Being Evangelical
Evangelical is an often misused and misunderstood designation in the Christian Church. In affirming that we are evangelical, we are affirming our identity as a community whose faith and way of life, are shaped and formed according to the contours and content of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We believe that the Gospel of Jesus Christ reveals who God is, who we are as humankind and where we are destined for as God’s creation.
As evangelicals, we seek to engage the public square, which fosters debate, dialogue, and an exchange of ideas. In the public square we seek to be faithful to the freedom, justice, peace, and wellbeing that are at the heart of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our engagement in public life begins with the recognition that if we would share the good news of Jesus Christ with others, we must first be shaped by that good news ourselves.
To that end, we are committed to a civil public square – a vision of public life in which citizens of all faiths are free to enter and engage the public square on the basis of their faith, but within a framework of what is agreed to be just and free for other faiths as well.
We promote a civil public square and respect the rights of all, even those with whom we disagree. Contrary to those who believe that “error has no rights,” we respect the right to be wrong. But we also insist that “the right to believe anything” does not mean “anything anyone believes is right.” Rather, respect for conscientious differences also requires respectful debate.
To be evangelical is first and foremost a theological definition---it is out of the Gospel’s revelation of God’s character, purposes and plans for this world that our political, social and cultural identities emerge. Our ultimate identity is in Jesus Christ; all other identities are secondary. In Christ, there is neither slave nor free, male or female, Democrat or Republican, Catholic or Protestant.