The church is the covenant people of God in all ages and among all nations. B. All those who believe the promise of God and their children and have had the promise sealed to them in baptism are to be recognized and treated as God s people, as members of the organized church. The church, the visible organization, is described in the Bible as one church. Yet the situation is different. No longer are the people of God circumscribed by ethnic, political, or geographical boundaries.
All nations are to be discipled.
The gospel proclaimed by the apostles as the foundation of the church resulted in establishing churches as covenant communities in various locations, churches which were ruled by elders. These churches and these elders were not independent, but were one body united by Christ their head, by the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit, and by the covenant promise of God. Unity and maturity are the result of mutual, loving admonition and joint submission to Scripture. In ecclesiastical union two denominations join in submitting to one common form of government. Since ecclesiastical jurisdiction includes the maintenance of spiritual discipline, unity in polity requires agreement in the standards of faith and worship which such discipline maintains.