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Page History
The GCM board of directors approves an organizational statement of faith that is designed to help locate the identity of Great Commission Ministries as “broadly evangelical.” The intent is to publicly declare GCM’s core beliefs so that donors, ministry partners, and missionaries have a clear understanding of our doctrine and its relationship to our mission.
Background
On November 9, 2012, the board of directors voted to replace the previous Statement previous Statement of Faith (old). Our Our desire was to better reflect our value that GCM does not take the role of local spiritual leadership for churches or ministries we partner with. The previous GCM statement of faith was adopted under Great Commission Churches since 1989.
GCM Missionaries Affirming the Statement of Faith
Affirmation of the GCM Statement of Faith is is required for GCM missionaries and is seen as a necessary area of agreement for working in partnership with churches or ministries.
All GCM missionaries regardless of status (including associate and intern) show their affirmation by signing the statement of faith during their assessment and application process, which is kept on record in their personnel file.
Signing Statement
Please sign to indicate your full agreement with the Great Commission Ministries statement of faith. Many of our missionaries and church and ministry partners affirm statements that are more specific than these but are not in contradiction.
Non-Affirmation
We assume that many of our missionaries and church and ministry partners may choose to affirm doctrinal statements that are more specific than these or expressed with different language. However, our missionaries may not affirm beliefs that are in contradiction to these.
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GCM will support the more specific requirement via the local portion of the Missionary Assessment Processthe assessment. As well, GCM will support continued missionary employment for the GCM missionary with the church or ministry partner based on local specific requirements.
However, GCM may support the transfer of a missionary to a church or ministry who does not hold the same specific requirement, based on our guidelines for Change change in Missionary Assignmentministry assignment, which includes the blessing of the church.
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EXAMPLE: A prospective church planter is a member of a church planting network who requires affirmation of the Westminster Confession of Faith. The church planter submits a GCM application stating that they do not affirm the Westminster Confession. GCM does not require such an affirmation, but in the assessment process, the non-agreement issue is raised as a "Red Flag" concern by the local church pastor. GCM chooses to support a final decision not to hire the applicant based on his non-agreement with the local church standard. |
Disagreement
If a church or ministry partner perceives a contradiction between their locally held doctrinal beliefs and GCM’s statement of faith, GCM seeks careful conversation between the GCM Executive Director and local leadership to talk about whether the voluntary partnership makes sense to continue further. GCM Missionaries will not be "caught in the middle"—GCM desires to come to understanding with the church or ministry partner first.
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