What We Believe

Pasadena Covenant Church is a member-church of The Evangelical Covenant Church. With its roots in the Protestant Reformation, The Evangelical Covenant Church is a denomination that holds to the affirmations of historical Christianity regarding the Bible as the Word of God and the only perfect rule for faith, doctrine and conduct. What makes the Covenant unique from other denominations is the fact that while we strongly affirm the clear teachings of the Bible, we allow believers the personal freedom to have varying interpretations on theological issues that are not clearly presented in scripture. The Covenant affirms as central to our life and faith five evangelical emphases:

• We believe in the necessity of a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ (John 3:3, 14:6)

• We believe that the Bible is God’s trustworthy message to all people (2 Timothy 3:16-17). We also believe that the Word of God is “spirit and life” and requires of us a spiritual and living response in a commitment to Jesus Christ and a dedication to follow him as Lord.

• We believe in a conscious dependence on the Holy Spirit, who, with the Father and the Son, calls the Church into being, empowers its witness, guides its mission, and supplies the gifts needed by the Church and its members to exalt Christ (Galatians 5:25).

• We believe the Church is a fellowship of believers, characterized by mutual participation in and sharing of the new life in Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-13). Membership is by confession of faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. It is open to all believers.

• We believe in the reality of freedom in Christ. We recognize that differences of opinion exist concerning theological doctrine, worship and sacrament practices. But we believe these differences are overcome through sharing a common life in Christ (John 8:31-32; Galatians 5:1). We believe that each person is unique and so is each person’s experience in Christ. In short, we keep our focus on Jesus and we take the Bible seriously, but we’re not legalistic, which means…

- In essentials unity (Romans 15:5-6),

- In nonessentials diversity (Galatians 5:1),

- In all things charity (1 John 4:7, 1 Corinthians 13).