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The OC Covenant

Read Dr. O'Neal's introduction to the OC Covenant (pdf).

OC COVENANT
Oklahoma Christian University is a higher learning community that transforms lives for Christian faith, leadership, and service.

The values and behavior of this Christian community are derived from the Bible, rather than the prevailing culture. Because we are a higher learning community dedicated to a distinctively Christian mission, we join together in a community covenant. This covenant is not a creed demanding strict belief in its veracity and inerrancy, and it is not merely an ideal to which we aspire; rather, it is a personal commitment that while we are members of this community, we will abide by the principles and ideals set forth in the covenant. The purpose of our covenant is to unite all of us at Oklahoma Christian University—students, staff, faculty, administration, and Board of Trustees—in a Christian community which is based on biblical principles and which transforms lives for Christian faith, leadership, and service.

We recognize that the University is not the church; however, we are a Christian community which seeks to be guided by the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ as revealed in scripture. We welcome all students, regardless of their church affiliation, who agree to abide by this covenant. Because the University was founded by members of the churches of Christ and because we seek to serve our church constituents effectively, we expect all full-time faculty and staff to be faithful, active members of the churches of Christ who fully embrace the principles of this covenant.

OUR FOUNDATION
God interacts with this world as both Creator and Savior (Genesis 1; Hebrews 1:1-3).

The Bible is God’s inspired word, which shows us the nature of God, the risen Son, and the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:19-21).

We seek to honor God by imitating the nature of God and his son, our Lord Jesus Christ, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit (John 13:13-17; 1 Corinthians 11:1; 1 Peter 2:21).

As members of this Christian higher learning community, we are guided by specific principles set forth in the Bible (Psalms 119:105; 2 Timothy 3:16-17).

OUR CALL
God calls us to do our best in everything we do (Colossians 3:17; Colossians 3:23).

God calls us to submit our will to his (John 15:14; James 4:7; 1 John 2:17).

God calls us to submit to one another in love (1 Corinthians 10:23-24; Galatians 5:13-14; Ephesians 5:21; Philippians 2:3-4) and to show his love through the justice, mercy, and faithfulness of our lives (Matthew 5; Matthew 23).

God calls us to live lives of holiness (Ephesians 1:4; 1 Thessalonians. 4:7; Hebrews 12:14; 1 Peter 1:15-16).

OUR COMMUNITY LIFE
We strive to honor the Lord and be Christlike in all of our conduct (Colossians 3:12-14; Titus 2:11-14).

We strive to demonstrate love and respect for everyone, even those who have views that differ from ours, and avoid conduct or language that is demeaning to others (Galatians 3:28; Philippians 2:3-4; James 2:1-13).

We strive to exercise our Christian freedom responsibly within the framework of God’s Word, humbly submitting to others (I Corinthians 10:23-24; 31-33).

We strive to use wise stewardship of our mind, body, time, abilities and resources and make thoughtful, biblically guided choices in matters of behavior, entertainment, and interpersonal relationships (Philippians 4:8).

We strive to practice honesty and integrity in everything we say and do (Colossians 3:9-10; Revelation 21:8).

We strive to treat our bodies with the honor due the temple of the Holy Spirit—honoring God’s plan that sexual relations be a part of a marriage between a man and a woman, dressing modestly, and avoiding any self-destructive practices (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

For the sake of our personal influence and our life together in Christian community, we also agree to certain community standards of conduct which are not specifically set forth in the Bible, but which enable the community to operate peaceably and in harmony with these principles and with one another. These community standards are set forth in the Student Handbook, the Staff Handbook, and the Faculty Handbook.

By choosing to be a part of the Oklahoma Christian University community, every member of the student body, staff, faculty, and Board of Trustees affirms his or her understanding of, respect for, and commitment to abide by the principles, and standards of conduct set forth in this covenant.