B. Denominational Distinctive
Against the background of the rich heritage of The Evangelical Church with its roots deep in historic Methodism our distinctive is best summarized by the following:

John Wesley wrote: “In 1729 my brother Charles and I, reading the Bible, saw we could not be saved without holiness, followed aft er it, and incited others to do so. In 1737 we saw that holiness comes by faith. In 1738 we saw that men are justified before they are sanctified; but still holiness was our object - inward and outward holiness. God then thrust us out to raise up a holy people.”

After he had preached the doctrine for half a century, and had seen thousands brought into the experience, two years before his death he wrote, “This doctrine is the grand depositum which God has lodged with the people called Methodists, and for the sake of propagating this chiefly He appears to have raised us up.”

The distinctive mission of Methodism was recognized by the Bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1824, and in the address to the General Conference they said,

“If Methodists give up the doctrine of entire sanctification or suffer it to become a dead letter, we are a fallen people. Holiness is the main cord that binds us together; relax this, and you loosen the whole system.”

This will appear more evident if we call to mind the original design of Methodism. It was to raise up and preserve a holy people. This was the principle object that Mr. Wesley had in view. To this end all the doctrines believed and preached by Methodists tend (Sermon on Psalm 93:5, The Double Cure, 1887, pp.3-4).*

*Jessop, H. C., Foundations of Doctrine, pp. 48, 49, Chicago
Evangelistic Institute, Chicago, IL 1938.

C. Purpose
The purpose of The Evangelical Church is to glorify God by proclaiming to all people the gospel of salvation from all sin in this life through faith in Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19-20; Luke 1:74-75).