The fourth section of the 2025 theological survey for pastors addressed issues related to the church. There was significant consensus around most of these questions.
The first question, “Do you believe that the Church is the body of Christ, consisting of all true believers across all centuries and denominations?” was affirmed by 105 respondents (98.1%). Two people were unsure.
The second question, “Do you affirm the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper as essential to Christian practice?” also saw substantial agreement, with 103 pastors (96.1%) answering in the affirmative. Three people were unsure and one person disagreed that baptism and the Lord’s Supper are essential to Christian practice.
The next question, “Which best represents your view of the ideal form of church governance?” saw the most diversity of responses. Given Advent Christians’ longstanding commitment to congregationalism, it was surprising that congregationalism was the second most selected form of polity, chosen by 30 pastors (28.6%). Elder-led received the most votes with 61 (58.1%) and elder was identified as ideal by 14 pastors (13.3%).
Respondents were unanimous regarding the question, “Do you believe that the Church has a central role in evangelism and global missions?” Everyone affirmed this conviction.
Finally, there was strong consensus around the question, “Do you believe every Christian should be an active member of a local church?” One hundred one pastors (94.1%) believe that active church membership is essential for Christian faithfulness. Four pastors (3.7%) do not believe it is necessary for Christians to be active members of a church. Two people were unsure.
Overall, there is a very strong level of agreement among Advent Christian pastors on these issues related to the church.
Next week we will examine the results from the sections addressing evangelism, cultural engagement and eschatology.
