What we believe motivates and inspires us every day. We believe that Jesus is the Christ, God incarnate. Because lost people matter to God, He came in human form to sacrifice Himself, once for all, that we might not perish but have eternal life.

Who is Jesus? The Christian and Missionary Alliance believes that Jesus Christ is our Savior, Sanctifier, Healer, and Coming King, what Alliance founder A. B. Simpson referred to as the Fourfold Gospel. One of Simpson’s life verses contains these words: “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). In Simpson’s hymn, “Himself,” he put it this way— “Everything in Jesus, And Jesus everything!” Every day, lost people are being introduced to Jesus by dedicated Alliance workers who meet practical needs with compassionate care under the banner of Alliance Great Commission ministries.

The Fourfold Gospel.

Alliance founder Dr. A. B. Simpson voiced the core “theology” of the C&MA many years ago. He called it the Fourfold Gospel, and it’s all about Jesus—our Savior, Sanctifier, Healer, and Coming King. The Fourfold Gospel is the Christological summary on which the spiritual DNA of The Christian and Missionary Alliance is built.

One of Simpson’s life verses contains these words: “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). The Fourfold Gospel points to this fact: as we experience Jesus in these ways, we will experience the “hope of glory” Simpson spoke of.

Jesus, our Savior

The Name of Jesus has permeated every culture for more than 2,000 years. In the Name of Jesus, people have experienced great miracles as well as horrific persecution. Jesus made clear His purpose on earth; only through Him is salvation available.

The CROSS: Christ Our Savior

Jesus’ death on a cross was the fulfillment of Old Testament law, which required blood atonement for sin. By His death and resurrection, we are redeemed from eternal separation from God, justified, made righteous, and accepted in His Name.

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to man by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).

Jesus, our Sanctifier

Salvation for the believer happens in three tenses. First, in the past tense—we have been justified. Second, in the present tense, we are being sanctified, made over in the image of Jesus, as described in Romans 8:29. Finally, in the future tense, we will be glorified, according to 1 John 3:2, a process made possible by Christ, our Sanctifier.

The LAVER:  Christ Our Sanctifier

The laver symbol represents the daily cleansing from sin by the power of the Holy Spirit.

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness (2 Peter 1:3).

Jesus, our Healer

A great portion of Christ’s earthly ministry was dedicated to healing the sick. We find no record in the gospels of Jesus turning away anyone who came to him for healing, nor do we find that any disease was too difficult for him to heal. He even raised the dead. Miraculous healings continue today—evidence that Christ still is our Healer.

The PITCHER: Christ Our Healer

This symbol represents a pitcher containing oil to anoint the sick for healing that comes through obedience to God’s Word.

And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up (James 5:15).

Jesus, our Coming King

Clearly, the entire New Testament tells us of the Second Coming of Christ. The Alliance is committed to doing its part to complete Jesus’ Great Commission before His glorious return.

The CROWN: Christ Our Coming King

The crown represents Christ’s royalty as the King of Kings. His coming will be a visable, personal appearance.

You will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven (Mark 14:62).

Completing Christ’s Commission

The GLOBE: Completing Christ’s Commission

The globe represents our mission in the world. The Lord urged His followers as He sent them to spread the Good News throughout the land. That appeal will continue until the gospel, through the efforts of His Church, has reached all peoples, and He comes again.

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come (Matthew 24:14).

Alliance founder Dr. A. B. Simpson articulated the core “theology” of The Alliance. As we seek to know Jesus personally, being one with Him, He will reveal Himself as our Savior, Sanctifier, Healer, and Coming King. Simpson called this theology the Fourfold Gospel, the Christological summary on which the spiritual DNA of The Christian and Missionary Alliance is built.

The Great Commission.

Jesus’ last words before His glorious ascension into Heaven were given as a commission to His disciples. This Great Commission remains a command—a mandate—to every believer in Jesus Christ. His Great Commission is the Call of The Christian and Missionary Alliance.

Our Core Values.

•  Lost people matter to God. He wants them found.

In the formative years of our movement, the Holy Spirit instilled within A. B. Simpson a passion to reach people with no knowledge of Jesus Christ in his “Jerusalem” and around the world. That passion still lives in The Alliance today and is our first core value: Lost people matter to God. He wants them found.

•  Prayer is the primary work of God’s people.

We believe that nothing of lasting value can be done unless it is bathed in prayer. So passionate in his belief that prayer is the undergirder of all ministry, Alliance founder A. B. Simpson was compelled to create a prayer league that would focus on the world’s evangelization. He believed that the Prayer Alliance would “prove to be the mightiest force in the spread of missions.” That force still drives The Alliance today. Prayer is the primary work of God’s people.

•  Everything we have belongs to God. We are only stewards.

Everything we have belongs to God. We are only stewards. This core value is intrinsic to the nature and structure of The Alliance. As Scripture encourages us to remember, it’s not the amount of money we have or how much we give—it’s recognizing that everything we have comes from God (Luke 21:1–4). We teach and practice the blessing and effectiveness of the faith principle of giving. The issue is not how much to give but how much to keep.

•  Knowing and obeying God’s Word is fundamental to all true success.

If The Alliance had a “life application” verse, it would be Matthew 28:19: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”—The Great Commission! But the next verse is equally important: “and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Knowing and obeying God’s Word is fundamental to all true success.

•  Completing the Great Commission will require the mobilization of every fully devoted disciple.

Completing the Great Commission will require the mobilization of every fully devoted disciple. In The Christian and Missionary Alliance the first priority of every minister, congregation, and believer is to work for the evangelization of the world. Healthy churches producing healthy disciples who are devoted to reaching lost people will hasten the completion of the Great Commission and the return of Jesus Christ.

•  Without the Holy Spirit’s empowerment, we can accomplish nothing.

The Apostle Paul said, “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power” (1 Corinthians 2:4–5). Without the Holy Spirit’s empowerment, we can accomplish nothing. This is not only the fiber of our being as believers but also the sixth of our Alliance core values.

•  Achieving God’s purposes involves taking faith-filled risks.

For more than a century, Alliance workers have braved harsh and dangerous territory, at great personal risk, to take the good news of Jesus to a lost world. These workers experienced our seventh Core Value—Achieving God’s purposes involves taking faith-filled risks. This always involves change. Because of the selfless dedication of Alliance workers who were willing to lay down their lives for the gospel, entire people groups now know Jesus.

The Alliance Statement of Faith

There is one God,⁽¹⁾ who is infinitely perfect,⁽²⁾ existing eternally in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.⁽³⁾

Jesus Christ is the true God and the true man.⁽⁴⁾ He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.⁽⁵⁾ He died upon the cross, the Just for the unjust,⁽⁶⁾ as a substitutionary sacrifice,⁽⁷⁾ and all who believe in Him are justified on the ground of His shed blood.⁽⁸⁾ He arose from the dead according to the Scriptures.⁽⁹⁾ He is now at the right hand of Majesty on high as our great High Priest.⁽¹⁰⁾ He will come again to establish His kingdom, righteousness and peace.⁽¹¹⁾

The Holy Spirit is a divine person,⁽¹²⁾ sent to dwell, guide, teach, empower the believer,⁽¹³⁾ and convince the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment.⁽¹⁴⁾

The Old and New Testaments, inerrant as originally given, were verbally inspired by God and are a complete revelation of His will for the salvation of men. They constitute the divine and only rule of Christian faith and practice.⁽¹⁵⁾

Man was originally created in the image and likeness of God:⁽¹⁶⁾ he fell through disobedience, incurring thereby both physical and spiritual death. All men are born with a sinful nature,⁽¹⁷⁾ are separated from the life of God, and can be saved only through the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ.⁽¹⁸⁾ The portion of the unrepentant and unbelieving is existence forever in conscious torment;⁽¹⁹⁾ and that of the believer, in everlasting joy and bliss.⁽²⁰⁾

Salvation has been provided through Jesus Christ for all men; and those who repent and believe in Him are born again of the Holy Spirit, receive the gift of eternal life, and become the children of God.⁽²¹⁾

It is the will of God that each believer should be filled with the Holy Spirit and be sanctified wholly,⁽²²⁾ being separated from sin and the world and fully dedicated to the will of God, thereby receiving power for holy living and effective service.⁽²³⁾ This is both a crisis and a progressive experience wrought in the life of the believer subsequent to conversion.⁽²⁴⁾

Provision is made in the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ for the healing of the mortal body.⁽²⁵⁾ Prayer for the sick and anointing with oil are taught in the Scriptures and are privileges for the Church in this present age.⁽²⁶⁾

The Church consists of all those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, are redeemed through His blood, and are born again of the Holy Spirit. Christ is the Head of the Body, the Church, ⁽²⁷⁾ which has been commissioned by Him to go into all the world as a witness, preaching the gospel to all nations.⁽²⁸⁾ The local church is a body of believers in Christ who are joined together for the worship of God, for edification through the Word of God, for prayer, fellowship, the proclamation of the gospel, and observance of the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.⁽²⁹⁾

There shall be a bodily resurrection of the just and of the unjust; for the former, a resurrection unto life;⁽³⁰⁾ for the latter, a resurrection unto judgment.⁽³¹⁾

The second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is imminent⁽³²⁾ and will be personal, visible, and premillennial.⁽³³⁾ This is the believer’s blessed hope and is a vital truth which is an incentive to holy living and faithful service.⁽³⁴⁾

[1] Deuteronomy 6:4, [2] Matthew 5:48, [3] Matthew 28:19, [4] Philippians 2:6–11, [5] Luke 1:34–38, [6] 1 Peter 3:18, [7] Hebrews 2:9, [8] Romans 5:9, [9] Acts 2:23–24, [10] Hebrews 8:1, [11] Matthew 26:64, [12] John 14:15–18, [13] John 16:13; Acts 1:8, [14] John 16:7–11, [15] 2 Peter 1:20–21; 2 Timothy 3:15–16, [16] Genesis 1:27, [17] Romans 3:23, [18] 1 Corinthians15:20–23, [19] Revelation 21:8, [20] Revelation 21:1–4, [21] Titus 3:4–7, [22] 1 Thessalonians 5:23, [23] Acts 1:8, [24] Romans 6:1–14, [25] Matthew 8:16–17, [26] James 5:13–16, [27] Ephesians 1:22–23, [28] Matthew 28:19–20, [29] Acts 2:41–47, [30] 1 Corinthians 15:20–23, [31] John 5:28–29, [32] Hebrews 10:37, [33] Luke 21:27, [34] Titus 2:11–14