Our Confession of Evangelical Conviction

I have recently read Tim Alberta's The Kingdom, The Power, and The Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism. This was on the recommendation of a friend and was further inspired by an online interview with the author which I saw in February. I had thought to review the book here, but I think it is sufficient to indicate that I found it a difficult read because it treats disturbing developments within American evangelicalism over the past few decades.

The book begins with the funeral of the author's father, a longtime pastor at a Presbyterian church in Michigan, during which several parishioners took the opportunity to take the author to task over his public criticisms of President Donald Trump, who has developed what can only be described as a cult of personality in many churches wearing the evangelical label. So thoroughly has this cult overtaken these churches that to question Trump in any way has come to be considered tantamount to heresy and thus worthy of ostracism, if not outright excommunication.

Such persons have fallen prey to a form of christian nationalism that has effectively obscured the message of the gospel and replaced it with a false soteriology that would have human beings saving their country through their own efforts at taking political power. As Alberta has effectively demonstrated, these efforts are tainted by a tendency to embrace unjust—dare I say wicked—means for the sake of reaching a desirable end. Such means include outright bullying, lying, and public vilification of fellow Christians who doubt the newly concocted pseudo-orthodoxy.

In light of this divisive climate within evangelical churches, an ad hoc group has drafted Our Confession of Evangelical Conviction, a statement modelled on the Barmen Declaration of 1934. An excerpt:

THREE: We submit to the truth of Scripture.

We affirm that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, authoritative for faith and practice (2 Timothy 3:16-17). We commit to interpreting and applying Scripture faithfully, guided by the Holy Spirit, for the building up of Christ's people and the blessing of his world (John 16:13). We believe any true word of prophecy must align with the teachings of Scripture and the character of Jesus (1 John 4:1-3). Likewise, to lie about others, including political opponents, is a sin (Exodus 20:16). Therefore, we commit to speaking the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15), knowing deception dishonors God and harms the reputation of his Church.

We reject the misuse of holy Scripture to sanction a single political agenda, provoke hatred, or sow social divisions, and we believe that using God's name to promote misinformation or lies for personal or political gain is bearing his name in vain (Exodus 20:7).

More information on the statement can be found here. Adding my name to the list of signatories may or may not help to disseminate its message, but I have seen fit to do so all the same. Read it and see what you think.