Toward this end, we penned “A Conservative Christian Declaration.” We see this document as very similar to ones like the “Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy,” the “Danvers Statement on Biblical Manhood and Womenhood,” and even recent documents like the T4G Affirmations and Denials and the Gospel Coalition documents. It defines what we believe to be important in a simple way. And we see it being used similarly to the documents mentioned: something people can use to articulate their views, and even something churches and other institutions can adopt or use in other ways.

Before introducing the declaration, here are a few clarifications and explanations of our purposes behind this document:

1. We do not intend to start a movement or an organization.
2. We acknowledge that there are doctrinal commitments that are essential to Christianity but not articulated in the document. In other words, this document does not articulate the fundamentals of the gospel; we look to the traditional creeds and confessions for that.
3. We do not intend to imply that those who find affinity with this document will be able to work together in every circumstance (church planting, church membership, etc.). In other words, there are doctrinal and practical matters beyond what this document articulates that influence cooperation between Christians (such as denominational distinctives).
4. We see this simply as a document that goes beyond our core confessions to help define certain values that we consider important across denominational lines and that we fear have been lost in contemporary evangelicalism.

Specifically with reference to point 2, we would affirm as a foundation to this declaration the system of doctrine expressed in the early creeds of Christianity:

1. The Apostles’ Creed
2. The Nicene Creed
3. The Chalcedonian Creed
4. The Athanasian Creed

Furthermore, we would insist upon the affirmation of additional doctrinal clarification and refinement provided by at least one other confession of faith that articulates post-Reformation theology. These might include one of the following:

1. The Belgic Confession of Faith
2. The Heidelberg Catechism
3. The Schleitheim Confession
4. The Westminster Confession of Faith
5. The London Baptist Confession / The Philadelphia Baptist Confession
6. The Thirty-nine Articles of the Church of England
7. The New Hampshire Baptist Confession
8. The Baptist Faith and Message

In other words, we believe that the early creeds and at least one post-Reformatation confession are necessary for defining biblical Christianity. The Conservative Christian Declaration builds upon traditional Christian doctrine additional distinctives we believe to be important.

With that in mind, we are pleased to publish this declaration.

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