PARAMETERS TO GUIDE THE WORK OF OUR MINISTRY TEAMS

While we, as Cumberland Presbyterians around the world, share a Confession of Faith, we do not, nor should we, have a monolithic understanding of how our faith in the risen Jesus is to be applied and expressed in either our daily lives or our shared ministries. Nonetheless, how the Ministry Council and its Ministry Teams publically apply and express our corporate faith though our shared ministries (events, publications, presentations, etc.) must be carried out with an intentional awareness of what effect these ministries can have on the church-at-large, giving particular consideration to the effect these ministries can have on both our international and cross-cultural congregations and mission efforts. This consideration is not intended to discount the effect these ministries can have on our congregations in the United States, but rather, it is intended to broaden our focus. This broadened focus should also recognize the diversity of theological opinions within our congregations in the United States, many of whom feel disenfranchised from the whole of our denomination. An application and expression of our corporate faith that takes into consideration the entire global Cumberland Presbyterian Church must be whole-Bible focused and Christ-centered. It must also prioritize both making disciples and social ministry. Recognizing that as a connectional Church the work one of our denominational Ministry Teams puts forth represents each of our Ministry Teams, the Ministry Council, and indeed, the entire global Cumberland Presbyterian Church, we suggest the following parameters to guide our shared ministries:

1) All our ministry work should be intended to reveal the glory and grace of God, not to promote any personal, regional, national, or political agenda.

2) All our ministry work should help contextualize an application and expression of our corporate faith that is in harmony with the historic Christian faith that makes up the core of Cumberland Presbyterian theology as expressed in our Confession of Faith.

3) All our ministry work should give priority to the Bible (both the Old and New Testaments) as “the infallible rule of faith and practice, the authoritative guide for Christian living” [COF, 1.05].

4) All our ministry work should be designed and developed with the whole Church in mind, remembering that Cumberland Presbyterians from around the world share in this work as either participants and/or contributors.

5) All current ministry work and practices should be immediately evaluated and either eliminated or changed to bring our shared efforts into compliance with these parameters.

6) All future ministry work and practices must comply with these parameters from their inception.