Beliefs

“In essentials, unity; in opinions, liberty; in all things, love.”

Life Journey is a non-denominational Christian church which holds to the truth claims of historic orthodox Christianity. We do not have a formal doctrinal statement as a test of fellowship, believing that such statements have been used in the past to create painful divisions in the church that Jesus clearly intended to be one. Furthermore, by their very nature human-designed doctrinal statements include certain parts of the Bible and exclude others. This runs counter to the Bible’s own claims that:

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” — 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV

We prefer to focus on the core essentials of the Christian faith (on which most Christians throughout history and around the world have held to be true) rather than peripheral doctrines that lead to painful and unnecessary division. Our beliefs are consistent with the creeds found in the seven great ecumenical councils of the church, prior to the Great Schism, the first real division in the church that called to be one.

Being non-denominational isn’t new for us. Life Journey Christian Church comes from a rich heritage of simple, non-denominational Christianity,  founded 200 years ago during an era of intense denominational rivalry. There were public debates between Methodists and Baptists, Catholics and Presbyterians. Most churches required agreement with a long, complicated set of doctrinal statements before you would be accepted as a fellow believer. If you couldn’t agree with every point of these long statements, you were prohibited from receiving Communion or participating in the life of the church. Christians, instead of sharing a unity in Jesus, were divided over many minor issues.

But in 1809 a man named Thomas Campbell wrote what he called “The Declaration and Address” appealing to all Christians to practice the unity that Jesus called for in John chapter 17. It became a rallying cry for people fed up with denominational bickering — people who simply desired to be Christians and Christians only.

Here are a few highlights from that two-century old document:

The Church of Christ on earth is indispensably, intentionally, and structurally one. It includes everyone in any place who professes trust and obedience to Christ in all matters according to the Scriptures; and who demonstrates such in character and conduct. No one else can be called a Christian. . . .

Although the Church of Christ on earth exists in different locations, there should be no divisions among congregations. Each congregation should receive the other as Christ Jesus has. That would manifest God’s character before all. To facilitate this, all congregations should observe the same practices and speak the same principles. . . .

In order to carry this out, nothing should be forced upon Christians except what is clearly taught in the Word of God. Nothing should be treated in the constitution and by-laws as divine authority unless it is clearly taught in the Word of God. Thus human traditions, regardless of “how long we’ve done it that way,” cannot be our authority.

It is not necessary that people see all God’s truth exactly alike before they are added to His Church. What is necessary is that they recognize two things: (1) their lost condition and (2) Jesus’ way of salvation. And then declare their faith in Him and their willingness to obey Him in all things. . . .

Anyone who has made such a declaration should consider anyone else who has made such an acknowledgement as saints of God and should love such as brothers. For such people are children of the same family, temples of the same Spirit, members of the same body, subjects of the same grace, objects of the same Divine love, bought with the same price, and joint-heirs of the same inheritance. And whom God hath joined together no man should dare to put aside. . . .

While some of the language used seems archaic to our ears, the appeal of simple New Testament Christianity was widespread, and churches like ours spread west with the early pioneers and settlers. These churches chose the simple name “Christian Church” precisely because it was not sectarian.

For two hundred years we have had a simple plea of bringing about Christian unity based on New Testament principles. Our movement is marked by slogans like these:

“Not the only Christians, but Christians only.”

“In essentials, unity; in opinions, liberty; in all things, love.”

“Free to differ, but not to divide.”

As a church we are committed to living out that plea.