How to Vet a Speaker’s Beliefs: Reading a Statement of Faith

A statement of faith is a short summary of what a person, church, or ministry believes about the core teachings of Christianity. For event organizers, it is one of the quickest ways to see whether a speaker’s beliefs line up with your church before you invite them to teach your people.

But a statement of faith only helps if you know how to read it. Here is what to look for.

What a statement of faith usually covers

Most evangelical and historic Christian statements of faith address the same core areas. If a speaker’s statement skips several of these, ask why.

• Scripture: whether the Bible is inspired and the final authority for faith and life.
• God: one God in three persons — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
• Jesus Christ: fully God and fully man, born of a virgin, sinless, crucified, bodily risen, and returning.
• Salvation: by grace through faith in Christ, not earned by good works.
• The Holy Spirit and the Church: the Spirit’s work in believers and the role of the local church.
• Humanity and ethics: people created in God’s image, and positions on marriage and sexuality.
• The future: Christ’s return and God making all things new.

Read for what is specific — and what is vague

Clear statements use clear words. Be careful when a statement leans on broad phrases like “we love Jesus and all people” or “we believe in the power of faith” without saying who Jesus is or how a person is saved. Warm language is good; warm language that avoids every specific belief can be a sign that the speaker’s views differ from yours.

Compare it with your own church’s statement

Lay the speaker’s statement next to your church’s. Mark each area as “matches,” “different but acceptable for this event,” or “a dealbreaker.” A guest speaker at a leadership workshop may not need to share your view on every secondary issue; a guest preacher on a Sunday morning probably does. Decide in advance which differences matter for this event.

A signed statement is only the starting point

Affirming a statement is not the same as teaching in line with it. Follow up by listening to recent messages, reading what the speaker posts publicly, and asking a few direct questions:

• “Is there any part of our statement of faith you would word differently?”
• “Have your views on any of these areas changed in the last few years?”
• “How do you handle questions from the audience on topics where churches disagree?”

How Sent Speakers handles it

Every speaker who joins Sent Speakers must affirm our Statement of Faith and Speaker Standards, which include living consistently with the statement and being an active member of a local church. Speakers who have affirmed them display a “Shared values. Affirmed.” badge on their profile. It is a strong first filter — and we still encourage every church to have its own conversation with a speaker before booking.

• Read our Statement of Faith and Speaker Standards
• Find speakers who have affirmed it