FOR THE SAKE OF CHRIST AND HIS CHURCH
The Frankfurt Declaration of Christian & Civil Liberties
Introduction
Christians, Against The Abuse Of Power
A few concerned pastors from different continents, moved by an emergent totalitarianism of the State over all realms of society, and particularly the Church, and the disregard of God- given and constitutionally guaranteed rights during the Covid crisis, joined in common cause to craft a solemn declaration, which seeks to address these threats with the timeless truths of God’s Word. The following affirmations and denials, derived from biblical principles, we put forth for consideration by all Christians and relevant authorities, in the hope that this document will give light and strength for faithful witness to Jesus Christ in our day.
2 Sam. 12:1-14; Acts 4:24-29; Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Pet. 2:13-14
Statement
God the Creator as Sovereign Lawgiver and Judge
WE AFFIRM that the Triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – is the personal Creator of all things visible and invisible, the blessed and only Sovereign, and the ultimate Lawgiver for all human conduct. We believe that He has revealed in the Holy Scriptures and the conscience of men an unchangeable morality which is rooted in His own character, and which defines the nature of good and evil conduct for all people at all times. As the Lawgiver, God has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by a man, the risen Lord Jesus Christ. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.
WE THEREFORE DENY that impersonal matter is the final reality behind all things and the belief that human conduct is merely a biological or sociological phenomenon. Since God is the ultimate Lawgiver and Judge, we deny the right of any earthly authority to define morality and require unconditional obedience of their citizens when contrary to His law. We also have good grounds to question the modern State’s ethical pronouncements and moral vision since their secular humanism and relativistic ethics have no transcendent basis for human behavior or morality.
Gen.1:1; 2:15-17; Ex.1:17; 20:1-17; Josh.2:3-6; Ps.9:7-8; Dan. 6:11; Mic.6:8; Matt.28:19; Acts 4:19; 5:29; 9:25; 12:17; 17:31; Rom. 1:32; 2:14-16; 11:36; Col. 1:16; 1 Tim. 1:17; 6:15-16; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; Heb. 11:3; James 4:12; Rev. 4:11
God as the Source of Truth and the Role of Science
WE AFFIRM that God, the Creator, is the Truth and that therefore objective truth exists and can be derived from His revelation in Scripture and nature, and from any facts which can be credibly verified. We endorse science which seeks to discover, through the scientific method and debate, the truths that God has built into the natural world. We also affirm the limitations of science, including its inability to speak authoritatively on areas outside its purview and its propensity to err when data is lacking. Since man has fallen into sin, we further affirm that all his thoughts, deductions, and institutions contain degrees of corruption which tend to distort, manipulate, or suppress the truth.
WE THEREFORE DENY that human governments are morally and ideologically neutral and always know or seek what is good for their citizens and that their narrative should be unconditionally trusted. We reject any deception, fear-mongering, propagandizing, and indoctrination by the State and mass media, and all reporting on critical world issues which is premature, selective, or ideologically manipulative. We further reject the assertions of any so-called “scientific consensus” which abandons the scientific method and ignores or suppresses the concerns of dissident voices. We likewise reject scientism since, even when scientific findings correctly describe a particular phenomenon, they cannot adequately and normatively address complex social realities or prescribe policies that have ethical implications.
Gen. 6:5; Ps. 19:1-8; 31:6; 119:160; Eccles. 7:29; John 3:33; 14:6; 16:13; 17:17; Rom. 1:18-20; 2 Cor. 4:2; Eph. 2:3; 1 Tim. 3:15; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; James 2:9; Rev. 13:11-15
Mankind as the Image of God
WE AFFIRM that every human being is created in the image and likeness of God (imago Dei) and therefore has inherent dignity and worth, along with certain inalienable rights and liberties requisite for a proper human life. These rights and liberties include the right to corporate worship, personal and in-person relationships, vocational employments, and participation in the important events of human life such as the right to comfort the sick and the dying (especially of one’s own family), to attend funerals, to witness the birth of one’s child, to marry in a public gathering, to fellowship and eat together with others, and to engage in honorable work. We also affirm that governments should recognize that each individual is responsible for their own bodily well-being and should protect the right to personal medical self-determination.
WE THEREFORE DENY the dehumanizing actions of a governmental authority or any other institution to subject any person to psychological manipulation and intimidation. This includes fostering suspicion of others by portraying them as potential threats to the common and individual good. We likewise oppose the State’s mandating of medical decisions for its citizens, and the criminalizing, enforced segregation, vocational disempowerment, and any other deprivation of rights of persons who choose not to comply with their government’s medical policies. We thus reject all forms of medical coercion and any restrictions on individual freedoms for people who are not infected with any contagious, life-threatening disease; this includes the implementation of vaccine passes, social distancing, or mask-wearing as a general prerequisite for access to public places or for participation in work or social life. Global trends toward transhumanism and technological surveillance and control over human beings we also oppose since they undermine the human agency which is so fundamental to our God-given calling to live as His image bearers.
Gen. 1:26-28; 2:24; 9:6; Ex. 20:9; Dan. 3:1-30; Matt. 25:31-40; 1 Cor. 6:12-20; 1 Thess. 4:11-12; James 3:9; 5:14-15; Rev. 13:16-17
God-given Mandates and Limits of Authority
WE AFFIRM that all earthly authorities derive their authority (‘the right to be obeyed’) from God, who is over all and to whom all must give account. We believe that He has established their different spheres of responsibility (i.e., mandates) and in so doing has set limits to their authority. God has delegated authority to civil governments for the purpose of rewarding good and punishing evil, and to protect the God-given rights and freedoms granted to all people. He has also delegated authority to the Church in its various expressions, particularly to make disciples of all nations by preaching the Word of God, and to establish and administer redeemed communities of faith living under the authority of Christ. In addition, He has delegated authority to the family as the basic unit of society for the purpose of fostering societal cohesion and sexual fidelity, and to protect, provide for, raise, and educate children in the way of the Lord. We affirm our right as citizens, parents, and Christians to freely self-determine our beliefs and behaviors based on these truths.
WE THEREFORE DENY totalitarian ideologies of governments which do not recognize the boundaries of their authority and usurp the authority delegated by God to the Church or the family. In particular, we reject the tendency of governments to centralize beliefs and conduct for their citizens by creating an authoritarian society in which the State is absolute. Such totalitarianism and statism is built upon beliefs that have fundamentally redefined good and evil and the nature of human beings, and are contrary to the divine order of things. The effect of such beliefs is to enslave individual and religious freedoms, and engender an ideological intolerance which seeks to silence, cancel, and re-educate those who disagree. We also oppose the view that children are the property of the State and therefore subjects to be indoctrinated, and also any encouragement or manipulation of children to undergo medical procedures without parental consent.
Deut. 6:6-7; Matt. 22:20-21; 28:18-19; John 17:14; Rom. 12:1-2; 13:1-7; Eph. 5:21-6:4; Phil. 2:14- 16; Col. 3:18-20; 1 Tim. 2:1-2; Heb. 13:17; 1 Pet. 2:13-14; 4:15; Rev. 13:7-8
Christ as the Head of the Church
WE AFFIRM that the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ belongs to Him at the cost of His life and that it is accountable to Him alone in all matters of faith and practice. We believe that Christ’s command to give to Caesar (i.e., the civil authority) what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God establishes the functional independence of the Church from the State. We believe that Christ, who is Lord over all, calls all without distinction of any kind to freely and regularly gather together in His Name in local congregations to seek and serve Him in truth and love. We further affirm that the activities of the local church insofar as they are essential acts of worship are to be regulated by Christ alone.
WE THEREFORE DENY that any other authority has jurisdiction over the Church to regulate any of its affairs in matters of faith and practice, or to relegate its activities to a non-essential status. We thus repudiate all actions of the State that impose coercive measures over the Church and criminalize, inhibit, or regulate any of its activities which are undertaken as acts of service toward its Lord. Lastly, we resist the trend of digital platforms in Christian worship and ministry to become substitutes for congregational and in-person ministry which are essential to our faith.
Matt. 18:20; 22:21; Acts 5:28-29; 10:36; 20:28; Rom. 13:6-7; 1 Cor. 12:12-13; 2 Cor. 4:5; 5:10; Eph. 1:20b-23; 3:20; 4:15-16; Col. 1:27; 1 Tim. 6:3-5; Heb. 10:24-25; Rev. 5:9
Conclusion
Call for Respect, Repentance, & Resistance
To our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world we say: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Josh 1:9) It appears that the world may well be entering a time of testing, not only for the Church, but for everyone who believes in freedom and who opposes tyranny. Let us stand with those who are hard-pressed, arrested, or forcefully isolated because they have chosen to do what is right. Let us stand in solidarity with those whose churches are forcefully closed or who are exiled from their congregations. Let us help and support in practical ways those who are fined or have to forfeit their employment for the sake of Christ. And we ask our brothers and sisters who have lived under persecution all their lives to pray for us, that God would give us the grace to bless those who persecute us and to pray for them; that God would give us the courage to stand firm in our faith as His witnesses; and that He, who is Lord over all, would give us the strength to remain faithful and persevere to the end. Amen.
2 Sam. 12:1-14; Dan. 5:22-23; Matt. 24:12-13; 1 Cor. 16:13-14; Eph. 5:10-13
Dr. Scott
Aniol
Executive Vice President
,
G3 Ministries
Douglasville, GA
,
USA
Dr. Voddie
Baucham
Dean of Divinity
,
African Christian University
Lusaka
,
Zambia
Jonathan
Bayes
Pastor
,
Stanton Lees Chapel
Stanton, Derbyshire
,
England, UK
Dr. Joe
Boot
Founder & President
,
Ezra Institute for Contemporary Christianity
Grimsby, ON
,
Canada
Tom
Buck
Pastor
,
First Baptist Church
Lindale, TX
,
USA
Wolfgang
Bühne
Evangelist & Publicist
Meinerzhagen
,
Germany
Josh
Buice
President
,
G3 Ministries
Atlanta, GA
,
USA
Dr. Tim
Cantrell
Pastor
,
Antioch Bible Church
Johannesburg
,
South Africa
Kiprotich
Chelashaw
Pastor
,
Christ Church
Nairobi
,
Kenya
Dr. James
Coates
Pastor
,
GraceLife Church
Edmonton, AB
,
Canada
Tim
Conway
Pastor
,
Grace Community Church
San Antonio, TX
,
USA
Don
Currin
Founder
,
Don Currin Ministries
Tuscumbia, AL
,
USA
Jeff
Durbin
Pastor
,
Apologia Church
Tempe, AZ
,
USA
Eberhard
Dahm
Founder & President
,
Institute for Church Building
Grolsheim
,
Germany
Sebastian
Engelhardt
Pastor
,
Evangelical Reformed Baptist Church
Basel
,
Switzerland
Dr. Stefan
Felber
Pastor & Director
,
Gemeindehilfsbund
Walsrode
,
Germany
Tom
Foord
Pastor
,
Hope Reformed Baptist Church
Brisbane
,
Australia
Richard
Friesen
Pastor
,
Free Evangelical Church Böbingen
Böbingen
,
Germany
Dr. Jason
Garwood
Pastor
,
Cross & Crown Church
Warrenton, VA
,
USA
Bruce
Gore
Teacher
,
First Presbyterian Church
Spokane, WA
,
USA
Dr. Paul
Hartwig
Pastor
,
Lakeside Chapel
Betty’s Bay
,
South Africa
Johann
Hesse
Preacher & Director
,
Gemeindehilfsbund
Walsrode
,
Germany
Phil
Johnson
Teaching Elder
,
Grace Community Church
Sun Valley, CA
,
USA
Regan
King
Pastor
,
The Angel Church
Angel, London
,
England, UK
Dr. Jürgen-Burkhard
Klautke
Dean
,
Seminary for Reformed Theology
Giessen
,
Germany
Steven
Lloyd
Pastor
,
Protestant Evangelical Church
Narbonne
,
France
Dr. Jared
Longshore
Pastor
,
Christ Church
Moscow, ID
,
USA
Dr. John
MacArthur
Senior Pastor
,
Grace Community Church
Sun Valley, CA
,
USA
Billy
McCurrie
Pastor
,
Aughton Park Baptist Church
Ormskirk
,
England, UK
Warren
McKenzie
Pastor
,
Biota Baptist Church
Brisbane
,
Australia
Pooyan
Mehrshahi
Pastor
,
Providence Baptist Chapel
Cheltenham
,
England, UK
Ben
Merkle
President
,
New St. Andrews College
Moscow, ID
,
USA
Josh
Mills
Pastor
,
Trinity Baptist Church
Burlington, ON
,
Canada
Dr. Wolfgang
Nestvogel
Pastor
,
Confessing Evangelical Church
Hannover
,
Germany
John-William
Noble
Pastor
,
Grace Baptist Church
Aberdeen
,
Scotland, UK
Dr. Benedikt
Peters
Publicist & Teacher
Arbon
,
Switzerland
Justin
Peters
Justin Peters Ministries
Bozeman, MT
,
USA
Jacob
Reaume
Pastor
,
Trinity Bible Chapel
Waterloo, ON
,
Canada
Stephen
Rees
Pastor
,
Grace Baptist Church Stockport
Greater Manchester
,
UK
Steve
Richardson
Pastor
Tillsonburg, ON
,
Canada
Tobias
Riemenschneider
Pastor
,
Evangelical Reformed Baptist Church
Frankfurt
,
Germany
Dr. Aaron
Rock
Pastor
,
Harvest Bible Church
Windsor, ON
,
Canada
Paul
Sayers
Church Planter
,
Evangelical Reformed Baptist Church
Kaiserslautern
,
Germany
Peter
Schild
Pastor
,
Evangelical Reformed Baptist Church
Frankfurt
,
Germany
Prof. Dr. Uwe A.
Seidel
Teacher
Rosenheim
,
Germany
Tim
Stephens
Pastor
,
Fairview Baptist Church
Calgary, AB
,
Canada
Geoff
Thomas
Former Pastor for 50 years
,
Alfred Place Baptist Church
Aberystwyth
,
Wales, UK
Joel
Webbon
Pastor
,
Covenant Bible Church
Georgetown, TX
,
USA
Dr. James
White
Pastor
,
Apologia Church
Tempe, AZ
,
USA
Douglas
Wilson
Pastor
,
Christ Church
Moscow, ID
,
USA
Henry
Schriemer, PhD
Ashton
,
Canada
Dr Tasman
Walker
Brisbane
,
Australia
E. Calvin
Beisner
President
,
Cornwall Alliance
Collierville, TN
,
United States
Tony
Beam
Senior Director of Church and Community Engagement
,
North Greenville University
Greer, S.C.
,
United States
Luke
Pierson
Discipleship Pastor
,
Apologia Church
Mesa, AZ
,
USA
Dr. Mark
Ellis
Academic Director, Brazil
,
Grace School of Theology
Atibaia, São Paulo
,
Brazil
Dr. Rick
Griffith
Amman
,
Jordan
Dr. Alex
Montoya
Pastor
,
First Fundamental Bible Church
Whittier, CA
,
United States
Dr. Jason
Falzarano
Professor of Biblical Studies
,
Calvary Chapel University
Sun City
,
USA
Dr. John
McMath
Rathdrum, ID
,
USA
Dr. Paul
Smith
Chandler, AZ
,
USA
Dr. John
Baumgardner
Research Professor Emeritus
,
Liberty University
Forest, Virginia
,
United States
Dr. Brian
Thomas
Research Scientist
,
Institute for Creation Research
Dallas
,
USA
Dr. James
Borland
Lynchburg, VA
,
U.S.A.
Dr. Richard
Mayhue
Research Professor of Theology Emeritus
,
The Master’s Seminary
Sun Valley, CA
,
USA
Dr. Terry
Mortenson
Hebron, KY
,
USA
Bnonn
Tennant
Te Awamutu
,
New Zealand
Matthew
Hallick
Media & Analysis/Producer
,
Liberty Coalition Canada
Winnipeg
,
Canada
Gabriel
Rench
Host
,
CrossPolitic Studios
Moscow
,
United States
Rev. Dr. Michael
Thiessen
Ontario
,
Canada
Mark
Christopher
Reverend
,
Berean Bible Institute
Cape Town
,
South Africa
Richard
Henry
Pastor
,
New Harvest Baptist Church
Leitchfield
,
United States
William
Wolfe
Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense
,
DoD, Trump Administration
Louisville, KY
,
United States
Bruce
Cameron
Reed Larson Professor of Labor Law
,
Regent University School of Law
Virginia Beach
,
United States
Dr Peter
Borger
Lörrach
,
Germany
Reinhard
Moeller
Pfarrer / Rev.
,
Freie Evangelische Gemeinde Aesch
CH-4147 Aesch BL
,
Switzerland
Jens
Zimmermann
Professor of Theology
,
Regent College
Vancouver
,
Canada
Nikolaos
Tziolas
Professor
,
University of Cyprus
Nicosia
,
Cyprus
Albrecht
Weißbach
Managing Director
,
KALEB e.V.
Chemnitz
,
Germany
Daniel
Rivaud
Pasteur
,
Église évangélique, fondateur du CPDH
Strasbourg
,
France
Marco
Bartholomae
Director of Membership
,
The Master's Academy International
Los Angeles
,
United States
Jon
Harris
Founder
,
Conversations That Matter
Highland
,
United States
Dr. Eduardo
Echeverria
Professor of Philosophy and Systematic Theology
,
Sacred Heart Major Seminary
Detroit
,
United States of America
Douglas
Farrow
Professor of Theology and Ethics
,
McGill University
Montreal
,
Canada
Dr. Lisa
Nolland
CEO
,
The Marriage, Sex and Culture Group
London
,
United Kingdom
Calvin
Robinson
Reverend
,
Free Church of England
London
,
UK
Jochen
Klautke
Pastor
,
Bekennende Evangelisch-Reformierte Gemeinde
Gießen
,
Germany
Dr. Kevin
Zuber
Professor
,
The Master's Seminary
Canyon Country
,
United States
Ali
McLachlan
Pastor
,
Grace Baptist Church
Edinburgh
,
Scotland
Rod
Lampard
Writer
,
Caldron Pool
Wauchope
,
Australia
Dr. Eric
Weathers
Senior Vice President, Strategic Partnerships
,
The Master's Academy International
Sun Valley, CA
,
United States of America
David
Goodwin
President
,
Association of Classical Christian Schools
Boise
,
USA
Ben
Davis
Founder
,
Caldron Pool
Sydney
,
Australia
Joachim Hans
Kuhs
MEP
,
European Parliament
Baden-Baden
,
Germany
Christian
Andresen
Dean
,
European Bible Training Center
Berlin
,
Germany
Dr. Malachi
O’Brien
Lead Pastor & former 2nd Vice President of the Southern Baptist Convention
,
The Church at Pleasant Ridge
Harrisonville
,
United States
Timothy
Grant
Senior Pastor
,
Mount Isa Baptist Church
Mount Isa
,
Australia
Dr. Robert
Oliver
Bradford on Avon
,
United Kingdom
Nathan
Oblak
Grimsby, Ontario
,
Canada
Matthew
Littlefield
Pastor
,
New Beith Baptist Church
Logan City
,
Australia
Dr. Lothar
Gassmann
Missionary, Church Planter, Apologist, Publisher
,
Bible Church
Pforzheim
,
Germany
Bill
Muehlenberg
Founder
,
CultureWatch
Melbourne
,
Australia
Winrich
Scheffbuch
Stuttgart
,
Deutschland
Thomas
Schneider
Evangelist
,
AG WELT e.V.
Breitenbrunn
,
Germany
Phill
Sacre
Missionary
,
Church of England
Clacton-on-Sea
,
England, UK
Nathanael
Wright
Senior Pastor
,
Crossroads Church
London
,
Canada
Dr. Jamie
Franklin
Priest
,
Church of England
Nottingham
,
England, UK
Dr. Jason
Lisle
Founder & President
,
Biblical Science Institute
Colorado Springs
,
U.S.A.
Marius
Bodnariu
Brasov
,
Romania
Rob
Slane
Apologist & Author
,
Christ Church Salisbury
Salisbury
,
England, UK
Joshua
Jones
Pastor
,
Beth-El Community Church
Milford, NE
,
USA