Essential Tenets , Dallas, Texas The beliefs of ECO are expressed in a statement of Essential Tenets. These are part of ECO's constitution and is the denomination's binding theological document. The Essential Tenets affirm that the
Old and
New Testaments are
infallible and authoritative, containing everything necessary for
faith and life. In common with other Christians, ECO believes in the doctrine of the
Trinity and the
Incarnation—the "two central Christian mysteries"—and that the only hope of
salvation and
adoption as
children of God is God's
grace in
Jesus Christ. Reflecting its Reformed heritage, ECO believes that, as a consequence of the
Fall of Man, humans lost
free will and are incapable of turning towards God. Salvation is made possible by only the
irresistible grace of God, who
chose the elect before the world was
created. The Essential Tenets explain that within the church, God's grace is received through the preaching of the
Word of God, the administration of the
sacraments of
baptism and the
Lord's Supper, and
church discipline. The offices of
teaching elder,
deacon, and
ruling elder correspond to Christ's three-fold office of
prophet,
priest, and
king. Because it believes that both men and women are called to all ministries in the church, ECO
ordains women. All church members are to embody the three-fold offices in their daily lives by sharing and enacting the
Gospel and extending the lordship of Jesus Christ. According to the Essential Tenets, progressive
sanctification is an expected characteristic of a Christian life. This includes a life of
prayer, regular self-examination (especially guided by the
Ten Commandments), and sincere
confession of sin. According to the Essential Tenets, Christians are to maintain lives of
chastity either through
celibacy or
marriage between a man and a woman.
Confessions The Essential Tenets affirm a number of
creeds, confessions and
catechisms inherited from the Reformed tradition. These confessions are considered a faithful explanation of scriptural truth and a
subordinate standard of doctrine to the Bible. When ECO was organized, its churches continued using the
Book of Confessions inherited from the Presbyterian Church (USA). In May 2017, ECO's Theological Task Force released its own edition of the
Book of Confessions, which was identical to PC(USA)'s except for the inclusion of new introductions written by members of ECO and the use of a different translation of the
Heidelberg Catechism. Between 2016 and 2018, a process of confessional revision concluded with the adoption of the
Confessional Standards, which replaced the
Book of Confessions. It includes the following doctrinal standards: •
Nicene Creed •
Apostles' Creed •
Heidelberg Catechism •
Westminster Confession of Faith •
Westminster Shorter Catechism •
Westminster Larger Catechism •
Barmen Declaration Several confessions found in the
Book of Confessions were not included in the new
Confessional Standards. These include: •
Scots Confession •
Second Helvetic Confession •
Confession of 1967 •
Brief Statement of Faith This seems to indicate that the denomination is no longer espousing the Neo-Orthodoxy or the Barthian theology of the
Confession of 1967 and the alleged radical feminism enshrined in the
Brief Statement of Faith, which became the foundations of the LGBTQ movements in the
PC(USA), in their new
Confessional Standards.
Practices ECO believes that baptism joins an individual to the
Christian Church. It practices
infant baptism and recognizes the validity of all Christian baptisms. It practices
open communion for all "who put their trust in Jesus Christ". Full members, or "
covenant partners", are able to vote in congregational meetings and hold leadership roles. To become a covenant partner, a person must make a public profession of faith in Jesus Christ as savior and lord. ECO recognizes three
ordained offices:
pastor,
elder and
deacon. Ordained officers vow to "receive, adopt, and be bound by the
Essential Tenets" and to be guided by the
Confessional Standards. Ordination is performed by prayer and the
laying on of hands. ==Structure==