Belief Statement

Arizona Reservation Ministries does not require that staff members subscribe to a formal creed. In a very real sense, “we have no creed but Christ, no book but the Bible.” The two-fold basis of our unity are our faith in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and our adherence to the Bible as the inspired text for our teaching and the one sufficient constitution for governing fellowship among believers.

We seek unity of understanding in the essentials of our faith, yet we do not suggest that we must agree on all things pertaining to our walk in Christ. On many issues, we have the freedom to disagree. We do ask, however, that all who accept and hold positions of leadership and teaching within Arizona Reservation Ministries respect the following guidelines and resist any temptation to use their position as a forum from which to teach contrary views.

The Bible teaches that God is The Creator, Sustainer and Lord of our lives. He has no beginning and will have no end. He is eternal. Psalm 139:13-14, Genesis 1:1, Psalm 54:4

Jesus Christ is the one and only living Son of God and our Savior. He is God incarnate, God revealed in human form. All things were made through Him. Through Him, God opened the way for abundant and eternal life through his death, burial and resurrection, to all that call on Christ’s name. Jesus and God the Father are one. Matthew 3:16-17, 1 John 4:9-10, Colossians 2:0, John 3:16

The Holy Spirit is a divine person existing eternally. He is God Himself, encouraging, guiding and transforming us in the way of Christ. The New Testament teaches that ALL believers receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38-39, Luke 1:35, John 4:24 and 14:15-17.

The Bible is the inspired Word of God. It is the authoritative rule of faith and practice for Christians and the Church. It was “God-breathed.” It is literally His words written by men who yielded their minds and their hand to His Spirit. 1 Timothy 3:16

We believe that the requirement for church membership and therefore a position on this staff is just what was required in the New Testament. One must be a believer in Jesus Christ as the only Son of God and be willing to repent of sin and surrender to His Lordship, to confess this faith before others, obey Him in Christian baptism and continue in faithful discipleship. Acts 2:37-41, Matt. 3:16-17 and 10:32-33, 1 John 4:15, Luke 13:3, Acts 3:19, Romans 10:9-10 and 1 Peter 3:21

Following the New Testament example, we practice baptism of the repentant believer by immersion in water for the forgiveness of sins and to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 8:35-59 and Romans 6.

The New Testament teaches the ministry of all believers, recognizing that the Holy Spirit gives various gifts to members of the Body so that every member can make a contribution to the effective ministry of the entire Church. While we do not presume to dictate one’s private worship practices, we have agreed that, for the sake of unity of this ministry, in our public worship services and other sanctioned mission meetings and our involvement with those we minister to, we will not teach or practice what is commonly called “speaking in tongues.” Eph. 4:11-16, 1 Peter 4:10, 1 Cor. 12:7 and Acts 2:1-15.

We certainly understand and respect the fact that many Christians have different opinions, understanding and insights regarding Biblical truths. While we respect the right of individuals to believe differently, we believe it is reasonable to expect our staff to agree on these essential facts of Christianity. Thus, we reiterate a plea for unity under the statement which the non-denominational Christian Churches have appreciated for years, “In essentials, unity, in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, love.”