The Evangelical Apostolic Church of North America proclaims the Faith of the
Apostolic Church as recorded in the Holy Bible. This faith is expressed in
a number of documents of which the most important is the Nicene Creed.
In the early centuries of the Church, the bishops gathered in councils to
define both canons (Church rules) and doctrine. Of the many councils held
through the centuries, some are considered to have been "ecumenical" or
world-wide because there were bishops present from throughout the world and
the world-wide church subsequently received the teachings of the council.
These are also called the Great Councils. The Orthodox and Protestant
churches generally accept that there were seven Ecumenical Councils while
the Roman Catholic church accepts these seven and others since. The Church
of the East accepted only the first two Great Councils as truly ecumenical.
These were the Council of Nicea in A.D. 325 and the Council of
Constantinople in A.D. 381. It was at these two councils that the Nicene
Creed was developed.
While we have not officially adopted the doctrinal formulations promulgated
by the Great Councils that followed, we agree generally with the theology
and Christology
of subsequent councils, in particular the Council of Chalcedon (A.D. 451) to
which Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Protestants hold.
In addition to the teachings of the early fathers of the Church, we have, in
recent years, formulated a number of documents which present the teaching of
the Church on a number of matters. These documents are the following:
The Evangelical Apostolic Church of North America proclaims the Faith of the
Apostolic Church as recorded in the Holy Bible. This faith is expressed in
a number of documents of which the most important is the Nicene Creed.
In the early centuries of the Church, the bishops gathered in councils to
define both canons (Church rules) and doctrine. Of the many councils held
through the centuries, some are considered to have been "ecumenical" or
world-wide because there were bishops present from throughout the world and
the world-wide church subsequently received the teachings of the council.
These are also called the Great Councils. The Orthodox and Protestant
churches generally accept that there were seven Ecumenical Councils while
the Roman Catholic church accepts these seven and others since. The Church
of the East accepted only the first two Great Councils as truly ecumenical.
These were the Council of Nicea in A.D. 325 and the Council of
Constantinople in A.D. 381. It was at these two councils that the Nicene
Creed was developed.
