Our essential Christian commitments
Messiah University affirms the historic Apostle's Creed as its central statement of faith. In addition, Messiah asks that all community members support the Confession of Faith which expresses the faith orientation of the University in a nonsectarian manner that highlights the specific emphases of the Anabaptist, Pietist and Wesleyan traditions of the Christian faith. It is included frequently in campus worship University educators are expected to support the University Confession of Faith and affirm the Apostles' Creed.
Apostles' Creed
I believe in God the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again,
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.
Confession of Faith
We believe in the triune God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—who created and sustains the universe, and who desires to redeem us and all creation.
God creates each of us in the very image of God to live in loving relationships: free, responsible and accountable to God and each other for our decisions and our actions.
God speaks to us in many different ways, times and places but is uniquely revealed to all the world in Jesus of Nazareth who was fully human and fully divine.
God forgives our sins, renews our hearts and minds, and calls us to join in the work of reconciliation by grace through faith in the life, teachings, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
God bestows on us the Holy Spirit who leads us to repentance, instructs us in righteousness and empowers us to live joyfully as disciples of Christ, as servants of others and as caretakers of the created order.
God calls us to unite in the Church as a visible community of believers which celebrates God's grace in its worship and bears witness to the truth of the Gospel through its being, doing and speaking.
God gives us the Bible as the inspired, trustworthy and authoritative Scripture to reveal God's ways and purposes, to nourish our minds and souls and to instruct us in how we ought to think and to live.
God instructs us to pursue the kingdom of peace, righteousness and justice which ultimately will prevail with the return of Christ and assures us that those judged faithful will share resurrected life with God and all the saints forever.
We praise the one God—our Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer-who has called us to personal faith and new life in Christ and to so order our lives that they may demonstrate the truth of our confession.