NEW YORK (AP, May 1999) – Leaders of Evangelical Protestantism, who
rarely speak with one voice, have issued a joint statement of doctrine
defining what unites the movement and what distinguishes it from other
forms of Christianity.

Among other things, the statement reaffirms the Evangelical belief that
Jesus Christ “is the only way of salvation. … The Bible offers no
hope that sincere worshippers of other religions will be saved without
personal faith in Jesus Christ.”

Other Christians have promoted a more liberal and universal concept of
salvation.

Evangelicalism – a conservative wing of Protestantism representing, by
some estimates, one-fourth of Americans – is a network of denominations,
congregations and independent ministries. Evangelicals generally share
the same outlook, but the movement rarely takes joint action.

Many of Evangelicalism’s best-known figures, including religious
broadcasters Jerry Falwell, D. James Kennedy, Pat Robertson and Charles
Stanley, endorsed the statement. The 129 signers also include Bill
Bright of Campus Crusade for Christ and prison evangelist Charles
Colson.

Billy Graham did not sign, but one of his top aides served on the
15-member drafting committee.

The text – which appears in the latest issue of Christianity Today
magazine – was also endorsed by leaders at four of the most important
Evangelical seminaries.

Christianity Today executive editor David Neff said that Evangelicals
“have never put forth a large-scale defining document about the
gospel.”

The project began as a bid to define conservative Protestant views of
salvation in contrast to those of Catholicism. But it quickly took up
other topics, including disagreements with more liberal strains of
Protestantism.

The text states that the Bible is “infallible” but says little about
how to interpret Scripture. Evangelicals are divided, for example, over
how literally to take the story of creation.

The Evangelical movement has a subtle difference with Catholics on the
role of faith and good works in salvation. Both groups teach that all
people are sinful, but the Evangelical platform denies that people have
any inherent righteousness. Catholicism has a slightly more optimistic
view of humanity.