Berita NECF Newletters

Statement from the Consultation on 'Empowering the People of God Through Biblical Stewardship'

Description: Theological Commission of the Evangelical Fellowship of Asia

We, the twenty-two delegates from fifteen countries, who attended the consultation on ‘Empowering the People of God through Biblical Stewardship’, organised by the Theological Commission of the Evangelical Fellowship of Asia, under the sponsorship of the Evangelical Fellowship of Asia, at the Alliance Guest Home, Bangkok, Thailand from September 4 to 7, 2000, articulate the following statement of our individual and corporate affirmations and commitments.

 

We affirm our faith in the living and triune God, who revealed Himself in nature and expressed His will in the Bible. Thus, we commit to uphold its absolute authority in all matters of belief and behaviour particularly in view of our witness as the church amid the context of cultural, political and socio-economic diversity and religious plurality in Asia.

 

In the beginning, God created ALL things including man for His glory and He assigned man to be His steward (Genesis 1-2). Man is the manager of ALL things as he is also a servant accountable to God. Although fallen man has failed in his assignment, God redeemed mankind with a renewed stewardship mandate. In the end, God will bring about a new order of man and things (2 Peter 3:10-13).

 

As stewards of our very being before God, called to be His witnesses in holiness, righteousness and love, we commit ourselves to be His people reflecting His character in our daily living and our relationship with others (Matt. 5:13-14; 1 Pet. 2:9-10).

 

As stewards of the family and society, we affirm that the family is one of the richest gifts of God, the first unit of society, church and humanity. God designed the heterosexual marriage. We also celebrate that we are not only members of our families but also members of the household of God and humanity. Thus, we commit ourselves to the renewal of family as a loving, healing, supporting and praying community and we renew our commitment to honour and respect the authority of God, parents, church and society, and dedicate ourselves to the renewal of family and society through spiritual restoration.

 

As stewards of the gospel of God's grace and reconciliation and of the Christian ministry, we commit ourselves to equip and motivate God's people in the church of Asia to plan, to strategise and to share the gospel to every creature, and further more, to be used of God to promote peace and justice in the Asian society.

 

As stewards of spiritual gifts and talents, we commit ourselves to empowering God's people through a balanced biblical teaching so that they may discover their own gifts and use them responsibly in the local church in order that the Body of Christ may be built up in every aspect and God's name be glorified.

 

As stewards of time and space, of all things natural and spiritual, we commit to maintain a proper balance of time and space that is given to us for the advancement of God's kingdom, our work and leisure, and to be responsible individually to the environment and spiritual welfare of the world, so that God's cultural and spiritual mandate can be fulfilled.

 

As stewards of money and possessions, we commit to live a simple lifestyle and to give as much as we can to evangelism, missions and social concern, so that the Great Commission can be fulfilled.

 

In humility before the living God, we confess the need to rectify our failures and renew our commitment to obey our stewardship mandate and to model before God's people and before the world a responsible stewardship of ALL things under God. For what God has accomplished among us at this consultation, we give Him all the glory even as we thank the Evangelical Fellowship of Asia for having sponsored this gathering.


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