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Four Pillars

Guiding principles

WEC International is an organisation that has at its heart a set of principles. Rather than having a rulebook, we have a document we call "principles and practice".

Four key principles, which we often call the "Four Pillars of WEC", are foundational for WEC International. The Bible is our ultimate rule for faith and practice, so there are references in these principles to relevant passages from the Bible.

Faith

We are totally dependent on God as the Supplier of every need in our lives and ministry, and trust in Him entirely to bring His revealed purposes to pass in spite of opposition, difficulty and apparent impossibility (Psalm 23:1; Matthew 6:33; 2 Corinthians 9:8; Philippians 4:19; Hebrews 11).

We affirm our faith in:

the power of the gospel to effect a complete and permanent change in the lives of people of every culture and background (Psalm 126:5,6; 2 Corinthians 5:17);

the power of the Holy Spirit working through the lives of God's servants to accomplish His purpose and build up His Church (Ephesians 4:11-16);

the Holy Spirit's ability to reveal God's will and purpose to His people as they earnestly seek Him (Psalm 32:8, 143:10; Proverbs 3:5,6; Isaiah 30:21; Acts 13:1-3; Romans 12:1,2);

the power of God to supply every need whatever the circumstance, so that expansion and outreach are not controlled by "fixed budgets" and "closed doors" but rather by the "exceeding great and precious promises" of God in His Word (2 Corinthians 9:8; Philippians 4:19; Hebrews 11).

Holiness

Our supreme aim is to please God in thought, word and deed through the enabling of the Holy Spirit (Romans 6:19-22; 1 Corinthians 6:18-20; 2 Corinthians 6:17 - 7:1; Ephesians 4:22-24; 1 Peter 1:15,16).

We believe that:

the true evidence of a Spirit-filled life is holiness of character (Romans 14:17,18; Ephesians 4:30-32);

holiness of life is made possible through our union with Christ in His death and resurrection (Romans 6-8; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:1-11);

holiness of life is required of those who would effectively witness to the gospel (1 Thessalonians 2:10; 1 Timothy 4:12);

the Lord is glorified by a Church that is pure; holiness of life, in the power of the Spirit, should be the experience of all believers, irrespective of culture and background (2 Corinthians 7:1; Galatians 5:22-24; Ephesians 5:25-27).

Sacrifice

We accept a discipleship lifestyle, involving a willingness to risk all, placing God's will before personal comfort and desires, economic security, or conformity to current patterns of thinking and standards of living, being ready to be despised for the sake of the gospel (Luke 9:23; 14:26; Romans 12:1,2; Philippians 2:5-8; Colossians 1:24).

The outworking of this principle includes a willingness to enter into heart identification with the people among whom we minister, to live a life of privation or loneliness if need be, as well as a readiness to change either ministry or location if God so leads. It may also involve:

accepting simple living conditions or participating in communal living facilities in order to serve more effectively (Philippians 4:12);

separation from other family members, from adequate medical facilities and from Christian fellowship (Mark 10:29,30);

singleness for the sake of the gospel (Matthew 19:12b);

temporarily putting aside a personal goal or ministry in order to fit in with the overall objectives of the team;

the possibility of persecution, imprisonment or other limitations of personal freedom, and even death.

Fellowship

We are united through our oneness in Christ. This is expressed through our acceptance of, love for, and submission to one another (Romans 15:7; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 4:4, 5:21; 1 John 1:3,7).

WEC International is a fellowship of God's people drawn from various backgrounds. We believe our oneness in Christ makes it possible for us to live and work together as brothers and sisters therefore we make every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3; Colossians 3:14).