As
a result of the recommendations of the Christian Education Committee,
the elders at the September 26, 2000 Board Meeting, adopted
the following statements:
A. Statement Regarding
the Final, Authoritative, and Supreme Nature of the Bible
1)
The first statement in our 8 Point Statement of Faith says,
"We believe the Bible to be the only inspired, infallible,
and authoritative Word of God." We affirm the validity
of this statement and its application in our church.
Therefore, anything that would violate this statement by adding
to or subtracting from the 39 books of the Old Testament and
the 27 books of the New Testament, must be rejected.
a)
Statements that would replace, or supersede the canon of
scripture should be dismissed.
b)
Any communication which comes from an experience where God
has "laid something" on someone's heart is not
necessarily to be dismissed but neither is it to be accorded
the same authority as Scripture.1 Thessalonians 5:19-21
- "Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies
with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the
good."
B. Statement on Prophets &
Apostles for Today
1)
We would categorically reject any claims to the effect that
there exists in the church today any Prophetic Authority on
par with or exceeding the prophets of the Old Testament.
2)
We would categorically reject any claims to the effect that
there exists in the church today any Apostolic Authority on
par with or exceeding the apostles of the New Testament.
C.
Statement on Manifestations
1)
While we recognize the difficulty in determining the validity
of spiritual manifestations, we allow that God is able to
transcend the natural for His own purposes. However,
we believe the human manufacturing of manifestations is to
be rejected.
