Davar Statement of Faith

Why Davar has a Statement of Faith

Davar is a Christian platform. We say that openly so that Leaders and members can plan accordingly. To keep that meaningful without turning it into a denominational fight, we anchor our Statement of Faith in the historic Christian creeds rather than in any single tradition’s distinctives.

Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant Christians have confessed the Apostles’ Creed for many centuries. We use it here because it is the shortest honest answer to the question “what do Christians believe?” that almost every branch of the Church can say in unison.

The Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

We use “catholic” here in its original sense -- universal -- the same way Christians of every tradition have used it in this Creed for centuries. It is not a reference to the Roman Catholic Church specifically.

What we mean by it, in plain English

To affirm this Creed is to affirm, in substance:

• One God in three persons. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- one God eternally, distinctly, and inseparably.
• Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Fully God and fully human; born of Mary; crucified under Pontius Pilate; bodily risen on the third day; ascended; coming again.
• Scripture as authoritative. The Old and New Testaments are the inspired witness through which God speaks and by which the Church measures its teaching and life.
• The Church as one body. One holy, universal Church across time, place, and tradition -- a communion of saints, not a single institution.
• Salvation by grace through faith in Christ. The forgiveness of sins is a gift of God in Christ, not a wage owed to good behavior.
• Resurrection and life everlasting. Bodily resurrection at the end of the age and eternal life with God.

Christians have argued the details of every line above for two thousand years. Davar is not the venue to settle those arguments. Davar is the venue to host communities run by Christians who can affirm the substance.

What Davar is not

Drawing a line means saying where the line is. So that Leaders and members know what they are walking into, here is where Davar sits:

• Davar is not aligned with any single denomination. We are not Roman Catholic, not Eastern Orthodox, not Reformed, not Pentecostal, not Anglican, not Baptist, not Methodist. We are a platform built for Christians of all of those traditions and more, on the shared ground of the historic Creeds.
• Davar is not a home for groups that reject the Trinity. That includes Mormonism (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) and Jehovah’s Witnesses, both of whom hold positions that the historic Christian Creeds reject. Davar holds no personal animus toward members of these groups; we simply do not host their communities here.
• Davar is not a home for “Christian-adjacent” movements that reject orthodox Christology. That includes Christian Science, Unitarian Universalism, and similar traditions that decline to affirm the divinity of Christ or the Trinity. Again -- not animus, just an honest line.

Who can attest

Anyone who, in good faith and good conscience, can affirm the Apostles’ Creed as it has been read by the historic Church can attest to Davar’s Statement of Faith. The attestation is a yes/no checkbox at the point of publishing a community. We do not collect denomination, tradition, or theological positions beyond that.

Members are not required to attest. The Statement of Faith is a requirement for Leaders publishing a community on Davar; members who join those communities are welcome on the terms set by their Leader.

Why this matters

Davar exists to serve ministers, pastors, lay leaders, and the members they walk with -- across the historic Christian tradition. By holding a low and historic line rather than a high and modern one, we hope to make room for the widest healthy communion the platform can host without becoming meaningless.

We hold this confession together, even where we differ on much else.

Questions

If you are unsure whether you can attest in good conscience, write to us at support@davarcommunities.com. We would rather have an honest conversation than a quiet mismatch.