This statement of Christian Doctrine was adopted by the
Mennonite Church in 1921 at Garden City, Missouri.
This statement we accept as our creed. We also have
Appreciation for the Schleitheim (1527) and the Dortrecht (1632)
Confessions of Faith.
ARTICLE I
Of the Word of God
We believe in the plenary and verbal inspiration of
the Bible as the Word of God; that it is authentic in
its matter, authoritative in its counsels, inerrant in the
original writings, and the only infallible rule of faith
and practice. Ex. 4:12; 2 Sam. 23:2; Psa. 12:6; 119:160;
Jer. 1:9; Matt. 5:18; 24:35; 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:20,21.
ARTICLE II
Of the Existence and Nature of God
We believe that there is but one God, eternal, infinite,
perfect, and unchangeable, who exists and reveals
Himself in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Deut. 6:4; Psa. 90:2; Gen. 17:1; Psa. 147:5; 139:7-12;
Isa. 40:28; 57:15; Mal. 3:6; Gen. 1:2; Heb. 1:8.
ARTICLE III
Of the Creation
We believe that the Genesis account of the Creation
is a historic fact and literally true. Gen.1:1,21,27; Ex.
20:11; Mk. 10:6-9; Heb. 1:10; 4:4; 11:3.
ARTICLE IV
Of the Fall of Man
We believe that man was created by an immediate
act of God, in His own image and after His likeness;
that by one act of disobedience he became sinful in his
nature, spiritually dead, subject to physical death and
to the power of the devil, from which fallen condition
he was unable to save himself. Gen. 1:26,27; 2:7,16,17;
Eph. 2:1-3,12; Jno. 6:44; Rom. 5:6.
ARTICLE V
Of Jesus Christ
We believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of
God, that He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born
of a virgin - the perfect God-man; that He was without
sin ... making the only adequate atonement for sin
by the shedding of His blood, thus reconciling man to
God; that He was raised from the dead, ascended to glory,
and “ever liveth to make intercession for us”. Jno.
1:1,14,18; Heb. 1:8; 13:8; Gen. 3:15; Isa. 7:14; Luke
1:35; Matt. 1:20-25; Isa. 53:5,6; 2 Cor. 5:14,21; Gal.
3:13; 1 Pet. 2:22,24; 3:18; Rom. 5:8-10; Matt. 28:6;
Acts 2:24; 10:39-41; 17:31; 1 Cor. 15:20; Acts 1:11;
Eph. 1:19,20; Rev. 1:18; Col. 3:1; Heb. 6:20; 1 Jno.
2:1,2; Heb. 7:25.
ARTICLE VI
Of Salvation
We believe that man is saved alone by grace through
faith in the finished work of Christ; that he is justified
from all things on the ground of His shed blood; that
through the new birth he becomes a child of God, partaker
of eternal life, and blessed with all spiritual blessings
in Christ. Eph. 2:8; Rom. 3:20-26; Acts 13:38,39;
Jno. 1:12,13; 3:4,8,16; 5:24; Eph. 1:3.
ARTICLE VII
Of the Holy Spirit
We believe in the deity and personality of the Holy
Spirit; that He convinces the world of sin, righteousness,
and of judgment; that He indwells and comforts
the believer, guides him into all truth, empowers for
service, and enables him to live a life of righteousness.
Acts 5:3,4; 2 Cor. 3:3,17; Jno. 16:7,8,13; 1 Cor. 3:16;
Gal. 4:6; Acts 1:8; Rom. 8:1-4.
ARTICLE VIII
Of Assurance
We believe that it is the privilege of all believers to
know that they have passed from death unto life; that
God is able to keep them from falling, but that the obedience
of faith is essential to the maintenance of one’s
salvation and growth in grace. 1 Jno. 3:14; 5:13; Rom.8:16;
2 Cor. 12:9; Jude 24,25; Rom. 16:25,26; 1:5; Gal.3:11;
Jno. 8:31; 2 Pet. 1:5-11.
ARTICLE IX
Of the Church
We believe that the Church is the body of Christ,
composed of all those who through repentance toward
God, and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, have been born
again and were baptized by one Spirit into one body,
and that it is her divinely appointed mission to preach
the Gospel to every creature, teaching obedience to all
His commandments. Matt. 16:18; Eph. 1:23; Col. 1:18;
Acts 20:21; Luke 24:47; Acts 17:30; 16:31; Gal. 3:26;
1 Cor. 12:13; Matt. 28:19,20; Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8.
ARTICLE X
Of Separation
We believe that we are called with a holy calling to
a life of separation from the world and its follies, sinful
practices, and methods; further, that it is the duty of
the Church to keep herself aloof from all movements
which seek the reformation of society independent of
the merits of the death of Christ and the experience of
the new birth. 1 Pet. 2:9; Tit. 2:11-14; 2 Cor. 6:14-18;
Rom. 12:1,2; Eph. 5:11; 1 Jno. 2:15-17; 2 Thess. 3:6;
Acts 4:2; Jno. 3:3,6,7.
ARTICLE XI
Of Discipline
We believe that the Lord has vested the Church with
authority in accordance with Scriptural teaching: (1) to
choose officials, (2) to regulate the observance of ordinances,
(3) to exercise wholesome discipline, and (4) to
organize and conduct her work in a manner consistent
with her high calling and essential to her highest efficiency.
Acts 6:1-6; 13:1-3; 2 Tim. 2:2; Tit. 1:5-9; 2:15;
Matt. 28:19,20; 18:15-18; Eph. 4:11-16; Heb. 13:17;
Acts 1:15-26; 14:21-23.
ARTICLE XII
Of Ordinances
We believe that Christian baptism should be administered
upon confession of faith; that the Lord’s Supper
should be observed as a memorial of His death by those
of like precious faith who have peace with God; that
feet washing as an ordinance should be literally observed
by all believers; that Christian women praying
or prophesying should have their heads covered; that
the salutation of the holy kiss should be duly and appropriately
observed by all believers; that anointing
with oil should be administered to the sick who call for
it in faith; that marriage between one man and woman
is a divine institution dissoluble only by death, that on
the part of a Christian it should be “only in the Lord”
and that consistency requires that the marriage relation
be entered only by those of like precious faith. Luke
22:19,20; 1 Cor. 11:23-28; Acts 2:38; 8:12; 18:8; Jno.
13:1-7; 1 Cor. 11:2-16; 16:20; Jas. 5:14-16; Mark 10:6-12;
Rom. 7:2; 1 Cor. 7:39; Amos 3:3.
ARTICLE XIII
Of Restrictions
We believe that all Christians should honor, pray for,
pay tribute to, and obey in all things those who are in
authority in state and nation, provided however, that
should instances arise in which such obedience would
violate the higher law of God “we ought to obey God
rather than man”; that Church and State are separate,
and while believers are to be subject to, they are not
apart of the civil, administrative powers; that it is contrary
to the teachings of Christ and the apostles to engage
in carnal warfare; that Christians should “adorn
themselves in modest apparel ... not with broided hair,
or gold, or pearls, or costly array”; that the swearing of
oaths is forbidden in the New Testament Scriptures; that
secret orders are antagonistic to the tenor and spirit of
the Gospel; and that life insurance is inconsistent with
filial trust in the providence and care of our heavenly
Father. 1 Pet.2:13,14,17; Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Tim. 2:1,2;
Acts 5:29; Matt. 22:21; Mark 10:42-44; Jno. 18:36; 2
Cor. 10:4; 1 Tim. 2:9,10; 1 Pet. 3:3-5; Matt. 5:34-37;
Jas. 5:12; Jno. 18:20; Eph. 5:11,12; 1 Jno. 3:17; Gal.6:10;
Jer. 49:11; Eph. 1:22,23.
ARTICLE XIV
Of Apostasy
We believe that the latter days will be characterized
by general lawlessness and departure from the faith;
that on the part of the world “iniquity shall abound”
and “evil men shall wax worse and worse”; that on the
part of the Church there will be a falling away and “the
love of many shall wax cold”; that false teachers shall
abound, both deceiving and being deceived; and further,
that present conditions indicate that we are now
living in these perilous times. 1 Tim. 4:1,2; Rom. 16:17,18;
2 Tim. 3:1-5,13; 2 Pet. 2:1,2,10; Matt. 24:11,12; 2Thess. 2:3.
ARTICLE XV
Of the Resurrection
We believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ
and in the bodily resurrection of all men, both of the
just and the unjust - of the just to the resurrection of life,
and of the unjust to the resurrection of condemnation.
Jno. 20:20,24-29; Luke 24:30,31; 1 Cor. 15:42-44; Acts
24:15; Jno. 5:28,29; 1 Cor. 15:20-23.
ARTICLE XVI
Of the Coming of Christ
We believe in the personal, imminent coming of our
Lord as the blessed hope of the believer; that we who
are alive and remain, together with the dead in Christ
who will be raised, shall be caught up to meet the Lord
in the air and thus ever be with the Lord. Jno. 14:2,3;
Acts 1:11; Matt. 24:44; Heb. 10:37; Tit. 2:11-13; 1Thess. 4:13-18.
ARTICLE XVII
Of the Intermediate State
We believe that in the interval between death and
resurrection, the righteous will be with Christ in a state
of conscious bliss and comfort, but that the wicked will
be in a place of torment, in a state of conscious suffering
and despair. Luke 16:19-31; 23:43; Phil. 1:23; 2
Cor. 5:1-8; 1 Thess. 5:10; 2 Pet. 2:9.
ARTICLE XVIII
Of the Final State
We believe that hell is the place of torment, prepared
for the devil and his angels, where with them the wicked
will suffer the vengeance of eternal fire forever and
ever, and that heaven is the final abode of the righteous,
where they will dwell in the fullness of joy forever and
ever. Matt. 25:41,46; Jude 7; Rev. 14:8-11; 20:10,15; 2
Cor. 5:1,2; Rev. 21:3-8; 22:1-5.