The Fellowship of Independent Reformed Evangelicals (F.I.R.E.) is a world-wide network of independent, reformed, baptistic churches who have partnered together for edification, fellowship, and cooperation when and where appropriate.

Fellowship

As the first letter of the acronym affirms, F.I.R.E. is not a denomination, but a loose fellowship of like-minded churches and individuals who support one another in the cause of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus. As F.I.R.E. churches, we are not united by any formal organizational structure, but by our like-mindedness. We are:

Independent

I.e., “non-denominational.” F.I.R.E. has no authority and exercises no leadership over member churches. There are no dues or fees required for membership.

Reformed

F.I.R.E. churches affirm the core, historic doctrines of the Christian faith which were articulated in protestant reformation, often summarized by the “Five Solas:” Salvation by Grace Alone through Faith Alone in Christ Alone, on the authority of Scripture Alone, to the Glory of God Alone.

Evangelical

F.I.R.E. churches believe in the “evangel” (Greek euangelion, which means “good news”)—that is, the Gospel. Sinners are saved not by works, but by simple repentance and faith in Jesus, who took on flesh and died on the cross instead of us in order to secure our forgiveness and to reconcile us to God (Gal. 2.16, Eph. 2.8-9).

While F.I.R.E. churches vary when it comes to things like eschatology, hermeneutic, or church polity, they agree on the things that matter most: the authority of God in the inerrant, inspired Word, and the priority of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus.

The Benefits of F.I.R.E. Membership

We believe that there are at least four benefits of being a member of the F.I.R.E. Fellowship of churches:

Not only do F.I.R.E. churches pray for and encourage one another, but they partner together in tangible ways, like supporting missionaries together, planting churches, and pulpit exchanges. F.I.R.E. also provides a vast network of services for member churches, such as book and educational-material publishing, and benevolence ministries.

Annual regional and national conferences provide opportunities for leaders and believers from F.I.R.E. churches to fellowship and encourage one another, sharing the burdens of ministry and Christian living. By knowing what our brothers and sisters need in other parts of the world, we can support each other by providing a network to tap into, and, of course, by praying for each other.

F.I.R.E. membership provides two simple layers of accountability. First, membership requires affirmation of the F.I.R.E. doctrinal statement, which, again, is simply an articulation of core, essential Christian truth. Second, it puts us in a commitment-type relationship with other leaders and churches who know us, and who can exhort, challenge, or even rebuke us when we need it.

The blessing and the curse of the freedom of religion is that people get to believe whatever they want—and that is exactly what they do. With so many “churches” out there and so many differences even among true Christians, it’s hard for people to know who to trust or how to begin vetting churches.

Being affiliated with a faithful organization like F.I.R.E. tells you a little bit more about who we are, what we value, how we’re different from other churches, and hopefully gives you a reason to feel confident that you can trust us.

To find out more about the F.I.R.E. Fellowship, please visit www.firefellowship.org.

For questions about our F.I.R.E. membership, please feel free to reach out at info@firmfoundationpv.org.