Carriers of the Cross is a Christian community grounded in the historic Christian faith. Our beliefs are rooted in Scripture and summarized in the Apostles' Creed.
The Bible
We believe the Bible is the Word of God and the authoritative standard God has given us for Christian faith and life. Scripture is our final authority for determining what we believe, how we live, and what we teach as a Christian community.
Our Statement of Faith and the Apostles' Creed do not stand above Scripture. Rather, the Creed provides a concise summary of the essential Christian beliefs we understand Scripture to teach.
The Apostles' Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit
and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended to heaven
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From there He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic* church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.
*In the Creed, "catholic" means the universal Christian Church—the worldwide body of believers in Jesus Christ—not specifically the Roman Catholic Church.
Unity in the Essentials, Grace in the Rest
Carriers of the Cross is a guild, not a church or denomination. We expect Christians from many different churches, traditions, and theological backgrounds to play together here.
There are many issues on which faithful Christians disagree, including baptism, spiritual gifts, predestination and free will, church government, end-times theology, and many others. CotC does not establish an official position on these secondary doctrines.
Members are welcome to discuss these subjects, study Scripture together, and even disagree. We ask that those conversations be conducted with humility, grace, and respect.
No member should present their denomination, theological system, or position on a secondary doctrine as though it were the official teaching of Carriers of the Cross.
Who Must Affirm This Statement?
You do not have to be a Christian to join Carriers of the Cross.
We welcome anyone who is willing to respect the Christian identity of the guild and abide by our Community Rules.
However, those serving in guild leadership are expected to be professing Christians and to affirm this Statement of Faith.
Our desire is not to make every member agree on everything. It is to establish clearly who we are, what our leadership stands for, and the foundation upon which Carriers of the Cross is built.