Who We Are




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WHAT WE BELIEVE


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AS AN EVANGELICAL COVENANT CHURCH...


  • We confess that the Holy Scriptures, the Old and New Testament, are the sovereign word of God and the only perfect rule for faith, doctrine, and conduct. We affirm the historic confessions of the Christian Church, such as the Apostles’ Creed and Nicene Creed, as subordinate expressions of our core beliefs by those saints who have gone before us. 
  • We are a people who join together in our mutual quest to go deeper in Christ and pursue God’s priorities in the world together, supporting one another in Christian community, as one body of Christ. 

Click here for more on the Evangelical Covenant Denomination.



AS COVENANT PARTNERS, WE BELIEVE... 


  • In one God, Creator of the heavens and the earth. He is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth. In his very nature God is love. 
  • In the Son, Jesus Christ, fully human and fully divine. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born to the virgin, Mary. His sacrifice through death on the cross, atoned for the sins of humankind, and His resurrection demonstrates His power over both death and sin.  
  • In the Holy Spirit—the presence of God in the world and in the believer. When a person accepts Christ as Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit comes into his/her heart bringing at least one spiritual gift and helping the believer to live a godly life. The Holy Spirit continues the creative work of the Father and the redeeming work of the Son within the life of the church. 
  • In the Trinity – The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – are the one triune God, the Holy Trinity, and are the same in substance, equal in power and glory; although distinguished by their personal properties. God himself exists in a community of mutual interdependence and covenant partnership.  
  • That all the books of the Old and New Testament, from Genesis to Revelation, are the inspired, infallible, and authoritative Word of God and the only perfect rule for faith, doctrine, and conduct. 
  • In the Sinful Condition of Humankind—Sin came into the world when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. Sin separated us from God, while the death of Jesus on the cross opened the door for us to be reunited with God again. 
  • In Salvation through Christ alone—Salvation is God’s free gift to us. It cannot be earned nor is it deserved. Only by trusting Jesus Christ, the One who sacrificed Himself for the forgiveness of our sins, can we be saved. 
  • In the necessity of new birth. New birth in Christ is more than the experience of forgiveness and acceptance. It is regeneration and the gift of eternal life. This life has the qualities of love and righteousness as well as joy and peace. To enter the kingdom of God through Christ is not only to have a right relationship with God but to be enlisted in Christ’s service. 
  • The church is a communion or fellowship of believers, characterized by mutual participation in and sharing of the new life in Christ. The church is a gathered community, called and set apart for involvement in Christ’s mission to the world.  
  • That all believers are commissioned to witness for Jesus Christ, to spread the good news of the Gospel to all people and to all nations, and to participate in the whole mission of the church. As Christ’s representative in the world, the church is to be an agent of grace, entrusted with the message of reconciliation, hope, justice, and peace, addressing not only the consequences but also the causes of suffering as the body of Christ in the world.  
  • That through the spirit of the love of Jesus Christ, all believers are to live in this world but also to be separate from it. All Christians are called to proclaim the good news with their lives and words, and by their love and integrity in their communities. The church, as a kingdom community, is committed to reaching across boundaries of race, ethnicity, culture, gender, age, and status in the cultivation of communities of life and service.


View our Relational Covenant


Our History

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On April 29, 1877, Faith Covenant Church was founded with six members and Rev. George Whitworth was called as its first pastor. Though it was called the First Presbyterian Church of Puyallup, it was located in Sumner. God breathed into Faith Covenant a vision for reaching out to the community surrounding it and for saving the lost.


At the same time, the Sumner Academy was begun as an outgrowth of the church, with students using desks fastened to the pews. Eight years later, it was incorporated as Whitworth College, eventually being relocated to Spokane, WA. From its beginning, Faith Covenant Church valued educating its parishioners, and that vision too, has been woven into the threads of its legacy.


Faith Covenant continues to satisfy people's thirst for more knowledge of the Bible, of Jesus’ teaching, of how to live godly lives, and how to be the best followers of Jesus Christ that they can be. Children and students have many opportunities to learn about and serve God.


As for the mission-focused vision of Faith Covenant, one can trace a desire to reach the community back to that little church in the valley that held many a special event for the people in the surrounding community. Faith Covenant retains a strong commitment of funding towards missions: over 15 percent of all our giving combined with the many mission trips taken by the youth and adults, Vacation Bible School and other children’s outreach events, and a Christian preschool have reached many families for Christ.


So, what’s ahead? We are excited for the next adventure of doing real life together with our community, connecting, growing, and serving.


What does that look like? Come and be a part and see for yourself!