STATEMENTS OF FAITH
of the
GRACE BRETHREN
THE MESSAGE OF THE BRETHREN MINISTRY
National Ministerial Association of The Brethren Church (1921)
Since its inception in 1883, The Brethren Church had avoided adopting
any statement of faith. When
a very simple statement was proposed at the beginning, someone moved the
New Testament as the substitute motion for the statement of faith, and
they voted by unanimously singing the doxology together!
However, by 1892 the need for a simple statement on Brethren
distinctives including trine immersion baptism, threefold communion, and
congregational government was recognized and the conference adopted it.
By 1915, it was clear that Liberalism was creeping into The
Brethren Church as in every other evangelical denomination.
The battles for orthodoxy were led by L. S. Bauman and Alva J.
McClain. The final result was that in 1921 the National Ministerial
Association adopted The Message of
the Brethren Ministry as the essential beliefs for members of that
body. Alva J. McClain
prepared the original statement that was adopted with minimal change.
The Message would not
be adopted by the national conference until 1938.
It will be carried over by the National Fellowship of Brethren
Churches as their statement of faith until 1969.
THE COVENANT OF FAITH
Grace Theological Seminary (1937)
When Grace Theological Seminary
began in 1937 it was immediately decided to draft a statement of faith
which all faculty and all members of the Board of Trustees would be
required to sign annually. The
Covenant of Faith of Grace Schools was drafted under the leadership
of Dr. McClain. It is no
surprise that it resembles the original Message
of the Brethren Ministry. This
statement appears in the Articles of Incorporation of Grace
Schools.
THE STATEMENT OF FAITH
Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches (1969)
In 1967 the conference appointed a
committee under the chairmanship of Dr. Russell D. Barnard to clarify
and strengthen the original Message
of the Brethren Ministry. The
new statement was intended to be a better and clearer expression of the
doctrines held by Grace Brethren Churches. It was adopted in 1969 with
only a handful of dissenting votes.
It is included in the Constitution of the FGBC but there is also
included a process by which the Statement of Faith can be changed or
amended.
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STATEMENTS OF FAITH
of the
GRACE BRETHREN
THE MESSAGE OF THE BRETHREN MINISTRY
National Ministerial Association of The Brethren Church (1921)
Since its inception in 1883, The Brethren Church had avoided adopting
any statement of faith. When
a very simple statement was proposed at the beginning, someone moved the
New Testament as the substitute motion for the statement of faith, and
they voted by unanimously singing the doxology together!
However, by 1892 the need for a simple statement on Brethren
distinctives including trine immersion baptism, threefold communion, and
congregational government was recognized and the conference adopted it.
By 1915, it was clear that Liberalism was creeping into The
Brethren Church as in every other evangelical denomination.
The battles for orthodoxy were led by L. S. Bauman and Alva J.
McClain. The final result was that in 1921 the National Ministerial
Association adopted The Message of
the Brethren Ministry as the essential beliefs for members of that
body. Alva J. McClain
prepared the original statement that was adopted with minimal change.
The Message would not
be adopted by the national conference until 1938.
It will be carried over by the National Fellowship of Brethren
Churches as their statement of faith until 1969.
THE COVENANT OF FAITH
Grace Theological Seminary (1937)
When Grace Theological Seminary
began in 1937 it was immediately decided to draft a statement of faith
which all faculty and all members of the Board of Trustees would be
required to sign annually. The
Covenant of Faith of Grace Schools was drafted under the leadership
of Dr. McClain. It is no
surprise that it resembles the original Message
of the Brethren Ministry. This
statement appears in the Articles of Incorporation of Grace
Schools.
THE STATEMENT OF FAITH
Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches (1969)
In 1967 the conference appointed a
committee under the chairmanship of Dr. Russell D. Barnard to clarify
and strengthen the original Message
of the Brethren Ministry. The
new statement was intended to be a better and clearer expression of the
doctrines held by Grace Brethren Churches. It was adopted in 1969 with
only a handful of dissenting votes.
It is included in the Constitution of the FGBC but there is also
included a process by which the Statement of Faith can be changed or
amended.
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|