Our Beliefs

What We Believe

The Christian and Missionary Alliance Statement of Faith is in the process of revision. The Alliance meets for General Council every other year to do the business of the denomination. Work on the Statement of Faith has been going on since the 2021 Council. All sections of the Statement of Faith must receive the approval of two consecutive councils. The first four sections have achieved this status

The Triune God

There is one God, who is infinitely perfect, existing eternally in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is the true God and the true man. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He died upon the cross, the Just for the unjust, as a substitutionary sacrifice, and all who believe in Him are justified on the ground of His shed blood. He arose from the dead according to the Scriptures. He is now at the right hand of Majesty on high as our great High Priest. He will come again to establish His kingdom, righteousness and peace.

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is a divine person, sent to indwell, guide, teach, empower the believer, and convince the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment.

The Bible

The Old and New Testaments, inerrant as originally given, were verbally inspired by God and are a complete revelation of His will for the salvation of men. They constitute the divine and only rule of Christian faith and practice.

Mankind

(Pending 2025 Council Ratification) Man and woman, created in the image and likeness of God (Gen. 1:27), fell through disobedience, incurring both physical and spiritual death (Rom. 6:23). Therefore, everyone is born with a sinful nature (Rom. 5:12), is separated from the life of God (Eph. 4:18), and can be saved only through the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:25).

Man was originally created in the image and likeness of God: he fell through disobedience, incurring thereby both physical and spiritual death. All men are born with a sinful nature, are separated from the life of God, and can be saved only through the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ. The portion of the unrepentant and unbelieving is existence forever in conscious torment; and that of the believer, in everlasting joy and bliss.

Salvation

(Pending 2025 Council Ratification) Salvation has been provided through Jesus Christ for all people (1 John 2:2). Those who repent and believe in Him are justified by grace through faith (Romans 3:21– 24), born again of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:4–7), delivered from the dominion of darkness, transferred into the Kingdom of God’s Son (Colossians 1:13), granted the gift of eternal life, and adopted as the children of God (Romans 8:14–16, John 1:12).

Salvation has been provided through Jesus Christ for all men; and those who repent and believe in Him are born again of the Holy Spirit, receive the gift of eternal life, and become the children of God.

The Believers Transformation

(Referred back for revision) It is the will of God that each believer should be filled with the Holy Spirit and be sanctified wholly, 22 being separated from sin and the world and fully dedicated to the will of God, thereby receiving power for holy living and effective service.23 This is both a crisis and a progressive experience wrought in the life of the believer subsequent to conversion.24 ( 221 Thessalonians 5:23, 23 Acts 1:8, 24 Romans 6:1–14)

It is the will of God that each believer should be filled with the Holy Spirit and be sanctified wholly, being separated from sin and the world and fully dedicated to the will of God, thereby receiving power for holy living and effective service. This is both a crisis and a progressive experience wrought in the life of the believer subsequent to conversion.

Provision for Healing

(Pending 2025 Council Ratification) Provision is made in the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ for the healing of the whole person (Isaiah 53:4–5, Matthew 8:16–17). Prayer for the sick and anointing with oil are taught in the Scriptures (James 5:13–16) as privileges for the Church in this present age (Acts 4:30).

Provision is made in the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ for the healing of the mortal body. Prayer for the sick and anointing with oil are taught in the Scriptures and are privileges for the Church in this present age.

The Church

(Pending 2025 Council Ratification) The Church consists of all those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, are redeemed through His blood, and are born again by the Holy Spirit. Christ is the Head of His Body (Eph. 1:22–23, Col. 1:18), the Church, which has been commissioned by Him to go into all the world making disciples of all peoples (Matt. 24:14, 28:19–20). The local church is a body of believers in Christ (Eph. 5:30) who are called to love (1 Thess. 3:12) and joined together for the worship of God, edification through the Word of God, prayer, fellowship, proclamation of the gospel through word and deed (Luke 4:18–19), and observance of the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper (Acts 2:41–47).

The Church consists of all those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, are redeemed through His blood, and are born again of the Holy Spirit. Christ is the Head of the Body, the Church, which has been commissioned by Him to go into all the world as a witness, preaching the gospel to all nations. The local church is a body of believers in Christ who are joined together for the worship of God, for edification through the Word of God, for prayer, fellowship, the proclamation of the gospel, and observance of the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

Resurrection

(Pending 2025 Council Ratification) There will be a bodily resurrection of all people (Acts 24:15). Our Lord Jesus Christ will judge with perfect justice (Acts 17:31, John 5:28–30) as the unrepentant and unbelieving are raised to the conscious anguish of eternal separation from God (Rev. 20:15, 21:8, 2 Thess. 1:9), and repentant believers are raised (John 6:54) to the unending joy of eternal life with God (Ps. 16:11, Rev. 21:1–4).

There shall be a bodily resurrection of the just and of the unjust; for the former, a resurrection unto life; for the latter, a resurrection unto judgment.

The Second Coming

(Pending 2025 Council Ratification) Preamble: This preamble paraphrases the words of our founder, Dr. A. B. Simpson, penned in 1887. They are found in the preamble and body of the first constitution of what was then known as The Christian Alliance. We continue to embrace this spirit within The Christian and Missionary Alliance (the CMA) today. The CMA is a family of believers who share in common the fullness of Jesus in His present grace and coming glory. The CMA is not intended to be sectarian in a way that would divide it from the broader body of evangelical churches. Rather, it is the intent of the CMA to fellowship and partner with all Christians, churches, and denominations who, like us, cling to “the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints” (Jude 3). We understand that some will desire to be members and official workers in the CMA who are in agreement with our mission and our doctrinal principles with the exception that they may not fully embrace the doctrine of the premillennial return of Jesus Christ. Such people may be received into membership and licensed for ministry so long as they embrace all the other tenets of our Statement of Faith and are willing to give the matter of premillennialism their honest and prayerful consideration.
The Second Coming of Jesus Christ, our Lord and King (Rev. 19:16), is imminent (Heb. 10:37, Rev. 22:20) and will be sudden (1 Cor. 15:52), personal, visible, and premillennial (Acts 1:11, Matt. 26:64, Rev. 20:1–7). This is the believer’s blessed hope and is a vital truth which calls us to holy living, intentional witness, and faithful service (Titus 2:11–14).


The second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is imminent and will be personal, visible, and premillennial. This is the believer’s blessed hope and is a vital truth which is an incentive to holy living and faithful service.

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