Catholic/Evangelical faith statement

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I am a Catholic volunteering for a Pregnancy Resource Center (sometimes called Crisis pregnancy center) . This particular center is administered by an Evangelical Board with Baptist leanings.
We were recently asked to sign a statement of Faith and I am looking for common ground. I would like to propose a statement of faith I could sign without qualms that would also be acceptable to the Clinic administration. looking for suggestions or examples.
Thank you and God Bless you all.
 
ByHisWounds said:
I’m Baptist and I have no reservations about that creed.
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I think it would depend on the individuals on the board. My parents are Southern Baptists and they do reject the Nicene/Apostle Creed because of the reference to the Holy Catholic Church and the Communion of Saints(Apostle’s Creed). Personally, I think it would have more to do with their educational background than their denomination.
 
hizstory said:
I think it would depend on the individuals on the board. My parents are Southern Baptists and they do reject the Nicene/Apostle Creed because of the reference to the Holy Catholic Church and the Communion of Saints(Apostle’s Creed). Personally, I think it would have more to do with their educational background than their denomination.
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I agree iwth the background part. I was raised Baptist (but I’ve been going to a Presbyterian church while away at school) and I have no objection to the Creed. Many Baptists and/or Southerners in general (I’m from Nashville, I can say that! lol) think that Catholic is a dirty word and refuse to associate themselves with it.
 
What are they trying to accomplish with the statement of faith? That might speak to what ought to go in it.
 
I’m southern baptist too but lower “catholic” means universal.
 
And communion of saints just referring to fellowship of believers. But I think they are looking for something more personal. My statement of faith includes my testimony.
 
hizstory said:
I think it would depend on the individuals on the board. My parents are Southern Baptists and they do reject the Nicene/Apostle Creed because of the reference to the Holy Catholic Church and the Communion of Saints(Apostle’s Creed). Personally, I think it would have more to do with their educational background than their denomination.
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The Southern Baptist Convention doesn’t recognize any of the formal creeds because they “deny the right of any secular or religious authority to impose a confession of faith upon a church or body of churches.” Essentially, not using the creeds is to maintain the autonomy of individual church bodies. However, the Apostles’ Creed is essentially that statement of faith used by many Baptist churches. If you don’t want to step on anyones toes, you have several options when it comes to line 9 of the Apostle’s creed:
  1. Lowercase Catholic to catholic
  2. Change the Holy Catholic Church to just “the Church”
  3. leave out line 9 in your statement of faith
However, I don’t think those changes are really necessary. The vast majority of Baptists won’t care that you’re Catholic.
 
ByHisWounds said:
I’m southern baptist too but lower “catholic” means universal.
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ByHisWounds said:
And communion of saints just referring to fellowship of believers. But I think they are looking for something more personal. My statement of faith includes my testimony.
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GeorgeTheWild said:
The Southern Baptist Convention doesn’t recognize any of the formal creeds because they “deny the right of any secular or religious authority to impose a confession of faith upon a church or body of churches.” Essentially, not using the creeds is to maintain the autonomy of individual church bodies. However, the Apostles’ Creed is essentially that statement of faith used by many Baptist churches. If you don’t want to step on anyones toes, you have several options when it comes to line 9 of the Apostle’s creed:
  1. Lowercase Catholic to catholic
  2. Change the Holy Catholic Church to just “the Church”
  3. leave out line 9 in your statement of faith
However, I don’t think those changes are really necessary. The vast majority of Baptists won’t care that you’re Catholic.
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I’m aware of all of this. However, for my parents it would make no difference in changing Catholic to catholic and they refused to be educated on what the Communion of Saints is. If it is not terminology they are already familiar with they will automatically dismiss it as unbiblical. Trust me, since my conversion I have tried HARD to have these discussions with them :doh2:
 
hizstory said:
I’m aware of all of this. However, for my parents it would make no difference in changing Catholic to catholic and they refused to be educated on what the Communion of Saints is. If it is not terminology they are already familiar with they will automatically dismiss it as unbiblical. Trust me, since my conversion I have tried HARD to have these discussions with them :doh2:
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Your parents sound like a lot of people I know. The term Catholic seems a dirty word.
 
cooterhein said:
Maybe take a look at this. Www.leaderu.com/ftissues/ft9405/articles/mission.html
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thankfully, they do not speak for their respective communions. i left protestantism, with no desire to return. ill be honest. i also noticed they changed Catholic Church, to catholic church. i would find this unacceptable, and could not use such a creed. i will work with my seperated bretheren on issues, such as abortion, and the sanctity of marriage. but attempting to blur the lines on doctrine or theology, is a no go for me. i really dont know, if i could sign a document written by a protestant denomination. is there any way the op can get out of it? no easy answer really. Peace :confused:
 
benidict said:
thankfully, they do not speak for their respective communions. i left protestantism, with no desire to return. ill be honest. i also noticed they changed Catholic Church, to catholic church. i would find this unacceptable, and could not use such a creed. i will work with my seperated bretheren on issues, such as abortion, and the sanctity of marriage. but attempting to blur the lines on doctrine or theology, is a no go for me. i really dont know, if i could sign a document written by a protestant denomination. is there any way the op can get out of it? no easy answer really. Peace :confused:
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I don’t imagine this document is meant to be an exhaustive creed though - that doesn’t seem to be the point. More like a statement of faith or mission statement for the organization. WE have a church run soup kitchen in our area which is an economically depressed neighbourhood. It is run by Anglicans, Catholics, UCC, and Baptists, among others. I don’t know that it asks people to sign a statement of faith, but presumably there are things that all those groups could agree on if they wanted to. It’s not bluring lines, it is simply establishing points of agreement.

But I still think identifying what the statement the OPs organization needs to create is supposed to do would be helpful in suggesting what to include in it.
 
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