Adherence to the doctrine of the believers' Church is a common feature of defining an
Evangelical church in the specific sense.[12][13]
Doctrine
A widely accepted definition of characteristics is that of the American historian
Donald Durnbaugh, who summarizes the doctrine of the believers' Church in seven points:[14][15][16][17][18][19][20]
Voluntary membership in the church. One becomes a member of the Church by
new birth and
profession of faith. The
baptism, reserved for adolescent or adult believers (
believer's baptism), is a symbol of this commitment.
The Church is a fraternal community of mutual aid and edification.
Charity and service in the church are an expression of a healthy Christian life.
The
Holy Spirit and the Bible are the only bases of authority in the Church. Some non-biblical religious traditions must be rejected. Members who do not respect the
confession of faith of the Church and do not want to repent must be
excommunicated from the community.
Willingness to return to the fundamentals of the
Early Church.
A simple structure of the Church.
Faith in the Church as the body of Christ.
The doctrine of the believers' Church should not be confused with that of the
free church, which is a concept designating the separate churches of states.[21][22] Some
Christian denominations that can be identified in the
free church movement do not adhere to the doctrine of the believers' Church.[23][24][25]
Main adherent movements
Despite the nuances in the various evangelical movements, there is a similar set of beliefs for movements adhering to the doctrine of the believers' Church, the main ones being
Anabaptism,
Baptists and
Pentecostalism.[26][27][28][29][30][31]
^Donald W. Dayton, The Variety of American Evangelicalism, Univ. of Tennessee Press, USA, 2001, p. 155
^Philip LeMasters, Discipleship Between Creation and Redemption: Toward a Believers' Church Social Ethic, University Press of America, USA, 1997, p. 2
^William H. Brackney, Historical Dictionary of the Baptists, Scarecrow Press, USA, 2009, p. 86-87
^George Thomas Kurian, Mark A. Lamport, Encyclopedia of Christianity in the United States, Volume 5, Rowman & Littlefield, USA, 2016, p. 222
^Howard A. Snyder, Signs of the Spirit: How God Reshapes the Church, Wipf and Stock Publishers, USA, 1997, p. 40-41
^William H. Brackney, Historical Dictionary of Radical Christianity, Scarecrow Press, USA, 2012, p. 51
^Sébastien Fath, Du ghetto au réseau: Le protestantisme évangélique en France, 1800-2005, Édition Labor et Fides, Genève, 2005, p. 366, 378
^Donald M. Lewis, Richard V. Pierard, Global Evangelicalism: Theology, History & Culture in Regional Perspective, InterVarsity Press, USA, 2014, p. 297
^Donald F. Durnbaugh, The Believers' Church: The History and Character of Radical Protestantism, Wipf and Stock Publishers, USA, 2003, p. 8
^John Howard Yoder, Theology of Mission: A Believers Church Perspective, InterVarsity Press, USA, 2014, p. 147
^George Thomas Kurian, Mark A. Lamport, Encyclopedia of Christianity in the United States, Volume 5, Rowman & Littlefield, USA, 2016, p. 222-223
^Donald F. Durnbaugh, The Believers' Church: The History and Character of Radical Protestantism, Wipf and Stock Publishers, USA, 2003, p. 4-5
^John Howard Yoder, Theology of Mission: A Believers Church Perspective, InterVarsity Press, USA, 2014, p. 148
^William H. Brackney, Historical Dictionary of the Baptists, Scarecrow Press, USA, 2009, p. 87 : "From the 16th century, those in the close circle of the believer's churches include the Mennonites, Brethren, Baptists, Amish, and Hutterites, to name the major subcategories. In more modern development, (…) such as the Pentecostals, may consider themselves believer's churches by this definition."
^Darren T. Duerksen, William A. Dyrness, Seeking Church: Emerging Witnesses to the Kingdom, InterVarsity Press, USA, 2019, p. 45 : "The Believer's Church: As we turn to the early "radical Reformation" or Anabaptist movement (…) widely seen in various Baptist, Pentecostal, community, and independent churches."
^Michel Deneken, Francis Messner, Frank Alvarez-Pereyre, La théologie à l'Université: statut, programmes et évolutions, Labor et Fides, Genève, 2009, p. 64 : Translation: "Teaching in evangelical establishments: (...) evangelical churches loving to present themselves as "believers' Church", whose members are convinced and committed Christians." Original text in French "L'enseignement dans les établissements évangéliques : (…) les églises évangéliques aimant à se présenter comme des « Églises de professants », dont les membres sont des chrétiens convaincus et engagés."
^Religioscope et Sébastien Fath,
À propos de l'évangélisme et des Églises évangéliques en France – Entretien avec Sébastien Fath, religion.info, France, 3 mars 2002: Translation: "The criterion of "believers' Church" allows more clearly to define what is called stricto sensu of the evangelical". Original text in French: "Le critère d'«Eglise de professants» permet plus nettement de cerner ce que l'on appelle stricto sensu des évangéliques"
^Donald M. Lewis, Richard V. Pierard, Global Evangelicalism: Theology, History & Culture in Regional Perspective, InterVarsity Press, USA, 2014, p. 40 : "The modern mission movement is the outstanding exhibit of the influence of the evangelical theological impulse over the past four centuries". and 297: "The Baptist and Mennonite traditions are examples of believer's churches".
^Robert H. Krapohl, Charles H. Lippy, The Evangelicals: A Historical, Thematic, and Biographical Guide, Greenwood Publishing Group, USA, 1999, p. 11