The Armenian Evangelical Statement of Faith
(Constantinople, Turkey – July 1, 1846)
1. I believe in the existence of only living true God. The Creator, Preserver, and Governor of the universe; omniscient, omnipresent; self-existent, independent, immutable; possessed of infinite benevolence, wisdom, holiness, justice, mercy, and truth, and Who is the only proper object of worship.
2. I believe that the one God exists in three persons; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and that these three are one God.
3. I believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament were given by inspiration of God, and are a revelation of His will to man, and the sufficient and only rule of faith and practice.
4. I believe that mankind, in their natural state, are destitute of holiness, and entirely depraved, and justly exposed to Divine wrath.
5. I believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, perfect God and perfect man, is the only Savior of sinners, and the only mediator and intercessor between God and man; and by His perfect obedience, sufferings, and death, He made full atonement for sin, so that all who believe in Him will assuredly be saved, and there is no other sacrifice for sin.
6. I believe that in consequence of utter wickedness of man, it is necessary that all should be regenerated by the power of the Holy Spirit, in order to be saved.
7. I believe that we are justified by the righteousness of Christ alone, through faith, and not by any fastings, alms, penance, or other deeds of our own; and that while good works are inseparable from a true and living faith, they can never be meritorious ground of salvation before God.
8. I believe that the holiness of life, and a conscientious discharge of various duties we owe to God, to our fellowmen, and to ourselves, are not only binding upon all believers, but essential to the Christian character.
9. I believe that, besides God, no other being is to be worshiped and adored, and that each person in the sacred Trinity is worthy of our worship, which, to be acceptable, must be offered through no other meditation than that of Jesus Christ alone; and that the use of relics, pictures, crosses, and images of any sort, in any act of worship, and of intercession of the saints, is directly contrary to the Scriptures, and highly displeasing to God; and that prayer for the dead is not authorized in the Word of God.
10. I believe that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust, and a day of judgment; and that the happiness of the righteous, and the punishment of the wicked, commence at death, and continue without end.
11. I believe that any number of believers, duly organized, constitute a church of Christ, of which Christ is the only Head; and that the only Sacraments of Christ’s Church are Baptism, and the Lord’s Supper; the former being the seal of covenant, and a sign of the purifying operation of the Holy Spirit, and the token of admission into the visible Church, and latter, in shewing forth by the visible symbols of the death of Christ, being a perpetual memento of His atoning love, and a pledge of union and communion with Him and with all true believers.
12. I believe that the Gospel is the chief instrument appointed by Christ for the conversion of men and for the edification of His people, and that it is duty of His Church to carry into effect the Savior’s command, “Go ye into the world, and preach the Gospels to every creature.”
The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became truly human. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; He suffered death he was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeded from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Statement of Faith
Received by the 15th General Assembly of the AEUNA in Los Angeles, CA.
June 30th, 2000
PREAMBLE
We, the Armenian Evangelical Church - rooted in an ancient heritage extending to the apostles, yet affirming the legacy of the Reformation; planted in the rich soil of Ararat, yet blossoming across oceans and continents; parched by the winds of persecution, yet bearing the fruit of perseverance-proclaim the faith received from our ancestors.
We believe in one God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — to whom alone belongs all glory and worship:
• Father, our Creator, Maker of all things in heaven and earth;
• Son, our Savior, Only-begotten of the Father, who was born of the Virgin Mary, suffered death on the cross, was resurrected and ascended into heaven, and whose triumphant return all creation awaits; and
• Holy Spirit, our Comforter, who inspired the sacred scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, our supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct, and who breathes new life into all believers.
We believe that though humanity was created good in God's image, through our disobedience, we all have fallen into sin and become worthy of condemnation and eternal separation from God. Yet the Father in grace sent His Son Jesus Christ, the atoning sacrifice for our salvation. This free gift is received only through repentance and faith in Christ, is displayed in our loving service to God and those around us, and is enjoyed eternally in the presence of God.
We believe the universal Church to be the Body of Christ, through whom every church receives its identity and mission: to proclaim the Gospel in word and deed, to administer the sacraments of baptism and communion, and to nurture believers through teaching the Word and equipping the saints for service. To further this mission, the Spirit leads us in continual growth through worship, prayer, and study of Scripture, in partnership with all who confess Christ as Lord and accept the Nicene and Apostles' Creed.
We believe our particular calling to be the leading of our people and all peoples into a commitment to Christ and a growing relationship with God, and to this task we commit our lives.
Glory to God from generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus our Lord, for ever and ever. Amen