We affirm our belief in historic Christianity as revealed in the Scriptures and summarized in:
the three Creeds (the Apostles’, the Nicene, and the Athanasian) and the Thirty-Nine Articles.
The purposes of the following statements are to indicate certain emphases in the teaching of Trinity School for Ministry rather than to circumscribe its theological interest. We recognize the need today for reaffirming the following beliefs.
ARTICLE I: The Holy Trinity: The mystery of the Holy Trinity, namely, that the one God exists eternally in the three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit; and has so revealed himself to us in the Gospel.
ARTICLE II: The Lord Jesus Christ: The full deity and full humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ, God Incarnate, who by reason of his birth of the Virgin Mary, sinless life, atoning death, bodily resurrection, glorious ascension and triumphant reign, is the only Mediator between God and man.
ARTICLE III: The Holy Scriptures: The trustworthiness of the canonical books of the Old and New Testaments as “God’s Word written,” which contain all things necessary for salvation, teach God’s will for his world, and have supreme authority for faith, life and the continuous renewal and reform of the Church.
ARTICLE IV: Justification and Sanctification: The justification of the repenting and believing sinner as God’s gracious act of declaring him righteous on the ground of the reconciling death of Christ, who suffered in our place and rose again for us; and sanctification as the gracious continuing activity of the Holy Spirit in the justified believer, perfecting his repentance, nurturing the new life implanted within him, transforming him into Christ’s image, and enabling him to do good works in the world.
ARTICLE V: The Christian Church: The Church as the Body of Christ, whose members belong to the new humanity, are called to live in the world in the power of the Spirit, worshipping God, confessing his truth, proclaiming Christ, supporting one another in love and giving themselves in sacrificial service to those in need.
ARTICLE VI: Spiritual Gifts and Ministry: The calling of all Christians to exercise their God-given gifts in ministry, and to work, witness and suffer for Christ; together with the particular calling of ordained ministers, who, by preaching, teaching and pastoral care, are to equip God’s people for his service, and to present them mature in Christ.
ARTICLE VII: The Gospel Sacraments: The sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion as “visible words” which proclaim the Gospel, and are means of grace by which faith is quickened and strengthened.
In particular, the significance of the Lord’s Supper as a communion in the Body and Blood of Christ, who offers himself to us in the action of this sacrament, so that by faith we may feed on him in our hearts and offer ourselves to him in gratitude for our salvation through his cross.
Also, the openness of the Lord’s Table as the place where all baptized believers, being one in Christ, are free to celebrate their common salvation in the Lord, and to express their common devotion to his person and his service.
ARTICLE VIII: The Return of Christ: The personal return in glory of our Lord Jesus Christ at the end of this age for the resurrection of the dead, some to life, some to condemnation, for the glorification of his Church, and for the renewal of the whole creation.
ADDENDUM: In 2014, Trinity entered into a partnership agreement with the North American Lutheran Seminary (NALS). As the seminary of the North American Lutheran Church, the NALS is doctrinally committed to the three creeds and to the Unaltered Augsburg Confession, as it is interpreted by the other confessional writings in the 1580 Book of Concord. This authority of Holy Scripture, historic creedal orthodoxy, and central principles of the Reformation provide a basis for partnership without compromise of either institution’s mission of doctrinal integrity.
We the students, faculty, and staff do covenant to serve the Lord and each other, according to our several callings, in the following ways:
Worship
We commit ourselves to the discipline of private and public worship. We will spend a daily time in prayer and Biblical meditation. The students and faculty shall attend the weekly community Eucharist (unless excused), Morning Prayer before morning classes, Evening Prayer after afternoon classes, and as often as possible at other times when present on campus. Staff are also welcome to participate. Students and faculty will also participate in appointed Quiet Days.
Family and Community Life
Those of us who are married commit ourselves to spend a responsible amount of time with our spouses and children. Those who are single will establish and maintain a local network of friends for prayer, fellowship, and support. We pledge ourselves to sexual fidelity in marriage, defined as one man and one woman, and chastity in the single state.
As members of Christ’s Body, we will involve ourselves in the community life of the School, so that we may rejoice, laugh, and weep together. We will attend Leadership Formation Groups or Fellowship Groups as a significant part of this mutual submission to one another.
We will seek to love one another as Christ loves us. We will refuse to gossip but instead speak words of encouragement. We will confront one another openly and seek reconciliation when offense has been given.
Study
We are gathered as a community of learning. Students will attend assigned classes, Dean’s Hour lectures, Mission Days, and all other requirements of the Academic Catalog. We will take seriously our worship of the Lord with our minds in all our studies.
Service to the World
While specially gathered for study, we are also gathered for mission and service to those outside the School. We commit ourselves to devote regular time, talent, and treasure to personal evangelism, neighborly visitation, and public service.
We thank God for our common calling in covenant with Him and with each other. We ask help from our closest associates – family members, co-workers and friends – to be faithful to our commitments, and we trust that the Holy Spirit will guard and guide us in this task.
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311 Eleventh St. Ambridge, PA 15003
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