IS THE BIBLE THE WORD OF GOD? 

What the Bible says about itself:

 

Scripture itself bears witness to its own reliability and authority. The Apostle Paul encouraged his young apprentice Timothy to continue his ministry of teaching from the scripture, because “all scripture is inspired by God” (II Timothy 3:16-17).  The literal term for “Inspired by God” is “God-breathed”, which means that God himself was actively involved in the writing of scripture. 

 The Apostle Peter affirms the supernatural source of the apostolic message about Jesus Christ: “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (II Peter 1:20-21)  

Add to this Jesus’ own testimony about scripture. In the Gospel of John, He boldly states, “The scripture cannot be broken...” (John 10:35) While he rejected the way the Jewish teachers interpreted and applied the scripture, He upheld the fundamental authority of the scripture: “I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of the pen, will by any means disappear from the law until everything is accomplished.” (Matthew 5:18) 

What does the historic church say? 

Historically, the Christian church has answered the question with a resounding “Yes!” The church throughout the centuries has always looked to the Bible as the final authority in matters of faith and practice. Every other source of knowledge, while possessing relative truths, has been subject to the final truth of scripture. The historic church has always viewed the Bible as God’s Word to humanity; that is, God’s revelation of Himself and His will to all people. This is particularly true of the Protestant church, whose founder, Martin Luther, once said, “You are so to deal with the scriptures that you bear in mind that God Himself is saying this.” 

Where does the United Church of Christ stand on Scripture? 

The Book of Worship is indicative of recent trends. The introduction to the Book of Worship attests that “Holy scripture provides the trustworthy and normative record of the history of salvation... This Book of Worship . . . crowns every service of the church with the abundant witness of scripture.” (p.3) 

However, a cursory reading of the services will show a glaring lack of confidence in the words of scripture. Again and again, they are “adapted”. The language is changed so as to reflect “inclusive language and other concerns for social justice.” (p. 9, Introduction) 

In the Book of Worship there is a question asked the candidate seeking ordination which demonstrates a departure from the church’s stance on the Bible. Both the Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Church required the candidate to “accept the Holy scriptures...as the Word of God”. The present Book of Worship asks, “Do you ...hear the Word of God in the scriptures...and do you accept the Word of God as the rule of Christian faith and practice?” No longer is the Bible the written Word of God; rather, it depends on the one who “hears.” He or she determines which portions of scripture constitute the Word of God.

Sadly, some of our leaders years ago exhibited the same lack of confidence in the scripture. In a speech delivered to the Ohio conference in May, 1981. United Church of Christ President Avery Post said that the Bible contains “error, hyperbole,  contradictions, inconsistencies.” Dr. Burton Throckmorton, New Testament  Professor of the United Church of Christ-related Bangor Theological Seminary  in Bangor, Maine, professes: “There is no reason...that I can see why the church  can’t add to its scripture-delete from its scripture. I think the church can do  with the scripture what it wants to do with the scripture.” (Christianity Today,  Dec. 16, 1983; p. 40) 

In recent years,  the United Church of Christ has been promoting the thinking of the Jesus Seminar. This group of fifty “scholars” meets to vote on which sayings and actions of Jesus in the Gospels are true, most likely true,  probably aren’t true,  or definitely not true.  The group bases these decisions on secular writings of the times and non-biblical sources such as the Gospel of Thomas.   One of their main spokesmen, Marcus Borg was the keynote speaker at a Massachusetts Conference annual meeting and at the 1997 Orlando Consultation for pastors.  Many churches are using his books for Bible study. 

How does BWF view scripture? 

The Biblical Witness Fellowship takes its stand with the historic Christian church and with the Bible’s own estimation of its authority and reliability:  “The Bible is the written Word of God, the infallible rule of faith and practice.”   (Dubuque Declaration, see inside back cover)   

God’s revelation in Jesus Christ is faithfully set forth in Holy scripture. If, as the present trend in the United Church of Christ suggests, we are free to pick and choose which parts we want to use, we set ourselves up as judges of the Bible’s truth. We decide which parts contain the Word of God. When this happens, our purpose and priorities, our message, and our mission are confused and inconsistent. We have no rock upon which to stand. Instead, we are subject to ideas that are soon out of fashion. We are “blown here and there by every wind of teaching...” (Ephesians 4:14) However, when we embrace the Holy scriptures as the authoritative and inspired word of God, we gain a clear understanding of God and His eternal will for humanity, since they “are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”
(II Timothy 3:15)    

THE TRINITY  

The doctrine of the Trinity, that there is one God in three persons,  Father, Son and Holy Spirit,  is one of the basic and fundamental beliefs of Christianity. 

In the Bible: 

The Trinity is found throughout the New Testament. John referred to the Triune God when he told of the coming of the Holy Spirit. “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 14:26) 

Matthew in his gospel refers to the three in baptism. “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19)  

Jesus teaches us to address God as “Our Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:9)  He acknowledges that we cannot come to faith “unless the Father who sent me draws him.” (John 8:44)  God promised this unique relational privilege in both the Old and New Testaments where He says, “I will be a Father to you and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord almighty.”  (I Chronicles 17:13; II Corinthians 6:18)  And the essence of the gospel extends the invitation “to all who received him, to those who believed in His (Jesus) name, he gave the right to be children of God - children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” 
 (John 1:12) 

God sent His Son in the flesh, so we could know God who is spirit and invisible. Jesus reflected God the Father. “...I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.” (John 8:28b) The Son is also our Savior, because He reconciled us to the Father, and we receive forgiveness through His atoning death on the cross. “God exalted Him to His own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.”
(Acts 5:31)  

Jesus promised the disciples that after His crucifixion and resurrection He would send the counselor, His Holy Spirit. “But I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you” (John 16:7)   He can be with each of us at the same time and guide us. “But when the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.” (John 16:13a)  

One reason the religious leaders of Jesus’ day rejected him was that he called God his Father. They realized this meant He was God. “For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.” (John 5:18) 

The Historic Church says: 

  “I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of Heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ His only begotten Son, our Lord...and in the Holy Spirit.”  

We have been reciting this in the Apostles’ and other creeds for many years, and it has been professed and tested for generations. Many ancient and also modern confessions proclaim this same message and the unity of the God-head, the three in one, as stated in Scripture: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” (Deuteronomy 6:4)  

The United Church of Christ says: 

There is a growing similarity between the UCC and the Unitarian  stance on the Trinity.  

A striking parallel to the rejection of God as Father of Jesus is the objection today of many of our church leaders, particularly in the Homeland Board and the Coordinating Center for Women, to calling God our “Father.”  They want us to refer to God as Father/ Mother and non-gender specific terms like creator, sustainer,  nurturer, sovereign.   They also want to remove masculine role names for God, such as Lord, King, Father, Son.  This “inclusive language” is reflected in United Church of Christ publications wherever possible.   The UCC has developed studies promoting gender-neutral language for God and encourages churches to take an “inclusive language covenant.”  

This censoring is very serious and really calls into question the authority and Sonship of Christ.  These groups within the church are changing God’s  revelation of himself in scripture, so that it reflects their own bias and ideology. When we change God’s words into our words, we are rewriting His self-revelation into our own image. 

This censorship can most noticeably be seen in the extensive rewriting of the traditional hymns in the recently published New Century Hymnal.  One example is the change of “Of the Father’s Love Begotten” to “Of the Parent’s Heart . . .”  Alternative versions of standard responses like the Gloria Patri and Doxology, as well as the historic creeds and Lord’s Prayer (“Prayer of our Savior”) are also promoted. 

This change of Scripture can also be seen in the new Lectionary Readings, which were published by the National Council of Churches and which are now read in many United Church of Christ churches each Sunday of the church year.  

Another publication in which Scripture is censored in this same way is the UCC New Service Book of Worship. While this book is well-written and insightful, the authors again strived to remove masculine names for God. The liturgical and biblical references to “God the Father” are changed to “God the Creator”, even where the literal scriptural translation is “Father”, even though this is the name Jesus used for God. It deletes the word “Son”, even though his human maleness is beyond dispute, and God has chosen to reveal himself in Christ once and for all.  

The United Church of Christ’s push to change the Trinitarian formula of “God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit”  includes a Synod 1995 decision to amend the ecumenical COCU (Church Of Christ Uniting) agreement by saying our denomination will honor the traditional language but “be open to other” expressions.  

 BWF believes: 

Biblical Witness Fellowship clearly affirms the Trinity as stated in the Dubuque Declaration: “We confess our faith in the Triune God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”  (Apostles & Nicene Creeds)   (Entire Dubuque Declaration is on inside back cover.)

THE DEITY AND LORDSHIP OF CHRIST

The earliest confession of faith was a quite simple one:

“Jesus is Lord.”

 What Does the Bible Say? 

*          “Therefore, let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” (Acts 2:26)

 *          “Yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things come and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things come and through whom we live.” (I Corinthians 8:6)

*          “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)  

The following verses are some of the many which teach that Jesus Christ is true God:

*          “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son. And they will call him ‘Immanuel’ which means ‘God with us’.” (Matthew 1:23)

 *          “Simon Peter answered, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” (Matthew 16:16)

*          “I and the Father are one.” (John 10:30)

*          “Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God’.” (John 20:28)

*          “And now, Father, glorify me in your presence, with the glory I had with you before the world began.” (John 17:5)

*          “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God...The word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father full of grace and truth.” (John 1:1, 14)

*          “From (the people of Israel) is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised. Amen.” (Rom.9:1)

*          “We wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.”
(Titus 2:3)  

What does church history teach? 

The confession “Jesus is Lord” appears not only in the biblical text but also in all the early ecumenical church creeds and in all confessions of the Reformation. The confession “Jesus is Lord” is also clear in the original Statement of Faith of the United Church of Christ.  

Many Christians were martyred because they refused to deny the Lordship of Christ. Many were burned alive because they would not confess Caesar as Lord. It was so important to them that, when given the choice of being thrown to the hungry lions or of giving up the confession “Jesus is Lord”, they chose to be torn by the beasts. To confess Jesus as Lord has always been to acknowledge His full deity...that, in fact, He was and is God Himself.

“We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God...God from God, light from light, true God from true God...” (Nicene Creed)  

What does the UCC leadership say? 

As expressed in inclusive language used by many in leadership and also in publications of the United Church of Christ, the word “Lord “ is a “sexist” term which implies maleness and excludes females. It is also seen as a “classist” term, which implies superior positions and excludes or “puts down” others.  

Therefore the following changes were made:  

•           In the Statement of Faith adopted by General Synod 14, the line “Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” has been changed to “God of our Savior Jesus Christ.”

•           In the United Church of Christ Book of Worship, the Lordship of Christ is changed or omitted. Instead of the word “Lord”, “Sovereign” is used;  instead of the “Son of God,”  he is called the “Child of God” the “only begotten Son” becomes the “only begotten One” in fact, he is no longer “He”. 

•           In the newly published New Century Hymnal the word “Lord” has been removed from a majority of the traditional hymns even after a Synod 1993 vote not to remove it.  Only 3 times in 600 plus hymns is Jesus referred to in the masculine.   

The influence of the Jesus Seminar, a group that refers to a pre-Easter (actual) and post-Easter (fictional) Jesus, is increasingly evident.  In the Fall of 1996, at a Confessing Christ forum discussing the Jesus Seminar, a Massachusetts Conference Minister stated that he believed that the human Jesus was not divine.  

What does the BWF say? 

The Dubuque Declaration, paragraph 2,  states:

“We perceive an erosion and denial of these truths in our church. Because of our concern for the people of our churches and the well-being of our denomination as a member of the body of Christ, we are called by God to make this confession.” 

The substitution of the phrase “God of our Savior Jesus Christ” for “Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” in the UCC Anniversary Statement of Faith does not clearly affirm the deity of Christ. The new language implies that our Savior is less than God; or if Savior is understood to mean God, we have two Gods. In the wording of the original Statement or Faith, the Son is not a created being but has existed in a loving relationship with the Father from all eternity. This idea is taught in the Nicene Creed, which speaks of the Son “as eternally begotten of the Father.” 

The Book of Worship and New Century Hymnal downplay the Lordship of Christ, even though the Bible insists that Christ is Lord and Master of the universe and King of Kings. By eliminating virtually all references to Christ as Lord, it undercuts the biblical idea of God’s absolute authority. At times, “Lord” is replaced by the term  “sovereign”, a near obsolete word which supports a remote figurehead rather than an immediate and acknowledged authority.  

But for the apostles, the term “Lord” indicated that Christ was equal with the Father. The UCC’s de-emphasis on Christ’s lordship implies that we no longer have to submit to the hierarchy and values of His eternal kingdom. The real issue raised by the Book of Worship and the New Century Hymnal is therefore not gender but the authority of Jesus Christ as Lord of His Church.

Instead of trying to find alternate translations for the terms “Lord” and “Son of God” that will appeal to every special interest group, should we not rather spend our energy trying to understand what these terms mean and applying them to our times?  When ideologies are turned into idols and used to censor the most basic concepts of the Christian faith, we commit idolatry.   

MISSIONS  

Generally,  missions is defined by Matthew’s  Great Commission:   “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)  

What the Bible says: 

From Genesis to Revelation,  scripture is clear that God’s purpose for all eternity is for humankind to be in intimate relationship with Him.  The Bible is the account of God’s plan to restore that which was lost by Adam and Eve’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden.  This mission was given to us in God’s covenant with Abraham in Genesis 12:1-4: “I will make your name great and you will be a blessing . . . and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”   In Galatians 3:16-18, Paul explains “The promises were spoken to Abraham and his seed, meaning one person, who is Christ.”  As the Body of Christ, we in the church of the 20th century are the continuation of that promise of blessing to the nations. 

The actualization of the plan is revealed in Revelation where standing before the throne of God is  “a great multitude which no one can count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language. . . worshipping God saying: Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”  (Rev. 7:9,12) 

Frequently throughout the Old Testament,  the words “all the world” or “all nations” are found indicating God’s primary desire that “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord” (Habakkuk 2:14) and “Let everything that has  breath praise the Lord.” (Psalm 150:6)

 While the Great Commission (Matthew 28: 18-20,  Mark 16:15,  Luke 24:46-48,  John 20:21;  Acts 1:8) is most often thought of as only a New Testament command,   these passages are actually Jesus’s restatement of Old Testament instruction.  Examples include:  “Give thanks to the Lord,  call on his name,  make known among the nations what he has done and proclaim that his name is exalted.”  (Isaiah 12:4; Psalm 105:1)   “Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.”  (Psalm 96:3)  “I will make you a light to the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.”  (Isaiah 49:6)

  What the historic church has done:

 Beginning with the Apostle Paul and for nearly 2000 years, the church has sent out missionaries across cultural boundaries to proclaim the Gospel to those who have not yet heard  (Romans 10:9-15).  The Roman Catholic and Protestant European and North American missions effort, while making mistakes along the way by today’s missiological insights, successfully planted the church in Africa, South America,  and Asia.  These mission fields are now beginning to be the senders.  

At the close of the 20th century, there are now more missionaries from third world nations than from the West.  And we are seeing an unprecedented movement of the Holy Spirit bringing together the worldwide church in a concentrated, coordinated effort of prayer and sending to finish the Great Commission,  making sure that every tribe, nation, people, and language have an opportunity to hear the gospel in a way they can understand, call on the name of Jesus and be saved.  The A.D. 2000 and Beyond Movement, led mostly by non-western Christians is spearheading this effort “To proclaim Christ until He comes” and of “Calling the Whole Church to take the Whole Gospel to the Whole World.” (from The Manila Manifesto of the 1989 Lausanne II Second International Congress on World Evangelization.) 

What the UCC is doing:

 In its statement of mission adopted in Houston, the United Church of Christ speaks of its participation in God’s mission. Our denomination also claims as its heritage the first missions boards sending missionaries from North America in the early 1800’s.   The American Board of Commissions for Foreign Missions of the Congregationalists and the predecessor organization for the Evangelical and Reformed side of the merger were instrumental in sustaining the missions efforts of our continent in the past.  

But,  today, how relevant is the Great Commission to the UCC?  Since our denomination is not involved with any of the current worldwide missions initiatives sweeping the global church, what are the motivating forces driving the mission of the United Church of Christ in the 1990’s and inevitably the future? Have we lost our heart for mission?  Does the mission of the UCC qualify as God’s mission? There are several concerns:

Definition of Missions

•           At a New Hampshire missions education weekend in 1992 run by national Stewardship Council and World Board leaders “missions” was defined as “anything the church funds, sponsors,  houses, or peoples.”   It was stated that this applied at local, conference and national levels.   Examples in the discussion time that were affirmed as “mission”  included not only things normally regarded as outreach like soup kitchens, thrift shops,  homeless shelters,  but also the minister’s salary,  church building, the weight watchers meeting in the church,  the softball coach (member of church), and the contribution to ‘save the whales.’ 

•           This definition is consistent with how OCWM (Our Church’s Wider Ministry) money, the local church’s missions contribution to the denomination,  is spent.  These funds not only support the missionaries,  but the salaries and offices of conference and national staff, and a myriad of leftist political advocacy positions.  Note that while promoted as “missions,” the “M” in OCWM refers to “ministry” not “mission.”

•           Of note is the fact that in the 1997 proposed changes to the UCC constitution,  the words “missions” has been removed.   

What has happened in effect is that as missions became everything, the vision for lost souls diminished.  With our mission diverted, it is now vanishing.

Decline in Missionaries and Spending

The UCC’s priority for the Great Commission is evidenced by the fact in 1996 it turned over most of its global missions function to the Common Global Ministries Board, the combined agency sending both the UCC and Disciples of Christ missions personnel. The DOC offices in Indianapolis now handle the missionaries.  The UCC office in Cleveland handles advocacy issues.   There is also a decline in the number of missionaries supported.   Currently, the CGMB lists close to 200 missionaries.  Of these,  only 147 are paid by CGMB from funds pooled from both denominations. The rest are either volunteers or paid by the partners churches overseas.  How many are actually from the UCC is a question not answered by the United Church Board for World Ministries.  Their estimate is maybe  50%.  Emergency and disaster relief,  an important ministry,  is funded primarily through special designated offerings from local congregations.  

Rejection of Gospel by Leadership

The Common Global Ministries Board named as its first chair radical feminist Rita Nakashima Brock who rose to national prominence as a keynote speaker at the 1993 Re-Imagining Conference that promotes the new feminist religion.  Some of her expressed views that reject the Gospel are:  “Christ is a role that the Christian tradition has confused with Jesus’ last name.”   “To say that the crucifixion (of Jesus Christ) was somehow necessary for us to be reconciled with God is an abusive claim.”    This is of concern because without the message that Jesus died for our sins to reconcile us to God (the basic belief that distinguishes Christianity from other religions), there is no mission.  If the missions leader does not believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ, what message will be proclaimed?  How will it continue the historic mission mandate inherited by the UCC from our ancestors who sacrificially gave to provide the endowments the World Board dips into to cover present shortfalls. 

Promotion of Pluralism:

As the UCC restructures and redefines itself as “united and uniting” and “including and inclusive,”  the ideals being affirmed and promoted are in reality--pluralism. The question is-can a mission motivated by religious pluralism qualify as God’s mission? Are there many paths to heaven or just one (John 14:6)?

Webster defines pluralism as a “theory that there are more than one or more than two kinds of ultimate reality.”  By pluralism, culture means ‘to each his own.’ Some Christians view this to mean ‘to-each-his-own Christ.’  Rather than saving the lost, pluralism strives to create a great umbrella of affirmation under which everyone has a place to stand.  Does indiscriminate affirmation belong in the same universe where God segregates lost sinners to claim them as His own?  These forces are dangerous because when we cease to believe in God’s redemptive acts, the chaos of the world is invited in to have its way with the church.

 The consonant indictment of Old Testament Israel is that they have abandoned God’s law, forsaken His ways (Isaiah 55:&9). Every time the judges of Israel “harken unto God’s voice,” there was blessing upon the land, the people, and their efforts. But when they “went their own way,” disaster soon followed. Christ Himself has said that people love more the darkness of their own evil ways rather than the light of His truth. (John 3:19).

Theological pluralism is a present-day repetition of what God abhorred in Israel. To abandon God’s plan of redemption as exclusively through the Messiah Jesus Christ, it is to reject grace and depend solely upon the constructs of human invention. We are assured that such efforts will never ultimately satisfy the hunger of souls (Isaiah 55:2, Ephesians 2:89).

Biblical Witness Fellowship says:

We in the Biblical Witness Fellowship urge the biblical model for missions. This is not theological pluralism, or the affirmation of many gods, many ways to eternal life, many contradictory ethical systems. We believe Christ is the only way to eternal life; that there is only one God, the Holy Trinity; and one infallible standard of ethics: the Bible (John 14:6; Exodus 20:46).

We believe men are sinners by nature, lost apart from Christ, and headed toward Hell apart from a personal experience of the new birth (John 3:18). Precisely because we are sinners, we cannot trust our own feelings on eternal matters, but we desperately need the Holy Spirit to open our eyes to honestly acknowledge what the Bible teaches (Jeremiah 17:9).

 We recognize an inability in man to save himself and please God (Romans 8:7; Romans 3). We assert that we can gain eternal life only as a sheer act of God’s mercy, as an undeserved favor (Romans 4:5; 11:5-6). The only way to please God is through faith in Jesus Christ, and faith itself is not something we work up, but a free gift of God
 (Hebrews 11:6; Ephesians 2:8-9).  

Further, because the heart of man’s problem is spiritual, the central aspect of missions is spiritual conversion and winning people to Christ—bringing them to repentance of sins, self-denial, and complete faith in Christ’s death, resurrection, Lordship, and His unlimited ability to change lives. This means mission will be, first of all, personal, because sin is not simply corrupt economic systems but the individuals who live under any system (Romans 3:23).  

This is not to deny, however, the material, social, and political aspects of the Gospel. For the Gospel encompasses all of these. For example: materially, the Gospel heals the sick; socially, it feeds the hungry; politically, it calls all nations to conform to biblical law.

 BWF calls for change and commitment

 We in the United Church of Christ often boast of being on the “cutting edge.”  But if we survive as a church, today more than ever, we must respond to the call of Christ. Good intentions are not enough. Our mission must have Christ at the helm. This in itself will be a change from our present course of a gospel of “social work” in the world. We challenge the United Church of Christ to commit ourselves to:  

√          Increase the number of missionaries we commission --   men and women who will share the story of Christ as well as teach and perform services that meet physical needs. If we truly believe the Good News, we must honor the command to go into all the world and make disciples.  We also need to affirm those men and women from UCC churches who are proclaiming the Gospel through agencies other than our own denomination.

 √          Respond to the needs of God’s children by being attentive to the ever-present need to bridge the gap between the people in the pew and in the world.  Therefore, we believe our mission board should be made up of pastors and missionaries, with communication between and prayer for each other as key tools for furthering the kingdom of God.

 When we begin to respond faithfully to these challenges out of a deep commitment to Christ, both individuals and institutions will be changed positively. Then, and only then, will our beloved United Church of Christ be truly involved in mission!

 As observed, “the church exists for mission as fire exists for burning.” Can a church survive that ceases to do mission?

 

EVANGELISM

 Evangelism and missions are closely related.  Missions is generally understood as proclaiming the gospel in word and deed across cultural or language boundaries.   This can be nearby in an ethnically different setting or in distant areas.   Evangelism involves being a witness of the Gospel in word and in deed to people much like yourself.  This is the outreach ministry of individuals and the local church to their neighbors and community.    

The Bible says:

“And with great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and great grace was upon them all.” (Acts 4:33)

“You are witnesses of these things.” (Luke 24:48)

 Mainstream Christianity says:

EVANGELISM BEGINS with the Church...

In the preaching and teaching ministry, in prayer, in worship, in fellowship, in service.

 

EVANGELISM BEGINS with hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.   “So faith comes from what is heard and what is heard comes by the preaching   of Christ.”  (Romans 10:17)

      

EVANGELISM CONTINUES with believing in the good news:  “Be it known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by him this man is standing before you well. This is the stone which was rejected by you builders, but which has become the head of the corner. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we are saved.” (Acts 4:11-12)   

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ   died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he   was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.”
(I Corinthians   15:3-4)

EVANGELISM CONTINUES with repentance from sin: “Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times   of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” (Acts 3:19)

EVANGELISM CONTINUES by the grace of God: “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of your own doing, it is the gift of God—not because of works, lest any man should boast.”    (Ephesians 2:8-9)

EVANGELISM CONTINUES in discipleship:  “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and  you shall be my witnesses...” (Acts 1:8)        

Discipleship is participating in the church and living the Christian life.  Discipleship is growing in grace and knowledge of God;  in Bible study;  in programs;  in worship; in fellowship;  in service.  It is passing on the good news in your daily life in the church, in the marketplace,  in the school, etc.  

Thus,

EVANGELISM IS THE WAY OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. “But in your hearts reverence Christ as Lord.  Always be prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you...” (1 Peter 3:15)                   

The UCC and evangelism: 

The United Church of Christ says it has an evangelism priority.  However, in the proposed constitutional changes for the restructuring,  the word “evangelism” has been eliminated.

 Primary responsibility for overseeing evangelism in the UCC is the United Church Board for Homeland Ministries.  Under this leadership, however,  we have seen only  decline in the past 30 years, having lost over 800 congregations and half a million members.  The average age in congregations is getting older.  New church starts are few and most of these are small special ethnic churches or gay and lesbian oriented congregations.   Among the UCC’s 6100 churches, the growing ones are those proclaiming a traditional Christ-centered message and have the traditional view of evangelism as a priority. 

 The UCC is actively involved in peace and justice issues, which the world needs.  But somehow the denomination efforts are disconnected from the fact that these are products of lives transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit through faith in the redemptive action of Jesus Christ.  Advocacy for political correct issues seems to have replaced the gospel message. 

Biblical Witness Fellowship says:

The Biblical Witness Fellowship affirms what the Bible says and what the church has been actively pursuing for centuries.

We believe that evangelism is people telling people in their own words about what Jesus Christ has done in their own lives.  It is hearing and telling of what God has done in Jesus Christ to reconcile people to Himself.   Evangelism is everyone’s ministry,  and not limited to the clergy.

  

 BWF holds to the following testimony of faith:

 THE DUBUQUE DECLARATION

We declare our continuing commitment to the truths set forth in the Basis of Union and the Constitution of the United Church of Christ.

We perceive an erosion and denial of these truths in our church.  Because of our concern for the people of our churches and the well-being of our denomination as a member of the body of Christ, we are called by God to make this confession:

1.  We confess our faith in the triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

2.  We confess that Jesus Christ is truly God and truly man.  Because of our sin and estrangement from God, at the Father’s bidding the Son of God took on flesh.  Conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, He became like us in all things apart from sin.  He died on the cross to atone for our sin and reconcile us to God and on the third day rose bodily from the dead.  He is the sole head of the church, the Lord and Savior of us all, and will one day return in glory, power, and judgment to usher in the kingdom of God in its fullness.

3.  We hold that the Bible is the written Word of God, the infallible rule of faith and practice for the church of Jesus Christ.  The Scriptures have binding authority on all people.  All other sources of knowing stand under the judgment of the Word of God.

4.  We affirm that the central content of the Scriptures is the gospel of reconciliation and redemption through the atoning sacrifice of Christ and His glorious resurrection from the grave.  The good news is that we are saved by the grace of God alone, the grace revealed and fulfilled in the life and death of Jesus Christ, which is received only by faith.  Yet this faith does not remain alone but gives rise to works of piety, mercy, and justice.  The Holy Spirit, who spoke through the prophets and apostles, calls us today, as in the past, to seek justice and peace for all races, tongues and nations.

5.  We confess as our own the faith embodied in the great ecumenical and Reformation creeds and confessions, finding them in basic conformity with the teaching of the Holy Scriptures.

6.  We confess that the mission of the church is to bear witness to God’s law and gospel in our words and deeds.  We are sent into the world as disciples of Christ to glorify God in every area of life and to bring all peoples into submission to the Lordship of Christ, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  We seek to obey this commission in the full assurance that our Lord and Savior is with us always, even to the end of the age