Vision

The Protestant Reformation sought to recover the doctrines and practices of the New Testament church by purging the medieval church of its doctrinal errors and worldliness. Today we are similarly situated, with the contemporary church capitulating to the priorities of mass culture and thus failing to carry out its appointed task: "to proclaim God's law as the only measure of true righteousness and his gospel as the only announcement of saving truth."

In order to address this great challenge to the church, the late Dr. James Montgomery Boice rallied a broad coalition of Christian leaders from a variety of denominations. This group has grown in both size and significance, promoting a modern-day reformation among Baptist, Lutheran, Reformed, Presbyterian, Episcopalian, and independent churches.

For the first time in North America, the Alliance brings together representatives from a variety of confessional traditions so that we can make common witness to the evangelical essentials that are being undermined in the contemporary church. It serves as a resource for denominations, lay people, church officers, and seminary professors. By helping churches to recover a passion for truth -- and for the truth of the gospel in particular -- we strive for nothing less than a reformation of the church in doctrine, worship, and life that will result in a new unity emerging from our core conviction that the gospel -- even in our pragmatic and consumer-driven age -- is still "the power of God unto salvation."

Need

According to numerous surveys, mainline Protestants are as likely as the un-churched to believe that there is no such thing as ultimate truth. In addition, most Christians, including most evangelicals, are largely unfamiliar with Scripture's content, to say nothing of the doctrine, worship, and practice of their own denominations. Ignorance of the most basic biblical teachings abounds as confidence in God's Word is displaced by confidence in worldly success. As a result, God's eternal holiness is traded for temporal happiness; and human beings are no longer seen to be sinners in need of salvation but consumers who are looking for a little more therapy to help them cope. By accommodating to the culture that Scripture identifies as "this passing evil age," churches have increasingly become not only unfaithful but irrelevant in the very culture they are called to reach.

In this setting, the so-called "solas" ("alones") of classical Protestantism -- Scripture alone, grace alone, Christ alone, faith alone, and to God alone be glory -- are either completely unknown or undermined in practice by accommodation to secular expertise and the drift of popular culture. Thus human beings are seen as basically good and the proclamation of salvation through Christ alone is often treated as private therapy rather than as public truth. If we believe that God's word is inspired and authoritative, then we must embrace his gospel as the only way of salvation and his glory as our chief end.

We have already found a growing recognition of our situation need. The Alliance for Confessing Evangelicals already is a rallying point for pastors, church leaders, and thoughtful laypeople who long for a recovery of uncompromised confidence in the power of God to work through his Word. Yet we long for more. We long to see prophets, shepherds, and teachers replace the entertainers of Christ's sheep.

Mission

The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals exists to call the twenty-first century church to a reformation that recovers clarity and conviction about the great evangelical truths of the gospel and that then seeks to proclaim these truths powerfully in our contemporary context.

Strategy

In order to fulfill our mission of bringing the contemporary church back to sound, biblically-based, evangelical teaching and preaching, we are committed to the following strategy: The Alliance Council, consisting of a team of qualified and prominent Christian leaders from a variety of denominations, stewards the Alliance's core vision and mission by providing direction for the Alliance's varied properties.

• Broadcasting: The Bible Study Hour features regular biblical exposition by the late Dr. James M. Boice and has successfully delivered its message for over half a century. A new expository program featuring the Rev. Dr. Philip Ryken, now the Senior Minister at Tenth Presbyterian Church is now in development.
• Events: For many years, the Alliance has hosted various events targeting different Christian populations with the vision of a well-taught church. Our National Pastors' Conference, Here We Stand seminars, The African-American Pastors' Conference, Scholar's Colloquium and the annual Philadelphia Conference on Reformation Theology have exposed thousands of people to reformation ideas.
• Internet: The Alliance webpage features free articles as reformational resources, news about upcoming events, and opportunities for direct interaction such as live web casts, chat rooms, and bulletin boards. The Internet is a strategic resource capable of reaching thousands at low cost.

Funding

The contemporary church is overwhelmingly in need of reformation and renewal. The Alliance currently runs fifteen different programs to reach clergy and lay leaders with the truth and hope that reformational Christianity offers. This is the Alliance's proposed budget for 2003-04.

These expenses must be funded by foundations, churches, and individuals.