The student of trends in the religious world immediately encounters the thorny problem of labels. These terms constantly change in meaning, depending upon who the speaker is, how knowledgeable he is, and what particular theological position he defends. A brief review of some of these terms will help place CCC in the complex context of modern religious movements. 

In response to the abuses and apostasy of the Roman Church in the Middle Ages, 16th-century Protestant reformers Luther, Calvin, Zwingli and others insisted upon several fundamental principles expressed in well-known Latin phrases: 

□ Soli Deo Gloria rightly honored God's sole wisdom and power over all man-made religion and papal authority. 

□ Sola Gratia rightly insisted upon the reality of eternal salvation granted by the grace of God through faith alone, not faith plus good works. 

□ Sola Scriptura rightly emphasized the sole authority of the Bible for faith and practice, thus disengaging the church from the authority of tradition and the Roman magisterium. The movements these men generated developed into Lutheranism and Calvinism. These did not abandon Roman Catholic child baptism and the Roman church's view of eschatology (the doctrines of future things). 

A more radical group of reformers sought to re-establish all the principles of the 1st century church. They were called the "Anabaptists" by the other reformers, who openly persecuted them. Anabaptism argued for the biblical practice of believer's baptism and a local church composed of believing members. Anabaptism also rejected the idea of a state church, which Lutheranism, Calvinism and Anglicanism retained. 

CCC owes much to all the Reformers, but stands most in the Anabaptist tradition.

• LIBERALISM _______________________________________________________

Theological liberalism originated in Germany at the end of the 19th century (reflecting the writings of Kant, Hegel, Schleiermacher, Ritschl and others). Broadly speaking, it taught that all religious beliefs must be reasonable. The Bible was not God's true revelation to man, but a record of religious experience or feeling. God was not a transcendent Being, but the soul and life of the world. Good works were more important than doctrinal confessions. Liberals readily adopted the conclusions of science and accommodated to evolution as an explanation of origins. They emphasized a social gospel, which sought to build the "kingdom of God" by seeking to modify society through economic and political action. Liberalism was optimistic that the church would eradicate war and racial discrimination, but WW I revealed the naiveté of this view. 

CCC rejects the apostate conclusions of liberal theology, its historical-critical method of interpreting the Bible and its faith in the social gospel, which has made a comeback in the last decade among many who call themselves evangelical in the West.

• FUNDAMENTALISM ________________________________________

After WW I in the USA, many conservative Christians sought to reaffirm orthodox Protestant Christianity to oppose the challenge of liberalism. The movement took its name in the 1920s from The Fundamentals, a 12-volume work by many writers of various denominations in North America and the UK. The work defended the inerrancy of the Bible, the virgin birth of Christ, Christ's substitutionary atonement, His bodily resurrection and the historical character of miracles. By the 1930s, fundamentalists broke away from the large denominations which either held to liberal theology or Karl Barth's neo-orthodoxy from Germany. They began independent churches, seminaries, missionary agencies, publishing houses, etc. As the term was used in the 1950s, fundamentalism more strongly opposed apostasy in Christendom, especially in the World Council of Churches, and was not willing to cater to intellectual respectability. During the 1970s and 1980s, fundamentalism in the USA became perceived as a politically active religious movement opposing secular humanism. In the 1990s the media have associated fundamentalism with right-wing political extremism, violence and anti-intellectualism. At the beginning of the new millennium fundamentalism has become a derogatory word for all religions that insist on a single truth, and which supposedly threaten western multiculturalism and radical pluralism which have become fashionable. 

CCC stands for the fundamentals of the Christian faith and the absolute authority of the Bible. We do not seek to be intellectually respectable in the eyes of academia, but do pursue intellectual integrity and responsibility. We do not seek to be politically active as a church body. We reject violence. We believe the Bible teaches the need for ecclesiastical separation as a means of preserving truth from error and communicating truth to the next generation.

• EVANGELICALISM ___________________________________________________

By the 1940s, some fundamentalists protested what they considered a divisiveness in their movement. They preferred to maintain fellowship with orthodox Protestants who had remained in the large denominations, and hoped to win over liberals through dialogue. Convinced that fundamentalists had become too suspicious, too separatist, and too disconnected from the social problems of the day, they called both for dialogue with Protestants who had been unwilling to leave the apostate denominations and for more social action to bring a Christian influence to bear upon culture. They named themselves "evangelicals" or "neo-evangelicals." By the 1990s, many diverse denominations considered themselves evangelical. The label today is imprecise. In Germany, "evangelical" refers to the Lutheran state church, whose theology is liberal and ecumenical. In France and Belgium, "évangélique" is used to label Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals, charismatics, certain Anglicans and a variety of free churches. As used by media in the USA, "evangelical" encompasses all conservative groups that use the Bible to preach a gospel of personal renewal and conversion, no matter what the underpinning doctrinal points might be. 

 While many in the Luxembourg community would call CCC evangelical, this term is probably not precise enough to describe our doctrinal stance and church polity. 

• ECUMENISM _________________________________________________________

The ecumenical movement is an organized attempt to bring about the cooperation and unity of all believers in Jesus Christ. It was launched in 1910 at the International Missionary Conference in Edinburgh and sought at first to unite all Protestant missionary agencies behind an attempt to solve social, economic and political problems in the world. The movement developed in other ways, producing the World Council of Churches in 1948. In recent years the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox churches have participated in ecumenical dialogue with the WCC in an attempt to create visible unity within Christendom. More recently, the WCC has worked to promote the unity of all world religions through insisting upon religious tolerance and the common ethical values of all religions. 

Since this ecumenical dialogue aggressively denies the absolute authority of the Bible and the uniqueness of the gospel message, CCC has chosen not to participate in the local inter-faith discussion groups. We want to evangelize and make disciples in obedience to the Great Commission (Matthew 28.19-20) but realize that ecumenical dialogue is not the context in which this may be done effectively and with freedom and integrity. 

• CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT ___________________________________________

This movement developed in the 1960s as Pentecostal teachings about the baptism of the Holy Spirit as a second-blessing experience, attested by speaking in tongues, spread to the Anglican, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox and other churches around the world. In recent years the charismatic movement has become one of the most influential and widely known movements within Christendom. It has become a key factor in ecumenical dialogue. In recent years the charismatic movement has emphasized miraculous healing, signs and wonders and a general subjectivism in religious experience. 

CCC publicly states its position on this issue in its doctrinal statement. We believe that the miraculous gifts of the apostolic era have fulfilled their purpose (attesting the apostles' message) and have therefore ceased. We believe that all born-again people receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit immediately upon trusting Christ for salvation. We therefore do not subscribe to the teachings of the charismatic movement and do not co-operate with churches of this persuasion.

• PLURALISM _________________________________________________________

The Postmodern mood of the late 20th century and early 21st rejects any absolute authority or final divine revelation. It has promoted instead a world in which all religious persuasions are accepted as equally valid and equally true. It aggressively rejects proselytism by any religion that seeks to convince others of its unique truth claims. 

CCC is committed to a genuine, gracious tolerance of other people's convictions, even if they are contrary to what the Bible teaches. We do not seek to repress debate on religious issues. We aim to proclaim the good news of the gospel with candor, love and integrity without hostility toward those who disagree with us. At the same time, we desire that others respect and tolerate our right to hold our own biblical convictions. We recognize that our stance may lead to persecution if present trends continue. 

• NON-DENOMINATIONALISM __________________________________________

Many people assume that CCC is an “inter-denominational” church since people from a broad variety of church backgrounds attend the services. However, "inter-denominational" suggests that we seek the lowest common denominator of all the denominations in the church to form our doctrinal stance. That is not the case. CCC is better described as being "non-denominational." That is, we are not members of a particular denominational structure. The church is self-governing and predominantly self-supporting. At this point, Biblical Ministries Worldwide provides the pastor, who is partially supported by the church. The church may own its own property if it chooses to purchase land or a building. It decides its own budget. The membership has final authority to select its own leadership. 

• CHURCH GROWTH MOVEMENT _______________________________________

In an effort to promote the development and growth of evangelical churches, many have adopted marketing strategies to advertize and promote churches in their communities. In the USA many of these assemblies have developed into “mega-churches” attended by thousands and offering a virtual religious subculture for their members. By seeking to make unconverted people “feel comfortable” in church meetings, many have adopted methods borrowing heavily from entertainment and popular culture. These churches have tended to become places for therapy rather than for God-centered worship and the training of believers for ministry. In recent years many of the higher-profile mega-churches have moved into the mainstream of ecumenical dialogue and a new social gospel, promoting education, eliminating poverty, promoting religious pluralism and seeking to bring a Christian influence to bear upon the unregenerate culture. 

CCC seeks the growth and multiplication of Bible-teaching churches in Luxembourg and the greater region. However this must never be done at the expense of the health of the local body, or by the use of methods that compromise the Bible’s message. We need not “make the Bible relevant” by addressing the “felt needs” of our listeners; rather we must address the true needs of our community–felt or not–by faithfully proclaiming the whole Bible’s message to all who will listen. 

TO REVIEW . . .  _______________________________________________________

Christian Community Church of Luxembourg. . .  

     • has its roots in the reformation movement of Anabaptism; 

     • rejects the apostasy of liberal theology; 

     • accepts the authority of the Bible as defended by early fundamentalists; 

     • is evangelical in the sense that it practices biblical evangelism; 

     • rejects ecumenical dialogue as an attempt to water down the exclusive claims of the gospel message; 

     • defends a healthy, loving tolerance of all people, while insisting upon the unique truth of the Bible; 

     • rejects the teachings of the charismatic movement;

     • is autonomous, not related to a particular denomination. 

     • rejects the pragmatism of the church growth movement while seeking to grow through a balanced emphasis on the basics–evangelism, personal discipleship, leadership training, missionary vision and church purity.