Doctrinal Statement

  1. We believe that the Old and New Testament scriptures are verbally inspired of God and inerrant in the original writing, and that they are the supreme and final authority in faith and life. (II Tim. 3:16-17; Prov. 30:5-6; Matt. 5:17; John 17:17)
  1. We believe in one God, an eternal Spirit existing in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – one in essence and equal in every divine perfection. (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 3:13-17; II Corinthians 13:14)
  1. We believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the unique and only begotten Son of God, begotten of the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, and we believe that He is very God of very God and very man of very man, one Person with two natures, divine and human. (Matthew 1:18-20; John 1:1-2, 14)
  1. We believe in the creation of man by the direct act of God, that man was made after God’s image and in a state of innocency, but that man willfully transgressed God’s law and lost communion with God, becoming dead in sin, corrupt in nature, and incapable of pleasing God in the strength of his (man’s) flesh. (Genesis 1:26-27; Genesis 3:1-24; Romans 5:12-21; Ephesians 2:1-6)
  1. We believe in the Genesis account of Creation. Scripture teaches a recent origin of man and the whole creation, with history spanning approximately 4,000 years from creation to Christ. The days in Genesis do not correspond to geologic ages but are six consecutive, 24-hour days of creation; the first day began in Genesis 1:1, and the seventh day, which was also a normal 24-hour day, ended in Genesis 2:3(Genesis 1:1–2:3; Exodus 20:8–11, 31:17; Hebrews 4:3–4).
  1. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, accomplishing a vicarious, substitutionary atonement for all of Mankind; and that He was buried according to the Scriptures; and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures; and that all who believe on Him are justified freely on the ground of His shed blood and are saved by grace through faith wholly apart from human merit or works. (I Corinthians 15:3; II Corinthians 5:21; Romans 3:21-28)
  1. We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His bodily ascension into heaven, and in His present life there as High Priest and Advocate. (Matthew 28:1-10; Acts 1:9; Hebrews 7:25-28)
  1. We believe that all who receive the Lord Jesus Christ born again by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God become the children of God, possessing eternal life. (John 1:12; 3:5-7)
  1. We believe in the personal, visible, imminent return of our Lord Jesus Christ to reign upon the earth. (I Thess. 4:16-17; Revelation 22:12; Matthew 24:42)
  1. We believe in the bodily resurrection of all the dead: the saved to a life of eternal glory and bliss in Heaven with God; the unsaved to eternal judgment of conscious suffering and woe in the Lake of Fire. (I Thessalonians 4:15-17; John 5:21-29, Revelation 21:1-27)
  1. We believe in the biblical separation of the believer from worldliness, recognizing that it hinders his growth toward the Christ-ideal and detracts from his Christian influence; and we believe in the biblical separation of the believer unto Christ. (II Timothy 3:1-5; Romans 12:1-2 I Corinthians 6:17-20; II Corinthians 6:16-18; I John 2:1-l7)
  1. We believe that the term ‘marriage’ has only one meaning and that is marriage sanctioned by God which joins one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture. We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to only occur between a man and a woman who are married to each other. We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of sexual immorality, such as adultery, fornication, homosexuality, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, pornography or any attempt to change one’s sex, or disagreement with one’s biological sex, is sinful and offensive to God. We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity. Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with scripture nor the doctrines of the church. (Prov. 18:22; Matt. 19:4-6; Hebrews 13:4; Matt. 5:27-28: I Cor. 6:9-10; Rom. 1:26)
  1. We believe in aggressively contending for the faith against atheism, agnosticism, liberalism, the so-called scientific adulterations of Scripture and compromise with unbelief. (Psalm 14:1; Romans 1:20-22; John 14:6; Psalm 119:89; Matthew 24:35; I Timothy 6:20-21; II Corinthians 6:14-18)
  1. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has commissioned believers to take the Gospel to the world, and that the evangelization and edification of the believer is the primary purpose of every Christian and every Christian institution. (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8; I Timothy 4:11; Acts 5:42; II Timothy 2:2)

Philosophy Statement

The Academy of Arts doesn’t evaluate its stage productions by measuring applause. Instead, team members count how many in the audience join them backstage after the performance. Team members are trained to be soulwinners and to counsel those that have a spiritual need. The invitation is more important than the production. Since 1971, Dr. Nicky Chavers and his staff members have issued more than a 1500 invitations to the audiences of the Christian Drama Teams. The biblical plays are used as giant illustrations of whatever biblical truth that is being expressed, simply vehicles to give out the gospel and to continue to “make the Bible come alive” to people in churches across America. The young people who are ministering in the dramas have to be as spiritually full as a preacher or an evangelist. Young people can be good actors, but they’ve got to be good Christians with right priorities to see the Lord use their ministry in Christian Drama.

The Value of Biblical Drama, by Dr. Chavers, is the published philosophy of The Academy of Arts and thoroughly covers the reasons we do what we do. It also provides philosophical base for others to build on. It is now available to purchase online through the Academy Online E-Source. You will be amazed, as you read this book, what a strong approbation the Bible gives us for the use of drama in ministry. This approbation comes to us from the clear example of Christ Himself, who used drama to communicate a vital message to His disciples. Visit the Academy Online Store to purchase this new book for your family, church, homeschool co-op, or Christian School.