What is the EFCA?
The EFCA is the Evangelical Free Church of America. It is also sometimes called the EvFree or EFree church network. While BBC is an autonomous non-denominational Bible church, we recognize there is value and strength in partnering together with other like-minded churches. Our partnership with the EFCA allows us to be better together with other likeminded churches in our region. The EFCA’s distinctives focus on God and His Word, on the Lord Jesus Christ, and on living by and with grace and truth. We invite you to come see what God is doing in our church and in the EFCA network. Below are a few of the distinctives you will find in EFCA churches.
Distinctives of the Evangelical Free Church of America
In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, charity. In all things, Jesus Christ.
Membership
The Evangelical Free Church of America is a believer’s church – membership consists of those who have a personal faith in Jesus Christ.
The great heritage of EFCA people around the world includes the fact that fellowship and ministry opportunities in the local church are based solely on one’s personal faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and trusting in Him alone for salvation. Membership requires commitment to sound doctrine as expressed in the EFCA Statement of Faith. However, a person is not excluded from membership because he or she does not agree on every fine point of doctrine. Within the EFCA, there is allowance for legitimate differences of understanding in some areas of doctrine.
Evangelical
The Evangelical Free Church of America is evangelical – we are committed to the inerrancy and authority of the Bible and the essentials of the gospel.
The EFCA was born out of a heritage of commitment to the authority and inerrancy of Scripture. We have deep convictions based on the authority of God’s Word, but we do not draw battle lines over minor points. Nor do we make minor issues of doctrine a test of fellowship in the local church. We are evangelical. We believe in separated living and personal holiness, but we are not separatists.
Unity
The Evangelical Free Church of America embraces a humble orthodoxy in partnership with others of like faith.
We believe in the spiritual unity of the Church though not necessarily in structural union. We join with other Christians and other denominations of like, precious faith in common goals and ministries to accomplish the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. But we believe that there is strength in diversity and that it is important to preserve our distinctives. We recognize that union in structure does not guarantee unity of spirit. Our foremost concern is unity of spirit with our Lord, with each other and with other Christians.
Liberty
The Evangelical Free Church of America believes in Christian freedom with responsibility and accountability.
We believe in Christian liberty, but freedom always has its limitations. Responsible Christians do not abuse freedom. The apostle Paul wrote forcefully about Christian liberty in the letter to the Galatians. He shattered the legalists with the doctrine of grace. But in First and Second Corinthians and Romans, the apostle also rebuked believers with equal forcefullness about Christian accountability. The EFCA desires to preserve our freedom in Christ. We encourage our people to be responsible, godly men, women, and young people who desire to live under the control of the Holy Spirit in obedience to the principles and precepts of God’s Word, and in harmony with God’s will for life as revealed in the Scriptures.
Life Application
The Evangelical Free Church of America believes in both the rational and relational, i.e. the head and the heart, dimensions of Christianity.
We believe the Scriptures must be applied to our individual lives with warmth of heart, warmth of message and warmth of concern. We believe it is essential to have solid, biblical content in our doctrinal understanding of faith, but it is equally important to have a dynamic, vital relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ the Son and to live by the power of the Holy Spirit. Sound Christian doctrine must be coupled with dynamic Chrisitan experience. Ours is a ministry of love and spiritual reconciliation.
Autonomy
The Evangelical Free Church of America affirms the right of each local church to govern its own affairs with a spirit of interdependency with other churches.
The EFCA is committed to a congregational form of government as stated in our Articles of Incorporation: “The Evangelical Free Church of America shall be an association and fellowship of autonomous but interdependent congregations of like faith and congregational government…” Strong pastoral leadership coupled with discerning and well-equipped Christian lay people can produce spiritual growth as well as significant church growth. While the EFCA affirms the right of each local church to govern its own affairs, we also believe in biblical values of interdependence and cooperation.
We are a movement of churches committed to working with one another in order to fulfill the Great Commission in the United States and abroad. This is only possible when there are strong ties with other EFCA churches, with local district organizations and with the national EFCA ministries.
Regional: https://efcatxok.org/
National: https://www.efca.org/
The EFCA is the Evangelical Free Church of America. It is also sometimes called the EvFree or EFree church network. While BBC is an autonomous non-denominational Bible church, we recognize there is value and strength in partnering together with other like-minded churches. Our partnership with the EFCA allows us to be better together with other likeminded churches in our region. The EFCA’s distinctives focus on God and His Word, on the Lord Jesus Christ, and on living by and with grace and truth. We invite you to come see what God is doing in our church and in the EFCA network. Below are a few of the distinctives you will find in EFCA churches.
Distinctives of the Evangelical Free Church of America
In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, charity. In all things, Jesus Christ.
Membership
The Evangelical Free Church of America is a believer’s church – membership consists of those who have a personal faith in Jesus Christ.
The great heritage of EFCA people around the world includes the fact that fellowship and ministry opportunities in the local church are based solely on one’s personal faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and trusting in Him alone for salvation. Membership requires commitment to sound doctrine as expressed in the EFCA Statement of Faith. However, a person is not excluded from membership because he or she does not agree on every fine point of doctrine. Within the EFCA, there is allowance for legitimate differences of understanding in some areas of doctrine.
Evangelical
The Evangelical Free Church of America is evangelical – we are committed to the inerrancy and authority of the Bible and the essentials of the gospel.
The EFCA was born out of a heritage of commitment to the authority and inerrancy of Scripture. We have deep convictions based on the authority of God’s Word, but we do not draw battle lines over minor points. Nor do we make minor issues of doctrine a test of fellowship in the local church. We are evangelical. We believe in separated living and personal holiness, but we are not separatists.
Unity
The Evangelical Free Church of America embraces a humble orthodoxy in partnership with others of like faith.
We believe in the spiritual unity of the Church though not necessarily in structural union. We join with other Christians and other denominations of like, precious faith in common goals and ministries to accomplish the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. But we believe that there is strength in diversity and that it is important to preserve our distinctives. We recognize that union in structure does not guarantee unity of spirit. Our foremost concern is unity of spirit with our Lord, with each other and with other Christians.
Liberty
The Evangelical Free Church of America believes in Christian freedom with responsibility and accountability.
We believe in Christian liberty, but freedom always has its limitations. Responsible Christians do not abuse freedom. The apostle Paul wrote forcefully about Christian liberty in the letter to the Galatians. He shattered the legalists with the doctrine of grace. But in First and Second Corinthians and Romans, the apostle also rebuked believers with equal forcefullness about Christian accountability. The EFCA desires to preserve our freedom in Christ. We encourage our people to be responsible, godly men, women, and young people who desire to live under the control of the Holy Spirit in obedience to the principles and precepts of God’s Word, and in harmony with God’s will for life as revealed in the Scriptures.
Life Application
The Evangelical Free Church of America believes in both the rational and relational, i.e. the head and the heart, dimensions of Christianity.
We believe the Scriptures must be applied to our individual lives with warmth of heart, warmth of message and warmth of concern. We believe it is essential to have solid, biblical content in our doctrinal understanding of faith, but it is equally important to have a dynamic, vital relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ the Son and to live by the power of the Holy Spirit. Sound Christian doctrine must be coupled with dynamic Chrisitan experience. Ours is a ministry of love and spiritual reconciliation.
Autonomy
The Evangelical Free Church of America affirms the right of each local church to govern its own affairs with a spirit of interdependency with other churches.
The EFCA is committed to a congregational form of government as stated in our Articles of Incorporation: “The Evangelical Free Church of America shall be an association and fellowship of autonomous but interdependent congregations of like faith and congregational government…” Strong pastoral leadership coupled with discerning and well-equipped Christian lay people can produce spiritual growth as well as significant church growth. While the EFCA affirms the right of each local church to govern its own affairs, we also believe in biblical values of interdependence and cooperation.
We are a movement of churches committed to working with one another in order to fulfill the Great Commission in the United States and abroad. This is only possible when there are strong ties with other EFCA churches, with local district organizations and with the national EFCA ministries.
Regional: https://efcatxok.org/
National: https://www.efca.org/