Basic Beliefs
God the Father
We believe in one eternal, omnipresent, unchanging, personal God; perfect in holiness, wisdom, love, power, and justice without preceding cause or beginning; creator and preserver of all things, visible and invisible. He exists as one divine being and yet as a trinity of three distinct persons, identical, inseparable, and equal in divinity, power and eternity.
God the Son, Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is God's only begotten Son. We believe in His conception by the Holy Spirit, virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, teachings, and that He offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on the cross. He rose from the dead on the third day to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to heaven and will return again to earth to reign as Lord and King.
God the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. He supplies conviction of sin, regeneration, sanctification, and the believer's assurance. He produces in believers with both the "fruit of the Spirit", and the gifts of the Spirit, so that they may grow in character and mission in the world.
The Bible
We believe that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, without error in all that it affirms, and is the only infallible rule of faith and living. It is fully authoritative and trustworthy, fully sufficient for all believers now and always, and profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness. The Holy Spirit, who inspired the Scripture, must ever be its true interpreter.
Who are the Friends?
Heritage
The roots of the Friends Church reach back to 17th century England and the prophetic ministry of George Fox, a man who came to realize that “There is One, even Christ Jesus, that can speak to thy condition.” Fox proceeded to preach this good news throughout England and beyond, calling on people to surpass empty religious formalism and be touched by the living Christ.
Fox and his followers became known as Friends, taking their name from Jesus’ own words in John 15:14: “You are my friends if you do what I command.” They also took the name Quakers, a term originally intended as an insult that was embraced and worn with pride by all who “quaked with the power of God.” Throughout our history, Friends have made great contributions to the spiritual and social needs of those around them, taking the lead in securing prison reforms, religious freedom, Christian education, the abolition of slavery, and care for the suffering.
Today
West Park Friends Church is one of over 1,100 Evangelical Friends Churches around the world. There are approximately 140,000 Friends who are a part of those churches, which gather in 24 different countries. West Park Friends is a part of the Evangelical Friends Church – Eastern Region, which is comprised of over 90 churches throughout Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, Rhode Island, and Canada.
Links
clicking on the images below will direct you to more information about the Evangelical Friends Church-Eastern Region, Evangelical Friends Mission, and an online version of our entire book of Faith & Practice