We receive every soul who comes to Jesus Christ as brother, as sister, as fellow child of the same Father. We love them whether they return our love or not. We honor them whether they honor us or not. We hold them as family whether or not their tradition recognizes ours, and whether or not ours has treated them rightly. We believe the body of Christ is larger than any single denomination and older than every division. We are not indifferent to Christian institutions or traditions, but we insist that the walls that often separate the Lord's people were not built by Him. We refuse to defend them†. Nor will we defend any doctrine or teaching made into a weapon against a brother or sister who names His name. We will not return insult for insult, exclusion for exclusion, or suspicion for suspicion. We will sit at the table with every soul who has found Christ, and we will leave the door open to every soul still searching for Him. The community we offer is the fellowship He purchased with His blood — free, plain, and without price.

† See companion study: Contention, Gatekeeping, and the Reach of Christ.