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But the document may be equally notable for what it does not say. There is an article about the Holy Spirit, but it says nothing about certain gifts of the Spirit, such as prophecy or speaking in tongues. It says the Lord Jesus mandated baptism as one of two ordinances, along with the Lord's Supper. But it does not specify the mode or timing of baptism. Very few EFCA pastors baptize infants, but the denomination allows this option, said Greg Strand, the EFCA's director of biblical theology and credentialing. He said the EFCA historically accommodated refugee Methodists and Presbyterians who still wanted to baptize their infants.

Unlike Baptist denominations, adult baptism by immersion is not a requirement for membership in the EFCA. This practice dates back to the EFCA's roots in the Scandinavian free churches that split with the Lutheran state churches. The free churches recoiled against requiring anything but a profession of faith in Jesus Christ for membership. But the EFCA's openness on baptismal modes has led churches to de-emphasize baptism altogether, Strand said. The 1950 statement says only that water baptism and the Lord's Supper are "not to be regarded as means of salvation."

"The ordinances became a matter of indifference," Strand said. "That's a weakness. And that's what we attempted to redress in article seven in our new statement of faith." The 2008 statement says the ordinances "confirm and nourish the believer." David Neff, editor in chief of Christianity Today media group, observes the new tone of the document, which also states the ordinances "visibly and tangibly express the gospel."

Strand and many other leaders relented on one proposed change. They worried they could not garner support from the required 67 percent of delegates to the EFCA national leadership conference. The proposal would have dropped premillennialism from the statement of faith. Objections to the change recall an earlier era during the early and mid-20th century, when dispensationalism became closely associated with historic Protestant orthodoxy in America. Strand said some delegates argued that opening the door to other end-times views would undermine inerrancy and put the denomination on a slippery slope to liberalism.

Concerns about promoting a social gospel were raised about the article on Christian living, Strand said. But the surviving article reminds Christians that "God's justifying grace must not be separated from his sanctifying power and purpose." It goes on to say that God commands Christians to live out their faith with "compassion toward the poor and justice for the oppressed."

"One of the big issues the evangelical church needs to address today is the both/and of orthodoxy and orthopraxy," Strand said. "That is why we've been intentional about including both in a statement of faith."

By being intentional about revising the statement of faith before it breaks down, EFCA leaders just might save themselves the trouble of fixing it later.

Collin Hansen is a CT editor at large, master of divinity student at TEDS, and author of Young, Restless, Reformed: A Journalist's Journey with the New Calvinists.

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July (Web-Only) 2008, Vol. 52