Confessions

The Word of God Above All

We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the inspired, infallible, and inerrant Word of God. The Bible is the supreme authority (norma normans) for faith and life.

Our Confessions are the "rules that are ruled" (norma normata)—they are true because they are faithful to scripture, guarding us against heresy and guiding us in the truth that has been handed down once for all to the saints.

A Protestant Consensus

The Evangelical & Reformed Synod stands firmly in the tradition of the Protestant Reformation. We are a "United" church, bridging inter-protestant divides based on a common understanding of the Christian faith as defined by an historic consensus. We strongly deny that this amounts to a compromise in our varied Lutheran, Anglican and Reformed backgrounds.

We believe that the Church is called to be One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic. Therefore, we reject the modern tendency to divide endlessly. Instead, we embrace the rich heritage of the Magisterial Reformers—Luther, Calvin, Cranmer, and Melanchthon—finding in their writings a shared testimony to the grace of God in Jesus Christ.

The Communion Formula

In the first generation of the Reformation, divided Evangelical & Reformed theologians met in Marburg with the goal of reconciling their views on Holy Communion. Today, we affirm these articles as a commitment to our communion together.