Covenant Distinctives

So what makes the Covenant Church unique? One of the most meaningful ways to describe who we are is through our four core values.

We are evangelical, but not exclusive.
We are biblical, but not doctrinaire.
We are congregational, but not independent.
We are traditional, but not rigid.

Evangelical, but not exclusive:

From our beginning, the Covenant Church has been evangelical without being exclusive. This is integral to understanding who we are! If there is one word that defines evangelicalism, it is GRACE! By grace we proclaim the Gospel of salvation, journey the Christian life and experience the church as community.
The Covenant Church universally accepts all who are in Christ. We do not exclude membership based on:

Type of baptism
Specific manifestations of the Holy Spirit
Various eschatological beliefs (i.e. "the end times")
Particular standards of conduct

Biblical, but not doctrinaire:

Nothing has validity in the areas of faith, doctrine and conduct unless it is in accord with Scripture. We are Biblical because we give particular attention and prominence to what is clearly taught in the Bible. While we experience freedom to hear various interpretations of the Scripture and enter into discussions, we do not defend an "official" position. Instead of interpreting the Bible from a fixed doctrine, we allow the Bible to test and correct doctrine.

If you wonder that we don't know where we stand, we reply that the Bible is dependable and can be taken on its own terms as the Word of God. We stand where the Bible stands, wherever it stands! Certainly it is not common in church history to be biblical without being doctrinaire. That is why we dare to assert it as a distinctive.

Congregational, not independent:

Congregationalism is a representative democracy in which the final authority in the affairs of the church lies with the people, not the ministers and other officials. Our structure does not exist around a person, a system of government or a doctrinal position but around our mission. The covenant denomination does not interfere with the freedom of local churches, rather it exists to make the mission and institutions we have in common more effective. Each level of congregation within the Covenant, whether it is the local, regional or denominational congregation, is part of the whole. Each of us needs the others and we cooperate on mutual promises and trust, not on control.

Many forms of church government are organized in similar fashion, but the Covenant distinctive is the degree to which we have established a strong central identity and mission without sacrificing individual experience and local identity.

Traditional, but not rigid:

While not rigid, we do have a heritage! We enjoy distinctive hymns, hold a high view of the sacraments, give freedom in the practice of baptism, have a strong confirmation program, a love of celebrative traditions and a recognition of the "church year." Our traditions do not prescribe what must be in the Covenant; they describe what has come to us from generations rich in faith and practice. While we do appreciate tradition, our unity does not lie in having identical traditions but in having the same Lord, the same faith, the same baptism, and the same God and Father of us all (Ephesians 4:5,6).

In case you are still wondering...

Covenant distinctives simply describe the way we do things. They help you understand who we are. They are values that have shaped our past; values that still motivate and inspire us! Essentials of Christian faith such as the incarnation, salvation by faith and many more, we hold in common with the whole Church of Jesus Christ.

Read about Covenant Affirmations          Go back to Evangelical Connection

To find out more, visit the Evangelical Covenant Church web site.

Taken from "Covenant Distinctives" / Copyright by Covenant Publications. 1988