Membership Criterion

The goal of the ARTC is unity within the nuances of certain aspects of diversity, and conscience, while remaining adherent to the doctrinal structure of the Reformation's "Five Solas". While the ARTC is structed as a presbyterian form of government, unlike the typical top-down governing authroity of the donominational presbyteries the ARTC does not micro-manage every nuance of every congregation, such as the methodology of the sacraments, head coverings, liturgy, exclusive psalmody, and non-instrumentation within the worship. These will be left to the local sessions. The ARTC encourages all worship to be done soberly, in right order and regulated by Scripture.
 

Each congregation desiring to enter into fellowship with the ARTC should agree with the following doctrinal statements.
 

1. Whereas, each congregation must hold to the soteriology of the Reformation’s Five Solas, which includes the major tenants of the Christian faith; The total depravity of man, the doctrine of election, the doctrine of the literal 6 Day/24 hour Creation account, the virgin birth, and the deity of Christ, all of which are part and parcel of Reformation Theology.
   
   

2. Whereas, each congregation is encouraged, but not mandated, to subscribe to the eschatological doctrine of postmillennialism.* (pelase refer to the footnote)
   
   

3. Whereas, each congregation subscribes to the Cultural Mandate of Genesis 1:28-29 believeing that Christ is now reigning as the Soverign Lord of over all nations (Cf Psalm2, Psalm110) and has called His People to transform the Culture by applying the Word of God to every element of the societal order.
   
   

4. Whereas, while each church is free to adopt traditional Reformed statements the articles following are those around which we rally:The Westminster Standards with their catechisms, the Canons of Dort, The Savoy Declaration, The Marburg Articles, The Belgic Confession, The Hiedleburg Catechism, and The London Baptist Confession of either 1644 or 1646.**
   
   

5. Whereas, each congregation must read and agree with the majority of the Franschhoek Declaration.
   
   

6. Wheareas, each congregation rejects the doctrinal error known as Federal Vision also known as The New Perspective on Paul.
   
   

7. Concerning the Lord's Supper, regardless of age, communicate memebers must be able to examine themseves (1 Corinthans 11:28) before being admitted to the Communion Table.
   

   
   * Postmillennialism is simply the doctrine that states that Christ's victory was comperhensive and will be ultimately evident over all nations before the end of time when evey knee bows and every toungue confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord to the Glory of the Father. This postmilliennial view was held by many of the Reformers and Puritans but has since been hijacked by the modernist doctrine of pre-millennialism and a-millennialism. However, those Congregations that hold to an Amillennial eschatology and who desire membership, will be considered after detailed discussion on the matter. The ARTC seeks the unity of the faithful and will not divide over certain eschatological views.

    

   ** Reformed confessions do, at times, contradict one another in some ways.  For instance the WCF is the only full fledged "sabbatarian" document and it also comes with its own beliefs concerning the organization and structure of the visible church that directly contradict statements in the LBCF and Savoy declaration.  Similar problems deal with the sacraments.  The Helvetic confessions explicitly condemn postmillennialism as an explicitly "jewish error" which we repudiate out of hand.
   
   *** See our statement on church governement on the Purpose/Home page of this site.