FEFC Policy on Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality
Our views of this issue flow from our commitment to God (Dt. 6:5; Matt. 22:37-38) and to His Word (2 Tim. 3:16-17; cf. Dt.32:45-47; Matt. 4:4), as expressed in the first two articles of our Statement of Faith.
We believe that in order to preserve the function and integrity of First Evangelical Free Church as the local Body of Christ, and to provide a biblical role model to members of the Church and the community, it is required that all persons employed by First Evangelical Free Church in any capacity, or who serve as volunteers, agree to, and abide by, this Statement on Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality (Matt. 5:16; Phil. 2:14-16; I Thess. 5:22).
We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity (Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31). Unloving and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture nor the doctrines of First Evangelical Free Church.
We in the Church must minister to and support those among us who struggle with sexual sin, including sins identified in the acronym LGBTQ+, which are deviations from God’s design for human sexuality. We must also minister to, and support those who have family members who struggle with sexual sin. We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ (Acts 3:19-21; Rom. 10:9-10; I Cor. 6:9- 11).
God created human beings as male and female (Gen. 1:27). The complementary, relational nature of the human race as “male and female” reflects the created order given by God when He created human beings “in His image” (Gen. 1:26-27; 5:1, 3; 9:6; 1 Cor. 11:7; James. 3:9; cf. Rom. 8:29; 2 Cor. 3:18; Eph. 4:23-24; Col. 3:10). It is with joy that we are to receive the gift of being either male or female. Rejection of one’s God given gender, as determined by chromosomal structure at birth, is a rejection of the purpose and design of God for that person.
We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture (Gen. 2:18-25). We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other (I Cor. 7:2-3; Heb. 13:4). We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman.
We believe that a marriage ceremony is not merely a civil event but a sacred event, conducted as an act of worship before God.
We believe that any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, pedophilia, incest, and use of pornography, and all deviations from biblical sexuality as expressed in the fluid and growing acronym LGBTQ+) is sinful and offensive to God (Matt. 15:18-20; I Cor. 6:9-10 and 15-18; Gen. 19:4-11; 2 Pet. 2:6-7; Jude 7; Lev. 18:22; 20:13; Judges 19:22-25; Rom. 1:24- 27; 1 Cor. 6:9-11; 1 Tim. 1:8-11).
Because we are convinced that the precepts in this policy are God-ordained, we will teach and encourage living by these principles that are central to our faith, seeking to support the family structure which is established by God and taught in the Bible.
Our views of this issue flow from our commitment to God (Dt. 6:5; Matt. 22:37-38) and to His Word (2 Tim. 3:16-17; cf. Dt.32:45-47; Matt. 4:4), as expressed in the first two articles of our Statement of Faith.
We believe that in order to preserve the function and integrity of First Evangelical Free Church as the local Body of Christ, and to provide a biblical role model to members of the Church and the community, it is required that all persons employed by First Evangelical Free Church in any capacity, or who serve as volunteers, agree to, and abide by, this Statement on Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality (Matt. 5:16; Phil. 2:14-16; I Thess. 5:22).
We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity (Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31). Unloving and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture nor the doctrines of First Evangelical Free Church.
We in the Church must minister to and support those among us who struggle with sexual sin, including sins identified in the acronym LGBTQ+, which are deviations from God’s design for human sexuality. We must also minister to, and support those who have family members who struggle with sexual sin. We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ (Acts 3:19-21; Rom. 10:9-10; I Cor. 6:9- 11).
God created human beings as male and female (Gen. 1:27). The complementary, relational nature of the human race as “male and female” reflects the created order given by God when He created human beings “in His image” (Gen. 1:26-27; 5:1, 3; 9:6; 1 Cor. 11:7; James. 3:9; cf. Rom. 8:29; 2 Cor. 3:18; Eph. 4:23-24; Col. 3:10). It is with joy that we are to receive the gift of being either male or female. Rejection of one’s God given gender, as determined by chromosomal structure at birth, is a rejection of the purpose and design of God for that person.
We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture (Gen. 2:18-25). We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other (I Cor. 7:2-3; Heb. 13:4). We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman.
We believe that a marriage ceremony is not merely a civil event but a sacred event, conducted as an act of worship before God.
We believe that any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, pedophilia, incest, and use of pornography, and all deviations from biblical sexuality as expressed in the fluid and growing acronym LGBTQ+) is sinful and offensive to God (Matt. 15:18-20; I Cor. 6:9-10 and 15-18; Gen. 19:4-11; 2 Pet. 2:6-7; Jude 7; Lev. 18:22; 20:13; Judges 19:22-25; Rom. 1:24- 27; 1 Cor. 6:9-11; 1 Tim. 1:8-11).
Because we are convinced that the precepts in this policy are God-ordained, we will teach and encourage living by these principles that are central to our faith, seeking to support the family structure which is established by God and taught in the Bible.
