1. Truth, Biblical
Biblical Authority: We submit our personal lives and life as a Christian community to the authority of Holy Scripture, affirming it as absolute, eternal and inerrant truth, and therefore binding and sufficient in all circumstances. Through the empowering of the Holy Spirit, we joyfully seek conformity to its commands and increasing transformation into the image of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Unconditional Obedience to the Lordship of Christ: We desire that all we do is Christ-centered and in obedience to the teaching of Jesus.
Prayer: We acknowledge that apart from our Lord, we can do nothing of eternal value. We therefore commit to seek His face earnestly as we pursue His will and blessing for our institution.
Integrity & Authenticity: We commit to speaking truth in all aspects of our relationships and practices, both in the seminary community and in interchanges with the public. We therefore reject double motives, pretense and posturing as we pursue authenticity and transparency in our relationships, business practices and organizational policies and in classroom and practical learning environments.
Holiness and Purity: We acknowledge our lives either advance or diminish perceptions of the beauty and glory of our Lord and the credibility of the Gospel—especially among those who neither know nor seek Him. We therefore seek to reflect His holiness by avoiding sinful behavior, speech that could be understood as coarse or profane, and commit to modesty in dress. In doing this, we affirm the liberty God’s grace confers on every believer and voluntarily limit our liberty in circumstances where its exercise may not be expedient.
2. Mutuality, Loving
Community: We value and respect people, encourage their personal growth, celebrate diversity and seek to resolve differences in a constructive manner according to biblical principles.
Service: As our Lord gives grace and blessing, we seek to serve one another, our students, those ministering in our constituent churches and our investors. Our faculty serve the wider Christian community and the public by presentation and publication of their research and study of God’s Word.
Stewardship: We are thankful for, and seek to manage the resources our Lord has entrusted to us (staff, students, funds, gifts and facilities) in ways that honor Him.
Accountability: We commit to, and accept responsibility for our thoughts, speech and behavior as disciples of Christ. We desire to be a community where we care enough about one another as to invite constructive evaluation of our effectiveness as servants of Christ as we speak the truth to one another in love.
Church-Connection: Because the church is central in accomplishing God’s purposes in the world, we both value, and seek to build-up the local church through the training of its leadership, seminars and conferences and the provision of other resources to enhance its life, witness and ministry.
3. Scholarship
Excellence: We commit always to do our best, knowing that we serve Christ.
Intentionality: After seeking God’s guidance, we will decide what is most important (given our mission and resources) and seek His help to proactively pursue it.
Vision: Knowing our Lord is able to do far more than we can ask or think, we commit to a faith-filled process of praying and planning for the Seminary’s future. We challenge one another and our investors to abandon small ambitions and attempt things which are great in our Lord’s eyes—exceeding human capabilities and therefore resulting in praise to Him who accomplishes all things according to His own sovereign purposes for His glory.
4. Innovation
Excellence: We commit always to do our best, knowing that we serve Christ.
Adopted by the Board of Directors, May 19, 2009
