Although church documents may not seem very appealing, they are an important part of a pastor’s toolbox. In this article, I want to focus on the importance of three main documents: the confession of faith, the church covenant, and the statutes.
Confession of faith
A creed is a summary of doctrinal beliefs. Early Christians used short but profound documents such as the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed (325 and 381), and the Chalcedonian Creed (451). These concise statements reflected the common Christian faith in God and the gospel he has given us.
During the Reformation, a number of similar documents emerged that united Protestant churches around evangelical truth, while at the same time expressing differences regarding church structure and baptism. For example:
- Augsburg Confession (1530) - for Lutherans,
- Westminster Confession of Faith (1646) - for Presbyterians,
- Savoy Declaration (1658) - for Congregationalists,
- The Second London Baptist Confession of Faith (1689) — for Baptists.
Already in the 21st century, churches wisely continue this legacy by adopting their own confessions of faith. Assertion of such a confession is usually a prerequisite for membership or ministry. And although in the Pastoral Epistles we do not find a direct command like: «Create a confession of faith in your church,» it would be imprudent to neglect this good practice.
The profession of faith is a gift to the church.
- Gift for Visitors: It helps them learn what your church believes in. Being open about your beliefs builds trust.
- Support for Teachers: A Sunday school teacher familiar with his church’s confession can rightly say, «I shouldn’t teach that everyone must believe in the rapture of the church before the Great Tribulation.».
- Gift for Pastors: Helps them know when to appeal to the conscience of a church member. For example, when someone asks, «Can we support same-sex marriage?» a pastor might respond, «No, we cannot. We have carefully studied the Bible and stated our position in the confession of faith…»
- The Basis of Unity: It outlines the doctrines that unite us in common. After all, true unity is possible only on the basis of shared beliefs.
Of course, unlike the Bible, no creed is infallible. It can be revised for greater clarity. In recent years, many churches, for example, added a section to their confession that describes the biblical understanding of marriage.
Using a good confession of faith is like playing bowling with pins. The pins keep the ball from rolling sideways. Similarly, a confession of faith helps us stay within the boundaries of truth and not stray. The Bible is the only and absolute authority. But after Scripture, a properly written confession of faith is an important tool that supports and protects sound doctrine.
Church covenant
The apostle Paul wrote to Timothy: «Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching» (1 Tim. 4:16). If a confession of faith is a concise statement of sound doctrine, then a church covenant is a concise description of a proper way of life. A covenant helps both church ministers and church members by showing what a Christian’s life should be like. Proper use of a church covenant encourages believers to take responsibility for one another’s holiness.
After the profession of faith, I find the church covenant to be the most useful tool in preparing people for membership. It is important for them to know not only what we believe, but also how we agree to live together. Walking through the church covenant is like walking through the park of sanctification. Those who do not like this «landscape» quickly realize that this church is not for them.
In our church, we usually read the covenant aloud during the Lord’s Supper. While the practice itself is not directly commanded in Scripture, the call to self-examination is (1 Cor. 11:28). And isn’t the best way to do this to remember the promises we made to each other when we became members of this local church? We promised not only to believe certain truths but also to live in a certain way.
The church covenant is full of obligations—such as maintaining personal piety, brotherly love, and faithful evangelization. The rapid pursuit of a godly life does not save a person—that is the work of the Holy Spirit working through the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ. However, a changed life is evidence of conversion, and a constant reminder of the church covenant helps us not to lose sight of sanctification as one of the main manifestations of the Christian life.
Regulations
In my state, a church seeking nonprofit status must have a charter that outlines its internal rules. In this purely practical sense, a charter is «required.» However, I want to look at this issue from a slightly different perspective. Even if the state did not require a charter, I would still recommend having one.
When Paul concluded his account of the gathering of believers with the words: «"But let all things be done decently and in order" (1 Cor. 14:40), he did not mean that the church should adopt a bylaw. He meant that there should be no chaos in the meetings, caused by no one understanding who is responsible and what will happen next. While a confession of faith contributes greatly to this order, a well-written bylaw specifies basic questions: Who is eligible to be a pastor or deacon? How are they elected? Who is responsible for the finances? Can someone be removed from membership?
Some find these issues at best boring, at worst «unspiritual.» But it is precisely clarity on these matters that helps the «sheep» feel safe, especially those who have already had painful experiences of abuse by church leadership. A good shepherd will tell his church, «If I ever start teaching anything that contradicts Scripture, you must get rid of me as soon as possible.» And a well-written charter shows just how to do just that.
Jesus commanded us to be «wise as serpents and innocent as doves» (Matt. 10:16). We live in a world where churches can be attacked from without and from within. Churches that seek to be faithful to Scripture will discipline their members for habitual, unrepentant sin. Procedures for excommunication should be written into the church’s bylaws and accepted by every new member before they join the church. This will not protect the church from being sued for «slander» (or worse) by an offended member, but it is one way to act wisely in a world that rejects biblical morality and can attack a faithful church.
Call for other documents
The Confession of Faith, the Church Covenant, and the Statutes are the king, queen, and prince of church documents. But outside of this «royal family,» there are other documents worth paying attention to.
One way to show love for children in church (and their parents) is to implement a child protection policy. Predators often prey on carelessly organized children's ministries. Ignoring the need for such a policy is, in essence, neglecting one's own children.
Another useful document is the church’s policy manual or policy book. There are a number of important issues that are not addressed in the church bylaws. For example, what if the donations do not cover the church’s expenses? What if the income is more than needed? What if Mrs. Smith wants to donate $500 to install a fountain in front of the church? Or what if Bobby wants to send a letter to all church members asking them to support his short-term mission trip? How does the church process requests for financial assistance? Are the church facilities open to the public during the week?
Sooner or later, every church will face these questions. The answers to them could only overload the church constitution and make it cumbersome and inconvenient. A well-thought-out administrative manual will help fill these gaps and save leaders a lot of time in the future. In summary: a quality constitution promotes unity in the decision-making process in the church. And there is nothing spiritual in division.
Conclusion
Most of us don’t like to think about church documents much—especially when we know that Jesus is coming back and there is so much evangelism and discipleship work ahead. And I completely agree: that is where your church should be focused.
However, creating quality church documents is a worthwhile endeavor. Imagine evangelism and discipleship ministry as a sports car. And good church documents are the smooth, solid road beneath its wheels. When the road is well-maintained, the car can race to the finish line without any obstacles. But if the road is bad, the car will have to slow down or even stop to change a tire. Even the best car will not be able to reach its destination on a broken track.
Similarly, a church without good documents may work well today, but over time you will find yourself distracted from your primary mission. So it is worth taking the time to implement, improve, and use church documents. In the long run, this will help your church focus on what is most important—the Gospel.
