you say you want a resolution? well...

No revision to the Statement of Faith will be presented at the National Leadership Conference this summer. Instead a resolution is being presented on the conference floor that will guide the future of the revising process. The following is the complete text of the resolution sent to the constituents of the EFCA:

RESOLUTION AFFIRMING BASIC RULES UNDER WHICH CONSIDERATION OF A POSSIBLE REVISION OF THE STATEMENT OF FAITH SHOULD PROCEED

A. Whereas the Conference has been informed of discussions under the auspices of the Board of Directors and Committee on Safeguarding the Spiritual Heritage about the on-going process for considering revisions to the EFCA Statement of Faith through the amendment of Article III of the EFCA Articles of Incorporation;

B. Whereas these discussions have resulted in the preparation of two drafts of possible revisions and explanatory notes that have been circulated and discussed within churches
and other constituencies of the EFCA (that is, within those groups that provide delegates to the Conference);

C. Whereas the amendment of the Articles of Incorporation formally requires introduction of the amendment at an Annual Meeting (Conference) and approval by a two-thirds vote at the next Annual Meeting (Conference); and

D. Whereas the Conference desires this process to be undertaken in a spirit of prayer and humility and with high regard for the convictions and opinions represented within the EFCA;

E. Therefore, in order to foster the communication and humble consideration it regards as important, the Conference resolves as follows:

1. The Conference requests that the Board of Directors ensure that reasonable efforts be made to keep churches and other constituencies of the EFCA informed of the progress of these discussions and work, until this matter is concluded.

2. The Conference requests that if the Board of Directors determines that an amendment of Article III of the Articles of Incorporation is not ready for formal introduction at the 2007 Conference, the Board ensure that a full report of progress is made at the 2007 Conference and at each subsequent Conference until this matter is concluded.

3. The Conference requests that if a proposed amendment of Article III of the Articles of Incorporation is brought to a future Conference for formal introduction, it be brought with a recommendation of a special rule of order that provides that if the proposed amendment is substantively amended at the next Conference, the amended proposal, absent unanimous consent, be regarded as reintroduced at that next Conference and final action be deferred until the following Conference, and so on at each subsequent Conference (with appropriate safeguards to be recommended by the Board of Directors to the appropriate Conferences to ensure that the process is not inappropriately prolonged or rushed).

4. The Conference requests that if a proposed amendment of Article III of the Articles of Incorporation is brought to a future Conference for formal introduction, it be brought with the recommendation of appropriate transitional guidelines to assist EFCA constituents, especially individual churches, if the Statement of Faith is revised.

5. The Conference recommends that all delegates to this Conference and future Conferences encourage prayerful and thoughtful discussion among EFCA churches and other constituencies of the issues raised by any proposed revision of the EFCA Statement of Faith.