Statements of faith and community covenants

Many Christian colleges ask students, staff or faculty to agree to two kinds of document. A statement of faith sets out what the college believes. A community covenant describes how members of the community agree to live together. Most colleges publish both. Neither one tells you whether a particular student will fit, so read them with the questions below.

What each one is

• A statement of faith sets out the college’s core beliefs, such as beliefs about God, Scripture, salvation and the church. Some colleges ask students to affirm it; others ask only faculty and staff, or ask no one.
• A community covenant is the behavior agreement for the campus. It often covers conduct, alcohol, housing, dress and relationships. Each college writes its own.
• Policies on sexuality and religious exemptions are often written separately. Some colleges also publish how they apply religious exemptions under federal law.

How the Compass handles them

We report these documents as sourced facts and do not grade them. The Compass records whether a college asks students to affirm a statement of faith, whether it has a community covenant, which church or denomination family sponsors it, whether it is a CCCU member, and what its policies on sexuality and religious exemptions say. Each fact comes with a quote from the college and the date we last confirmed it. We do not rate one covenant as stricter or looser than another, and we do not grade a college for its doctrine.

Two related items do count, for the reasons they describe rather than what they say. Whether a college publishes a statement of faith is one Bible and theology indicator. Whether faculty are expected to affirm the statement is one Christian community indicator, scored by how many faculty affirm it.

Questions to ask

1. Do students have to affirm the statement of faith, or only faculty and staff? When do they sign?
2. Can a student who holds a different view on one point still enroll? What is the process?
3. What does the community covenant ask of students who live on campus, and what applies off campus?
4. What happens when a student disagrees with a rule or is unsure about a belief? Is there a counselor or a pastor to talk with?
5. How does the college apply its policies on sexuality and religious exemptions? Ask for the full text rather than a summary.
6. Has the covenant changed in the last few years, and how is a change explained to students?

Read the whole document

Read the statement and the covenant in full, on the college’s own website, before you apply. Find the sentence about the rule that matters most to your family, and ask the admissions office what it means in daily life. Keep a copy. Colleges update these documents, so ask about the version you read.

Next steps

• Browse the Christian college list and open the schools you are considering.
• Read about how we verify each fact.
• Learn what the CCCU is and what membership does and does not mean.
• See the church families to learn how colleges group by sponsoring tradition.