Diversity Statement: The Theology Beneath
We believe that all men and women are created in the image of God resulting in a foundational unity,and that our racial, cultural, gender,and linguistic diversity reflects the intent and imaginative design of our Creator (Gen. 1:27; Acts 17:26-28), as well as the consequences of the fall.
We believe that God is redeeming some from “every nation, tribe, people and language,” and that we, in our diverse identities, will add our unique contributions to His eternal praise (Rev. 5:9-10; 7:9-10; 21:23-26).
We also believe that today, through faith in Christ, God is creating a “new person”--a new citizenship that transcends but does not erase our individual ethnic, social, and gender distinctions. This new faith-citizenship is named in recognition of the love relationship we have with our Savior—we are “Christians” (Eph. 2:14-22; Col. 3:10-11; Gal. 3:26-28; Acts 11:19-26).
As Christians, therefore, we will imitate our Savior who crossed all social, racial and gender boundaries to share God’s redeeming love (Matt. 9:9-13; Mark 7:24-30; Luke 17:11-19; John 4:4-42). We will imitate the early believers who yielded their cultural prerogatives in order to gather all nations, peoples and classes into a community that demonstrated the unifying power of their faith (I Cor. 9:19-23; Acts 6:1-7; 13:1-3; 18:26; Rom. 16:1-2).
We believe, finally, that our diversities in background, thought, and practice will continue to enrich our personal lives as we submit them to be critiqued and evaluated by the authoritative words of Scripture. We are convinced of the words of our Lord: “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32).
