The Evangelical Covenant Church was founded in 1885 by Swedish immigrants. It was a voluntary covenant of churches who were committed to working together to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. One of the most important visions which drove the founders was that of a church that allowed freedom of thought in the context of a commitment to a new life in Christ and the authority of the Bible. The founders looked to Psalm 119:63, "I am a companion of all who fear you," as their founding theme.

Today, the Evangelical Covenant Church has 617 churches in North America (and the number is growing), and 1,367 more churches world-wide. It is involved in missions and ministry in many countries outside of North America, and its world-wide membership is over 200,000.

Basic Affirmations

The Evangelical Covenant Church has historically held six primary theological affirmations:

• The Centrality of Scripture. The Bible is God's Word to us and is the only reliable, authoritative source for life. It is a practical book which not only informs us but also guides and encourages us.
• The New Birth in Christ. Our relationship with God is to be intentional and purposeful as we are personally related to God through His son Jesus Christ.
• The Church as a Fellowship of Believers. The corporate community of the church has always been seen as an important part of our spiritual life with Christ.
• God's Active Role in Our Daily Lives through His Holy Spirit. One of God's greatest gifts is His Spirit, which helps us in understanding the Bible and in the daily decisions we all face.
• The Reality of Freedom in Christ. The Covenant Church has always sought to keep "the main things the main things," and to allow for diversity of viewpoints on secondary issues of faith.
• Mission is the Driving Force of the Church. We seek to live out our faith in God beyond the four walls of the church building.
  
  (Companion Community Church)

We are united by Christ in a holy covenant of churches empowered by the Holy Spirit to obey the Great Commandments and the Great Commission:

• to love God with all our hearts, souls, strength, and minds
• to love our neighbors as ourselves
• to go into all the world and make disciples

"The Covenant Church adheres to the basic principles of the Protestant Reformation regarding the Holy Bible as the Word of God as the only perfect rule for faith, doctrine, and conduct.  It also values the historic confessions of the Christian Church, particularly the Apostles' Creed.  The doctrine of justification by personal faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord is of paramount importance.  Baptism and the Lord's Supper are divinely ordained sacraments of the church.  While individual Covenant members agree to disagree on certain non-core doctrine, the principle of personal freedom, so highly esteemed by the Covenant, is to be distinguished from an individualism that disregards the centrality of the Word of God."
(Grace Evangelical Covenant Church)