The Association
The Evangelical Free Church of America is an association of some 1,100 autonomous churches united by a mutual commitment to serve our Lord Jesus Christ with the guidance of the Holy Spirit and obedience to the Word of God. We are committed to cooperate with one another in ministry and fellowship as we seek to fulfill the Great Commission which Christ has entrusted to His Church. The growing ministry of the EFCA currently extends to some 17 nations of the world encompassing nearly 1,000 additional congregations.
Our Church
The Evangelical Free Church of Broken Bow began during the summer of 1976. Three area families started to meet for Bible study and prayer on a regular basis and held their first worship service on June 26, 1976. The new group began meeting in, and later took possession of; the church building at the corner of North 10th and C Streets, formerly occupied by the Christian Church. The first constitution was ratified on February 13, 1979. Having enjoyed steady growth, thus outgrowing the facility on North 10th Avenue, the church moved to its present site on West Memorial Drive on October 19, 1986.
Our Statement of Faith
We Believe:
1. The Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, to be the inspired Word of God, without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of His will for the salvation of men and the Divine and final authority for Christian faith and life.
2. In one God, Creator of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
3. That Jesus Christ is true God and true man, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He died on the cross a sacrifice for our sins according to the Scriptures. Further, He arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven, where at the right hand of the Majesty on High, He is now our High Priest and Advocate.
4. That the ministry of the holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ, and during this age to convict men, regenerate the believing sinner, indwell, guide, instruct and empower the believer for godly living and service.
5. That man was created in the image of God but fell into sin and is, therefore, lost and only through regeneration by the Holy Spirit can salvation and spiritual life be obtained.
6. That the shed blood of Jesus Christ and His resurrection provide the only ground for justification and salvation for all who believe, and only such as receive Jesus Christ are born of the Holy Spirit and, thus, become children of God.
7. That water baptism and the Lord’s Supper are ordinances to be observed by the Church during the present age. They are, however, not to be regarded as means of salvation.
8. That the true Church is composed of all such persons who through saving faith in Jesus Christ have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit and are united together in the Body of Christ of which He is the Head.
9. That only those who are, thus, members of the true Church shall be eligible for membership in the local church.
10. That Jesus Christ is the Lord and the head of the Church and that every local church has the right under Christ to decide and govern its own affairs.
11. In the personal premillennial and imminent coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and that this “Blessed Hope” has a vital bearing on the personal life and service of the believer.
12. In the bodily resurrection of the dead; of the believer to everlasting blessedness and joy with the Lord; of the unbeliever to judgment and everlasting conscious punishment.
Our Distinctives
1. We are inclusive, not exclusive. Membership requires commitment to sound doctrine as expressed in our Statement of Faith. Yet, there is allowance for legitimate differences of understanding in some areas of doctrine.
2. We are evangelical but not separatistic. We have deep convictions based upon God’s Word, and we believe in separated living and personal holiness. Yet, we do not maintain a spirit of separatism.
3. We are ecumenical in spirit though not in structure. Our foremost concern is unity of spirit with other true believers. Yet, we believe that there is strength in diversity and that it is important to preserve our distinctives.
4. We believe in liberty with responsibility and accountability. We believe in Christian liberty. We recognize, however, that our freedom is limited by our responsibility to live in obedience to the principles and precepts of the Word of God.
