We, the members of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church,
in order to carry out God's mission and move forward together into the next century, profess our life together in Christ and our desire to set forth a united strategy for the work of His church. We express our desire to continue to be a Presbyterian and Reformed church, committed to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and to the Bible as the Word of God.

Rooted in and shaped by a living tradition, we are part of the new creation in Christ which God is bringing into existence. Therefore, we are committed to:

The worship of the Triune God.

The Holy Scriptures as the basis for our faith and activity.

Unity with other believers in Christ.

Total Stewardship of life - time, talents, and money - including tithing through the local church.

Excellence in education and equipping leaders for tomorrow.

Loving and caring for one another and for other people.

Spreading the Gospel to all parts of the world.

Evaluating and changing church structures and priorities in order to meet the challenges of the future while preserving the best of the past.

To this end and in humble reliance upon the enabling power of the Holy Spirit, we covenant together to pray steadfastly that God will open doors of opportunity so that we may declare the riches of Christ.

"Let us not grow weary in well-doing,
for in due season we shall reap,
if we do not lose heart" (Galatians 6:9).

Minutes, 1990 General Synod, Page 363; reaffirmed by the General Synod June 13, 2001.

Our foundational doctrinal statements are found in The Standards of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, which we hold to be "the system of doctrine which is built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone" (Associate Reformed Synod, May 31, 1799). From time to time position statements are written to address specific topics of concern. The ARP Seal contains a number of elements symbolic of our faith. The Lord's Prayer, the Apostles' Creed and the Ten Commandments, as shown below, are included in our Bible Songs book as elements of worship.

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

And God spake all these words, saying, I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

I. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

II. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

III. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

IV. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor the stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested on the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

V. Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

VI. Thou shalt not kill.

VII. Thou shalt not commit adultery.

VIII. Thou shalt not steal.

IX. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

X. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ His only Son, our Lord; Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell*; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

*That is, He continued in the state of the dead and under the power of death till the third day.