trustworthy, and infallible written record of God's self-revelation to humanity (I Timothy 3:16-17).
2.        It is all sufficient for faith and practice in any age (I Timothy 3:16-17).
3.        It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter (John 1:1; John 17:17).
4.        Only the sixty-six books of the Protestant canon are accepted as authoritative.
5.        The criterion by which the Bible is to be interpreted is Jesus Christ, under the direction of the Holy Spirit (John 16:13-15).

THE TRINITY

1.        There is only one true, living God (Romans 1:21-25; 1 Corinthians 8:6).
2.        God is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal Being, the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe.
3.        God is all-knowing, everywhere-present, and all-powerful,
4.        The eternal God reveals Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but without division of nature, essence, or being (Mathew 28:19).

BAPTISM

1.        Baptism is the symbol of the believer's faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior, the believer's resurrection to a new way of life in Christ (Mathew 28:19; Mark 1:9; Acts 2:41).
2.        Our denomination's method of baptism is by immersion in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Mathew 28:19; Mark 1:9; Acts 2:41).
3.        Baptism is a prerequisite to church membership (Acts 2:41).

THE LOVE FEAST AND EUCHARIST

1.        The Love Feast, with all its parts (service of self-examination, feet washing, agape meal, and serving of the bread and cup), is a symbol commemorating the Last Supper, the death of Christ, and the anticipation of His second coming (John 13:1-35; I Corinthians 11:23-26).
2.        Unleavened bread and grape juice are the elements used to signify the body and blood of Christ (I Corinthians 11:23-26).
3.        Only believers may participate in the Love Feast and/or the Eucharist (Acts 2:42-47).
 

POLITY 

1.        The local church seeks to develop community ministries through democratic and consensus processes, and is under final authority of the District and Brotherhood (the denomination).
2.        Churches are grouped into districts. Districts form the Brotherhood. Representatives from each local church compose the Annual Conference. The Annual Conference is the decision making body of the church, meeting to answer queries through study of God's Word and prayer.
 
 
NOTE: Sources include the Bible, God's Word, the Church of the Brethren publication, "The Way, The Truth, and The Life: A Study Manual in Christian Doctrine"; Minutes from Annual Conference Decisions, and the 1979 Annual Conference Paper entitled "Biblical Inspiration and Authority". Additional Information on these materials is available by writing librarian@oakparkchurch.org.