Statement of Purpose for a Renewed Evangelical-Reformed Cooperative Mission

Over ninety leaders from PCA, EPC, Acts 29, Baptist, and Non-Denominational congregations met in February to collaborate on identifying and overcoming obstacles to prioritizing and fulfilling the Great Commission. We will meet again in October to pray, establish action plans, and work towards a national leaders conference in 2026. This Statement of Purpose summarizes our views and intentions on making the Great Commission of Jesus Christ more central in the life and mission of his Church.

Preamble

North American Culture is undergoing a remarkable realignment in politics, foreign policy, demographics, economics, and religion. The loss of trust in society-shaping institutions has exacerbated the uncertainty accompanying such disruptions. These tectonic shifts have created titanic challenges and changes in the Church, including the Evangelical churches more broadly considered.

For many, these “fractures” and shifts in priority and focus, not to mention the boundaries of fellowship and community, have led to alienation from relationships, denominational structures, and institutions, they not only considered to be secure but which, in some cases, they’d had a hand in building.

Those who trust in God’s providence can accept such changes with grace, but they must also trust God’s wisdom to guide them through such times and toward the formation of new alliances and bonds of friendship that serve the gospel’s progress. What next steps are appropriate to take that will honor the past and embrace the present struggles in the hope of a yet more fruitful future?

In light of evangelicalism’s shifting landscape and the need for a renewed, biblically faithful yet culturally engaged vision for the Church, it is necessary that we affirm our commitment to one another and a gospel-centered movement rooted in historic Reformed theology and prioritizing the Great Commission. As heirs of the Protestant Reformation, we stand in continuity with the great cloud of witnesses who have sought to advance the gospel with clarity, conviction, and compassion.

Recognizing the increasing polarization in theological and political realms and the massive realignment this fosters, we reject the false choice between cultural accommodation and rigid separatism. We seek to develop a shared culture that aims more at drawing people to Jesus Christ than drawing lines that diminish partnership and mission.

To that end, we seek a pathway that is deeply biblical, theological, missional, and engaged with the pressing challenges of our time. Drawing inspiration from the Ecumenical Evangelicalism of leaders like JI Packer, John Stott, Tim Keller, and Carl Henry - servants who modeled faithfulness to the gospel while engaging the world with both intellectual rigor and pastoral warmth - we look to form partnerships in missions, doing all things for the sake of the gospel.

Part One - Responding to the Six-Way Fracturing of Evangelicalism

Michael Graham’s Six-Way Fracturing of Evangelicalism outlines the deep theological, cultural, and political divides that have emerged within evangelicalism. Any new alliance of Reformed-Evangelicals must consider these developments, endeavoring to bridge divides by re-focusing the Church on the Great Commission, missional unity, and cultural engagement without succumbing to reactionary tribalism. We seek to respond to key fractures in the following ways:

1. Theologically Rooted, Not Ideologically Driven

● Many factions within evangelicalism have become ideologically polarized, whether leaning toward cultural fundamentalism or progressive accommodation.

● This alliance would center on biblical, confessional Christianity—not reactionary culture wars or theological drift—while allowing space for healthy engagement with challenging issues.

● Instead of aligning with political extremes, it must uphold Christ’s kingdom as distinct from any earthly political system, avoiding both Christian nationalism and theological minimalism.

2. Avoiding the Hyper-Traditionalist vs. Progressive Divide

● Some groups lean into rigid hyper-traditionalism, rejecting any contemporary engagement, while others move toward progressive revisionism, downplaying biblical authority.

● This alliance would affirm Reformed theology with pastoral warmth—holding to confessional convictions while avoiding the harshness of sectarianism or the dilution of core doctrines.

3. Engaging in Cultural Mission and Witness

● While some factions emphasize a retreatist posture (fundamentalism) and others push for dominionism (political Christendom), this alliance would focus on the faithful presence of God’s Priestly people in the world.

● It must prioritize discipleship, cultural apologetics, and gospel-centered justice without capitulating to secular ideologies or engaging in power politics.

4. Emphasizing Church-Centered Mission

● Many fractures occur because groups place secondary priorities (race, politics, philosophy of ministry) above the mission of the Church, even defining the Church in reference to current political culture.

● This new alliance would re-center on church planting, renewal, evangelism, and theological education, making the Great Commission its driving force. We would also joyfully work side by side with broader traditions (the Lausanne approach).

Part Two: Commitments, Engagement, and Priorities

I. Core Commitments

1. The Headship of Christ

Too often, we have made Christ into the figurehead of the Church rather than acknowledging him as our true Head from whom our life must flow. We must humbly come back to and live into the reality that only Christ’s initiating and sustaining wisdom and power can properly govern and inspire his church’s mission.

2. The Authority of Scripture

We affirm the inspiration, inerrancy, sufficiency, and authority of Scripture as God’s revealed Word, the foundation for all Christian faith and practice (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

3. The Centrality of the Gospel

We commit to the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ as the power of God for salvation (Rom. 1:16). The gospel is not only the entryway into the Christian life but the sustaining power for spiritual growth and transformation.

4. The Priority of the Great Commission in the Power of the Spirit

We prioritize global and local evangelism, church planting, and discipleship as the church's central mission (Matt. 28:18-20). Our churches will be outward-facing, seeking the lost and equipping the saints for mission. We recognize that our efforts are for naught apart from the gracious and powerful work of the Holy Spirit. Those who are filled with themselves cannot be filled with the Spirit. Therefore, we will humble ourselves, confess our need, and seek to be filled with his grace.

5. The Gift of the Church

We affirm the church as the visible body of Christ on earth, the City of God, the Beloved Bride of Christ, composed of all who have been redeemed by His grace and their children. The local church is central to God’s redemptive purposes, serving as the primary means of worship, discipleship, community, and mission (Eph. 4:11-16). We commit to fostering healthy, biblically faithful churches that prioritize faithful preaching, the administration of the sacraments, the covenantal community, and equipping the saints for works of service.

6. Multi-Ethnic Ministry and Global Listening

As North America becomes increasingly multi-ethnic, the Church must be intentional about the composition of its co-creation spaces as it pursues its mission. Actively inviting minorities to the table is not only a necessary response to shifting social and cultural landscapes for the sake of the Gospel, but it also reflects Christ’s heart for unity within His body. This also includes deeper listening to the Global Church, especially in the majority world where new voices in discipleship, theology, and mission are emerging with profound wisdom and exemplary courage in witness and sacrificial love.

7. Ministry-Inclusivity

The Spirit has been poured out on all of God’s people for their witnessing work in the world and service in the Church. God has called both men and women to serve him in the spread of the gospel and the growth of the Church. We recognize the dynamic role women play in the leadership of the Church and the Work of Evangelism.

8. The Witness of the Great Commandment

We uphold the call to love God and neighbor (Matt. 22:37-40). This includes compassion for the marginalized, the defense of human dignity, and a commitment to justice and mercy as expressions of biblical fidelity.

9. The Foundation of Confessional Reformed Theology

We stand within the broad Reformed tradition, holding to the essential doctrines of grace while remaining irenic in secondary matters. We uphold the historic confessions (Westminster, Heidelberg, Second London, the Thirty-Nine Articles, etc.) as faithful summaries of biblical teaching while allowing room for theological diversity within this tradition.

II. Cultural & Ecclesial Engagement

1. Faithful Presence in the Public Square

We reject both a retreatist fundamentalism, uncritical cultural accommodation, and Christendom-focused dominionism. Instead, we seek to engage culture wisely, humbly, prayerfully, and creatively, advocating for biblical truth in faithful and compelling ways contextualized in local communities.

2. Biblical Justice & Mercy

While rejecting secular ideologies that distort biblical justice, we affirm the church’s responsibility to care for the poor, seek justice, and advocate for the vulnerable (Micah 6:8;

Luke 4:18-19).

3. A Christ-Centered Approach to Politics

We resist the temptation to equate the kingdom of God with any political ideology. Instead, we commit to a prophetic witness that transcends partisan divides, affirming where we see truth and challenging where we see idolatry.

4. Theological & Pastoral Generosity

We reject both doctrinaire sectarianism and doctrinal minimalism. We affirm that theological precision matters, yet we recognize that faithful brothers and sisters may differ on non-essential matters (Rom. 14:1-12).

5. Global Partnership We stand ready to partner with one another and Christians in other traditions to learn from and support the global Church, engage in gospel mission through word and deed, and promote the unity of Christ’s Church in the world.

III. Church & Ministry Priorities

1. Healthy Church Leadership

We are committed to a relationally wise ministry that creates ministry and church cultures that demonstrate love, respect, humility, accountability, inclusivity, and longevity. Godly character in leadership is at the root of fruitful service to Christ and his Church.

2. Church Planting & Renewal

We commit to planting new churches and revitalizing existing congregations with a gospel-centered, kingdom-oriented vision.

3. Theological Education & Leadership Development

We will invest in the next generation of pastors, scholars, and lay leaders, equipping them with a robust theology and wise practices for faithful ministry in the church and the world.

4. Biblical Sexuality & Discipleship

We affirm the biblical teaching on human sexuality, upholding marriage as a covenant between one man and one woman. We commit to discipling our congregations in a faithful, truthful, and charitable way.

5. Unity in the Gospel

While denominational distinctives remain valuable, we commit to unity in the essentials of the faith and cooperation in mission across denominational lines.

Conclusion

This manifesto is not an attempt to create a new denomination; recognizing, however, that new wineskins are often necessary to advance the gospel, this is a declaration of intention to foster fellowship and partnership across denominational lines for the sake of the gospel.

It is a call for a new alignment of like-minded churches, ministries, and individuals who share a vision for a gospel-centered, Reformed evangelicalism that is theologically rooted, culturally engaged, and missionally driven, free from the hyper-traditionalism and constant conflicts of some denominational settings. We invite pastors, churches, and networks to affirm these commitments and fashion new partnerships in the work of the gospel for the glory of God and the good of the world.