Articles
of Faith and Doctrine of the Brethren In Christ Church
Introduction
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As Brethren in Christ, we trace our beginnings from a group known as the
River Brethren, which originated about 1778 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
Our forbearers bore witness to the beliefs which set them apart by formulating
a Confession of Faith. The first confessional statement of about 1780
and others that followed reflect the Pietistic and Anabaptist influences
which have shaped our doctrinal understandings. Some one hundred years
later the Brethren in Christ adopted aspects of Wesleyan thought which
were incorporated into subsequent doctrinal statements.
Through the years we have reaffirmed and redefined our essential beliefs.
In the 20th century, new doctrinal statements were adopted by General
Conferences in 1937 and again in 1961. In 1986 we decided to give written
expression to our current beliefs and life. This was done with a sensitivity
to and respect for our doctrinal heritage. We regard each previous doctrinal
statement of the church as having its own integrity.
In preparing the doctrinal statement we affirm an understanding of scriptural
interpretation that recognizes (1) the inspiration and illumination of
the Holy Spirit; (2) the centrality of Christ in divine revelation; (3)
the New Testament as interpreter of the Old Testament; (4) the scriptural
focus on piety and obedience; and (5) the essential value of community
consensus in the interpretive process. One must read the doctrinal statement
as a whole, since each of the sections is closely related to the others.
Moreover, this is a summary statement of our beliefs; the Brethren in
Christ Manual of Doctrine and Government together with other publications
of the church explain more fully our understanding of biblical faith and
the Christian life.
Following the doctrinal statement is a listing of selected Scripture references.
Since the statement grows out of the totality of the biblical message,
these references are only illustrative of the scriptural truths identified
in each section. Study of these and other related Scripture passages is
important for a clearer understanding of God and His will for humanity.
Here then in summary is what we, the Brethren in Christ, believe about
revelation and Scripture, God and creation, humanity and sin, Jesus Christ
and salvation, the Holy Spirit and the church, eternal hope and judgment.
Section I - Revelation and Scripture
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We believe that it is the nature of God to make Himself known. God reveals
Himself to humanity in various ways, most clearly in the Old and New Testaments
of the Bible. We accept these divinely inspired writings as the authoritative
Word of God. Revelation in Nature, History, and the Son
The world of nature and God's sustaining care of it speak of His existence
and power. In addition, God has placed a sense of right and wrong in human
hearts. The revelation through nature and conscience is partial and incomplete.
Therefore God has acted in history to reveal Himself to humanity. Through
Abraham, God began to form a covenant community that would reveal God
and His will to all humanity. Through His words, acts, and relationship
with the people of Israel, God has made His person and purposes known
in order to provide salvation to all who respond in faith and obedience.
In all of this, God was preparing for the time when He would reveal Himself
preeminently through His Son, Jesus Christ -- the "Word made flesh."
Scripture, the Record of
Revelation
The Christian Scriptures complete the revelation of God. They recount
and interpret God's action in creation, in human events, in God's saving
acts for Israel, in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ,
and in the life of the New Testament church.
The Scriptures are God's message, written by people in their own language
and settings, as inspired by the Holy Spirit. This same Spirit guided
the processes of selection and transcription through which the Scriptures
were passed on to us. Therefore the Bible is the authoritative and reliable
Word of God.
We believe that the Bible, composed of the Old Testament (39 books) and
the New Testament (27 books), is God's written Word. The Old Testament
is the record of God's saving acts for Israel and of His redemptive purpose
for all people. It contains numerous prophecies, many of which are fulfilled
in the New Testament. The New Testament clearly reveals God in the person
and work of Jesus Christ, whom God sent to be the Savior of the world
and to establish His church.
The Old Testament prepares the way for the New, while the New Testament
fulfills and clarifies the Old. They complement each other in a unified
message.
Scripture
and the Church
We believe that the Bible is God's message of salvation for all people.
As believers, we accept the Bible as the final authority for faith and
practice.
The Holy Spirit continues to work in the church today in teaching us how
to understand, interpret, and apply the Scriptures through faith and diligent
study. As believers open the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit helps them to
discern God's truth and will from the Word. As the church gathers around
the Word, the Holy Spirit leads God's people into all truth.
The Scriptures themselves are the primary standard for understanding and
interpreting the Bible. The person, teaching, and work of Jesus Christ
best clarify God's written revelation.
Christians are called to read and obey the Bible. Therefore the church
needs to provide faithful preaching and teaching of the Scriptures. Individuals
and families should practice Bible reading and study. As we read and respond
obediently to the counsel of God's Word, our statements of belief have
integrity.
Section II -- God and Creation
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The Bible opens with the words, "In the
beginning God created…." This dramatic statement declares God
to be the eternal source and foundation of all that is. The Bible proceeds
to reveal the person, nature, and character of the triune God who forever
is -- Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
The Nature of God
We believe in one sovereign, true, and living God, creator and preserver
of all things. God knows all things, is all-powerful, and transcends time
and space. God is personal being, revealing His righteousness, truth,
and grace to all people. He calls everyone to respond to Him in reverence
and obedience. God is perfect, just, and good. God is holy, calling us
to righteousness. God is love, bridging the distance between Himself and
us, reaching out in redemption to draw us to Himself.
God's self-disclosure has been progressive. Even though God transcends
human perception and language, He has revealed Himself in Scripture, entered
human history in the person of Jesus Christ, and comes to live in us by
the Holy Spirit. As God opens our understanding by the Scriptures and
by the Holy Spirit, we gain knowledge of Him. Thus, as believers, we bow
before Him in worship.
Creation and Providence
God created all things, visible and invisible, including all spiritual
beings. All creation is finite and dependent upon the Creator, who was
before all things and will continue forever.
God's work of creation was good, both physically and morally. God blessed
creation with His loving-kindness. Although God upholds and governs creation
by the power of His will, God has given humanity the role of caretaker
of the earth. Therefore we are responsible for its cultivation and preservation,
and our use of its resources.
Creation was marred as a result of human disobedience. However, evidence
of creation's original order remains, and the earth now awaits restoration
in God's redemptive plan.
Relationships
in Creation
God established order and relationships within His creation, uniting it
in all its parts. God created and sustains all things, yet remains distinct
from what is created. God does not depend on the creation for His being.
A moral order exists in the universe. The human conscience senses this
order, which is more fully revealed in the Scriptures. The moral principles
set forth in the Scriptures provide direction for our conduct and relationships.
The Creator has built a cycle of work and rest into the creation, one
day in seven being designated by God for worship and renewal. By observing
Sunday as the Lord's Day, we honor this divinely-ordained cycle, testify
of our trust in God's provision, and witness to the Lord's resurrection.
Made in God's image, each human being is of infinite value and is to be
cared for and nurtured. we should relate to others in love and justice
-- opposing that which destroys, oppresses, demeans, or manipulates, and
fostering that which restores, upbuilds, and affirms. God's plan for the
human family calls for wholesome, growing relationships among all personas;
it forbids abusive and destructive behavior.
God gave human sexuality a good place in creation. Being either male of
female is integral to who we are and in a complementary way provides for
the full expression of our humanity. God has given standards for expression
o four sexuality that are necessary for proper relationships among people.
Human sexuality is affirmed within the chaste single life of a life-long
marriage between a man and a woman.
Section III -- Humanity and Sin
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God created man and woman in His image. Humans are distinct from all other
forms of creation, having spiritual as well as physical characteristics.
Physically, each person has a body made from the elements of earth --
a body that grows, matures, and eventually returns to the earth in death.
People also reflect certain moral discernment, spiritual awareness, and
freedom of choice. As spiritual beings, humans are created to be in fellowship
with God. We cannot find peace apart from a right relationship with God.
Freedom of Choice
The image of God in each person includes the capacity to make moral choices.
We can choose good or evil, to obey or disobey God. The freedom to choose
makes us responsible for our decisions and liable for their consequences.
We understand from Scripture that while God grants humanity this freedom
of choice, God also knows the end from the beginning and in His wisdom
and grace is working out His eternal purposes within human history.
The Source of Sin
Man and woman were created sinless and innocent, living in harmony with
God and creation. But evil entered the human family when Adam and Eve
yielded to Satan's temptation. As they chose to disobey God, their nature
became sinful. This sinful nature has been transmitted to all their descendants.
Thus sin, moral depravity, and death became an inherent part of the human
experience.
Satan, also called the devil, is the personal embodiment of evil and the
original source of sin. His evil rule constantly rebels against the authority
of God. We live in the arena of the resulting conflict, and must choose
between the rule of Satan and the reign of God.
The Effects of Sin
Corrupted by a sinful nature, humans are unholy, self-centered, self-willed,
and rebellious toward God. In character and conduct, all humanity stands
guilty before God. On our own, we cannot achieve any righteousness acceptable
to God. Humanity's inclination toward evil is universal, and the accompanying
guilt or shame is common to all people.
Through the fallen human family, sin permeates the social order, alienating
persons from God, from one another, from themselves, and from the rest
of creation. Sinfulness is evident in the breakdown of human relationships
and family structures, in social and economic systems that violate God's
order and ignore human dignity, in philosophical systems that deny God
and deify humans, and in religious systems that distort truth and create
illusions of reality.
In a world system permeated by satanic influence, sin is spread by human
wickedness and the powers of evil. At the personal level, sin arises from
the inner inclination toward disobedience and rebellion.
Personal Accountability
Creation shows God's glory and nature to all people, therefore all are
responsible to honor and glorify Him. While sin permeates the social order,
accountability for sin remains personal. Each of us is accountable to
God based on his or her personal ability to know and to choose good from
evil. We believe that persons developmentally unable to discern right
from wrong are accepted by God through His mercy, covered by the atonement
of Christ.
With the fall of the human race into sin, the image of God in humanity
was seriously flawed, but not totally destroyed. In spite of a bent toward
evil, aspects of God's likeness remain in humankind, glimpsed in such
characteristics as creativity, generosity, and compassion. Nevertheless,
it is only by God's grace that people can respond to God's gift of salvation.
Section IV -- Jesus Christ and Salvation
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God's plan of salvation for sinful humanity is central to God's eternal
purpose and is fully revealed in the person and work of Jesus Christ,
chosen by God before creation to be the Savior. We affirm that Jesus Christ
is truly divine and truly human.
Life and Ministry of Jesus
Christ
Jesus Christ, God the Son, is a distinct person of the Trinity, in perfect
equality and unity with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. He is
eternally existent and is fully God. He created all things and is the
source and sustainer of life.
In the fullness of time God the Son took on human likeness, conceived
by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary. He was God incarnate -- God
in the flesh -- and lived on earth as a man, fully human, yet without
sin. He grew physically and mentally, and experienced hunger, thirst,
fatigue, rejection, and the range of human emotions. He was tempted in
every way, but remained sinless. He was perfectly obedient and submissive
to the Father. He took on the role of a servant and responded in compassion
to those in need. Jesus modeled perfect humanity and called people to
follow Him.
The divine nature of Jesus of Nazareth was shown clearly during His life
on earth. At infancy He was announced as Immanuel, God with us. At His
baptism he was acknowledged to be God's Son. His ministry was marked by
the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. He taught with divine authority
and commissioned His disciples to proclaim His gospel. He said that anyone
who has seen Him had seen the Father. He was the Son of God, full of grace
and truth.
Jesus came to earth as the promised Messiah revealed in the Scriptures.
He inaugurated the kingdom of God and demonstrate its presence by healing
the sick and casting out demons. His miracles were signs of God's kingdom.
In His teaching, Jesus set God's rule over against the kingdoms of this
world. He called those who followed Him into the church, the new covenant
community based on the values of the kingdom of God. He came to destroy
the works of the devil and to redeem the human family from sin.
Death and Resurrection of
Jesus Christ
Christ's work of redemption was accomplished in His death and resurrection.
God purposed in Christ to redeem us from the guilt and power of sin and
to free us from the rule of Satan, so that all who believe would be restored
to divine favor and fellowship.
By His suffering and sacrificial death for us, Jesus Christ provided compete
atonement for sin. His death and resurrection opened the only way for
reconciliation between a holy, just God and sinful humanity. His life-blood
freely given on the cross provided pardon and ratified the New Covenant.
The bodily resurrection of Jesus testifies decisively of His deity and
His victory over Satan, sin, and death. The risen Christ ascended to heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father, interceding for us.
Jesus Christ is now our risen, exalted, and reigning Lord. All authority
in heaven and on earth has been given to Him. He is the Head of the church
and the Lord of human history. At the end of time, all things in heaven
and on earth will be brought under His rule. Every person will bow before
Him and He will reign forever. With joy we confess that Jesus is Lord
and acknowledge His authority over our lives. We honor him with our worship
and obedience.
Coming to Faith
The salvation graciously provided by the death and resurrection of Jesus
Christ becomes effective in our lives by the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
It is the Spirit who prepares us for faith in Jesus Christ. He awakens
us to our need, enables us to acknowledge our guilt, and calls us to respond
to God in faith and obedience.
The response of faith is a personal reliance on God's grace and a turning
from sin to righteousness. Repentance involves an acknowledgment of sin.
It is expressed in genuine sorrow, forsaking sin, and a change in attitude
toward God, preparing for the continuing ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Repentance includes a willingness for reconciliation and restitution.
New Life in Christ
All who come to faith in Christ are born again, receive the Holy Spirit,
and become children of God. They are acquitted of all guilt for sin, are
granted the righteousness of Christ, and are reconciled to God. Persons
thus justified by grace through faith enjoy peace with God, are adopted
into God's family, become part of the church, and receive the assurance
of eternal life. We become new creatures in Christ, regenerated by the
Holy Spirit. This change of heart becomes evident in the development of
Christlike character and a walk of obedience to God. Conversion is expressed
in a changed life with new direction, purposes, interests, and values.
The new life in Christ is developed through Christian spiritual disciplines
such as prayer, study of Scripture, fasting, self-denial, they do not
make the believer immune from temptation. Persistent disobedience impairs
fellowship with God and can destroy one's new life in Christ. When there
is sin in the Christian's life, it needs to be confessed and forsaken
in the confidence of God's willingness to pardon and His power to cleanse
from evil.
Life in the Spirit
We believe that God's grace provides for more than forgiveness of sin.
As the Spirit works in the life of the believer, he or she is led forward
in sanctification to a full surrender and commitment of the motives and
will to Christ. This results in freedom from the control of sin and in
empowerment to live the holy life. the Holy Spirit fills persons yielded
to God and equips them for effective witness and service.
Sanctification is also an ongoing journey of yielding to God and growing
in grace. The quality of the surrendered life corresponds to the believer's
responsiveness to the Holy Spirit and obedience to the Word of God. The
Spirit-filled life results in a sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, inner
strength in times of temptation, godly living and wholehearted service
to the Lord. The Holy Spirit produces virtuous character -- love, joy,
peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
These virtues characterize the believer's walk in the Spirit.
Hope of Life Everlasting
The salvation provided by our Lord Jesus Christ will be consummated for
the believer in the joy of heaven and the full realization of the kingdom
of God. In our glorified bodies we will be free from all the effects of
sin. Restored in the likeness of Christ, we will worship God and reign
with Christ throughout eternity.
Section V -- The Holy Spirit and the Church
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The Holy Spirit is a divine person who eternally co-exists with the Father
and the Son. The Spirit was present and active in creation, is seen throughout
the Old Testament, and is revealed more explicitly in the New Testament.
Life in the Spirit was reflected most clearly in the earthly life of Jesus.
At Pentecost the Holy Spirit came from God to continue the work of the
ascended Christ, as Jesus has promised His followers.
Work of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit works in the world, convincing persons of sin and bringing
them to repentance and faith, guiding them to fullness of life in Christ.
The Holy Spirit is the Counselor who is always present with God's people
and reminds us of all that Jesus said and did. The Holy Spirit is the
Spirit of Truth who guides the believer, and serves as the guarantee of
the eternal inheritance promised in Christ.
The Holy Spirit intercedes for the believers in agreement with God's will.
He helps the children of God in their need, cleanses and sets them apart
for holy living, and empowers them for service.
The Holy Spirit is also present in the corporate life of the church, inspiring
unity, worship and service. His presence is realized as the church is
open and responsive to the Spirit's leadership.
The Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts to all believers according to His
sovereign will and purposes. Scripture identifies a variety of gifts,
given for the building up of the church and for ministry in the world.
The Holy Spirit guides the church in setting apart persons for leadership.
The church is responsible to discern and encourage the use of the gifts
of the Spirit in its life and ministry.
Nature of the Church
Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ established the church to be God's
new community, which has its roots in the people of God in the Old Testament
and testifies to the presence of the kingdom of God on earth. Jesus Christ
is the Head of the church, the redeemed community. His Word and will are
authoritative among us.
The church consists of all those who trust Jesus as Savior and follow
Him as Lord. We become part of God's family, loving the Lord Jesus and
learning to love and care for one another. We are a covenant community
vowing before God and fellow members to live a holy life, to remain loyal
to the church, and to foster oneness within the body of Christ. Our understanding
of this convenant is expressed in a commitment to the local congregation,
where the integrity of our discipleship is lived; to the denomination,
where relationships with a wider fellowship of God's people are realized;
and to the body of Christ throughout the world, by which we fulfill the
prayer of Jesus that we all may be one.
The essential functions of the church are worship, fellowship, discipleship,
and mission. In worship, we bring our whole-hearted devotion to the Lord
God. In fellowship, we live out our deep commitment to love one another.
In discipleship, we follow the call of the Lord Jesus to obey and to teach
all things commanded by Him. In mission, we proclaim the gospel to all
people and minister to human need as Jesus did.
As a covenant community we practice mutual accountability among our members.
We accept the steps outlined by Jesus: first going privately to the one
who sins against us; then, if necessary, returning with one or more witnesses;
and finally, if needed, involving the congregation. When the church deals
with sin, we seek to respond with compassion and concern. The objective
of church discipline is to restore the erring church member and to maintain
the integrity and purity of the church's fellowship and witness.
Life of the Church: Ordinances
and Practices
The ordinances of the church are baptism and the Lord's Supper, which
are to be observed in obedience to our Lord's command.
The baptism of believers is a public witness that they have received Jesus
Christ as Savior and Lord and are becoming part of the community of faith.
We believe that baptism by immersion symbolizes the believer's submission
to Jesus Christ and identification with His death and resurrection. We
expect baptized believers to commit themselves to the membership covenant,
thereby affirming their loyalty to the church.
The Lord's Supper was instituted by Jesus and is celebrated by His followers
in remembrance of the Lord's death and resurrection and in anticipation
of His return. The bread and the cup represent the body and blood of our
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Participating in the communion service
symbolizes our unity with believers of all times and places. We are to
examine ourselves in the light of Scripture before approaching the Lord's
Table. Reconciliation with God and with brothers and sisters in Christ
is an essential preparation for participation.
In addition to the ordinances, other practices are important aspects of
life and worship in the Christian community.
We regard the practice of washing one another's feet as modeled and taught
by Jesus to be a demonstration of love, humility, and service to one another,
pointing beyond itself to a way of life. In the life of the church, the
foot washing service is an occasion for reconciliation, affirmation of
one another, and testimony of God's grace.
The Christian marriage ceremony witnesses to God's order and design for
the union of a man and a woman in a lifelong commitment of love and fidelity.
Vows are affirmed and the marriage is celebrated in the context of the
congregation, which is called to support the couple in their life together.
Christ's convenantal, self-sacrificing love for the church and the church's
loving response is the model that husband and wife are follow.
The practice of dedicating children affirms their place in the midst of
the congregation. The service of dedication provides an opportunity for
parents to commit themselves to the Lord in the care and training of their
children. Members of the congregation join with the parents in pledging
to pray for and to nurture the children.
The gospel includes healing for the ill and deliverance for the oppressed.
The church follows scriptural practices in praying for the sick, laying
on hands, and anointing with oil in the name of the Lord. The service
of divine healing affirms that God responds to the brokenness of the human
condition with healing or with grace to endure suffering. When death comes
to the community of believers, the funeral provides an opportunity to
focus on the risen Lord. The congregation responds compassionately with
the bereaved. Death reminds us of our mortality and the hope of the resurrection.
Mission of the Church: In
Relation to the World
Jesus Christ commissions the church to make disciples of all the world's
peoples. The church is called to share the gospel in every culture and
stratum of society. Evangelism includes bringing people to a saving faith
in Christ and to responsible membership in the church. The people of God
are also called to be a redemptive influence in the world, confronting
corporate sin and seeking to overcome evil with good. They are to be a
voice for righteousness, peace, and justice.
The church recognizes the place God ordains for government in society.
As Christians, we pray for the state and those who are in authority. At
the same time, we believe loyalty to Christ and the church, which is trans-national,
takes precedence over loyalty to the state. Selective involvement in the
affairs of government are appropriate for believers if loyalty to Christ
and the principles of His kingdom are carefully guarded, and if such participation
will enhance one's Christian witness and service.
Christ loved His enemies and He calls us as His disciples to love our
enemies. We follow our Lord in being people of peace and reconciliation,
called to suffer and not to fight. While respecting those who hold other
interpretations, we believe that preparation for or participation in war
is inconsistent with the teachings of Christ. Similarly, we reject all
other acts of violence which devalue human life. Rather, we affirm active
peacemaking, sacrificial service to others, as well as the pursuit of
justice for the poor and the oppressed in the name of Christ.
Those who follow Christ are strangers and pilgrims in the world, called
to share the light of Christ. In the renewing of our minds by God's grace,
we resist conformity to our fallen, broken world. Nonconformity calls
us to reject the world's unrestrained materialism, its sensualism, and
its self-centeredness. Rather we seek to express the values of God's kingdom
by a lifestyle of modesty and simplicity.
Section VI – Eternal Hope and Judgment
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The final destiny of all things lies in God's hands. In God's time, creation
will be renewed in Christ. The kingdoms of this world shall become the
kingdom of our Lord, and He shall reign forever.
End of the Age and Return
of Christ
The return of Christ in power and glory is certain and may occur at any
time. We accept the Lord's teaching that no one knows when He will come.
We understand Scripture to teach that the conflict between God and Satan,
good and evil, will intensify as we approach the end of this age. At Christ's
return, the enemies of God will be conquered and the reign of God will
be established forever.
The promise of our Lord that we shall live eternally in His presence brings
great encouragement to the people of God. Our response is joyous expectation,
watchfulness, and diligence.
Death, Judgment, and the
Consummation of All Things
Death in the Christian community is a time of both sorrow and hope. Human
ties that are broken bring grief, but our belief in Christ's second coming
is an affirmation of the resurrection of the body and life everlasting.
We believe that following death, the believer's spirit is present with
the Lord. Scripture promises the bodily resurrection of the dead, both
believers and unbelievers. Those who die in Christ, along with the faithful
believers alive at His return, will rise and will receive a new, glorified
body, which will be free from infirmity and death. The lost, however,
await a resurrection unto condemnation.
God will judge righteously at the close of the age. Those who have trusted
Him and obediently followed Jesus as Lord will not be condemned. God will
reward them according to their faithfulness. The unsaved, however, will
be punished with everlasting destruction in hell, eternally shut out from
the presence of God because they have rejected His offer of salvation.
The people of God anticipate God's promise of a new heaven and a new earth
under the rule of Christ. Evil will be destroyed and ultimately Christ
will deliver all things to the Father.
Exhortation to Faithfulness
Hear the Word of the Lord: "What kind of people ought you to be?
You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day
of God and speed its coming." Jesus' last recorded words, "Yes,
I am coming son," cause us to life in joyful anticipation. Because
of this hope, we persevere and spread the good news of Christ, knowing
that when the gospel of the kingdom has been preached to all nations,
the end will come. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
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©
2000 General Conference of Brethren in Christ Churches. All rights reserved
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