Radiant Christian

We are a community of believers in Jesus called, Radiant Christian Ministries, founded as Church of the Messiah in 1998.  We are part of the "Convergence Movement,"  embracing all the great Pre-Reformation and Post-Reformation worship traditions - Liturgical, Sacramental, Evangelical, and Charismatic.

We are part of the world-wide Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches (http://www.theceec.org/) and center our fellowship in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Bishop Christopher Jukes leads our community with the help of many lay and ordained members within our body.  We embrace the historic orthodoxy of the Christian faith expressed in the Apostles and Nicene Creeds.  The following are the truths we hold to and do our best to live, with God's help:

• 1) HOLY SCRIPTURE

The  bible is the  Father's "God-breathed" revelation.  It is valid for all cultures throughout all generations as the ultimate rule of faith and conduct.  God's written Word is to be the Church's supreme authority in all matters of doctrine, tradition and practice.    

• 2) THE CHURCH

There is only one, holy, universal and apostolic Church.  Its membership includes all people of all generations who have confessed Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. 

• 3) CHURCH HISTORY

Each generation since the day of Pentecost has contained a remnant of God's people who have faithfully served Jesus as Lord.   We belong to a "holy nation and royal priesthood" that has continued uninterrupted since the days of the apostles.   It is important that we appreciate the spiritual insights and godly example of each generation that has gone before us in Christ. 

• 4) UNITY

It is Christ's desire that His Church be one "even as He and the Father are one."  Therefore, unity must be the active desire of all Christians. Our identity in Christ must always take pre-eminence over our denominational affiliation.  True Christian unity requires both substance and form.  Its foundation is the Father's revelation that "Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God," and its parameters are  the tenets of historic orthodoxy.

• 5) ORTHODOXY

The historic faith, "once for all entrusted to the saints," is faithfully expressed in the Church's historic creeds:  The Apostles' Creed, The Nicene Creed, and the Creed of St. Athanasius.  These creeds are to be fully received as trustworthy expressions of orthodox Christian faith.

• 6) SUBSTANCE AND STRUCTURE

The substance of the gospel message must always take precedence over the structure of the Church.  As the Father freshly pours out His "new wine" in each generation, the "wineskin" of Church structure must be sufficiently flexible to contain it.  It is a form of idolatry whenever the Church's structure becomes more important than the message it is meant to contain.

• 7) RENEWAL, EVANGELISM, AND REVIVAL

Renewal occurs when the Holy Spirit  is poured out upon the Church.  Evangelism occurs when the Holy Spirit is poured out through the Church into the world.   Revival occurs when the seeds planted through evangelism sprout and produce a harvest of repentance and conversion.  The Church must never be content unless there is a constant stream and ever-present experience of renewal, evangelism and revival.

• 8) WORSHIP

The Church's worship is meant to be:

1) Sacramental {"Do this in remembrance of Me...."}

2) Evangelical  {" Teach what is in accord with sound doctrine...."}

3) and Charismatic {"Eagerly desire spiritual gifts...."}

All of these unique aspects of worship are to be fully expressed in the whole realm of the Church's life.  None of these elements is to be over-emphasized and none is to be neglected.

• 9) SACRAMENTAL WORSHIP

Sacramental expressions (outward and visible signs of spiritual realities) are integral to human nature and speak to the deepest part of the human spirit.  They are therefore necessary for appropriating the fullness of God's grace.  While those sacraments instituted by Christ Himself, namely holy communion and baptism, are to take pre-eminence, other sacramental expressions such as the anointing with oil, the laying on of hands, altar calls, holy water, incense, candles, confession and absolution, the arts, and dance can be used to inspire faith and should be commonly practiced.

• 10) EVANGELICAL WORSHIP

An evangelical emphasis in worship promotes the dynamic preaching and teaching of God's Word and accentuates the primacy and necessity of a personal encounter with Jesus Christ in the life of every believer.   The advancement of Scriptural literacy guards sacramental worship from superstition and helps balance the subjective experiences of charismatic worship with the objective truth of God's written Word.

• 11) CHARISMATIC WORSHIP

We welcome and anticipate the Holy Spirit's participation in our worship through the manifestation of His Shekinah Glory and His spiritual giftings.  All supernatural manifestations should be exercised in an orderly way for the common good and should be weighed carefully in order to "test the spirits to see whether they are from God."

• 12) BAPTISM

Holy baptism is the sacramental seal of our covenant relationship with the Lord, "the pledge of a good conscience towards God."  We are to obey Christ's command to "make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."  Infant baptism was universally practiced by the Church for 1500 years before the Reformation and is fully consistent with the principles of Holy Scripture.  Accordingly, infant baptism is to be continued and encouraged.  At the same time, a public reaffirmation of one's baptism at the time of conscious conversion is also appropriate and not contrary to the Scriptural concept of "one Lord, one faith, one baptism."  Baptismal reaffirmation should be accompanied by the sacramental sign of water, through pouring or immersion. 

• 13) THE LORD'S SUPPER

The Lord's Supper is one of the primary means of receiving God's grace and power because it is a "participation in Christ's body and blood."  While the transformation of the bread and wine is sacramental rather than physical in nature, the Real Presence of Christ is truly experienced in the receiving of holy communion.   Scripture gives no restrictions on who may preside at the Lord's Table but rather gives the command, "Do this as often as you drink it."   Thus, presiding over the Lord's Supper should not be restricted to the Church's ordained leadership.  However, for the sake of order, lay members should not lead a service of holy communion beyond their present sphere of leadership.  For instance, parents may celebrate communion within their families but not in a home church group; home church leaders may celebrate communion within their home groups but not in a service of public worship; bishops and  priests should preside at the Lord's table whenever the whole community gathers together to "proclaim the Lord's death until He comes again." 

• 14) ABSOLUTION

The spoken assurance of God's forgiveness to a penitent sinner is of great comfort and should not be restricted to the ministry of the Priesthood.  We should all "confess our sins to one another" and all be confident in pronouncing God's absolution of sin to anyone who truly repents and turns to Christ for forgiveness. 

• 15) DELIVERANCE

The casting out of demons is an important part of Christ's commission to all believers.  There is no Scriptural foundation for restricting this ministry to a selected few within a congregation or a diocese.   However, wisdom and discernment must always be exercised in this ministry and those who abuse this calling should be corrected by the ordained leadership of the Church.

• 16) THE NEW BIRTH

Being born again is essential to "entering the kingdom of heaven" and is the spiritual experience that Baptism sacramentally symbolizes.  The New Birth occurs when there is:

1) a conscious turning away from sin, the world and the devil. [Repentance]

2) a conscious turning to Jesus for forgiveness, acceptance and eternal life. [Faith]

3) a conscious turning over of our lives to the Father in complete submission and surrender.  [Obedience] 

In the New Birth we "become new creations in Christ,"  are "sealed by the Holy Spirit," and receive "the gift of eternal life."

• 17) BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT

Baptism in the Holy Spirit is the biblical description of a deep, personal encounter with the Holy Spirit.  The result is an inner assurance of salvation, an increased power to witness for Christ, and the supernatural manifestation of spiritual gifts.  It is an experience subsequent to and separate from the New Birth, though both can be experienced together as was the case for Cornelius's household and the disciples at Ephesus.

• 18) TONGUES

As one of the supernatural manifestations of the Holy Spirit the gift of tongues is to be welcomed and encouraged.  When the people of God come together for public worship and prayer, the audible use of tongues should only be exercised in conjunction with the gift of interpretation.  Where there is no interpretation, those who worship or pray in tongues should do so quietly and privately so as not to disturb the order and unity of the gathering.

• 19) THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

Neither the new birth nor the baptism in the Holy Spirit produce in and of themselves the fruit of the Holy Spirit.  Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control come as a result of  "abiding in Christ" and continually "sowing to please the Spirit."  

• 20) LOVE

All the commandments of God are summed up in the word "love."  Firstly, we are commanded to love God with our whole being, with a passion unrivaled by anything else.  Secondly, we are commanded to love our neighbour as ourselves, "doing unto others as we would have them do to us." The extent to which these commandments are being fulfilled in our lives is an accurate measure of our closeness to Christ. 

• 21) HOLINESS

Holiness is the aim of all true believers.  While salvation is a free gift of God's grace, we are not to return to our sin as "a dog returns to its vomit."   Worldliness and sinfulness are to be shunned; godliness and purity are to be embraced through the power of the Holy Spirit.  We are to "purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God."

• 22) THE SINFUL NATURE

We are sinful beings by means of both nature and choice: by nature through our inheritance of Adam's fallen nature and by choice through our own wilful rebellion and disobedience.  While we do receive the indwelling Spirit of Christ in the new birth, we do not lose our sinful nature, causing a continual warfare within between "the flesh and the Spirit."  Perfect holiness is possible through continual obedience to the Spirit's prompting but we must always recognize that the sinful nature will manifest its desires whenever "our minds are not set on what the Spirit desires."

• 23) THE FAMILY

Order and authority are established by God for our protection and the peaceful operation of societal relationships.  God's order in the family is in no way a reflection of inequality of value or differing levels of worth.  God's revealed will for the family is that of parental authority over children and the headship of the husband in relation to his wife.  The husband's headship is expressed in self-sacrificing leadership and tender-hearted love, looking to Christ's headship over the Church as his example.  The wife's role is to respond in loving submission to her husband's leadership in everything that is consistent with godliness and holiness of life.  The husband is never to misuse his authority for selfish ends and the wife should under no circumstances disobey God's command in order to submit to her husband.  Together the husband and wife are to exercise God's protective authority over their children, the father being primarily responsible for the children's spiritual care and training.  Children are to honour their parents and obey them in all things consistent with holiness and righteousness of life.

• 24) MARRIAGE

Marriage is a gift from God wherein a man and a woman "become one flesh."  The purpose of Christian marriage is:

1) the hallowing of the union between man and woman;

2) the mutual comfort, companionship and complement the one is to the other;

3) the creation of family for the nurture, care and upbringing of children;

4) the modeling to the world of Christ's relationship with His Church.

It is the only relationship given by God in which sexual affection is to be expressed. 

• 25) DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGE

The Scriptural reasons for the dissolution of marriage are death, adultery and abandonment.  Only under these circumstances is a partner free to end the covenental commitment and pursue remarriage.  While emotional, physical and mental abuse are often necessary reasons for formal separation, the offended partner should continue to pray and work towards healing and reconciliation. Remarriage under these circumstances is not a biblical option.  It is recognized that many will come into the Church having experienced divorce and remarriage for a wide variety of reasons; they are to be warmly welcomed into the fellowship of Christ's body as "new creations in Christ."  Officiating at marriage ceremonies, however, will be based on the above mentioned parameters of Holy Scripture whenever a previous marriage is involved.

• 26) HOMOSEXUALITY

God has a deep love for all who are in bondage to homosexual orientation and lifestyle.  His desire is that they would know His love and be set free through a knowledge of the truth. Scripture teaches that homosexual behavior is "detestable," "unnatural," and "perverse."  In the Old Testament the consequence for such behavior was death; in the New Testament the consequence is exclusion from the kingdom of heaven.  Accordingly, homosexual orientation is an orientation toward sin and perversion and cannot be affirmed in any way.  To all who truly repent of this sin and turn to Christ there is complete forgiveness, healing for sexual brokenness, and a new beginning in the Father's grace and love.

• 27) ABORTION

Human life begins at the moment of conception and must be accorded the same dignity and respect due to all who bear the "image of God."  The wilful termination of the life of an unborn baby for any reason whatsoever is sin. The Father's heart grieves for the multitude of children whose lives have been prematurely ended through the horror of abortion.  His heart also cries out for those men and women who have become captives to guilt and judgment through their involvement in this sin.  It is His desire that they come to a knowledge of the truth and turn to Christ for healing and forgiveness.  It is imperative that the Church expose the deceit of abortion, call for national repentance, and secure the institution of laws which protect the unborn.  (Surgical procedures for conditions such as eptopic pregnancy and uteran cancer are not considered abortions either medically or morally.)

• 28) ABSOLUTES

Moral and theological absolutes flow out of the character and revelation of the Eternal God who is "the same yesterday, today and forever" and "does not change like shifting shadows."  The claim that there are no moral absolutes and that all truth is relative is not only false and absurd, it denies the very nature of God who is the source of absolute truth.  Personal perception of reality is not to be confused with or equated to the Scriptural concept of objective, eternal truth.

• 29) SYNCRETISM AND PLURALISM

Syncretism (the blending together of world religions) and Pluralism (the giving of equal value to all world religions as paths of salvation) are concepts that are in direct opposition to the plain teaching of Holy Scripture.  Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."  The Acts of the Apostles makes it clear that the Name of Jesus is the only "name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."  Similarly the apostle Paul teaches that if salvation could be attained through the observance of religious laws and rituals "Christ died for nothing."  Syncretism and Pluralism are not new temptations for the people of God.  High places for the worship of Baal, the Assyrian altar in the temple of God, Solomon's downfall, and a host of other biblical examples demonstrate that this "new age" philosophy is simply an old evil dressed up in a new guise.

• 30) MODERN BIBLICAL CRITICISM

With the exception of textual criticism, the academic disciplines of higher biblical criticism are largely theoretical and speculative and should be viewed as such.  Moreover, modern biblical criticism has provided a stronghold for the undermining of Scriptural authority and consequently a foundation for the present apostasy in many Churches.  Bible colleges and  theological seminaries whose basis of Scriptural teaching is source, form, and redaction criticism should not be considered for ministry preparation or financial support.

• 31) HEAVEN AND HELL

Jesus Christ will visibly return to earth at which time every human being will stand before God's throne of judgment.  Those whose "names are written in the Lamb's book of life" will enter the New Jerusalem and eternally enjoy a pure and undefiled relationship with God.  Those whose names are not written in the Lamb's book of life will be "thrown into the lake of fire,"  a place of eternal torment prepared for the devil and his angels.

• 32) LITURGY

Written liturgies are helpful for preserving orthodoxy in theology, balance in worship, and a common, united focus in prayer.  The use of a modernized form of the "Book of Common Prayer" is recommended but not meant to be restrictive.  Other liturgies and new liturgical rites may also be used provided they meet the standards of Biblical orthodoxy.  While it is recommended that written liturgy be the basic framework for public worship, there are times when a "scaled down" liturgy or no liturgy at all is also appropriate. 

• 33) VESTMENTS

Traditional vestments can have positive and negative effects.  For some, they help create an atmosphere of awe and reverence toward God.  For others, they appear archaic and lack sacramental relevance for our present culture.  Thus, the use of all vestments should be left to the discretion of the presiding minister in accordance with the goals of the service at hand.

• 34) THE CHURCH YEAR

The major days, preparatory seasons of the Church Year and the Hebrew feasts should be celebrated in some measure to ensure an annual reminder of the major tenets of Christian faith and its Old Testament roots.  The worship themes of all other Sundays, weekdays and seasons of the year may be determined by the needs of the congregation concerned.  

• 35) HOME CHURCHES

Small home fellowships of seven to fourteen people are to be the foundational units of the Church's structure.  As much as possible the churches discipleship, pastoral care, evangelism and ministries should flow from within the home church structure. 

• 36) ORDINATION

Preparation for ordination should emphasize both "formation" and "information."  Candidates for Holy Orders should work towards whatever educational level is appropriate for them: private study, bible College, Bachelor's degree, Master's Degree, or Doctoral Studies.  The main training for ordination should incorporate an apprenticeship model and take place within a congregational setting.

• 37) THE DIACONATE

Although the title "deacon" is not used in Acts Chapter 6, the ministry of deacons can rightfully be traced back to this servanthood ministry in the life of the early Church.  Thus, the diaconate should not be seen as a temporary order or an apprenticeship for the Priesthood.  It is a permanent order for those who are specifically called to mercy ministries to the poor and needy in the Christian community.

• 38)WOMEN in LEADERSHIP

The ideal leadership model in the New Testament is a team ministry that blends together differing strengths and God-given giftings.  Women are not to be excluded from this for it is clear, both biblically and experientially, that God gives the gift of leadership to both men and women.  The only restriction placed on women's ministry in the Scriptures is the way in which it is to be exercised in relation to men.  Leadership in the Church family is to reflect God's order in the natural family, with men assuming the role of headship.  In practice this means:

1) Women are not restricted from ordination in the Church. 

2) Offices requiring headship, namely "Rector" and "Bishop," are to be exercised by men.

3) Team leadership that includes both male and female priests should be encouraged  in the life of the congregation. 

• 39) FIVE-FOLD MINISTRY

God has established five main leadership ministries (Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, and Teacher) to "prepare God's people for works of service."  Wherever possible, new staff members should be chosen with this five-fold leadership gifting in mind.

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