Brief Statement of Faith  The Brief Statement of Faith is a statement of faith adopted by the Presbyterian Church (USA) in 1991 as part of its "Book of Confessions". The statement was forged during the union of the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America and the Presbyterian Church in the United States in the formation of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Although Reformed in its origins, the preface to the statement explicitly notes its universal intention: "This statement therefore intends to confess the catholic faith." As such, the statement is internally organized with an ecumenical, and Trinitarian structure, having both a reformed and Protestant flavor with regard to soteriology and yet remains sensitive to contemporary concerns such as gendered language of God, sexism, racism, and care of creation and the environment. The tone and content of the statement strongly parallels (and was possibly influenced by) the 1981 doxological version of the Statement of Faith of the United Church of Christ. In life and in death we belong to God. Through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,  the love of God,  and the communion of the Holy Spirit,  we trust in the one triune God, the Holy One of Israel,  whom alone we worship and serve. We trust in Jesus Christ, Fully human, fully God. Jesus proclaimed the reign of God:  preaching good news to the poor  and release to the captives,  teaching by word and deed  and blessing the children,  healing the sick  and binding up the brokenhearted,  eating with outcasts,  forgiving sinners,  and calling all to repent and believe the gospel. Unjustly condemned for blasphemy and sedition,  Jesus was crucified,  suffering the depths of human pain  and giving his life for the sins of the world. God raised this Jesus from the dead,  vindicating his sinless life,  breaking the power of sin and evil,  delivering us from death to life eternal. We trust in God,  whom Jesus called Abba, Father. In sovereign love God created the world good  and makes everyone equally in God’s image  male and female, of every race and people, to live as one community. But we rebel against God; we hide from our Creator. Ignoring God’s commandments,  we violate the image of God in others and ourselves,  accept lies as truth,  exploit neighbor and nature,  and threaten death to the planet entrusted to our care. We deserve God’s condemnation.