Our Beliefs

The Church of God (Anderson, Indiana) is a global movement of people seeking to fulfill God’s mission in the world. We’re committed to studying the Word of God and faithfully living it out. We’re committed to the mission that Jesus Christ gave every believer: to make disciples of all nations (Matt 28:18–20).

The Church of God movement appeared in the 1880s in the midst of the broader American Holiness Revival. The pioneers of the Church of God hoped to restore a more biblical understanding and practice of what it means to be the church. One of our early church songs says: “The Bible is our rule of faith and Christ alone is Lord.” This lyric still summarizes the core belief of Church of God people. We have not issued any official belief statement, and we have no formal creed.

Yet, the following statements reflect the heart of the Church of God:

  • Salvation makes us members of God’s church. We believe that the church is composed of every person who has accepted Jesus Christ as Savior. We enter into the life of the church, not by joining a denomination or a human organization, but by committing our lives to Christ (John 3:1–7).

  • Christians are called to be one. We believe that God calls all followers of Christ to live in unity and peace, regardless of who they are or the church they attend (Gal 3:28). While we may not agree on everything, we can rally around our subject, Jesus.

  • We must be holy. We believe that followers of Christ have been called to live a life of love, purity, and godliness. We are called to live like Christ, taking on a new nature (2 Cor 5:17).

We also embrace these biblical principles:

  • The Lordship of Jesus. There is one Lord, who is God’s Son Jesus Christ, over the church. Christ is the church’s ultimate authority on all matters (Acts 2:36).

  • Making Disciples. Each of us is called to fulfill Matthew 28:18–20, making fully devoted followers of Christ—disciples—who will then teach others to follow Christ.

  • Loving God and Neighbor. We are called to fulfill Matthew 22:37–39, not only loving God with our entire being, but also loving all that he loves.

  • The Work of the Holy Spirit. God’s Spirit equips believers with unique gifts that enable us to carry out the mission of Christ in the world. At the same time, the Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in every believer (Galatians 5:22–23), which demonstrate the Spirit’s presence within us.

  • Stewardship. Since God is the source of life, all of life is to be used for the honor, glory, and service of God (Psalm 24:1).

Articles of Faith

  • There is one God, eternally existent in three persons:  Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 

  • Jesus is the Son of God and by him all things were created.  Fully human and fully divine, Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Marry.  While on Earth, Christ lived a sinless life, was full of grace and truth, performed good deeds and miracles, and taught the words of life.  He was crucified, died, and rose again.  Christ ascended into heaven, now intercedes for us, and will return to judge the living and the dead.

  • The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, draws people to Christ, indwells believers, and is uniquely present when two or more Christians gather in the name of Jesus.  He enables Christians to live a holy life, reveals the Word of God, and empowers believers through various gifts for the work of the church. 

  • Those who confess with their mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe with their heart that God raised him from the dead, shall be saved.  Those who do so are born again, having been regenerated by the Holy Spirit.   

  • Both the saved and the lost shall be resurrected; the saved will be resurrected to life and the lost resurrected to damnation.

  • The spiritual unity of believers is in the Lord Jesus Christ and is expressed through love for fellow believers. 

  • The Bible is the inspired Word of God, being the final authority on matters of faith, theology, doctrine, and conduct.

  • There is a universal Church of Jesus Christ.  All believers are part of that Church.  Christians are called to regularly assemble together in local expressions of that universal Church for worship, fellowship, administering the sacraments, instruction, and engaging in good works.

  • The greatest commandment is to love God with all one’s heart, soul, mind, and strength.  The second greatest commandment is to love one’s neighbor as one’s self.

  • Christians are commanded, and predestined, to perform good works which glorify the Father.   

  • Christians are to live lives that are holy, because believers are holy.  Therefore, believers are to repent from their sin, resist temptation, and conduct themselves in a manner that is consistent with a Christian lifestyle and character.

  • Marriage has been ordained by God and is the exclusive covenantal union between a man and a woman in which such union is a lifetime commitment.  A civil government’s sanction of a union will be recognized as a legitimate marriage by the Church only to the extent that it is consistent with the definition of “marriage” found in these Articles.

  • Legitimate sexual relations are exercised solely within marriage. Hence, sexual activities outside of marriage (referred to in the New Testament as “porneia”-- πορνεια) including but not limited to, adultery, premarital sex, homosexuality, and pedophilia are inconsistent with the teachings of the Bible and the Church. Further, lascivious conduct, transgender behavior, and the creation and/or distribution and/or viewing of pornography, are incompatible with the biblical witness.

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