Our Purpose
The Grand River Confession
of 2025
The Grand River Confession of 2025:
As Christian clergy in West Michigan, we confess that justice is at the heart of God’s kingdom.
We believe that the gospel calls us to seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8). We affirm that Christ’s ministry was one of liberation, reconciliation, and radical love, and we commit ourselves to following Jesus’ example.
We confess that injustice persists in our communities and that the church has been complicit in systems of oppression. As followers of Jesus, we affirm a theology that calls us to combine our historic faith with the work of justice. We hear and believe that to love God is to love our neighbor, and we repent of the ways we have failed to act for the benefit and in covenant with the marginalized, oppressed, and vulnerable. We will follow the call from Jesus to:
• Love the Lord our God
• Love our neighbor
• Love ourselves. (Matthew 22:37-39)
Rooted in the hope of the resurrection and the promise of God’s kingdom, we will work for justice in our congregations and our communities (Romans 8:18-25). We will stand with the poor, the immigrant, and the oppressed, advocating for policies and practices that align with the values of God’s reign (Psalm 82:3-4).
We find strength in Christ, who came to proclaim good news to the poor and freedom for the oppressed (Luke 4:18). We stand together as communities of faith, believing that justice work is not optional to the gospel but central to the call of discipleship.