What We Believe and Why

Resolutions:

Racial Reconciliation

WHEREAS, The present-day Pentecostal movement had its beginning at the Azusa Street Revival.  People of all races
and both genders participated.  However, the movement soon divided along racial lines, and in some cases, women
were relegated to subordinate roles.

WHEREAS, We understand that the body of Christ makes no allowances for discrimination based on carnal prejudices
such as race and gender.  The Bible teaches that Adam and Eve were, in fact, the parents of all people on the earth,
themselves being created by God the Father, and He declared His handiwork to be very good and acceptable to Him.

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, That we as a people, redeemed by the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, commit
ourselves to reconciliation and harmony among people of  diverse races.  The Congregational Holiness Church,
recognizing the ethnic diversity in the body of Christ, will work for and strengthen the unity of all believers.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we, of the Congregational Holiness Church, pray and trust that all members of the
body of Christ will lead the way in initiating effective racial reconciliation.

Abortion

WHEREAS, Scripture reveals that all human life begins at the moment of conception, and that all human beings are
"fearfully and wonderfully made" in the image of God; and,

WHEREAS, During the period from 1973 to 2001, since the Supreme Court legalized unrestricted abortion, there have
been millions of abortions performed in the United States of America; and,

WHEREAS, That every third baby conceived in America is killed by abortion; and,

WHEREAS, Millions of unborn children have lost their lives to abortion, and countless thousands of women have
suffered the destructive physical and emotional pain of abortion; and,

WHEREAS, A vast number of the abortion procedures are performed on healthy mothers who are five months pregnant
with a healthy unborn baby;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, That the Congregational Holiness Church is opposed to all abortions except to save
the life of the mother; and,

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, That the Congregational Holiness Church is opposed to selective technology abortion
where unborn babies are killed favoring males over females, favoring health over sick; and,

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, That we, of the Congregational Holiness Church, are committed to protecting the lives of
the unborn, and will speak out against the social injustice and the grievous sin that plagues our beloved land.



Pornography and Obscenity



WHEREAS, Scripture declares that all persons are made in the image of God, and therefore to be treated with dignity
and respect, and Scripture affirms that sex is a gift from a loving Creator to be enjoyed within the sacred bonds of
marriage between husband and wife; and,

WHEREAS, A sharp decline in moral values and beliefs continue to mark our society, resulting in increasing rates of
unmarried adolescent and adult sexual activity, the birth of children to unwed mothers, the spread of sexually
transmitted diseases, and decreasing marital fidelity; and,

WHEREAS, Pornography and obscenity are increasingly available through movies, television, print media and the
Internet, causing a powerfully corrosive effect within society; and,

WHEREAS, Pornography and obscenity cause harm to those who are abused in the production of it (often women and
children), as well as those who use it, damaging healthy relationships and distorting God's gift of loving, mutual sexuality
between husband and wife;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, That the Congregational Holiness Church opposes pornography and obscenity and
supports efforts by Christian education, appropriate law enforcement and other means to combat it, and supports
ministry to those who have been harmed by its destructive efforts; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we encourage all pastors and youth leaders to protect youth and children from
exposure to these materials by emphasizing Biblical standards of character and holiness; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we call upon businesses, schools and libraries, as well as parents, to participate in
efforts to shield children and youth from being harmed by these materials; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we urge local, state, and federal agencies to aggressively prosecute those who
break the laws in producing and distributing illegal explicit sexual materials in the form of pornography and obscenity;
and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we openly and publicly commend lawmakers, leaders of the broader faith community,
and others who lead in the efforts to combat pornography and obscenity.

Gambling and the Lottery

WHEREAS, The Congregational Holiness Church has, from its beginning, opposed the lottery and games of chance
(gambling); and,

WHEREAS, Many states are now allowing legal state lotteries and gambling and a national lottery is being advocated by
some; and,

WHEREAS, State governments become, by tacit approval of the so-called benefits of gambling, a predator rather than a
protector of its constituents; and,

WHEREAS, The commercial advertisement of gambling and state lotteries further increases the negative effect on
society; and,

WHEREAS, The tide of gambling and state-controlled lotteries can only be turned back by God's people praying and
publicly confessing their convictions against gambling;

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, That the Congregational Holiness Church expresses our deep concern for the millions
of families which are being hurt by gambling and the lottery; and,

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, That the Congregational Holiness Church calls on all Christians to exercise their
influence by refusing to participate in any form of gambling or the promotion thereof; and,

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, That we urge our political leaders to enact laws restricting and eventually eliminating all
forms of gambling and lottery.





Back to Main Page