BELIEFS & COMMUNITY
Evangelical Free Church: beliefs and congregational life
Religious Values guide · Updated
The Evangelical Free Church of America, or EFCA, is an association of autonomous congregations united around a shared evangelical Statement of Faith. Its heritage includes Scandinavian free-church movements. The word free concerns the church's relationship to state and ecclesiastical control, rather than a promise that the church has no doctrine or membership expectations.
This guide focuses on the EFCA in the United States. Churches called Evangelical Free elsewhere may belong to different national associations.
A shared doctrinal center
The EFCA's statement affirms the Trinity, biblical authority, humanity's need for salvation and the saving work of Jesus Christ. Christian living includes love of God and neighbor, discipleship and witness. Congregations unite around this doctrinal center while allowing some differences on matters outside it. A visitor should ask which questions a local church treats as membership commitments and which permit disagreement.[1]
Autonomous but connected churches
The EFCA explains free in two ways: freedom from state-church control in its history and self-government for local congregations. Autonomy exists alongside cooperation and interdependence. It does not mean leaders have no responsibilities. Ask about the congregation's elders, membership involvement and relationship with the association when learning how teaching and pastoral decisions are supervised.[2][3]
Worship and practical discipleship
Preaching, prayer, singing and the ordinances of baptism and Communion commonly shape church life. The denomination does not require one musical format for every congregation. Bible study, local service and missions can show how the church applies its beliefs beyond worship. Looking at these practices together gives a fuller picture than assuming that free means informal or that evangelical means identical to Southern Baptist.[1][3]
Common questions
Is the EFCA a Pentecostal church?
Its shared statement is evangelical, but does not reproduce the Assemblies of God's distinctive formulation of initial evidence for Spirit baptism. Ask the local church how it understands spiritual gifts and what positions are required of members.[1]
Sources & further reading
The sources below explain the beliefs and practices discussed here. Where a guide describes a broad movement, a named organization illustrates its own approach.
- 1.EFCA: Statement of Faith
The association's current doctrinal statement, adopted in 2019.
- 2.EFCA: Theological positions
Explains the meaning of free and the relation of doctrine to church life.
- 3.EFCA: Distinctives
The association's account of congregational government and shared ministry.