Reformed Statement

The following 1997 Declaration of Reformed Faith was written and signed
the weekend of January 10-12 in Rochester NY.

We, faithful members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), are gathered around our concern for our church in this difficult time, to share in faith and hope. We have set our feet firmly on the foundation of the Reformed Tradition as rooted in the Scriptures and encouraged by the Holy Spirit. Upon this foundation and within this communion, we seek to give witness to the convictions that sustain us as we seek to follow our living Lord.

We affirm that we are children of God and servants of the Lord Jesus Christ, who has redeemed us by His grace and abides with us in the Holy Spirit. In the providence of our loving God, we find ourselves to be different from one another in our natures while joined in the Body of Christ through faith; at the same time, we find ourselves called to faith and life in this church in this time. We are grieved by our church’s efforts to exclude some of us from full participation in the church’s life, worship, and service, and we hold this to be a wrongful discernment of the Body of Christ. We believe such actions to be a distortion of God’s image, a repudiation of God’s providence, and a misunderstanding of God’s grace in Christ. We stand against this rejection of historic Trinitarian and Reformed theology on which our communion rests.

“For there is no distinction since all have sinned and are short of the glory of God...”

We affirm the biblical faith that knows sin to be a condition of our very being,: to which all are subject; and from which Christ redeems us;; no human act is pure or without sin,; and so we must rely on the generous grace of God for our redemption.

We therefore reject the false doctrine: that sin is a category of human behaviors,; to be identified by a catalog of acts;; that to obtain moral purity,; we are required only to do certain acts; and to refrain from others.

“When controversy arises about the right understanding of any passage or sentence of Scripture, or for the reformation of any abuse within the Kirk of God, we ought not so much to ask what [those] have said or done before us, as what the Holy Ghost uniformly speaks within the body of Scriptures and what Christ Jesus himself did and commanded... We dare not receive or admit any interpretation which is contrary to any principal point of our faith, or to any other plain text of Scripture, or to the rule of love.”

We affirm the reformed principle: that the only interpreter of Scripture; is Scripture itself,; and that the Holy Spirit guides us in application; of biblical truth to daily life.

We therefore reject the false doctrine: that seeks certainty in a literal interpretation of Scripture;; that uncritically lifts up certain passages; for the purpose of damnation,; while ignoring others of equal power and relevance.

III GRACE ALONE
“What then are we to say? Gentiles, who did not strive for righteousness have attained it, that is, righteousness through faith; but Israel, who did strive for righteousness that is based on law, did not succeed in fulfilling that law. Why not? Because they did not strive for it on the basis of faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone...”

We affirm: that we are given new life; solely by the grace of God,; and that we receive this new life; by means of faith and faith alone.

We therefore reject the false doctrine: that causes us to stumble; along the pathway of works-righteousness,; and leased us to believe; that we may obtain salvation; through our own acts or merit.

“The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) states its faith and bears witness to God’s grace in Jesus Christ in the creeds and confessions in the Book of Confessions... These confessional statements are subordinate standards in the church, subject to the authority of Jesus Christ, the Word of God, as the Scriptures bear witness to him... Yet the church, in obedience to Jesus Christ, is open to the reform of its standards as well as of governance. The church affirms Ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda [the Church reformed, always being reformed]...according to the Word of God and the call of the Spirit.”

We affirm that the Confessions of our church: express the essential tenets of the reformed faith; as authentic and reliable expositions of; what Scripture leads us to believe and do;; that ordained officers are to be instructed; and led by these Confessions; and; that our creeds and confessions; are the beginning and not the end of our pilgrimage,; for we stand always in need; of God’s reforming hand and transforming power.

We therefore reject the false doctrine: that the Confessions express settled truths; equal to or greater than; the written or living Word of God;; that they may be used as a catechistic tool; for the measurement of all acts and; standards by which all shall be judged.

“But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.”

We affirm that the Church of Jesus Christ: is marked by baptism,; and all other distinctions lose their power;; that the church is therefore called; to display the grace of openness; and to affirm itself as a community of diversity; including women and men of all ages, races,; and human conditions who are elect of Christ.

We therefore reject the false doctrine: that the church can establish itself; as a community marked by classes; or levels of membership.

“All ministry in the Church is a gift from Jesus Christ. Members and officers alike serve mutually under the mandate of Christ who is the chief minister of all. His ministry is the basis of all ministries; the standard for all offices in the pattern of the one who came ‘not to be served by to serve.’ (Matt 20:28)”

We affirm that all believers are united: in a common ministry; by the call of Christ to discipleship,; who, responding in trust and obedience; to God’s grace in Jesus Christ,; shall demonstrate in their lives the character of Christ; and the fullness of the Gospel.

We therefore reject the false doctrine: that would establish a hierarchy of officers and ministers; who possess moral, ethical, or spiritual virtues; distinguishing them from the common lot of all persons; before God.

“[O]fficers...are ordained to fulfill particular functions. The existence of these offices in no way diminishes the importance of the commitment of all members to the total ministry of the church. These ordained officers differ from other members in function only.”

We affirm that the church calls people: to perform certain functions; in order that the fullness of the church’s mission; may be accomplished;; that men and women are ordained; to govern the church,; to serve the children of God,; and to proclaim the Gospel in sermon and sacrament,; so that the church may serve as the Body of Christ in the world.

We therefore reject the false doctrine: that ordination confers special status before God; or rests upon spiritual superiority; in the communion of the faithful.

“[N]o Church governing body ought to pretend to make laws to bind the conscience in virtue of their own authority; ...all their decisions should be founded upon the revealed will of God.”

We affirm that the polity and processes of our tradition: are means of expressing our faith; and assuring our openness to the Holy Spirit,; which speaks to and through the governing bodies of the church;; we also acknowledge the frailty; inherent in the church as a human institution.

We therefore reject the false doctrine: that acts of church governance are immutable; and human decisions may bind; the consciences of believers.

“Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God.”
Ruth 1:16

We affirm that we are created by God: to be in relationship with one another;; that these relationships should be characterized; by mutuality, commitment, respect, and love;; that human sexuality; is one of God’s many good gifts;; and that while all have fallen short; in the expression of this gift,; nevertheless we each have the ability; to exercise responsibility; in our sexual relationships,; whatever their nature and form.

We therefore reject the false doctrine: that the gender of the partners; in a sexual relationship; is a sign by which its inherent worth; and acceptability before God; can be judged.

X COMMITMENT
“The church of Jesus Christ is the provisional demonstration of what God intends for all of humanity.”

We state these affirmations and reject these false doctrines as a visible sign of our assurance that all God’s children are worthy; our conviction that each may receive the call of God to special service in the church; and our commitment that we shall become truly a provisional demonstration of what God intends for all humanity.

THE 1997 DECLARATION OF REFORMED FAITH
Written and Signed this 12th Day of January 1997
Downtown United Presbyterian Church
Rochester, New York

Donald Wilson Stake
Joan A. Wolfarth
Rosemarie Wallace
Ruth M. Pringle
C.F. Van Gorder
Gail A. Ricciuti
Anthony J. Ricciuti
David C. Stimson
Peter Oddliefson
Stewart A. Pollock
Jane Adams Spahr
W. Clark Chamberlain
Luis Antonio De La Rosa

Mary Charlotte McCall
Bear Ride Scott
Leslie H. Ellison
John A. Matta
Margaret S. Wentz
Joanne Whitt
Virginia West Davidson
Betsy Massie
William P. Thompson
Charles P. Forbes
James L. Vesper
Frances H. Hollis