Welcome to New Subscribers!

* NOTE: SAVE THIS MESSAGE FOR FUTURE REFERENCE. *

Introduction:

The Agape Restoration Society exists to promote practical cooperation and dialog between Evangelical and Orthodox believers: to advance joint efforts in the charitable and practical spheres such as working with handicapped people and orphans, setting up Agape Ministry Centers, etc., and to provide a means of promoting the open exchange of information relevant to like-minded Christians who in faith affirm the Nicene - Constantinopolitan Creed (filioque open), and will accept others who also affirm this Creed as genuinely seeking to be disciples of Christ.

Evangelicals and Orthodox hold much in common such as belief in the Trinity, the inspiration of the Bible, confession of the Nicene - Constantinopolitan Creed, and the need to demonstrate that our faith works through love. We recognize, however, that there are serious theological differences between Evangelical and Orthodox Christians. While Orthodox Christians believe that the various Orthodox Churches are the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church described in the Creed, Evangelical Christians regard their denominations as valid visible expressions of the Universal Body of Christ.

Divine revelation, supremely in Jesus Christ, and also in Scripture, means that Absolutes and Truth exist. Thus we reject the notion that tolerance implies relativism. But we believe it is possible, in a forum such as this, to find ways to cooperate on charitable and practical levels without proselytizing, attacking or denigrating each other, to discuss both what we have in common and our differences without rancour or bitterness, and to learn more about each other's Christian faith.

As sincere followers of Christ, we will strive to "speak the truth in love" and practice the dual test of faith, which is truth combined with love, as in 1 John 4:2 and 7-8 - "By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God.... Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love."

The consensus among Evangelical scholars and sociologists is that Evangelicalism is a term which pertains to all those Christians who agree on the following five points:

1. The majesty of Jesus Christ, both as incarnate God and Lord, and as the Savior of sinful humanity.

2. The need for personal conversion and daily following Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

3. The full divinity of the Holy Spirit and His ministry in the life of each believer.

4. The divine inspiration and authority of Scripture as the primary source of true knowledge of God and as the guide for the Christian life.

5. The priority of evangelism by both individual Christians and "the church" as a whole.

To the above five points, we add that the Evangelicals in Agape Restoration E-Group personally affirm and publicly confess the Nicene - Constantinopolitan Creed, regard highly the writings Early Church Fathers as valuable sources for understanding the Scriptures and the practices of the early Church, and strive to work together harmoniously with Orthodox Christians at levels short of shared communion and clergy.

We define the Orthodox in Agape Restoration E-Group as those who believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, believe that the Orthodox Church is the one true Church, but acknowledge that there are some who are in Christ who, although not visibly within the Church, are linked to Her by bonds that are not yet revealed. These Orthodox strive to work together harmoniously with Evangelical Christians at levels short of shared communion and clergy.

nz13/zRimli14.htm#1">Rom. 14:1-6 and nz13/zRimli15.htm#1">15:1-7 teach us to exercise tolerance toward others who hold debatable positions. "In primary things unity, in secondary things liberty, and in all things love." Regarding baptism, each person should be convinced in his own mind. Because some Evangelicals such as Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians and Reformed practice infant baptism, while others such as Baptists, Pentecostals and Adventists baptize only upon personal confession of faith, the ARS defines valid baptism to be that which was performed in full agreement with the teachings of an ARS member's church that confesses the Nicene Creed.

Also, nearly all Christian groupings use various forms of religious art to communicate their faith, and respect and strive to imitate the saints who have gone before them. In accordance with the Seventh Ecumenical Council (Nicea, 787 A.D.), Evangelical members of this conference agree not to call the use of icons or prayer to the Virgin Mary and the other saints "idolatry" or "false worship"; and Orthodox members of this forum, in accordance with that Council's decision, give only respect ("proskunesis") and not worship ("latreia") to icons and to the saints.

As Evangelicals and Orthodox together, we recognize that we live in pluralistic, multinational cultures which in the 21st century will become more closely integrated on the international level, and that narrow ethnocentrism, political or religious nationalism, and cultural imperialism breed discord, strife and war. We acknowledge that both Evangelicals and Orthodox have the legal and moral right to fully practice their faith in both East and West. We shall strive for tolerance on the societal level, and seek ways to cooperate on charitable and practical levels. Members of the Agape Restoration Society agree to refrain from calling others in Agape Restoration E-Group non-Christians, "heretics," "schismatics" or similar terms, and to follow the guidelines described below:

Guidelines of Operation:

http://www.strategicnetwork.org/index.php?loc=ml&ml=agape-rehab&

Scroll down on that page, sign up for a free password if you don't have one, then sign in!

This online forum is free and open to Christians who agree to our stated principles and guidelines. Messages to our online forum may be unmoderated (messages are sent to all other members immediately), or moderated (messages are sent to all other members after their message is sent to the moderator for review). Moderation can be set for everyone on our forum, or for individual members who don't observe these principles and guidelines.

Because members of this forum are all sincerely trying to follow Christ, are busy people who value their time, and because some members live in Russia and pay by the minute for connect time, average Russian wages being less than 1/10 of wages in the West, we ask that you:

1. Please refrain from disputing with, proselytizing, attacking or denigrating each other on this forum. This includes avoiding the derogatory terms mentioned above or similar terms. "Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things," Rom. 14:1. As a sincere follower of Christ, strive to "speak the truth in love," Eph. 4:15.

2. Please try to post just one message per day per subject. Each subscriber has a limit of three messages per day. Please write substantial messages! Wait and combine your responses to several people on the same "Subject" into one reply, rather than replying as soon as an interesting or provocative message appears in your inbox. Give yourself time to calm down, reflect on what was posted and collect your thoughts. Please avoid making trivial postings, and/or quoting an entire lengthy message and appending one- or two-line replies like "I agree," "Good post" or "Thanks for the explanation." Respect others' time and money.

3. Please edit the message(s) you are replying to: "snip" out all but the relevant lines you want to quote. Be sure to identify *whose* message you are quoting, and indicate the quoted text by indenting, quotation marks or ">". Type your reply *after* the quoted parts of the original message, rather than starting your reply and leaving all or most of the original message trailing down below. Remember: "edit" and "snip" - don't fill up cyberspace and our mailboxes with useless, vain repetition. Good editing makes for happy readers.

4. Please reply to agape-rehab@strategicnetwork.org (by pressing your 'Reply' button) *only* if you want everyone on our forum to read your message; otherwise, reply just to the sender. Please refrain from personal "chatting" over our forum, except in our online chat-room.

5. Please unsubscribe yourself BEFORE you change your email address, or if you do not agree with these guidelines, by going to http://www.strategicnetwork.org/index.php?loc=ml&ml=agape-rehab& or by sending a blank email to agape-rehab-unsubscribe@strategicnetwork.org. Also, you can ask the list manager to unsubscribe you. Don't send "Get me off this list!" to everyone on our forum. That's poor Netiquette.

To Subscribe:

You can read the current version of this "Welcome" message by:
1. going to the above Web site; or
2. going to http://www.agape-biblia.org/AgrehInd.htm, then selecting "A-R Email Forum".

If, upon agreeing to the above conference introduction and guidelines, you would like to participate in this "Agape-Restoration" email forum, simply subscribe online, or send (it must come from your address) a blank email to: agape-rehab-subscribe@strategicnetwork.org.

Our Origins:

This electronic forum sprang out of the fifth annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Eastern Orthodoxy and Evangelicalism (SSEOE) at the Billy Graham Center on Wheaton College campus October 6-7, 1995. For three years, this forum was called the Evang-Orth Conference, was renamed in October 1998 to the Agape-Rehab Email Forum, and in February 2007 the name was modified to Agape-Restoration Email Forum.

The SSEOE is a conservative Christian "think tank" that serves both the adademy and the church. All members affirm the Nicene - Constantinopolitan Creed (filioque open). It seeks to identify the similarities and differences between Eastern Orthodox and Evangelicals. Through its annual meetings and published papers, it endeavors to provide theological resources for reconstruction and renewal. In the words of its Constitution, its purpose is:

"To cultivate an academic understanding of the theological histories of the Orthodox and Evangelical traditions and their mutual relations in the areas of history, doctrine, worship and spirituality; to promote fellowship and mutual enrichment among scholars engaged in these activities; and to coordinate the work of such theologians in North America and abroad."

The SSEOE was begun in 1990 at the initiative of an Orthodox theologian along with several other young Orthodox and Evangelical scholars. All had personal and academic experience with both traditions. Convinced of the need for serious and sustained research in this unexplored territory, they pioneered the SSEOE in hopes of making the theological histories of their traditions known and understood in relation to each other. Their ultimate goal was to enrich their own traditions by removing false barriers which have divided them, while also identifying legitimate differences.

For further information, please contact the SSEOE President and Founder:

Mr. Bradley Nassif, Ph.D.
President, SSEOE
88 Tierra Montanosa
Rancho Santa Margarita CA 92688-3364
USA

Thanks!