Canadian Conference of Mennonite
Brethren Churches
The Confession of Faith
Purpose - Confession of Faith
A Confession of Faith can serve several useful purposes:
This Confession can serve as a:
key to the brotherhood's understanding of biblical revelation.
It focuses on the great truths of the Christian faith
which we, with other evangelicals, have held in common
through the years. It also describes the distinctives
of our faith, in which our understanding of Scripture
differs from that of other Christian denominations.
basis of association for like-minded believers. It constitutes
a commitment, a covenant of a brotherhood which today
is scattered throughout the world. This common commitment
of Jesus Christ as Lord and to the Holy Scriptures as
the infallible guide for faith and practise is important
for an effective witness (John 17:21; Philippians 3:16).
means of defense against false accusations and heretical
movements. It thus has an apologetic function and can
aid the brotherhood in the preservation of biblical doctrine
and a Christian ethic.
instrument of education, clarifying and strengthening
the convictions of the members of the church, and introducing
others not belonging to our brotherhood to our faith and
practice. The Confession may also be used as a study-guide
for the instruction of candidates for church membership.
missionary pamphlet to people in our communities who
ask us to "account for the hope" that is in
us (I Peter 3:15). This document, in a concise form, presents
our message and mission.
guide and standard for scriptural discipline of disobedient
members and dissenting churches. Departure form the Confession
of Faith constitutes a serious violation of the covenantal
relationship of the brotherhood, and hence may require
the withdrawal of fellowship from individuals and churches
guilty of such violation.
means of reorientation and church renewal. A study of
the great biblical truths set forth in this statement
of faith can lead to a deeper discernment of God's perfect
will, and to a fuller commitment to the lordship of Christ.
Preface
The Mennonite Brethren Church has throughout its history
emphasized biblical authority in all matters of faith and
practice. This emphasis exalts the centrality of Scripture
and counsels a proper use of creedal statements and confessions
of faith as expressions of our understanding of Scripture.
Such documents are to be regarded as descriptive more than
normative. They are never to be given equal status with
the Bible.
The Mennonite Brethren Church is historically and theologically
rooted in evangelical Mennonite-Anabaptism of the sixteenth
century Reformation which sought to recapture the faith
and life of the New Testament church. Our forefathers agreed
with Menno Simons, after whom Mennonites are named, that
"No other foundation can anyone lay than that which
is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 3:11). Numerous
confessions in the Anabaptist tradition were used in the
preparation of the first Mennonite Brethren Confession of
Faith.
A confession such as this one is an expression of the
biblical ideals of the brotherhood, revised from time to
time, reflecting the faith which such a fellowship believes
and preaches. Its validity depends on its biblical character;
its usefulness depends on its ability to communicate our
understanding of the biblical message. The Mennonite Brethren
Church accepts God's revelation in Scripture to be trustworthy
and authoritative.
Since the nature and mission of the church call for a
concise statement of what a brotherhood believes, the General
Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches has undertaken
to rewrite the Confession of Faith to make it more readable.
May it serve as a guide and a messenger, exhorting believers
to live the faith they proclaim.
The Mennonite Brethren and
God
We believe in God, the eternal Spirit, infinite in holiness,
power, wisdom, righteousness, goodness, love and mercy.
This one and only eternal God has revealed Himself as Father,
Son and Holy Spirit.
The Father
We believe in God the Father, who created all things.
He can be known to the extent that He has revealed Himself
in word and deed as the source and sustainer of life.
He is a God of love who orders all things to serve His
eternal purpose. In mercy and grace He adopts as His children
all who repent of their sin and trust in Jesus Christ
as their Saviour and Lord.
The Son
We believe in Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God,
whom the Father sent to reconcile us to Himself and to
redeem us from sin and eternal death. He was conceived
by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin, Mary. Thus
He is true God and true man according to the Scriptures.
He lived a perfect, holy and sinless life. In the redemptive
purpose of God, He suffered crucifixion and death for
our sin. He rose from the dead for our justification and
ascended into heaven where He now intercedes for all who
believe. He will come again to judge the living and the
dead and to establish His eternal Kingdom.
The Holy Spirit
We believe in the Holy Spirit, one with the Father and
the Son, sent by them to effect redemption in man. He
convicts, regenerates, guides, teaches, rebukes, indwells,
empowers, comforts, intercedes, unites believers into
one body, and glorifies Christ.
Basic Scriptures cited are representative, and not exhaustive:
We believe that God has revealed His power and deity in
the created universe so that man can know Him. God revealed
Himself in saving word and deed in the Old Testament and
established a covenant relationship with His people. He
revealed Himself supremely and finally in the Lord Jesus
Christ, as recorded in the New Testament. We believe that
all Scripture is inspired by God as men of God were moved
by the Holy Spirit. We accept the Old and New Testaments
as the infallible Word of God and the authoritative Guide
for the faith and life of Christian discipleship. We believe
that the Old Covenant was preparatory in nature, finding
its fulfilment in the New Covenant. Christ is the key to
understanding the Bible; the Old Testament bears witness
to Him, and He is the One whom the New Testament proclaims.
We believe that man (man=mankind) was created in the image
of God, sinless, and in fellowship with God, with a free
will to make moral choices. But man sinned, and willfully
disobeyed God, breaking fellowship with Him and bringing
physical, spiritual and eternal death on the whole human
race. Consequently all are sinful by nature, guilty before
God and in need of forgiveness through Christ.
We believe that there is one Mediator between God and
men, the Man Jesus Christ. The purpose of His coming was
to redeem man from the judgment and power of sin and to
reconcile him to God. Through the shedding of His blood,
Christ provided the one sufficient sacrifice for sin and
established God's New Covenant. We are saved by the grace
of God through faith in Christ. The Holy Spirit, through
the Word of God, convicts man of his sin and need for salvation.
Those who repent of their sin and trust in Christ as Saviour
and Lord receive forgiveness. By the power of the Holy Spirit
they are born into the family of God and receive the assurance
of salvation. Saving faith involves a surrender of the will
to Christ, a complete trust in Him, and a joyful obedience
to His Word as a faithful disciple.
Acts 2:42, 46; Eph. 1:13-14, 2:8-9; I Tim. 2:5-6; Heb.
4:12; 9:15-28; I Jn. 1:9
The Christian Life
We believe that the Holy Spirit lives in every Christian
and transforms him into the image of Christ. He empowers
the believer to follow Christ and to be an effective witness
for Him. The Christian lives in fellowship with God and
other believers, and joins the local church at baptism.
He/she contributes to the building of the body of Christ
with spiritual and material gifts. Nurtured through the
Word, fellowship and prayer, the believer grows more Christlike,
glorifies God, and is a witness for Him in everyday life.
Believers attain spiritual maturity as they yield to Christ
and obey His/her Word. In Christ the believer puts off the
former way of life with its sinful affections and lusts.
He/she is no longer enslaved to sin and Satan. His/her body
is a temple of the Holy Spirit and should not be defiled
or abused in any way. The believer is not to be bound by
the tyranny of things. He/she seeks to dedicate his/her
time, talents and possessions to Christ and His kingdom.
The fruit of the Spirit is to be increasingly evident in
his/her life, especially in his/her relationship to others.
The Holy Spirit empowers him to gain victory over sin and
temptation, to live a pure life, and to do good. Yet all
followers of Christ continually need the forgiving, chastening,
and cleansing grace of the Lord.
We believe that the church is one body, the bride of Christ,
established through God's redemptive work in history. Believers
from all nations, races and social classes, regenerated
by faith in Christ and cleansed by His blood, are baptized
by His Spirit into one body and separated to God and are
members of this body, whose head is Christ. Despite diversity
in congregations and denominations, the Spirit works a basic
unity which results in cooperation and fellowship with believers
of other Christian groups. The Scriptures, particularly
the records of the New Testament church, guide believers
in questions of life and doctrine. Through His Spirit the
Lord gives gifts to the church to be exercised for the upbuilding
of believers and the propagation of the Gospel.
Organization
The local church is an association of believers, baptized
and organized for worship, fellowship, nurture, service
and witness. Each congregation regulates its own affairs.
Congregations, committed to the Word of God and to this
confession, affiliate as a denomination or a conference,
whose polity is outlined in the constitution of the General
Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches. The work of
the brotherhood (brotherhood=all members of the church,
not gender specific) is conducted in a spirit of interdependence,
love and submission one to another under the Lordship
of Christ.
Christian Nurture and Discipline
By washing the feet of His disciples, the Lord Jesus
admonished His followers to practice personal humility,
seek continuous cleansing and render loving service. Similarly,
Christians today should engage in humbled service, mutual
exhortation and disciplined living. In the church every
member is to be concerned for the welfare of fellow-members
and to intercede for them in prayer. Through public teaching,
sympathetic encouragement, private counselling and earnest
rebuke, the church promotes constructive discipline. Believers
are encouraged to live a life of Christian discipleship,
and to progress toward spiritual maturity so that the
church will glorify God in the world.
God's Word is the standard for church discipline. Christians
living in sin must be admonished in brotherly love and
sincerity. Where private counselling fails, the church
exercises redemptive discipline. If warnings are disregarded
and the attitude of rebellion and estrangement persists,
the offender is formally excluded from the fellowship
of the church. Believers, however, must continue to practice
love and compassion toward the erring one in order to
win him/her back. When he/she repents of his/her sin,
the church forgives, reinstates him/her into fellowship
and encourages him/her in the Christian life
We believe that the command to make disciples of all nations
is the primary task of the church. Every member has the
responsibility to be a witness to Christ through the power
of the Holy Spirit and to call mankind to be reconciled
to God. The Gospel is the power of God for salvation and
is able to meet the total needs of mankind.
We believe that God, through the Holy Spirit, has endowed
His children with gifts for Christian ministry. Each member
lovingly ministers to the other until all are built up to
the maturity of Christ. Some members of the church have
received special gifts for leadership, pastoral, preaching,
teaching, evangelistic, diaconal ministries. The church
prayerfully recognizes these gifts and calls these persons.
They must live above reproach, faithfully teach the Word
of God and express loving concern for the well being of
others. A congregation under the Holy Spirit's guidance,
may commission or ordain such servants. The church, in turn,
shall love, respect and support them. She must also be on
guard to detect and correct or dismiss false teachers.
We believe that Christians should obey their Lord's command
to be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit. To qualify for baptism, one must repent of sin and
trust Jesus Christ as personal Saviour and Lord. We practice
water baptism of the believer by immersion. Baptism symbolizes
death to sin and resurrection to the new life in Christ
and the receipt of the Holy Spirit. Baptism is a public
commitment to discipleship. At baptism the believer enters
into the full fellowship and work of the church. Local congregations
may receive into fellowship those who have been baptized
by another mode on their confession of faith.
Members of the church observe the Lord's Supper as instituted
by Christ. The elements, the bread and the fruit of the
vine, symbolize Christ's broken body and shed blood. They
remind us of His suffering and death for our salvation and
our unity in Him. In preparation for this fellowship of
the Lord's Supper, every believer is to examine himself
and partake of the elements in a worthy manner. Those who
have peace with God, live in peace with their fellowmen,
and have been baptized are invited to partake of the Lord's
Supper, thereby testifying to His death until He comes.
The Lord's Supper expresses the fellowship and unity of
believers with Christ. It is a supper of remembrance, celebration
and praise which strengthens believers for true discipleship
and service.
We believe that God instituted marriage for the intimate
companionship of husband and wife, and for the procreation
and nurture of children. In marriage two mature partners
find fulfilment in sharing mutual love, concerns, joys,
ideals, ambitions and responsibilities. Those who marry
should share a common Christian commitment; a believer should
not marry a non believer. We believe that divorce constitutes
a basic violation of God's intention for marriage. Christian
parents should nurture their children through exemplary
godly living, by praying for them, by leading them in family
worship, by teaching them the Scriptures, and by training
and discipline them in a manner pleasing to the Lord.
We believe that God intended man (man=mankind) to work
diligently and honestly in his/her chosen vocation. The
Christian should continually seek to build God's Kingdom
through his/her work. Following the New Testament example,
believers commemorate the resurrection of Christ and the
coming of the Holy Spirit on the first day of the week.
On the Lord's Day believers occupy themselves especially
with worship and instruction in the Word, Christian fellowship
and service and refreshing themselves in body and soul,
and limiting their labour to work of necessity and deeds
of mercy.
Although the swearing of oaths was permitted in Old Testament
times, it is forbidden by Christ. Christians are obligated
to speak the truth because they are always in the presence
of God. Therefore we simply affirm the truth in legal transactions.
Because lodges and secret societies require the use of oaths
and also because they foster the formation of intimate alliances
with unbelievers, we discourage membership in secret societies
but rather seek to promote fellowship and brotherhood in
the church.
We believe that God instituted the state to maintain law
and order in civil life and to promote public welfare. The
functions and responsibilities of the state are distinct
from those of the church. The chief concern and primary
allegiance of all Christians should be to Christ's kingdom.
It is our Christian duty to pray for those in government
and to proclaim truth, love, righteousness, and redemption.
We should respect those in authority, exercise social responsibility,
witness against corruption, discrimination and injustice,
pay taxes, and obey all laws that do not conflict with the
Word of God.
We believe that Christians should live by the law of love
and practice the forgiveness of enemies as taught and exemplified
by the Lord Jesus. The church, as the body of Christ, is
a fellowship of redeemed, separated people, controlled by
redemptive love. Its evangelistic responsibility is to present
Christ, the Prince of Peace, as the answer to human need,
enmity and violence. The evil, brutal and inhuman nature
of war stands in contradiction to the new nature of the
Christian. The Christian seeks to practice Christ's law
of love in all relationships, and in all situations, including
those involving personal injustice, social upheaval and
international tensions. We believe that it is not God's
will that Christians take up arms in military service but
that, where possible, they perform alternate service to
reduce strife, alleviate suffering and bear witness to the
love of Christ.
We believe that God who acts in history will bring His
purposes to a final consummation. At death the righteous
enter a state of rest in the presence of God, in fellowship
with Christ. The unrighteous suffer the torment of separation
from God while awaiting final judgment. When the Lord returns,
living believers will be raptured and the dead in Christ
will be resurrected to be with Him forever. Christ will
judge all men. The righteous will inherit the kingdom of
God and the unrighteous shall suffer the anguish of eternal
hell. In the end, death will be destroyed, Antichrist will
be defeated and Satan will be cast into the lake of fire.
Christ will create a new heaven and a new earth in which
righteousness reigns, and God shall be all in all. This
is the blessed hope of the church. "Watch therefore,
for you know neither the day nor the hour" (Mt. 25:13).
He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am
coming soon! Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!" (Rev. 22:30).
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