World Federation of Churches "Statement of Faith"
Dogmatic Articles

1. The Way of Salvation: Eternal Salvation is promised to mankind only through the merits of our Savior Jesus Christ, and upon condition of obedience to the teaching of the Gospel, which requires Faith, Hope and Charity, and the due observance of the Holy Scriptures.

2. Faith, Hope and Charity: Faith is a virtue infused by God, whereby one accepts, and believes without doubting, whatever God has revealed in the Church concerning true Religion.

Hope is a virtue infused by God, and following upon Faith; by it one puts their entire trust and confidence in the goodness and mercy of God, through Jesus Christ, and looks for the fulfillment of the Divine promises made to those who obey the Gospel.

Charity is a virtue infused by God, and likewise consequent upon Faith, whereby one, loving God above all things for His own sake, and their neighbor as oneself for God's sake, yields up one will to a joyful obedience to the revealed will of God in the Church.

3. The Church: God has established the Church upon earth to be the pillar and ground of the revealed Truth; and has committed to her the guardianship of the Holy Scriptures and of Holy Tradition, and the power of binding and loosing.

4. The Creed: The founding fathers of the Church has set forth the principal Doctrines of the Christian Faith in twelve articles of the Creed, as follows:

I. I believe in one God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible;

II. And in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all Ages, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God, begotten not made, of one substance with the Father, by Whom all things were made;

III. Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was Incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made Man;

IV. And was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate, He suffered and was buried;

V. And the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures;

VI. And ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father;

VII. And He shall come again, with glory, to judge the living and the dead; Whose kingdom shall have no end;

VIII. And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, Who proceeds from the Father, Who
with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, Who spoke by the Prophets;

IX. And in One, Holy, Christian, and Apostolic Church;

X. I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins;

XI. And I look for the Resurrection of the dead;

XII. And the Life of the world to come. Amen.

This sacred Creed is sufficient for the establishment of the Truth.


5. Holy Scripture: The Scriptures are writings inspired by God, and given to the Church for her instruction and edification. The Church is therefore the custodian and the only Divinely appointed interpreter of Holy Scripture.

6. Tradition: The Apostolic and Ecclesiastical Traditions received from the seven General Councils and the early Fathers of the Church may not be rejected; but are to be received and obeyed as being both agreeable to Holy Scripture and to that Authority with which Christ endowed His Church. Matters of discipline and ceremonial do not rank on the same level with matters of Faith and Morals, but may be altered from time to time and from place to place by the Authority of the Church according as the welfare and greater devotion of the faithful may be furthered thereby. However, it must also be remembered that Tradition is never a dead instrument of our Faith, and that it must remain within the tutelary responsibility of the Federation to allow, permit and encourage new tradition which while remaining compliant to the Apostolic Faith of the undivided Church may become necessary to fulfill ministerial outreach and mission establishment for the extension of the Kingdom of God.


Organic Articles

1. Head of the Church: The Foundation Head and Supreme Pastor and Bishop of the Church is our Lord, Savior and God Jesus Christ Himself, from Whom all Bishops and Pastors derive their spiritual powers and jurisdiction.

2. Obedience: By the laws and institution of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Gospel, all Christians owe obedience and submission in spiritual things to them who have rule and authority within the Church.

3. Ministerial Authority: Our Lord Jesus Christ did not commit rule and authority within the Church to all the faithful indiscriminately, but only to the Apostles and to their lawful successors in due order.


4. Church Authority: There have been seven General Councils only, which are recognized by the whole of Christendom, held respective in Nicea (AD-325), Constantinople (381), Ephesus (431), Chalcedon (451), Constantinople (553), Constantinople (680), and Nicea (787). At no other Councils was the entire body of the Christian Faith representatively assembled; and the decrees and pronouncements of no others must of themselves be accepted as binding upon the conscience of the clergy and the faithful.

5. The Five Patriarchies: There are five Patriarchies, which ought to be united and form the supreme authority in the administration and government of the Church. These are Jerusalem, Antioch, Rome, Alexandria, and Constantinople. Unfortunately, owing to disputes and differences on the one hand, and to the lust for power and supremacy and domination on the other, the Patriarchs are not at present in Communion; and the welfare of Christendom is jeopardized by their non-edifying quarrels, which, we pray, may soon have an end. It is our feeling that the same admonition needs to be extended to all the Christian Churches who have also spent to many years in quarrels and unending counter productive arguing, that we may all return to the respect and love of Christ for one another to which we have all been called, as we all labor together within the Vineyard of our Lord, Savior and God Jesus Christ.

Statement of Faith Adopted and Ratified by the World Bishops' Council