BUCN Statement of Faith & Practice

Affirmed April 3, 2024 by BUCN.

1. God. God is one, holy, creator God, eternally existing in three equally divine Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, who know, love, and glorify one another.

(Gen 1:1–3; Jn 17:1–5; Jn 14:26; Jn 15:26; 2 Cor 13:14)

2. Scripture. God has spoken truth by divine inspiration and authority in both Old and New Testament Scriptures as the only written Word of God, without error in all that it affirms, the only infallible rule of faith and practice, living and active, making people wise for salvation and godliness.

(2 Tim 3:14–17; 2 Pet 1:19–21; Ps 19:7–9)

3. Creation & Humanity. God created all things by His divine word for His pleasure and glory and created humanity, male and female, in His image — holy, righteous, and with creative dominion to flourish on the earth in order to enjoy God and glorify Him forever.

(Gen 1:26–27; Jn 1:1–5)

4. The Fall. All humanity fell with Adam in rebellion and sin against God, and having lost holiness and righteousness became guilty, estranged enemies of God, objects of divine judgment without hope in the world, bringing creation and human flourishing under a curse.

(Gen 3:1–19; Rom 3:9–20; Rom 5:12–14; Eph 2:1–3)

5. The Gospel. God saves sinners. Because of His great love for sinners, God the Father sent His One and Only Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to rescue guilty sinners back to God by living the perfect life, dying as the perfect substitute on the cross, and rising from the dead to reconcile sinners to God and restore all things broken by the fall.

(Jn 3:16–18; Rom 5:1–11; 2 Cor 5:20–21)

6. Salvation. God saves sinners by grace alone through faith in Christ alone. The Holy Spirit regenerates dead hearts by convicting and enlightening sinners to repent and believe the Good News, assures justified believers they are eternally beloved sons and daughters, unites them into God's family, and empowers them through prayer, Scripture, fellowship, worship, and witness to be transformed into His image, enabling their perseverance to eternal glory and union with God.

(Rom 3:21–26; Rom 8:1, 29–39; Gal 4:1–7; Eph 2:3–8)

7. Disciple-Making. Jesus calls all believers to be disciple-makers among all the peoples of the world by being faithful witnesses in one's Jerusalem (household, community, local networks), Judea (greater region), Samaria (alienated nearby cultures), and the world (cross-culturally, globally). A disciple is a captivated follower of Jesus, transformed in the family of God, empowered to multiply disciples. Disciple-making is the prime calling of believers and the church in the world.

(Matt 28:16–20; Acts 1:8; 2 Cor 5:14–15)

8. The Church. Jesus promises to build His church, uniting by His blood and baptism people from diverse and divided cultures into one family, the Body of Christ and household of God. The Spirit gives spiritual gifts to every disciple to build up His Body, sending God's reconciled people into a broken world with the ministry of reconciliation. Disciples must guard and promote the essential nature of the church.

(Matt 16:16–19; Acts 2:42–47; Rom 12:1–13)

9. Men and Women in Ministry. Men and women, made in the image of God and equally treasured and empowered members of a royal priesthood, reflect the nature of God in their unity and ministry in the Body through spiritual gifts in leadership, administration, teaching, evangelism, mercy, and hospitality. Called to display the gospel through mutual submission and humble service, and rejecting all forms of abusing or marginalizing authority, it is qualified men who are ordained for representative spiritual oversight as they serve and partner with godly, leading women in ministry.

(Rom 16:1–4; 1 Tim 2:8–5; Titus 2:1–5)

10. Culture. All cultures contain and display the creative glory of God even as they, like all people, are tainted by the fall. While we celebrate and affirm the truth, beauty, and grace in our varying cultures, disciples must discern by the light of Scripture those pretensions and practices that hurt humanity and oppose God's glory. A multicultural Christian community practicing humble, honest, and mature interaction produces a stronger cultural critique for greater flourishing of gospel witness.

(Rom 14:5–14; Rom 15:5–9; Eph 2:11–22; Eph 3:20–21)

11. Cross-Cultural Witness. Disciples of Jesus are called to live as counter-cultural representatives of the Kingdom of God in sensitive, sacrificial love toward their neighbors as they display and declare Christ to all nations and cultures — cautious of any superior mindset or colonial ethos that would destroy potential impact. The church is called to be the redemptive presence of Jesus, proclaiming Good News demonstrated through concrete deeds of mercy and justice. Disciples commit to display and declare the whole gospel to the whole world by the whole church.

(1 Cor 9:19–23; Gal 2:7–10)

12. Restoration of All Things. Jesus is coming back to consummate His Kingdom, usher in a new heavens and new earth, and be married to His glorious, every-nation, every-tribe, every-people, every-language Bride, the Church, at the wedding feast of the Lamb. He will end all sorrow and death and bring eternal glory, life, and delight to all who believe and receive the free gift of salvation. All disciples are exhorted to fix this hope before them to fuel their obedience to and affection for Jesus and His Kingdom.

(Eph 1:7–10; Col 1:18–20; 2 Pet 3:4–10; Rev 21:1–22:5)