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

1. God the King and the Holy Trinity
WE BELIEVE that God is the Eternal1 King2. He is an infinite,3 unchangeable4 Spirit,5
perfect6 in holiness,7 wisdom,8 goodness,9 justice,10 power11 and love.12 From all
eternity13 He exists as the One14 Living15 and True16 God in three persons17 of one
substance,18 the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,19 equal in power and glory.20

1Deuteronomy 33:27; Romans 1:20; 2Psalm 95:3; Isaiah 43:15; 3Psalm 147:5; Job 11:7-9; 4James
1:17; 5John 4:24; 6Matthew 5:48; 7Isaiah 6:3; 1 Peter 115-16; 8Psalm 104:24; Proverbs 2:6; Isaiah
28:29; 9Exodus 33:19; Psalm 63:2; Psalm 31:19; 10Psalm 33:5; Psalm 89:14; Isaiah 30:18;
11Exodus 15:6; 121 John 4:8; 13Isaiah 43:13; 14Isaiah 45:5; 1 Corinthians 8:4; 15Psalm 42:2; Psalm
84:2; 16Jerimiah 10:10; 17John 1:18; John 10:30; John 14:9; John 14:16-17; John 14:26; John
15:26; 2 Corinthians 3:17-18; 18John 1:1; John 1:14; 2 Corinthians 3:17; 19Matthew 28:19-20;
2 Corinthians 13:14; Revelation 1:4; 20Revelation 5:13; Ephesians 3:14-21

2. God the King: The Creator and Ruler of All Things
WE BELIEVE that God's kingdom is everlasting.21 From His throne,22 through His Son,
His eternal Word,23 God created,24 upholds25 and governs26 all that exists:27 the heavenly
places,28 the angelic hosts,29 the universe,30 the earth,31 every living thing32 and
mankind.33 God created all things very good.34

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

3. Counterfeit Kingdom: Satan and Demonic Hosts
WE BELIEVE that Satan, originally a great, good angel, rebelled against God, taking a
host of angels with him.35 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 earth.37

35Revelation 12:7-9; 362 Corinthians 11:14; Colossians 1:13-14; Ephesians 6:12; 37Mark 3:22-26;
Ephesians 2:1-2; 1 John 5:19

4. The Kingdom in the Creation of Man, the Fall and The Doctrine of Original
Sin
WE BELIEVE that God created mankind in His own image, male and female,38 for
relationship with Himself and to govern the earth.39 Under the temptation of Satan,40 our
original parents fell from grace,41 bringing sin,42 sickness43 and God's judgment of
death to the earth.44 Through the fall, Satan and his demonic hosts gained access to
God's good creation.45 Creation now experiences the consequences and effects of
Adam's original sin.46 Human beings are born in sin,47 subject to God's judgment of
death48 and captive to Satan's kingdom of darkness.49

38Genesis 1:26-27; 39Genesis 1:26; 40Genesis 3:1; Revelation 12:9; 41Genesis 3:8; Romans 1:21;
Romans 5:16; 42Romans 5:12; 43John 5:14; 441 Corinthians 15:22; 45John 8:44; 1 John 5:19;
46Romans 8:20-23; 47Psalm 51:5; 48Ezekiel 18:4; Romans 2:5; Romans 2:12; Hebrews 9:27;
49Galatians 1:3-5; Galatians 4:8-9; Colossians 1:13

5. God's Providence, Kingdom Law and Covenants
WE BELIEVE that God did not abandon His rule over the earth50 which He continues to
uphold by His providence.51 In order to bring redemption, God established covenants52
which revealed His grace to sinful people.53 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 them.54

50Psalm 24:1; Psalm 96:10; 51Isaiah 40:22; Hebrews 1:3; 52Romans 9:4; 53Ephesians 2:12;
54Genesis 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

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 it.56 The law's purpose is to order our fallen race57 and to
make us conscious of our moral responsibility.58 By the work of God's Spirit,59 it convicts
us of our sin60 and God's righteous judgment against us61 and brings us to Christ alone
for salvation.62

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

WE BELIEVE that when Israel rejected God's rule over her as King,63 God established
the monarchy in Israel64 and made an unconditional covenant with David,65 promising
that his heir would restore God's kingdom reign over His people as Messiah forever.66

631 Samuel 8:6-8; 641 Samuel 8:21-22; 1 Samuel 9:15-16; 1 Samuel 10:1; 1 Samuel 10:24;
652 Samuel 7:11b-16; Psalm 89:34-37; 66Isaiah 9:6-7; Isaiah 11:1-5; Jeremiah 23:5-6; Ezekiel
34:23

6. Christ the Mediator and Eternal King
WE BELIEVE that in the fullness of time,67 God honored His covenants with Israel and
His prophetic promises of salvation68 by sending His Son,69 Jesus, into the world.70
Conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary,71 as fully God and fully man in
one person,72 He is humanity as God intended us to be.73 Jesus was anointed as God's
Messiah and empowered by the Holy Spirit,74 inaugurating God's kingdom reign on
earth,75 overpowering the reign of Satan by resisting temptation,76 preaching the good
news of salvation,77 healing the sick,78 casting out demons79 and raising the dead.80
Gathering His disciples,81 He reconstituted God's people82 as His Church83 to be the
instrument of His kingdom.84 After dying for the sins of the world,85 Jesus was raised
from the dead on the third day,86 fulfilling the covenant of blessing given to Abraham.87 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-breakers.92 By
His death on the cross He also disarmed the demonic powers.93 The covenant with
David was fulfilled in Jesus' birth from David's house,94 His Messianic ministry,95 His
glorious resurrection from the dead,96 His ascent into heaven and His present rule at the
right hand of the Father.97 As God's Son and David's heir,98 He is the eternal Messiah-
King,99 advancing God's reign throughout every generation and throughout the whole
earth today.100

67Mark 1:15; Galatians 4:4; 68Romans 1:2-4; 69John 1:14; 70John 1:17-18; 71Luke 1:30-35, 72John
1:14; Philippians 2:5-7; 73Romans 5:19; 1 Corinthians 15:22; 1 Peter 2:22, 2 Corinthians 5:21;
Romans 8:29; 74Luke 3:21-22; Luke 4:16-21; 75Mark 1:14-15; Luke 11:20; Luke 17:20-21; 76Luke
4:1-13; 77Luke 4:43; 78Luke 4:40; 79Luke 4:41; 80Luke 7:14-17; 81Mark 1:16-17; 82Mark 3:13-15;
83Matthew 16:18; 84Luke 9:1-2; Luke 10:1-17; 85John 1:29; John 6:51; John 4:9-10; 86Mark 8:31;
1 Corinthians 15:3-5; 87Galatians 3:13-14; 88Acts 3:14-15; Hebrews 4:15; 89Romans 5:18-19;
901 Peter 2:24; 91Galatians 3:13; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 92Romans 1:18; Romans 1:32; Romans 2:12;
2 Thessalonians 1:6-10; 93Colossians 2:13-15; 94Matthew 1:1; 95Luke 1:68-72; Luke 2:10-11;
Matthew 9:27; 96Acts 2:24-28; 97Acts 2:29-36; 98Romans 1:1-4; 99Hebrews 1:1-3; 1001 Corinthians
15:24-26; Ephesians 1:19-23; Revelation 5:5

7. The Ministry of the Holy Spirit
WE BELIEVE that the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Church at Pentecost in
power,101 baptizing believers into the Body of Christ102 and releasing the gifts of the Spirit
to them.103 The Spirit brings the permanent indwelling presence of God to us104 for
spiritual worship,105 personal sanctification,106 building up the Church,107 gifting us for
ministry,108 and driving back the kingdom of Satan by the evangelization of the world109
through proclaiming the word of Jesus110 and doing the works of Jesus.111

101Acts 1:8; Acts 2:1-4; 1021 Corinthians 12:13; 1031 Corinthians 12:4-7; 104John 14:16-17;
105Romans 12:1; Ephesians 5:18-20; 106Romans 8:3-4; 1071 Corinthians 14:12; 1 Corinthians
14:26; 108Romans 12:4-6; 109Luke 11:20; 1 John 3:8b; 110Ephesians 6:10-20; 111John 14:12-13;
Romans 15:18-19; 1 Corinthians 4:20

WE BELIEVE that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Jesus Christ112 and that He is
our abiding Helper,113 Teacher,114 and Guide.115 We believe in the filling or the
empowering of the Holy Spirit,116 often a conscious experience,117 for ministry today.118
We believe in the present ministry of the Spirit119 and in the exercise of all of the biblical
gifts of the Spirit.120 We practice the laying on of hands for the empowering of the
Spirit,121 for healing,122 and for recognition and empowering of those whom God has
ordained to lead and serve the Church.123

112Romans 8:9-10; 113John 16:7; 114John 14:26; 115John 16:13-15; Romans 8:14; 116Luke 24:49;
Acts 4:31; 117Acts 8:18-19; Acts 19:1-2; 1181Corinthians 2:4-5; 2 Corinthians 4:7; 2 Corinthians
6:4-7; 119Joel 2:28-29; Acts 2:15-17; 1201 Corinthians 12:7-11; 1 Corinthians 14:1; 1 Corinthians
14:5; 1Thessalonians 5:19-21; 121Acts 8:14-17; Acts 19:6; 122Mark 1:41; Luke 6:18b-19; Mark
16:18; 123Acts 13:1-3; 1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy 1:6

8. The Sufficiency of Scripture
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 practice.128

1242 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21; 1 Corinthians 2:12-13; John 14:26; 125Psalm 19:7-9; Psalm
119:30; Psalm 119:43; Psalm 119:89; Matthew 5:17-18; John 3:34; John 10:35; 1 Thessalonians
2:13; Revelation 22:6; 126Luke 24:44; 2 Peter 3:15-16; Revelation 22:18-19; 127Isaiah 40:8;
Matthew 24:35; 128Matthew 7:21; Matthew 7:24; Luke 1:38; James 1:22-25

9. The Power of the Gospel Over the Kingdom of Darkness
WE BELIEVE that the whole world is under the domination of Satan129 and that all
people are sinners by nature130 and choice.131 All people therefore are under God's just
judgment.132 Through the preaching of the Good News of Jesus and the Kingdom of
God133 and the work of the Holy Spirit,134 God regenerates,135 justifies,136 adopts137 and
sanctifies138 through Jesus by the Spirit139 all who repent of their sins140 and trust in
Jesus Christ as Lord141 and Saviour.142 By this they are released from Satan's domain
and enter into God's kingdom reign.143

129Luke 4:5-7; 1 John 5:19; 1301 Corinthians 15:22; Ephesians 2:1-3; 131Romans 1:21-23; Romans
1:32; 132Romans 1:18; Romans 2:5; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Ephesians 5:6; 133Mark 1:14-15; Acts
8:12; Acts 28:31; Ephesians 5:5; 134John 16:7-11; 135John 3:5-8; 1 Peter 1:23; 136Romans 5:1-2;
Romans 5:9; 137Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6; 138Ephesians 5:25; Hebrews 13:12; 1391 Peter 1:1-2;
140Acts 2:38; 141Romans 10:9; 1421 John 4:13-15; 143Colossians 1:13-14; Philippians 3:20

10. The Church: Instrument of the Kingdom
WE BELIEVE in the one,144 holy,145 universal Church.146 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 Christ,148 of which He is the head149 and of which we are all members.150
144John 17:20-21; Ephesians 4:3-6; 1451 Corinthians 3:16-17; 146Matthew 16:17-18; 1 Corinthians
1:2; Ephesians 2:18-19; 1 Peter 2:9-10; 147Titus 3:4-7; 148Romans 12:4-5; 149Ephesians 1:22;
Ephesians 5:23; 1501 Corinthians 12:27

11. Baptism and the Lord's Supper
WE BELIEVE that Jesus Christ committed two ordinances to the Church: water
baptism151 and the Lord's Supper.152 Both are available to all believers.

151Matthew 28:19-20; 1521 Corinthians 10:14-17; 11:23-26

12. The Kingdom of God and the Final Judgment
WE BELIEVE that God's kingdom has come in the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ,153
that it continues to come in the ministry of the Spirit through the Church,154 and that it will
be consummated in the glorious, visible and triumphant appearing of Christ155 - His
return to the earth as King.156 After Christ returns to reign,157 He will bring about the final
defeat of Satan and all of his minions and works,158 the resurrection of the dead,159 the
final judgment160 and the eternal blessing of the righteous and eternal conscious
punishment of the wicked.161 Finally, God will be all in all162 and His kingdom, His rule
and reign,163 will be fulfilled in the new heavens and the new earth,164 recreated by His
mighty power, in which righteousness dwells165 and in which He will forever be
worshipped.166

153Daniel 7:13-14; Matthew 4:23; Matthew 12:28; 154Matthew 6:10; Matthew 10:7-8; Matthew
24:14; Mark 13:11; John 15:26-27; Romans 14:17-18; 155Mark13:26; Acts 1:9-11; 2
Thessalonians 2:8; 156Revelation 19:11-16; 157Matthew 25:31-32; 1 Corinthians 15:23-25;
158Revelation 20:10; 1591 Corinthians 15:51-52; 160John 5:28-30; Revelation 20:11-15; 161Matthew
25:31-46; 1621 Corinthians 15:24-28; 1631 Timothy 6:13-16; 1642 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:5;
165Revelation 21:27; 1661 Timothy 1:17; Revelation 7:9-12

If you desire further information regarding our theological position e-mail
( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) to request the paper entitled "Association of Vineyard Churches
Theological and Philosophical Statement".