Essentials of Anabaptism

New Covenant Christian School (NCCS) was founded by a group of Brethren and Mennonite parents interested in having their children receive a high quality academic education in a school that operated by and embraced their Anabaptist beliefs.

The essential tenets of these beliefs include:

1.  The Bible is the authoritative Word of God, which, by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, is sufficient to lead us to a saving faith in Christ and faithful discipleship.

2.  Both the Old and New Testaments are equally inspired by God; the New Testament, however, serves to interpret the Old, provides the fulfillment of the Old with the coming of Christ and is the foundation of Christian ethics.

3.  Salvation is only through accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, whose life and teachings are the foundation and example for all aspects of daily life, and through whom our lives are transformed.

4.  Conversion to Christ involves a conscious decision; baptism and church membership are therefore voluntarily accepted by those of an age who can make a responsible, life-changing decision.

5.  Becoming a Christian involves more than a statement of belief; it involves a life of discipleship, allowing the Holy Spirit to transform all aspects of life into Christ's image as we follow His example.

6.  While the church has distinctions in role, all are equal in our access to God through Christ and must therefore be seen as equals in the church.

7.  The church is a covenant community; believers engage in worship, have fellowship together, practice accountability, and share in mutual aid as a corporate, covenant body.

8.  The church is in the world but separate from the world; it functions as a radical counterculture to the secular world and to civil religion, with ethics shaped by Christ and not by selfish desire or national pride.

9.  As Christians, we follow the example of Christ in showing love, making peace and seeking reconciliation with all, including personal and national enemies, while rejecting the use of force.

10.  Christians are called to follow the example of Christ in service by ministering to those in need in the name of Christ.

11.  The church has been commissioned to go into all the world, making disciples of Christ, baptizing them and teaching them to also become His disciples.

Developed by the pastoral advisors from the local Church of the Brethren and the Mennonite churches at the request of the New Covenant Christian School Board.  (Adapted from the pamphlet "Anabaptism: The Basic Beliefs", published by the Canadian Mennonite Brethren Board of Faith and Life, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, copyright 1993)