Statement of Faith

What I Believe

It’s no secret…

For over thirty-five years, I’ve been sharing it openly, freely, in just about every possible way — in person, in gospel tracts and magazines and books, from platforms all over the country, on radio and TV, and now through social media and blogging.

I don’t think I can express the foundational truths of my faith any better than they’ve been said in the Nicene Creed and the Apostles’ Creed. (See below.)

New friends sometimes ask about my church background and ministry. The short answer is it’s interdenominational…

I grew up all kinds of evangelical. At one time or another, I’ve had the privilege of worshipping in churches of nearly every Christian denomination. A few years ago I married into the Episcopal Church. Not long after we were married, my husband felt called to go to seminary, and in 2023, he became a priest — and I became a priest’s (or pastor’s) wife.

As much as I value orthodoxy (and I do!), as much as I love theology and sound doctrine (and I do!), as much as I believe in being wise and discerning (and I do!), I believe that — regardless of denominational differences — we can never lose sight of this:

Ephesians 4:3-6 says, “Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all…” (NLT)

In John 13:35, Jesus said that the world would know that we are His, by the love we have for one another. I shared some thoughts on this in a blog post called Why You Won’t Get an Argument From Me.

I love the saying that has been attributed to a number of different scholars and theologians from centuries past: “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; and in all things, charity.”

The Nicene Creed

We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge
the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is
worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic
and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism
for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come.

Amen

The Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
He was conceived by the power of the
Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.

Amen