Evangelical leaders pledge allegiance to Jesus alone

More than 350 evangelical leaders—including some Texas Baptists—have endorsed a “Confession of Evangelical Conviction,” affirming allegiance to Jesus Christ and his gospel alone, “apart from any partisan agenda.”

In a Sept. 9 online news conference, some initial signers of the confession announced a call to prayer for renewal and revival involving churches and denominations representing up to 4 million worshippers.

“No political ideology or earthly authority can claim the authority that belongs to Christ,” the confession states.

Several participants in the online press conference noted the confession “wouldn’t have been controversial” just a few years ago. But today, some evangelicals view its statements of faith through the filter of their political identity rather than their Christian identity, they asserted.

‘Growing sense of political idolatry’

Skye Jethani, co-host of The Holy Post podcast, identified himself as one of the original drafters of the confession. He noted it was inspired in part by the Barmen Declaration, a 1934 theological document adopted by the Confessing Church in Nazi Germany.

In response to “a growing sense of political idolatry,” Jethani said he and others wanted to offer a statement calling Christians to “realign allegiance” exclusively to Christ.

“Our worship belongs to him alone, because our true hope is not in any party, leader, movement, or nation, but in the promise of Christ’s return when he will renew the world and reign over all things,” the Confession of Evangelical Conviction states.

Texas Baptists who have endorsed the statement—released Sept. 5—include Steve Bezner, senior pastor of Houston Northwest Church; John Ogletree, senior pastor of First Metropolitan Church in Houston; Dwight McKissic, senior pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington; and Beth Allison Barr, Baylor University professor and author of The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth.

Others who have signed the confession include Russell Moore, editor in chief of Christianity Today; Karen Swallow Prior, author of The Evangelical Imagination and professor of English at evangelical institutions more than 25 years;Kristin Du Mez, professor at Calvin University and author of Jesus and John Wayne; Gabriel Salguero, president of the National Latino Evangelical Coalition; and Richard Mouw, former president of Fuller Theological Seminary.

Phil Vischer, co-creator of VeggieTales, not only endorsed the statement, but also created an animated video—Parables of Puddingham: Knight of Terror—encouraging people to “vote with love, not fear.” The cartoon is among several resources released in conjunction with the confession, including a Bible study and worship album.

“We reject the false teaching that anyone other than Jesus Christ has been anointed by God as our Savior, or that a Christian’s loyalty should belong to any political party,” the confession states. “We reject any message that promotes devotion to a human leader or that wraps divine worship around partisanship.”

Lead with love, not fear and anger

The statement rejects the “false security promised by political idolatry and its messengers,” insisting Christians are called to lead with love rather than fear and anger.

“We reject the stoking of fears and the use of threats as an illegitimate form of godly motivation, and we repudiate the use of violence to achieve political goals as incongruent with the way of Christ,” the confession states.

The statement affirms the need to submit to the truth of Scripture and “speaking the truth in love.”

“We reject the misuse of holy Scripture to sanction a single political agenda, provoke hatred, or sow social divisions, and we believe that using God’s name to promote misinformation or lies for personal or political gain is bearing his name in vain,” the confession states.

The statement rejects division within the church along partisan, ethnical or national lines, it affirms the church’s prophetic mission, and it underscores the value of every person as created in God’s image.

The confession also affirms character matters both in political and spiritual leaders, and it warns against serving “the false gods of power, wealth, and strength rather than the true God.”

“When any leader claims to have God’s approval, whether in the Church or in politics, we will not confuse effectiveness for faithfulness, but carefully discern who is truly from God,” the confession states.

“We reject the lie that a leader’s power, popularity, or political effectiveness is confirmation of God’s favor, or that Christians are permitted to ignore the teachings of Christ to protect themselves with worldly power.”