We acknowledge that Christ Jesus rules supreme over all and there is none higher than He. His Word is the final and perfect authority for all mankind in all matters that pertain to life and faith. He is the object of our worship, the author of our faith, and the lover of our souls. By these things, we affirm and adopt the following as our Statement of Beliefs:

• We believe that God offers to everyone forgiveness, peace, joy, purpose, love, meaning in life and the promise of heaven when life is over by entering and experiencing a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. We are called to take this message to people everywhere.
• We believe in one true God: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We believe He is self-existent and self-revealing in three divine persons, perfect and infinite in His being, holiness, love, wisdom and power.
• We believe that the Old and New Testament Scriptures, given by inspiration, are the infallible record of the perfect, final and authoritative revelation of God’s will and work, and contain all truth necessary to faith and Christian living.
• We believe that Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God, revealer of God’s glory, born of a virgin, lived a perfect and sinless life, gave Himself in obedience to the cross as the Lamb of God slain for the sins and penalties of mankind, was raised from the dead and glorified, ascended into heaven as our only Savior and Lord, and He shall come again personally and visibly to raise and translate His Bride, the Church, establish His Kingdom, and raise and judge the dead.
• We believe that man and woman were created by God, made in His image, and due to the transgression of the first man and woman, all became fallen creatures and alienated from fellowship with God with no hope for restoration apart from faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His completed work on the Cross.
• We believe that salvation is the free gift of God received through personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom all those who believe have eternal life, adoption into the family of God, and membership in the Body of Christ; that every spiritual blessing needed for life and godliness is conferred upon all who believe.
• We believe those who reject the gift of God’s grace and are finally impenitent are hopelessly and eternally lost and separated from the presence of God.
• We believe that the Holy Spirit bears witness to the new birth, and also to the entire sanctification of believers; that He indwells, seals, empowers, guides, teaches and perfects all those who are born again through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
• We believe that the New Testament Church is a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy; however, it has not replaced God’s love for and intentions toward Israel. We strongly affirm our support of Israel and pray for the peace of Jerusalem in accordance with Psalm 122:6 and out of obedience to the whole counsel of the Word.
• Finally, we believe that Christian character and conduct are the evidence of one’s relationship with Christ and one’s life in the community of Christ, that Christians are bound to honor the Word of God in all matters. We believe that the teachings of the Bible on such matters of marriage, divorce, and the sanctity of life are unchangeable, not open for individual interpretation, and stand as forever settled in heaven.

HGIM is an interdenominational ministry, basing our commonality on faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior rather than on denominational differences.

During its formation, the co-founders contemplated the stand this ministry would take regarding denominational differences. It was agreed, without reservation, that God intended HGIM to focus on the commonality among believers (faith in Christ) rather than on denominational preferences. For this reason, HGIM is not directly associated with any particular denomination. We don’t believe God favors Methodists over Pentecostals or Presbyterians over Baptists, and so on. Because of this, HGIM’s goal is to make room for those whose church/denominational teachings are different, even within groups working closely together. We believe this to be the way unity in the Body can be promoted. Moreover, this demonstrates to unbelievers and believers alike that Christians are not a divided groups of different beliefs, but one Body under one Head, Jesus Christ.

In the early church, there was great debate leading to division based whether or not fellowship between believers could be achieved when some continued to adhere to the law while others saw themselves free from the law. Paul dealt with this divisiveness in Scripture.

Galatians 2:11-21 (NIV)
11 When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. 13 The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.
14 When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?
15 “We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles 16 know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in[a] Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.
17 “But if, in seeking to be justified in Christ, we Jews find ourselves also among the sinners, doesn’t that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not! 18 If I rebuild what I destroyed, then I really would be a lawbreaker.
19 “For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”

Ultimately, the conclusion Paul drew has been adopted as the basis for HGIM’s interdenominational label: “So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law...” [emphasis added]

While the major differences we face are not based on the same debate Paul describes in Galatians 2, there is always opportunity to be faced with challenges based on denominational differences when Christians from various doctrinal teachings work together. These differences have opportunity to cause division and distraction—exactly what the enemy wants.

Paul talks about the difference between the beliefs of the Jews and those of the Gentiles, pointing out that both groups were believers. They had allowed their “denominational differences” to bring division within the Body of Christ prompting Paul’s intervention. His response was to help both groups see that it was their faith in Christ that was to be the focus of fellowship and agreement, not on the peripherals such as whether or not it was necessary to continue to perform the works of the law as a basis for justification or salvation.

HGIM’s volunteers (including the leadership) are asked to read our Statement of Beliefs prior to committing to support this ministry with their gifts and talents. As long as there is agreement on the Statement of Beliefs, we have a basis on which to work in unity with each other for the glory of God and the increase of His Kingdom.

HGIM encourages all volunteers and partners to rise above these differences by loving and respecting one another based on the commonality of faith we share in Christ Jesus. Furthermore, all volunteers are encouraged to accept the fact that there are differences while choosing to focus on our common goal of promoting the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

HGIM will make every effort to always promote unity based on our common faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior while responding to His call to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).