ACCC 2008 Resolutions

The American Council of Christian Churches (ACCC) describes itself as “a Fundamentalist multi-denominational organization whose purposes are to provide information, encouragement, and assistance to Bible-believing churches, fellowships and individuals; to preserve our Christian heritage through exposure of, opposition to, and separation from doctrinal impurity and compromise in current religious trends and movements; to protect churches from religious and political restrictions, subtle or obvious, that would hinder their ministries for God; to promote obedience to the inerrant Word of God.”

The ACCC held its 67th Annual Convention October 21-23 in Darlington, Maryland. Speakers included Dr. Richard Stratton, president Clearwater Christian College (Clearwater FL); and Dr. John Vaughn, president of the Fundamental Baptist Fellowship International (Taylors, SC). The following resolutions were passed:

The Emerging Church

Resolution 08-05p

WHEREAS the Emerging Church Movement, arising from within the ranks of New Evangelicalism represents a postmodern attack upon the Word of God and the “faith … once delivered unto the saints;” and

WHEREAS the Emerging Church is a “multi-faceted entity” defining itself as “communities that practice the way of Jesus within postmodern culture” (Emerging Churches, by Eddie Gibbs and Ryan K. Bolger, p. 44). The basic philosophy of the Emerging Church is to deny the reality of absolute truth. It denies that the Bible is God’s infallible Word and contends that it needs to be “deconstructed” and “redefined” (The Emerging Church, by Dan Kimbal, p. 58, 175); and,

WHEREAS in Emerging Churches the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ is replaced by the message of “kingdom living,” which is nothing more than the social gospel (Everything Must Change, by Brian D. McLaren, p. 20-21 and The Church In Transition, by Tim Condor, p. 181). These churches do not preach the atoning work of Jesus Christ emphasizing instead sensory experience and social and cultural change;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the American Council of Christian Churches, meeting in its 67th Annual Convention at the Evangelical Methodist Church in Darlington, MD, October 21-23, 2008, reaffirms its commitment to stand firmly for the inerrancy of God’s Word, the “faith once delivered” and to be “set for the defense of the Gospel” (Jude 3);

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the A.C.C.C. warns all true believers to beware of the Emerging Church and its apostasy and to remind God’s people of the need to separate from and not be a part of any movement, church or organization that denies the absolute truth of God’s Word (Romans 16:17,18; II Corinthians 6:14-18);

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the A.C.C.C. encourages all Bible-believing Churches to boldly proclaim the saving Gospel of the Cross of Christ as the only way of salvation, as it was delivered to us in God’s inerrant Word, and to confront and resist any attempt to “re-construct and re-define” the Gospel of Christ (I Corinthians 1:18-25; Galatians 1:8-9).

The Trust Committed To Us

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WHEREAS the Word of God states, “But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.” I Thessalonians 2:4; and

WHEREAS the Gospel is the Good News that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again (I Corinthians 15:3-4); that “it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.” (Romans 1:16); and

WHEREAS God in His mercy and grace has entrusted us, His people, with the Gospel; to believe it, to proclaim it and to defend it (Jude 3);

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the American Council of Christian Churches, meeting in its 67th annual convention in the Evangelical Methodist Church, Darlington, MD on October 21-23, 2008,do reaffirm our commitment to faithfully preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to preeminently seek to please God rather than curry favor with man;

FINALLY BE IT RESOLVED we encourage all of God’s people, and especially one another within the American Council of Christian Churches, to stand firmly and faithfully in the defense and confirmation of the Gospel. (Philippians 1:7,17).

The 60th Anniversary Of The World Council Of Churches

Resolution 08-03

WHEREAS, August 23, 2008 marked the 60th anniversary of the official founding of the World Council of Churches (W.C.C.) in Amsterdam, Netherlands, which from the beginning has had as its stated aim “to pursue the goal of visible unity of the Church.” After 60 years the W.C.C. boasts a membership of 349 ecclesiastical bodies from more than 110 countries, representing 560 million professing Christians. Though not a member, the Roman Catholic Church maintains close ties with the W.C.C. and is a full voting member of the W.C.C. Commission on Faith and Order and the Commission for World Mission and Evangelism; and

WHEREAS, the W.C.C. vision goes beyond the goal of building a one-world Church to developing a one-world religion and in 2006, sponsored a Critical Movement Conference attended by Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Christian, and Hindu participants. In July 2008, the Muslim World League sponsored an International Interfaith Conference in Madrid, Spain, under the theme of “International Conference for Dialogue,” with representatives from Islam, Christianity, and Buddhism. One of the W.C.C. presidents and other W.C.C. leaders were delegates to that conference; and

WHEREAS despite the assertion that the battle with liberalism and apostasy is over, the W.C.C. continues to consist of an active and influential religious conglomeration of liberalism, neo-orthodoxy, and neo-paganism, making overtures to New Evangelicals and Pentecostals to join with it. New Evangelical and Pentecostal representatives have spoken at W.C.C. meetings and participated in conferences and workshops. Several evangelical church bodies are members of the W.C.C.; and

WHEREAS on August 20, 2008, the Rev. Dr. Samuel Kobia, W.C.C. General Secretary stated: “It is significant that as we gather sixty years later at the same venue we note that the churches have been faithful to their commitment. Not only have they stayed together, but they have deepened and broadened the Fellowship.”

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED because of the urgent need for true believers to “earnestly contend for the faith, which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3); the American Council of Christian Churches will continue to stand firm in its opposition to the W.C.C. and its apostasy. The A.C.C.C. meeting in its 67th Annual Convention, October 21-23, 2008, at the Evangelical Methodist Church, Darlington, MD, issues a warning to all believers to beware of and to confront the deceitful propaganda of the W.C.C. (Ephesians 5:11);

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED the A.C.C.C. calls upon all believers to obey the Word of God, to try the spirits (I John 4:1), and to separate from all religious apostasy and unbelief (I Timothy 4:1; II Timothy 3:5; Revelation 18:4).

The Divine Institution of Marriage

Resolution 08-02

WHEREAS at creation, God Himself established the institution of marriage and defined marriage as the union between one man and one woman for life (Genesis 2:23, 24); and

WHEREAS Christ honored the institution of marriage and reaffirmed its definition by quoting from Genesis 2 (Mark 10:1-12); and

WHEREAS the New Testament epistles are consistent in their support of the importance of the institution of marriage and in reaffirming the definition of one man and one woman for life (Romans 7:1-6; 1 Corinthians 7:1-16; Ephesians 5:22-33; 1 Peter 3:1-7); and

WHEREAS there have been and continue to be many attempts, both on the federal, state, and local levels, to undermine the divine institution of marriage and to overthrow the biblical instruction expressed in its traditional understanding concerning divorce, remarriage, co-habitation and homosexual unions;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the American Council of Christian Churches meeting in Darlington, MD, October 21-23, 2008, is committed to uphold and faithfully proclaim the sanctity of marriage and to consistently reaffirm that marriage is instituted by God and not subject to the whims of man;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we declare that man has no right to change that which God has instituted or to alter the Bible’s definition of marriage;

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that we will firmly oppose any legislation or decision by the courts or any other body seeking to expand the definition of marriage beyond one man and one woman united for life and that we strongly support all legislation that will defend the sanctity of the divine institution of marriage and its biblical definition.

Biblical Separation

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WHEREAS the Word of God gives a clarion call to the believer to walk in separation from the satanic world system, which is antagonistic to God, to the Word of God, and to the born-again people of God; and

WHEREAS this call to separation is taught in the Word of God as a doctrine, consistently pictured and commanded in the Old and New Testaments; and

WHEREAS Scripture calls for complete severance from apostasy, unbelief, heresy, false religions, and all forms of inclusivism or compromise therewith; and

WHEREAS it is impossible to be committed to the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:28) and ignore this large body of truth in the Scriptures, in which the doctrine of ecclesiastical purity is taught, illustrated, and commanded; and

WHEREAS the World Council of Churches and the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA, together with their affiliated ecclesiastical bodies, have gone into apostasy; and since acceptance of the principle of inclusivism characterizes the ecumenical movement, the charismatic renewal, ecumenical evangelism, neo-orthodoxy, and new evangelicalism;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the American Council of Christian Churches, meeting in its 67th Annual Convention in Darlington, MD, October 21-23, 2008, declares that we are separatists in spirit, action, and objective, and that we refuse association with any and all groups connected with the apostasy, and with those who follow the principle of inclusivism or fellowship with unbelief; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we will avoid identification with doctrinal infidelity through affiliations, relationships, and associations in order to obey the Scriptures to “touch not the unclean thing” (II Corinthians 6:17), and we will avoid any course of action that will assist or promote infidelity to the Scriptures or unscriptural compromise, and we will renew our efforts to expose unbelief, compromise, and theological error, through preaching, writing, and example; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that we will endeavor to provide exemplary leadership toward a Scriptural stand on the part of pastors, evangelists, missionaries, educators, and other Christian leaders, which will encourage them to take a more aggressive stand in defense of the truth of the inerrant Bible, urging them to accept and subject themselves to the authority of the Word of God further urging them to faithfully preach the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ alone to a lost and dying world.