Epiphany Fellowship Church
AI summary — doctrinal positions on this page are inferred by AI from this church's own public statements and may be inaccurate.
Tension detected
3 stances that depart from the denomination
The congregation's own words appear to differ from what its denomination's confession binds. This is an AI reading of the church's public text and may be inaccurate — the quotes below show what it's based on.
AI summary — these stances are inferred by AI from the church's own public text and may be inaccurate. Report a correction.
Southern Baptist Convention denies.
This congregation affirms.
"rejects — Rejected entirely. Each congregation is autonomous under Christ. There is no priestly class or institutional chain of authority."
Southern Baptist Convention denies.
This congregation affirms.
"rejects — The Lord's Supper is an ordinance of remembrance, not a sacrament conveying grace. Christ is present spiritually through faith, but the elements are symbols."
Southern Baptist Convention denies.
This congregation affirms.
"rejects — Rejected. Only believers may be baptized. Infant "baptism" is considered unbiblical — no NT command or clear example supports it."
Inherited from denomination
What Southern Baptist Convention teaches
Positions bound by the denomination's confessional standards. This is what the tradition teaches; whether this specific congregation publicly holds each is a separate question — see Statements below.
Confessional standard: 1689 London Baptist Confession
Affirms
- Believer's BaptismSTRONGBaptist confessions; Pentecostal fundamentals; Anabaptist tradition
- Marriage as one man and one womanSTRONGGenesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4–6; historic universal Christian teaching.
- Permissibility of divorce and remarriagestandardMatthew 19:9 (adultery ground); 1 Corinthians 7:15 (abandonment ground). Practice varies.
Denies
- Apostolic SuccessionstandardCongregational and presbyterian polity reject the necessity of tactile episcopal succession.
- Assumption of MarystandardUniversal Protestant rejection — not attested in Scripture; not received as dogma.
- Homosexual practice and biblical sexual ethicsSTRONGRomans 1:26–27; 1 Corinthians 6:9–10; historic universal Christian teaching.
- Immaculate ConceptionSTRONGUniversal Protestant + Orthodox rejection. Orthodox reject on the grounds that they hold prepurification at the Annunciation, not conception.
- Infant BaptismSTRONGBaptist confessions (New Hampshire; BFM 2000 VII); Anabaptist / Schleitheim; Pentecostal fundamentals
- Perpetual Virginity of MarystandardNatural reading of Matthew 13:55–56 (brothers of Jesus); typical modern Baptist / evangelical position.
- Real PresencestandardMemorialist / Zwinglian view; typical Baptist and Free Church position
- TransubstantiationSTRONGOrthodox reject the Aristotelian metaphysics; Lutherans use 'sacramental union'; 39 Articles Art. XXVIII rejects explicitly; Reformed/Baptist reject substance-change.
- Women in pastoral / ordained officeSTRONG1 Timothy 2:12; 1 Corinthians 14:34; historic apostolic practice.
Wrestles with
- Pacifism vs. just-warweakDefault just-war framework — usually unwritten. Inheriting at weak confidence.
In their own words
Statements
statement_of_faith
<!DOCTYPE html> Epiphany Fellowship Church - Our Beliefs Home About Us Our Story Our Mission & Values Our Leaders Our Beliefs Employment Opportunities Visit What to Expect Events Watch & Listen Connect Community Groups Ministries Covenant Community Trust Jesus Serve Give Blog Our Beliefs THE SCRIPTURES We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the verbally-inspired word of God, the final authority for faith and life, inerrant in the original writings, infallible and God– breathed (2 Timothy 3:16, 17; 2 Peter 1:20, 21; Matthew 5:18; John 16:12,13). THE GODHEAD WSource ↗
about_us
<!DOCTYPE html> Epiphany Fellowship Church - About Us Home About Us Our Story Our Mission & Values Our Leaders Our Beliefs Employment Opportunities Visit What to Expect Events Watch & Listen Connect Community Groups Ministries Covenant Community Trust Jesus Serve Give Blog About Us We are a Christian church in Philadelphia committed to showing off the glory of Christ in every area of life! We want to get to know you, and we want you to get to know us! Learn About Epiphany Our Story Learn about Epiphany’s story from our Founder & Lead Pastor, Dr. Eric Mason. Read About Our Story Our MiSource ↗
mission
Epiphany Fellowship Church - Our Mission & Values Home About Us Our Story Our Mission & Values Our Leaders Our Beliefs Employment Opportunities Visit What to Expect Events Watch & Listen Connect Community Groups Ministries Covenant Community Trust Jesus Serve Give Blog Our mission and values Our Mission Showing off the glory of Christ in every area of life Our Core Values Christo-Centrism We emphasize the centrality of Jesus Christ and His uniqueness as both fully God and fully Man. We worship and build our lives upon Him. Conversions We make disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ through missionsSource ↗
about
Epiphany Fellowship Church - About Us Home About Us Our Story Our Mission & Values Our Leaders Our Beliefs Employment Opportunities Visit What to Expect Events Watch & Listen Connect Community Groups Ministries Covenant Community Trust Jesus Serve Give Blog About Us We are a Christian church in Philadelphia committed to showing off the glory of Christ in every area of life! We want to get to know you, and we want you to get to know us! Learn About Epiphany Our Story Learn about Epiphany’s story from our Founder & Lead Pastor, Dr. Eric Mason. Read About Our Story Our Mission & Values LearSource ↗
beliefs
Epiphany Fellowship Church - Our Beliefs Home About Us Our Story Our Mission & Values Our Leaders Our Beliefs Employment Opportunities Visit What to Expect Events Watch & Listen Connect Community Groups Ministries Covenant Community Trust Jesus Serve Give Blog Our Beliefs THE SCRIPTURES We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the verbally-inspired word of God, the final authority for faith and life, inerrant in the original writings, infallible and God– breathed (2 Timothy 3:16, 17; 2 Peter 1:20, 21; Matthew 5:18; John 16:12,13). THE GODHEAD We believe in one TrSource ↗
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