Trends within our society are destroying the moral quality of life we have valued in this country. The media remind us daily that such areas as violence, abortion, drug abuse, child abuse, alcoholism, divorce, promiscuity, rebellion, racism and crime are impacting our lives and our communities as never before. The problems created by such conduct are overwhelming and some leaders have suggested that adequate solutions are beyond reach. A sense of pessimism dwells in the hearts of many. Although we acknowledge that our nation is in a serious moral and spiritual decline, we do not accept the idea that there is no adequate solution for the ills that confront us. Our Christian faith is one of hope. When God’s Word is obeyed, there is no problem that cannot be resolved.

The National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) believes this is a strategic time for Christians to share their faith in Christ and the truth of God’s Word. People are looking for answers and we desire to share patiently and persistently with them the help and hope we have found in God’s Word.

Our confidence in God and in His Word is absolute. We believe the Bible to be the infallible Word of God to mankind, completely sufficient for all to face and deal with every area of life in a manner that pleases God, to produce reverence for His Name, and to live a Christ like life.

Unfortunately, there are those who deny that God’s truth can transform. They suggest there are equally good, if not superior, ways to find healing in a broken world and that there is no need to turn to God or His Word.

We must, therefore, vigorously communicate God’s truth, testing everything by Scripture. At the same time, we must be good and faithful representatives of the faith we proclaim, demonstrating the transforming power of God’s Word.

Power to transform how we live. At a time when we are experiencing a rising tide of iniquity in our nation (2 Tim. 3:13), the truth that all may be reconciled by God’s love (John 3:16) and transformed through the power of the gospel (Rom. 1:16, 2 Cor. 5:17) is our message to the unsaved. The only hope for those alienated from their Creator and their fellow citizens is redemption through Jesus Christ. To communicate this message effectively, we must model the transforming power of the gospel (Rom. 12:2), reflecting a Christ like spirit in how we live (Phil. 2:5).

Power to transform how we minister. Our ministries must always be built on principles based on the Word of God. Quantitative church growth is desirable, but never at the expense of truth. We must also be sensitive to how the Holy Spirit is working in the world and respond accordingly. At a time when the world is rapidly becoming a “global village,” it is critical that we minister to all ethnic groups, as well as the poor and needy. This requires that we reach out to the inner cities of our nation by sharing both resources and personnel with those who live and work there.

Power to transform how we relate to one another. The Body of Christ is one. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:2). As members of Christ’s Body, we are to love one another without regard to race, social status or gender. Whenever the sins of racism and social injustice are found, they must be exposed and forsaken. Failure to relate lovingly to every member of the church, which is His Body, constitutes a rejection of God’s will and brings scandal to the very gospel we proclaim.

Knowing, then, the power of God’s truth to transform, we unite as members of the National Association of Evangelicals in a fresh commitment of ourselves to God. Our fervent desire is that our lives be transformed by God’s Word and that we share effectively its transforming power with others.