As members of the Church of God we ascribe to all of the foundation doctrines of the Church of God.  That is to say that we are:

1)  CHRISTIAN:  We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the promised Messiah, the Savior of the world, and the Head of the Church.

2)  PROTESTANT:  We believe that a)  salvation is a free gift of God, provided not because of human merit or works, but by the Grace of God and through faith in the redemptive work of Christ on the cross.  b)  The priesthood is not reserved as a special calling for a few, it is the inheritance of all Christians.  We are all ministers of the Gospel of Christ.  c)  The scriptures alone are to determine the course of our life and doctrine, not church traditions or any other source.

3)  EVANGELICAL:  We are committed to bringing all to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  Our doctrine is conservative in nature, reflecting the the fundamental tenants of evangelism:  a)  The 66 books of the bible are inspired by God and are without error.  b)  The virgin birth of Christ is a historical fact.  Jesus was supernaturally born of the Virgin Mary.  c)  The death of Christ was not martyrdom, it was atonement,  that is to say He was dying for the sins of mankind in order to bring salvation and redemption.  d)  Jesus was literally and bodily resurrected from the grave on the third day.  This historical event is the cornerstone of the Christian faith.

4)  HOLINESS:  Our heritage is deeply rooted in the Holiness Revival of the 19th century.  This revival brought a growing awareness of the need for purity within the Church.  We believe in a life of holiness before Christ that can be seen in the lifestyle of the believer.

5)  PENTECOSTAL:  We believe in the present work of the Holy Spirit as is stated in the book of Acts.  We encourage believers to be filled with the Spirit and expect and accept the fruits (Galatians 5:22,23) and gifts (I Corinthians 12) of the Holy Spirit which include speaking in tongues, interpretation of tongues, prophecy, divine healing, etc.

6)  PEOPLE OF GOD:  We believe that God is at work in the 21st century.  We are committed to unity within the Body of Christ.  We should endeavor to maintain the unity of the Spirit with all true believers in Christ, recognizing them as our brothers and sisters in Christ.  We believe that an open and loving relationship with other Christians is beneficial to everyone and will advance the Kingdom of God on Earth.


Because we are Christians, which means Christ Like, we have committed our selves to follow:
**THE PRACTICAL COMMITMENTS OF THE CHURCH OF GOD*

 Spiritual Example...

*We will demonstrate our commitment to Christ through our practice of the spiritual disciplines; we will demonstrate our commitment to the Body of Christ through loyalty to God and commitment to His Church; we will demonstrate our commitment to the work of Christ through being good stewards.

Moral Purity...

*We will engage in those activities that glorify God in our body and that avoid the fulfillment of the lusts of the flesh.  We will read, watch and listen to those things that are of positive benefit to our spiritual well-being.

Personal integrity...

*We will live in a manner that inspires trust and confidence, bearing the fruit of the Spirit, and seeking to manifest the character of Christ in all our behavior.

Family Responsibility...

*We will give priority to fulfilling family responsibilities, to preserving the sanctity of marriage and to maintaining divine order in the home.

Behavioral Temperance...

*We will practice temperance in behavior and will abstain from activities and attitudes that are offensive to our fellowman or that lead to addiction or enslavement.

Modest Appearance...

*We will demonstrate the scriptural principle of modesty by appearing and dressing in a manner that will enhance our Christian testimony and avoid pride, elaborateness, and sensuality.

Social Obligation...

*It should be our objective to fulfill our obligations to society by being good citizens, by correcting social injustices, and by protecting the sanctity of life.


**Doctrinal Commitments:
The following Doctrinal Commitments represent the core beliefs of our church as outlined in Scripture.
 

• Repentance. Mark 1:15; Luke 13:3; Acts 3:19.

• Justification. Romans 5:1; Titus 3:7.

• Regeneration. Titus 3:5.

• New birth. John 3:3; 1 Peter 1:23; 1 John 3:9.

• Sanctification subsequent to justification. Romans 5:2; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 1 Thessalonians 4:3; Hebrews 13:12.

• Holiness. Luke 1:75; 1 Thessalonians 4:7; Hebrews 12:14.

• Water baptism. Matthew 28:19; Mark 1:9, 10; John 3:22, 23; Acts 8:36, 38.

• Baptism with the Holy Ghost subsequent to cleansing; the enduement of power for service. Matthew 3:11; Luke 24:49, 53; Acts 1:4-8.

• The speaking in tongues as the Spirit gives utterance as the initial evidence of the baptism in the Holy Ghost. John 15:26; Acts 2:4; 10:44-46; 19:1-7.

• The Church. Exodus 19:5, 6; Psalm 22:22; Matthew 16:13-19; 28:19,20; Acts 1:8; 2:42-47; 7:38; 20:28; Romans 8:14-17: 1 Corinthians 3:16, 17; 12:12-31; 2 Corinthians 6:6-18; Ephesians 2:19-22; 3:9, 21; Phillippians 3:10; Hebrews 2:12; 1 Peter 2:9; 1 John 1:6, 7; Revelation 21:2, 9; 22:17.

• Spiritual gifts. 1 Corinthians 12:1, 7, 10, 28, 31; 1 Corinthians 14:1.

• Signs following believers. Mark 16:17-20; Romans 15:18, 19; Hebrews 2:4.

• Fruit of the Spirit. Romans 6:22; Galatians 5:22, 23; Ephesians 5:9; Philippians 1:11.

• Divine healing provided for all in the Atonement. Psalm 103:3; Isaiah 53:4, 5; Matthew 8:17; James 5:14-16; 1 Peter 2:24.

• The Lord's Supper. Luke 22:17-20; 1 Corinthians 11 : 2 3 - 2 6.

• Washing the saints' feet. John 13:4-17; 1 Timothy 5:9, 10.

• Tithing and giving. Genesis 14:18-20; 28:20-22; Malachi 3:10; Luke 11:42 ; 1 Corinthians 16:2 ; 2 Corinthians 9:6-9 ; Hebrews 7:1-21.

• Restitution where possible. Matthew 3:8; Luke 19:8, 9.

• Pre-Millennial second coming of Jesus. First, to resurrect the dead saints and to catch away the living saints to Him in the air. 1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; 2 Thessalonians 2:1. Second, to reign on the earth a thousand years. Zechariah 14:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:14; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; Jude 14, 15; Revelation 5:10; 19:11-21; 20:4-6.

• Resurrection. John 5:28, 29; Acts 24:15; Revelation 20:5, 6.

• Eternal life for the righteous. Matthew 25:46; Luke 18:30; John 10:28; Romans 6:22; 1 John 5:11-13.

• Eternal punishment for the wicked. No liberation nor annihilation. Matthew 25:41-46; Mark 3:29; 2 Thessalonians 1: 8, 9; Revelation 20:10-15; 21:8.

For more information about the Church of God visit our International office website, or the Church of God Tennessee State Executive office website.  For more information about Erwin Church of God, contact Pastor Edwards at pastoredwardsecog@gmail.com or P. O. Box 755.  Erwin,  TN  37650.
**The Declaration of Faith, Doctrinal Commitments and Practical Commitments of the Church of God, Cleveland, TN  were taken from the Minutes of the 70th General Assembly, 2004