Our Beliefs

Nine Affirmations.Thirteen Commitments.

These articulate the shared convictions regarding doctrine, church order, and ministry practice that must characterize AC Sending Churches and campus ministries.

Preamble

Across Campus International exists to promote and protect faithful, church-based campus ministry rooted in biblical authority, historic ecclesiology, and clear gospel proclamation. These Nine AC Sending Church Affirmations articulate shared convictions regarding doctrine, church order, and ministry practice that must characterize churches recognized as AC Sending Churches.

These affirmations are not intended to replace or compete with a church's statement of faith, but to express commitments that meaningfully shape how the local church understands its life, leadership, worship, and mission — especially as those commitments bear upon the church's responsibility to carry out evangelism and discipleship among college and university students. Recognition as an AC Sending Church signifies alignment with these convictions and a willingness to steward campus ministry as an extension of the local church.

The Nine Sending Church Affirmations

Biblical Authority

We affirm that the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the inspired, inerrant, and sufficient Word of God, and that Scripture alone is the final authority for the faith, doctrine, life, and practice of the church. All teaching, governance, and ministry — whether in the gathered church or in campus ministry — must be governed, corrected, and constrained by Scripture rightly interpreted.

Why it matters for students

College students are surrounded by competing authorities — personal experience, cultural narratives, academic consensus, and social pressure. By grounding campus ministry in the authority and sufficiency of Scripture, we give students something firmer than opinion and more enduring than trends. Biblical authority anchors evangelism, discipleship, and moral formation in God's revealed truth rather than shifting cultural norms, forming students who are rooted, discerning, and able to withstand intellectual and moral pressure.

Live Expositional Preaching

We believe that God gives life through his written Word, the Bible. Therefore, we believe that the main diet of weekly teaching in the local church must consist of the live exposition of God's Word to God's people. That is, the main preaching event in the life of the church should each week consist of reading, explaining, and applying a portion of the Bible.

Why it matters for students

Students are often accustomed to short-form content, motivational talks, and decontextualized ideas. Expositional preaching trains them to listen carefully to Scripture, submit to its authority, and see how God speaks through the text itself. Campus ministry that flows from expositional preaching forms students who are biblically literate, spiritually mature, and equipped to feed themselves from Scripture long after college.

Clear Gospel Proclamation

We affirm that the gospel of Jesus Christ — his sinless life, substitutionary death, bodily resurrection, and saving lordship — is of first importance and must be proclaimed clearly and faithfully. The aim of the church's teaching is not merely moral formation, community building, or institutional presence, but the calling of sinners to repentance and faith, the discipling of believers, and their incorporation into the life of Christ's church.

Why it matters for students

Ambiguous or softened gospel messages leave students confused about salvation and assurance. Clear gospel proclamation gives students clarity about sin, grace, repentance, and faith, enabling real conversion and real growth. The church must not assume the gospel but declare it plainly, trusting God to use clear truth rather than vague spirituality.

Historic Baptist Ecclesiology

We are Baptist in our understanding of baptism and polity. We stand with Baptists throughout history in affirming that the Bible teaches that baptism is a personal and public declaration of one's faith in the Lord Jesus, and therefore its only proper subjects are those who personally and credibly profess faith in him. Likewise, the only proper candidates for membership in a local church are those who have been baptized as believers.

Why it matters for students

Campus ministry regularly encounters students exploring Christianity for the first time. Historic Baptist ecclesiology helps distinguish clearly between interest, participation, and genuine faith. By tying baptism and membership to credible profession, we help students understand conversion, public allegiance to Christ, and meaningful incorporation into the church, rather than confusing spiritual curiosity with Christian commitment.

Reformed Soteriology

We are Reformed in our understanding of salvation. We affirm that the Bible teaches that God is entirely sovereign in salvation, and at the same time that we as human beings make real choices for which we are morally responsible. Far from undermining missionary zeal, a conviction of God's sovereignty in salvation is the fuel which drives us to proclaim the gospel to the world with unshakable confidence — knowing beyond doubt that God will open doors for gospel proclamation and then open hearts to repent and believe.

Why it matters for students

Reformed soteriology does not dampen evangelistic urgency; it strengthens it. Students shaped by confidence in God's sovereign grace are freed from manipulation, fear of failure, and performance-driven ministry. They share the gospel boldly, persistently, and joyfully, trusting that salvation ultimately rests in God's hands. This produces resilient evangelists who endure rejection, remain humble in success, and labor with hope.

Meaningful Membership and Church Discipline

We believe that local church membership is a biblical imperative — meaning that it is incumbent upon every Christian to be engaged in a formal, mutually-recognized relationship of accountability and responsibility with a local church. We believe it is incumbent upon local churches to be clear about precisely who are members of their bodies, and to both shepherd and disciple those members in the faith of the Lord Jesus. We also believe that church discipline includes the correction of sin — it begins privately and sometimes culminates in excommunication.

Why it matters for students

Students often experience transient relationships and low accountability. Meaningful membership teaches them that Christianity is not a private or temporary identity, but a committed life within the body of Christ. Church discipline, rightly understood, protects students from false assurance and unaddressed sin, modeling a love that cares enough to correct and restore rather than ignore spiritual danger.

Elder-Led Congregationalism

We believe that the Bible teaches that the assembled local congregation must hold final earthly authority in church matters. A local church should be led by a plurality of male elders/pastors/overseers — recognizing that each is a different name for the same office. We deny that the Bible differentiates between the gift and the office of pastoring. We also deny that women should in any instance take the title "pastor," and that women should carry out any obviously pastoral role with regard to the whole church.

Why it matters for students

Campus ministries often function with unclear authority structures. Elder-led congregationalism places student ministry within a biblically defined system of accountability, protection, and care. Students learn what healthy leadership looks like, how authority is exercised and limited, and how the church guards doctrine and life — not through personality or power, but through ordered, accountable leadership.

Biblically Oriented Public Worship

We believe that God alone has the right to determine how his people will worship him. Thus, we include in our public worship services only those elements which are commanded by God in Scripture, whether by precept or by right and proper inference from the example of the early church. We preach the Bible, pray the Bible, read the Bible, sing the Bible, and see the Bible in the ordinances — showing that the Scriptures are sufficient to nourish and sustain the people of God.

Why it matters for students

Students are immersed in entertainment-driven experiences. Biblically ordered worship teaches them reverence, attentiveness, and theological depth. It forms their instincts about God, truth, and the gathered church, helping them see worship not as emotional consumption but as covenantal encounter shaped by God's Word.

Church-Based Campus Evangelism

We believe that evangelism and disciple-making — on campus and beyond — are responsibilities given by Christ to the local church. Gospel ministry among college and university students is properly and ordinarily guided and overseen by local churches, under their authority and oversight, rather than by independent or detached ministries. We deny that campus evangelism should operate independently of meaningful church oversight, or that effectiveness, scalability, or movement-building can justify ministry models disconnected from the authority and life of the local church.

Why it matters for students

Agreement to these commitments is required for continued use of the Across Campus name and reflects a shared understanding of faithful, church-centered campus ministry.

Ministry Commitments

The Thirteen Commitments

These commitments articulate the shared convictions that shape how Across Campus pursues evangelism, discipleship, leadership development, and long-term fruitfulness — especially where other campus ministry models may operate differently.

Agreement to these commitments is required for continued use of the Across Campus name and reflects a shared understanding of faithful, church-centered campus ministry.

Gospel Aim

1.Active and Energetic Evangelism We are committed to active, intentional, and visible proclamation of the gospel on campus. We value relationships and hospitality, yet we are not content with social presence or indirect witness alone. We pursue clear gospel conversations with students, trusting God to save through the proclaimed Word.
2.Conversion rather than Mere Affiliation We are committed to seeking genuine conversion rather than mere participation or affiliation. Involvement in ministry activities is not treated as evidence of spiritual life. We labor for repentance, faith, and Christian obedience, and we resist confusing activity, belonging, or enthusiasm with regeneration.
3.Clarity rather than Ambiguity We are committed to clarity in gospel proclamation, Christian commitment, and ministry expectations. We aim to speak plainly about sin, repentance, faith, church membership, and the cost of following Christ. We resist intentional vagueness designed to broaden appeal or avoid offense.
4.Ordinary Means rather than Programmatic Innovation We are committed to trusting the ordinary means God has appointed — the Word, prayer, and the life of the church — rather than relying on constant innovation or technique-driven ministry. Creativity and strategy have their place, but they are always subordinate to confidence in God's ordinary and sufficient means of grace.
5.Faithfulness rather than Scale We are committed to prioritizing faithfulness, depth, and doctrinal clarity over numerical growth, visibility, or rapid expansion. While desiring to reach many students, Across Campus resists ministry models that prize scale or momentum at the expense of genuine conversion, durable discipleship, and accountability to the local church.

Church Authority

6.Discipleship by the Church We are committed to seeing students discipled primarily by the local church. AC trains and disciples students in evangelism, leadership, and Bible study, and it intentionally directs them into the life of the church for sustained discipleship under elder oversight.
7.Subordination to the Local Church We are committed to operating in submission to the authority, rhythms, and priorities of the local church. AC ministries encourage students to prioritize Lord's Day worship, church membership, and participation in every aspect of the church's life. We avoid scheduling events or setting expectations that compete with or undermine the church's gatherings.
8.Accountability rather than Independence We are committed to functioning under meaningful accountability in a local church rather than practical independence. AC ministries welcome oversight, correction, and evaluation, and operate transparently in leadership, finances, and decision-making. We believe accountability is a gift that preserves faithfulness and longevity.
9.Cooperation rather than Competition We are committed to cooperating gladly with faithful churches rather than competing for students, volunteers, or influence. AC ministries encourage students toward healthy local churches, believing that gospel partnership serves the church and honors Christ.

III

Leadership and Long-Term Fruit

10.Doctrinal Seriousness rather than Minimal Orthodoxy We are committed to theological depth and seriousness rather than the thinnest possible doctrinal agreement. AC ministries teach students to care about doctrine, to submit to the teaching of the church, and to see theological clarity as essential to endurance, leadership, and faithfulness.
11.Character before Platform We are committed to prioritizing biblical character and spiritual maturity. Leadership responsibility is entrusted with careful attention to faithfulness, humility, and submission to authority, rather than speed, influence, or talent alone.
12.Durability beyond the College Years We are committed to forming Christians whose faith endures beyond graduation. Teaching, habits, and expectations are shaped with a long horizon in view, aiming to produce believers who remain faithful in ordinary church life, vocation, and family — not merely during the intensity of college ministry.
13.The Long-Term Good of the Church We are committed to laboring for the long-term health and strength of Christ's church rather than the success or longevity of the campus ministry alone. Across Campus encourages gifted students toward faithful service in local churches, pastoral ministry, and missions, as well as campus ministry.

These affirmations reflect confidence that students are best served when the church remains fully itself: preaching the Word, guarding the gospel, and exercising loving authority and care.

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