Council Releases Statement of Affirmation
Cleveland, TN—-The Church of God International Executive Council has released a ‘Statement of Affirmation’ of Church of God Educational Institutions.
The document was honed during the recent gathering of the International Executive Council, which met for the first time since all 18 members were elected at the General Assembly this past July. The statement includes background information followed by the statement:
Background
At the request of the International Executive Committee and the International Executive Council, selected Church of God institutions of higher learning previously submitted detailed and thorough reports addressing their internal finances, academic offerings, fidelity to church and biblical doctrine, and an overview of their faculty’s qualifications. Each report completely and successfully addressed the prevalent concerns and questions raised about the influence of current culture on our church’s institutions of higher learning. The reports also confirmed that our traditional biblical values, based upon the authority of Scripture, are non-negotiable and serve as a foundation for instruction and management in each institution. With the arduous societal challenges of excessive tolerance and rampant compromise, eroding core values, increased secularization, overreaching governmental influence, and even fragmentation within churches and denominations in an ever-changing culture, our church-related institutions must be more committed than ever to Biblical authority, doctrinal integrity, and academic excellence. In response to these influences, our Church of God seminaries, universities, colleges, bible schools, and other educational institutions have accepted the mission and ministry to prepare future generations for Kingdom service in the church, the marketplace, and society as a whole.
Affirmation
The executive leadership of the Church of God affirms, honors, and congratulates our church-related institutions of higher education for their commitment to our movement’s doctrine and polity, fiduciary responsibilities, and faithful fidelity to their mission, vision, and values. With profound appreciation, the church’s leadership offers affirmation to the presidents, board members, administration, faculty, and staff of these institutions for their steadfast commitment to education that embraces biblical values and faithful adherence to the Church of God Declaration of Faith, as well as to our doctrine and polity.
The Church of God is extremely grateful to our higher educational leadership, faculty and staff that continue to navigate the multiple challenges of our times with great wisdom, unwavering devotion to Scripture, and sensitivity to the guiding presence of the Holy Spirit. We are truly united as the Church on Mission!
