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WHAT IS A COVENANT CHURCH?
The Evangelical Covenant Church of South Bend was founded in 1888. We are a member church of the Evangelical Covenant Church founded in America in 1885, which traces its roots in historical Christianity as it emerged in the Protestant Reformation.
The Swedish immigrants who founded the Evangelical Covenant Church taught the Bible, the Old and New Testaments, as the Word of God, and the only perfect rule for faith (what we believe about God and our relationship with Him), doctrine (how we talk about those beliefs), and conduct (how we live out our beliefs in relationship with God and one another). They also gave us a legacy of freedom to hold differing understandings of minor issues of doctrine. For example, members of the Evangelical Covenant Church may hold different views on baptism. While we all affirm the importance of baptism, some practice infant baptism while others baptize for believing adults only. We refuse to let such issues divide us.
Some things are non-negotiable in the Christian faith. We believe everyone needs a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We believe in the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the church. We also believe that we are only one expression of the church of Jesus Christ in the world, which is made up of Christians from many denominations, races and places. For that reason, we invite every believer to join us when we participate in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper.
We accept into membership all who give testimony to their personal relationship with Jesus Christ and have been baptized.
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OUR MISSION STATEMENT
As believers in Jesus Christ, we worship God by celebrating and sharing His saving love in our community and the world. We minister to the wholeness of individuals, and nurture ourselves and others for Christian living. This we will continue to do for the glory of God.
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