In a period of our history when pressures toward organizational unity are being directed against every segment of the Christian Church in a degree never before known, the NAE reaffirms its conviction that Christian unity is primarily a spiritual relationship among people throughout the world who have been brought into a living relationship to God through the new birth and are thereby members of the body of Christ and who accept the authority of the Bible as their rule of faith and practice.
We believe that this unity, given by God and made real in us by the ministry of the Holy Spirit, is manifested in a love-inspired fellowship that promotes cooperative effort in our Christian witness without the necessity of ecclesiastical union or uniformity in practice. We recognize our helpful diversity in structural relationship and rejoice in our oneness in the body of which Jesus Christ is the Head. We will endeavor to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace so that he world may believe.
We encourage and urge evangelicals to join in fellowship with other evangelical Christians at local and national levels so that they might speak to the world unitedly and strongly on issues confronting our nation conscious that our message rests upon the authority of the Word of God.
The NAE is grateful to God for the formation of evangelical fellowships throughout the world and assures our evangelical brethren of prayerful support in their efforts to resist pressures toward an unbiblical conformity and to present a pure Gospel of redeeming grace to their countrymen.