BELIEFS

Creedal and Confessional Commitments

The Seminary’s founding congregations, board members, and administrators are members of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC), a growing denomination with more than 150 affiliated congregations and more than 18,000 congregants (2024) in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North and South America.

The Seminary and these churches affirm the

  • Apostles Creed (2nd c.)

  • Nicene Creed (A.D. 381)

  • Definition of Chalcedon (A.D. 451)

  • A Westminster Creed (compiled from the 17th c. Westminster Shorter Catechism)

  • An Evangelical Statement (adapted from the NAE).

Together, we hold to the evangelical tenets of historic Protestantism expressed in at least one of the following confessional documents of the Reformation:

  1. Westminster Confession of Faith (1647)

  2. American Westminster Confession of Faith (1788)

  3. Three Forms of Unity: Belgic Confession, Heidelberg Catechism & Canons of the Synod at Dort

  4. Belgic Confession (1561)

  5. Heidelberg Catechism

  6. London Baptist Confession of Faith (1689)

  7. Savoy Declaration (1658)

  8. Reformed Evangelical Confession

  9. Second Helvetic Confession, and/or

  10. The Thirty-Nine Articles of the Christian Religion.

Operational Commitments

Statement on Non-Discrimination

The Seminary affirms that mankind was created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-27). Though corrupted by sin at the fall, all men retain dignity and worth as image bearers (Psalm 8, Rom 1:20-2:11). Accordingly, in submission to the ultimate authority of Scripture, the Seminary does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, age, or physical disability with respect to (1) student admissions, (2) the hiring and employment of its faculty, administration and staff, (3) the exercise of student or employee rights and privileges, (4) scholarship programs, salaries, or benefits, and (4) student or employee retention or disciplinary actions (see Matt. 7:12, 22:37-40, Rom. 2:11, Gal. 3:28, Eph. 4:1-6:9, Col. 3:10-25, I Pet. 2:17).

The Seminary freely maintains its constitutional and statutory rights to discriminate on the basis of religion in order to accomplish its distinctively Christian religious mission. The Seminary maintains its right to obey Scripture rather than men by recognizing the created nature of mankind, as male and female, esteeming women, the disabled, and the elderly as persons worthy of great honor, care, and respect (Ex. 20:12, Lev. 19:32, I Cor. 11:7, Eph. 6:2-3, I Tim. 5:3, I Pet. 3:7).

Statement on the Treatment of Persons with Disabilities

The Seminary is committed to showing deference, sacrificial care, and dignified service to persons with disabilities and those in need. This commitment is based on the personal example of our Lord Jesus Christ himself, who extended love, mercy, and deference to the disabled and the needy. The Seminary complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) because it is consistent with this Christian commitment to bless and honor the disabled and the needy. However, the requirements of the ADA do not exhaust, provide the basis for, or serve as a substitute to the self-sacrificial, Christ-like service the Seminary community is committed to providing the disabled and those in need.

Statement on the Biblical Doctrine of Human Sexuality

The Seminary affirms the Bible’s teaching on the creation of man and woman and the establishment of the marriage relationship as only between one man and one woman.  The Bible teaches that there are two and only two sexes, male and female. We stand against all attempts to confuse the Bible’s clear teaching in this area. We believe that any teaching which combines LGBTQ identity with our identity in Christ is unbiblical. We believe that encouraging Christians who face sexual temptations to identify as lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgenders, whether in sexually active relationships or not, is unbiblical and will have long-term destructive effects both for the individuals who follow it and for any Christian bodies that accommodate it. We encourage patient pastoral care for struggling individuals who repent of their sins and seek to be obedient to the Scriptures.