35
The War Cry | JANUARY 2016
HOLDING TO TRUTH
T
he National Association of
Evangelicals (NAE), LifeWay
Research, and a group of
sociologists, theologians and
Evangelical leaders have developed a
standard definition for what it means to be an
Evangelical, while maintaining that
researchers should define Evangelicals by
their beliefs, not by their political
demographics, the church they attend or how
they self-identify.
"Evangelicals have been misunderstood
and categorized incorrectly so often, and
much of that is due to inconsistent
identification in research," NAE President
Leith Anderson said about the definition
formulated after two years of collaboration
with LifeWay Research.
The organizations gathered input from a
diverse group of theologians, Evangelical
leaders and sociologists, who designed and
tested 17 questions that would help define
Evangelicals. What emerged were four
fundamental statements that believers hold
to be true in order to be considered real
Evangelicals.
� "The Bible is the highest authority for what I
believe."
� "It is very important for me personally to
ecourage non-Christians to trust Jesus Christ
as their Savior."
� "Jesus Christ's death on the cross is the only
sacrifice that could remove the penalty of my
sin."
� "Only those who trust in Jesus Christ alone
as their Savior receive God's free gift of
eternal salvation."
Anderson says, "Evangelicals are people
of faith and should be defined by their beliefs,
not by their politics or race."
--Source: LifeWay Research. Read more at
www.LifeWay research.com
What Does It Mean to Be Evangelical?
First Officers
Commissioned
in Romania
T
he Salvation Army officially began
work in Romania in 1999. However,
the country did not host a
commissioning until October 2015, when
Cadets Romica and Laura Cr�mariu
became Salvation Army officers during a
meeting held at the Ploieti Corps.
Salvation Army officials, members of the
Ploieti and Bucharest Corps and other
supporters participated in a commissioning
and ordination service led by Lt. Colonel
Jostein Nielsen, the chief secretary of the
Eastern Europe Territory, along with Colonel
Rodney Walters, the territorial commander.
Lieutenants Cr�mariu were appointed as
assistant corps officers at Ploieti.
The mothers of the new officers became
members of the international community of
officers' parents and significant supporters
when they received their Silver Star pins.
In his sermon, Colonel Walters talked about
the journey Romica and Laura have taken as
Christians and how through God's grace they
came to fulfill their mission to serve God and
people in need.
--Report by Alina Anghel,
Eastern Europe Territory
SAVED TO SERVE
Dyslexia-friendly
Bible
B
ible translators and distributors have
made the Scriptures available in roughly
530 languages and in formats for the
blind and deaf so people everywhere can learn
of God's redeeming love. In keeping with Jesus'
command to go into the world and preach the
gospel, Bible Society has produced the Gospel
of Mark and the Psalms in dyslexia-friendly ver-
sions.
For those with dyslexia, traditional small
print Bible layouts can make reading a great
strain. The new versions:
� follow principles for dyslexia-friendly
formatting
� use the bestselling Good News Bible
translation
� include iconic Annie Vallotton illustrations
� are printed on cream-colored, matte paper
to minimize reflection
� use thicker paper so words from previous
pages don't show through
� use large sans serif type and increased
spacing between lines
� run one column per page
Bible Society reports that reception of this
new version is overwhelmingly positive,
including this online comment: "Wonderful!!!!
Having lived with dyslexia and having children
and now grandchildren with dyslexia it is hard
to get them to read. God has allowed me to
learn to read and to love reading but it is
difficult at times. Thank you for seeing our
struggle and helping us read God's word easier!"
Bible Society is part of an international
fellowship of over 140 Bible Societies around
the world known as the United Bible Societies.
It makes Scriptures available where there are
none, helps the church engage with the Bible
more effectively and makes the Bible available,
accessible and credible in contemporary culture.
--Learn more at www.biblesociety.org.uk.