The need for a statement of faith arose shortly after the beginning of the Vineyard movement in 1983. We were growing quite rapidly and people were coming into the movement from a variety of theological backgrounds and church traditions. To remain true to the faith once and for ever given to the saints, we knew it was necessary to develop a statement of faith that was faithful to Scriptures and represented the diversity of those who are committed to live under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and in relationship with one another in the Vineyard.

The Bible is our final authority in matters of faith and practice. Therefore, the statements that follow reflect our best attempt to express what we believe, and how we are to live out that faith at this time. Upon further reflection, greater biblical insight, or increased wisdom through experience, these statements could be revised. Until such time, the Vineyard USA Board of Directors has formally adopted this document as our official statement of Faith. This action was taken in 1994.

The understanding that the Kingdom of God is the integrating motif of our understanding of the story of God, the Bible and our theology has influenced the structure of this document. From beginning to end, this Statement of Faith reflects our understanding that biblical theology is eschatological in nature and this eschatological dimension is expressed in terms of the Kingdom of God.

The Vineyard USA Board commends this Statement of Faith for use by all our pastors and in all our churches. We pray that God will bless our sincere desire and humble attempt to be ambassadors of His rule and reign through our lives and that His will may be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Berten A. Waggoner
National Director
The Vineyard USA – A Community of Churches
Sugar Land, Texas
January 2006

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WE BELIEVE that God is the Eternal¹ King². He is an infinite³, unchangeable⁴ Spirit ⁵, perfect⁶ in holiness⁷, wisdom⁸, goodness⁹, justice¹⁰, power¹¹ and love¹². From all eternity¹³ He exists as the One¹⁴ Living¹⁵ and True¹⁶ God in three persons¹⁷ of one substance¹⁸, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit¹⁹, equal in power and glory²⁰.

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WE BELIEVE that God's kingdom is everlasting²¹. From His throne²², through His Son, His eternal Word²³, God created²⁴, upholds²⁵ and governs²⁶ all that exists²⁷: the heavenly places²⁸, the angelic hosts²⁹, the universe³⁰, the earth³¹, every living thing³² and mankind³³. God created all things very good³⁴.

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WE BELIEVE that Satan, originally a great, good angel, rebelled against God, taking a host of angels with him³⁵. He was cast out of God's presence and, as a usurper of God's rule, established a counter-kingdom of darkness³⁶ and evil on the earth³⁷.

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WE BELIEVE that God created mankind in His image, male and female³⁸, for relationship with Himself and to govern the earth³⁹. Under the temptation of Satan⁴⁰, our original parents fell from grace⁴¹, bringing sin⁴², sickness⁴³ and God's judgment of death to the earth⁴⁴. Through the fall, Satan and his demonic hosts gained access to God's good creation⁴⁵. Creation now experiences the consequences and effects of Adam's original sin⁴⁶. Human beings are born in sin⁴⁷, subject to God's judgment of death⁴⁸ and captive to Satan's kingdom of darkness⁴⁹.

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WE BELIEVE that God did not abandon His rule over the earth⁵⁰ which He continues to uphold by His providence⁵¹. In order to bring redemption, God established covenants⁵² which revealed His grace to sinful people⁵³. In the covenant with Abraham, God bound Himself to His people Israel, promising to deliver them from bondage to sin and Satan and to bless all the nations through them⁵⁴.

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WE BELIEVE that as King, God later redeemed His people by His mighty acts from bondage in Egypt⁵⁵ and established His covenant through Moses, revealing His perfect will and our obligation to fulfill it⁵⁶. The law's purpose is to order our fallen race⁵⁷ and to make us conscious of our moral responsibility⁵⁸. By the work of God's Spirit⁵⁹, it convicts us of our sin⁶⁰ and God's righteous judgment against us⁶¹ and brings us to Christ alone for salvation⁶².

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WE BELIEVE that when Israel rejected God's rule over her as King⁶³, God established the monarchy in Israel⁶⁴ and made an unconditional covenant with David⁶⁵, promising that his heir would restore God's kingdom reign over His people as Messiah forever⁶⁶.

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WE BELIEVE that in the fullness of time⁶⁷, God honored His covenants with Israel and His prophetic promises of salvation⁶⁸ by sending His only Son⁶⁹, Jesus, into the world⁷⁰. Conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary⁷¹, as fully God and fully man in one person⁷², He is humanity as God intended us to be⁷³. Jesus was anointed as God's Messiah and empowered by the Holy Spirit⁷⁴, inaugurating God's kingdom reign on earth⁷⁵, overpowering the reign of Satan by resisting temptation⁷⁶, preaching the good news of salvation⁷⁷, healing the sick⁷⁸, casting out demons⁷⁹ and raising the dead⁸⁰. Gathering His disciples⁸¹, He reconstituted God's people⁸² as His Church⁸³ to be the instrument of His kingdom⁸⁴. After dying for the sins of the world⁸⁵, Jesus was raised from the dead on the third day⁸⁶, fulfilling the covenant of blessing given to Abraham⁸⁷. In His sinless, perfect life⁸⁸ Jesus met the demands of the law⁸⁹ and in His atoning death on the cross⁹⁰, He took God's judgment for sin⁹¹ which we deserve as law breakers⁹². By His death on the cross He also disarmed the demonic powers⁹³. The covenant with David was fulfilled in Jesus' birth from David's house⁹⁴, His Messianic ministry⁹⁵, His glorious resurrection from the dead⁹⁶, His ascent into heaven and His present rule at the right hand of the Father⁹⁷. As God's Son and David's heir⁹⁸, He is the eternal Messiah-King⁹⁹, advancing God's reign throughout every generation and throughout the whole earth today¹⁰⁰.

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WE BELIEVE that the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Church at Pentecost in power¹⁰¹, baptizing believers into the Body of Christ¹⁰² and releasing the gifts of the Spirit to them¹⁰³. The Spirit brings the permanent indwelling presence of God to us¹⁰⁴ for spiritual worship¹⁰⁵, personal sanctification¹⁰⁶, building up the Church¹⁰⁷, gifting us for ministry¹⁰⁸, and driving back the kingdom of Satan¹⁰⁹ by the evangelization of the world through proclaiming the word of Jesus¹¹⁰ and doing the works of Jesus¹¹¹.

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WE BELIEVE that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Jesus Christ¹¹² and that He is our abiding Helper¹¹³, Teacher¹¹⁴, and Guide¹¹⁵. We believe in the filling or empowering of the Holy Spirit¹¹⁶, often a conscious experience¹¹⁷, for ministry today¹¹⁸. We believe in the present ministry of the Spirit¹¹⁹ and in the exercise of all of the biblical gifts of the Spirit¹²⁰. We practice the laying on of hands for the empowering of the Spirit¹²¹, for healing¹²², and for recognition and empowering of those whom God has ordained to lead and serve the Church¹²³.

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WE BELIEVE that the Holy Spirit inspired the human authors of Holy Scripture¹²⁴ so that the Bible is without error¹²⁵ in the original manuscripts. We receive the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments¹²⁶ as our final, absolute authority, the only infallible rule of faith¹²⁷ and practice¹²⁸.

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WE BELIEVE that the whole world is under the domination of Satan¹²⁹ and that all people are sinners by nature¹³⁰ and choice¹³¹. All people therefore are under God's just judgment¹³². Through the preaching of the Good News of Jesus and the Kingdom of God¹³³ and the work of the Holy Spirit¹³⁴, God regenerates¹³⁵, justifies¹³⁶, adopts¹³⁷ and sanctifies¹³⁸ through Jesus by the Spirit¹³⁹ all who repent of their sins¹⁴⁰ and trust in Jesus Christ as Lord¹⁴¹ and Savior¹⁴². By this they are released from Satan's domain and enter into God's kingdom reign¹⁴³.

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WE BELIEVE in the one¹⁴⁴, holy¹⁴⁵, universal Church¹⁴⁶. All who repent of their sins and confess Jesus as Lord and Savior are regenerated by the Holy Spirit¹⁴⁷ and form the living Body of Christ¹⁴⁸, of which He is the head¹⁴⁹ and all are members¹⁵⁰.

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WE BELIEVE that Jesus Christ committed two ordinances to the Church: water baptism¹⁵¹ and the Lord's Supper¹⁵². Both are available to all believers.

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WE BELIEVE that God's kingdom has come in the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ¹⁵³, that it continues to come in the ministry of the Spirit through the Church¹⁵⁴, and that it will be consummated in the glorious, visible and triumphant appearing of Christ¹⁵⁵ - His return to the earth as King¹⁵⁶. After Christ returns to reign¹⁵⁷, He will bring about the final defeat of Satan and all of his minions and works¹⁵⁸, the resurrection of the dead¹⁵⁹, the final Judgment¹⁶⁰ and the eternal blessing of the righteous and eternal conscious punishment of the wicked¹⁶¹. Finally, God will be all in all¹⁶² and His kingdom, His rule and reign¹⁶³, will be fulfilled in the new heavens and the new earth¹⁶⁴, recreated by His mighty power, in which righteousness dwells¹⁶⁵ and in which He will forever be worshipped¹⁶⁶.

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1.   Deuteronomy 33:27 & Romans 1:20
2.   Psalms 95:3 & Isaiah 43:15
3.   Psalms 143:5 & Job 11:7-9
4.   James 1:17
5.   John 4:24
6.   Matthew 5:48
7.   Isaiah 6:3 & 1 Peter 1:15-16
8.   Psalm 104:24 & Proverbs 2:6 & Isaiah 28:29
9.   Exodus 33:19 & Psalm 63:2 & Psalm 31:19
10.   Psalm 33:5 & Psalm 89:14 & Isaiah 30:18
11.   Exodus 15:6
12.   1 John 4:8
13.   Isaiah 43:13
14.   Isaiah 45:5 & I Corinthians 8:4
15.   Psalm 42:2 & Psalm 84:2
16.   Jeremiah 10:10
17.   John 1:18 & John 10:30 & John 14:9 & John 14:16-17 & John 14:26 & John 15:26 & II Corinthians 3:17-18
18.   John 1:1 & John 1:14 & II Corinthians 3:17
19.   Matthew 28:19-20 & II Corinthians 13:14 & Revelation 1:4
20.   Revelation 5:13 & Ephesians 3:14-21

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21.   Psalm 45:6 & Psalm 145:13 & Daniel 4:3
22.   Psalm 93:1-2
23.   John 1:1-3 & I Corinthians 8:6 & Colossians 1:15-16 & Hebrews 1:1-2
24.   Genesis 1:1 and Psalm 95:3-5
25.   Colossians 1:17 & Hebrews 1:3
26.   Psalm 103:19 & Psalm 104:24-29
27.   Psalm 96:4-6
28.   Psalm 89:11
29.   Psalm 103:20-21
30.   Colossians 1:16-17
31.   Psalm 104:5
32.   Psalm 103:22
33.   Psalm 22:28 & Psalm 47:8
34.   Genesis 1:31

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35.   Revelation 12:7-9
36.   II Corinthians 11:14 & Colossians 1:13-14 & Ephesians 6:12
37.   Mark 3:22-26 & Ephesians 2:1-2 & I John 5:19

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38.   Genesis 1:26-27
39.   Genesis 1:26
40.   Genesis 3:1 & Revelation 12:9
41.   Genesis 3:8 & Romans 1:21 & Romans 5:16
42.   Romans 5:12
43.   John 5:14
44.   I Corinthians 15:22
45.   John 8:44 & I John 5:19
46.   Romans 8:20-23
47.   Psalm 51:5
48.   Ezekiel 18:4 & Romans 2:5 & Romans 2:12 & Hebrews 9:27
49.  Galatians 1:3-5 & Galatians 4:8-9 & Colossians 1:13

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50.   Psalm 24:1 & Psalm 96:10
51. Isaiah 40:22 & Hebrews 1:3
52.   Romans 9:4
53.   Ephesians 2:12
54.   Genesis 17:3-8 & Genesis 12:2-3 & Genesis 15:4-6 & Romans 4:3-5 & Romans 4:16 & Romans 4:20-25 & Galatians 3:6-9 & Galatians 3:13-14

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55.   Exodus 15:3-18
56.   Exodus 19:3-6 & Exodus 24:3-4 & Exodus 24:7 & Romans 8:3-4 & Romans 8:12-14
57.   Deuteronomy 5:1-3 & Deuteronomy 30:15-18 & Galatians 3:23-25
58.   Psalm 25:8-10 & Romans 7:7
59.   John 15:26 & John 16:8-11 & II Corinthians 3:14-17
60. Romans 7:13 & Galatians 3:19 & Galatians 3:21-22
61.   Romans 2:1-11
62.   Galatians 3:24 & Philippians 3:8-9

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63.   I Samuel 8:6-8
64.   I Samuel 8:21-22 & I Samuel 9:15-16 & I Samuel 10:1 & I Samuel 10:24
65. 2 Samuel 7:11-16 & Psalm 89:34-37
66.  Isaiah 9:6-7 & Isaiah 11:1-5 &Jeremiah 23:5-6 & Ezekiel 34:23

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67.   Mark 1:15 & Galatians 4:4
68.   Romans 1:2-4
69.   John 1:14
70.   John 1:17-18
71.   Luke 1:30-35
72.   John 1:14 & Philippians 2:5-7
73.   Romans 5:19 & I Corinthians 15:22 & I Peter 2:22 & II Corinthians 5:21 & Romans 8:29
74.   Luke 3:21-22 & Luke 4:16-21
75.   Mark 1:14-15 & Luke 11:20 & Luke 17:20-21
76.   Luke 4:1-13
77.   Luke 4:43
78.   Luke 4:40
79.   Luke 4:41
80.   Luke 7:14-17
81.   Mark 1:16-17
82.   Mark 3:13-15
83.   Matthew 16:18
84.   Luke 9:1-2 & Luke 10:1-17
85.   John 1:29 & John 6:51 & John 4:9-10
86.   Mark 8:31 & I Corinthians 15:3-5
87.   Galatians 3:13-14
88.   Acts 3:14-15 & Hebrews 4:15
89.   Romans 5:18-19
90.   I Peter 2:24
91.   Galatians 3:13 & II Corinthians 5:21
92.   Romans 1:18 & Romans 1:32 & Romans 2:12 & II Thessalonians 1:6-10
93.   Colossians 2:13-15
94.   Matthew 1:1
95.   Luke 1:68-72 & Luke 2:10-11 & Matthew 9:27
96.   Acts 2:24-28
97.   Acts 2:29-36
98.   Romans 1:1-4
99.   Hebrews 1:1-3
100.   I Corinthians 15:24-26 & Ephesians 1:19-23 & Revelation 5:5

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101.   Acts 1:8 & Acts 2:1-4
102.   I Corinthians 12:13
103.   I Corinthians 12:4-7
104.   John 14:16-17
105.   Romans 12:1 & Ephesians 5:18-20
106.   Romans 8:3-4
107.   I Corinthians 14:12 & I Corinthians 14:26
108.   Romans 12:4-6
109.   Luke 11:20 & I John 3:8
110.   Ephesians 6:10-20
111.   John 14:12-13 & Romans 15:18-19 & I Corinthians 4:20

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112.   Romans 8:9-10
113.   John 16:7
114.   John 14:26
115.   John 16:13-15 & Romans 8:14
116.   Luke 24:49 & Acts 4:31
117.   Acts 8:18-19 & Acts 19:1-2
118.   I Corinthians 2:4-5 & II Corinthians 4:7 & II Corinthians 6:4-7
119.   Joel 2:28-29 & Acts 2:15-17
120.   I Corinthians 12:7-11 & I Corinthians 14:1 & I Corinthians 14:5 & I Thessalonians 5:19-21
121.   Acts 8:14-17 & Acts 19:6
122.   Mark 1:41 & Luke 6:18-19 & Mark 16:18
123.   Acts 13:1-3 & I Timothy 4:14 & II Timothy 1:6

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124.   II Timothy 3:16-17 & II Peter 1:20-21 & I Corinthians 2:12-13 & John 14:26
125.   Psalm 19:7-9 & Psalm 119:11 & Psalm 119:30 & Psalm 119:43 & Psalm 119:89 & Matthew 5:17-18 & John 3:34 & John 10:35 & I Thessalonians 2:13 & Revelation 22:6
126.   Luke 24:44 & II Peter 3:15-16 & Revelation 22:18-19
127.   Isaiah 40:8 & Matthew 24:35
128.   Matthew 7:21 & Matthew 7:24 & Luke 1:38 & James 1:22-25

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129.   Luke 4:5-7 & I John 5:19
130.   I Corinthians 15:22 & Ephesians 2:1-3
131.   Romans 1:21-23 & Romans 1:32
132.   Romans 1:18 & Romans 2:5 & II Corinthians 5:10 & Ephesians 5:6
133.   Mark 1:14-15 & Acts 8:12 & Acts 28:31 & Ephesians 5:5
134.   John 16:7-11
135.   John 3:5-8
136.   I Peter 1:23
137.   Romans 5:1-2 & Romans 5:9
138.   Romans 8:15 & Galatians 4:6
139.   Ephesians 5:25 & Hebrews 13:12 & I Peter 1:1-2
140.   Acts 2:38
141.   Romans 10:9
142.   I John 4:13-15
143.   Colossians 1:13-14 & Philippians 3:20

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144.   John 17:20-21 & Ephesians 4:3-6
145.   I Corinthians 3:16-17
146.   Matthew 16:17-18 & I Corinthians 1:2 & Ephesians 2:18-19 & I Peter 2:9-10
147.   Titus 3:4-7
148.   Romans 12:4-5
149.   Ephesians 1:22 & Ephesians 5:23
150.   I Corinthians 12:27

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151.   Matthew 28:19-20
152.   I Corinthians 11:23-26

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153.   Daniel 7:13-14 & Matthew 4:23 & Matthew 12:28
154.   Matthew 6:10 & Matthew 10:7-8 & Matthew 24:14 & Mark 13:11 & John 15:26-27 & Romans 14:17-18
155.   Mark 13:26 & Acts 1:9-11 & II Thessalonians 2:8
156.   Revelation 19:11-16
157.   Matthew 25:31-32 & I Corinthians 15:23-25
158.   Revelation 20:10
159.   I Corinthians 15:51-52
160.   John 5:28-30 & Revelation 20:11-15
161.   Matthew 25:31-46
162.   I Corinthians 15:24-48
163.   I Timothy 6:13-16
164.   II Peter 3:13 & Revelation 21:5
165.   Revelation 21:27
166.   I Timothy 1:17 & Revelation 7:9-12

If you desire further information regarding our theological position e-mail (info@vineyardusa.org) to request the paper entitled "Association of Vineyard Churches Theological and Philosophical Statement."