Section I

• We believe that the Bible, composed of Old and New Testaments, is inspired by God and serves as the rule of faith and practice, being the authoritative witness to the truth of God embodied in Jesus Christ.
• We believe in one God eternally existing as Three Persons.
  • We believe in God the Creator, author of all life and our salvation.
  • We believe that God created human beings, male and female, in the image of God as an expression of God’s eternal love, to live in God’s perfect will. As such, human beings are called to be faithful stewards of God’s creation and to live in relations with God, each other, and the created world.
  • We believe in God the Spirit, Lord and giver of life, who reveals Jesus Christ to human beings to transform them through conversion and sanctification to full humanity as willed by the Creator. 
  • We believe that Jesus Christ was conceived through the power of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, and is truly God and truly human.
  • We believe that he lived a fully human life as Jesus of Nazareth, who walked with us, ministered to us, and proclaimed the Reign of God.
  • Because human beings sinned and suffered the penalty of death, we further believe in the life and death of the Lord for our sins, in the resurrection of his body, in his ascension to heaven, and in his personal and visible future return to the earth.
• We believe that our salvation is received through faith by grace through Jesus Christ, the only and sufficient mediator between God and humanity.
• We believe that Jesus Christ commanded us to be baptized and to partake of the Supper in his name.
  • We believe that baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, signifying redemption through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ together with the believer’s death to sin and resurrection to newness of life.
  • We believe that the Lord’s Supper is a commemoration of the Lord’s death until he returns.
• We believe that the Church is Jesus Christ’s body on earth, called to witness and proclaim the good news of God’s Reign and salvation to the world. The Church consists of believers, called by Jesus Christ to worship God, serve one another in a spirit of love and truth, and to proclaim God’s Reign—not only through word, but also through deeds of love and justice. As a witness to the Reign of God, the Church embodies God’s will to be one in diversity, to care for “the least of these,” and to proclaim hope. Therefore, the Church is a light unto the world at all times and in all places.

Section II

Every member of the Board of Trustees, every administrative officer of the Institution, professor, teacher, and instructor shall annually subscribe over his or her signature to the Doctrinal Statement, excepting only that a non-Baptist individual occupying any of the foregoing positions shall not be required to subscribe to that part of the Doctrinal Statement regarding the mode of water baptism.

Section III

Whenever a member of the Board of Trustees, administrative officer, or faculty member is not in complete accord with the foregoing Doctrinal Statement (set forth in the preceding statements, Sections 1 and 2), he or she shall forthwith withdraw from the Board and all positions and connections with the University, and his or her failure to do so shall constitute grounds for his or her immediate removal from such positions by the Trustees.

Statement of Behavioral Standards and Expectations

Eastern University, as an intentional evangelical Christian academic community, aspires to pattern itself after the relationship between Jesus and his followers. That first Christian community demonstrated the attributes of forgiveness and accountability, affirmation and challenge, forthrightness and patience, in a spirit of servanthood and respect for diversity in the body of Christ. Eastern University attempts no less.

As a Christian university and a Christian community, we are concerned with establishing standards of conduct consistent with a Christian lifestyle. We believe these standards flow from biblical values and from our commitment to be witnesses to one another. We also believe these standards are in the best interests of each individual student as well as the community as a whole.

Believing that freedom is essential to Christian growth and maturity, the University limits its rules and regulations to policies and practices considered essential to the community’s well-being. The following are specific violations of University policy and will result in student conduct proceedings:

1. All forms of dishonesty, including cheating, plagiarism, furnishing false information to the University, and altering documents with the intent to defraud.
2. The use, sale, distribution and/or the possession of cannabis and other illegal drugs.
3. Unauthorized use of tobacco and nicotine products. The campus is smoke free.
4. The use or possession of alcoholic beverages on campus or in areas adjacent to the campus. 
5. Inappropriate behavior resulting from being drunk, intoxicated, or under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs.
6. Unauthorized visitation in University housing.
7. Inappropriate displays of affection.

Students who violate these expectations and standards are accountable for their behavior. The principles of accountability are basic to providing a climate that encourages students to take responsibility for their choices and actions. Students can expect to be confronted, counseled, advised and when warranted, conduct will be adjudicated. In order to provide a climate of trust and trustworthiness, the University, through the Dean of Students, is committed to the principle of due process for all students. Practices in student conduct cases may vary in formality with the gravity of the offense and the sanctions to be applied. (Note: More detailed statements regarding behavioral standards and expectations can be found in the Student Handbook.)