History of Christian Statements
Throughout the history of the Christian church, believers have composed formal documents in order to clarify doctrine, defend the truth, and respond to theological error, whether arising within the church or from external pressures. From the earliest centuries, the church has confessed its unity through creeds such as the Apostles’ Creed. In times of doctrinal crisis, the church convened synods and councils to confront heresy, producing enduring formulations such as the Nicene Creed, the Athanasian Creed, and the Chalcedonian Definition. These were not private writings, but public declarations intended for the instruction and preservation of the faith.
During the Reformation, this pattern continued in a more expansive form through confessions and catechisms. These documents articulated detailed doctrinal positions, serving both to unify particular groups of Protestant reformers and to demonstrate their continuity with the orthodox faith, even where secondary differences remained.
In the modern era, the church is characterized by a diversity of established theological traditions, yet the need for doctrinal clarity has not diminished. On the contrary, contemporary issues frequently transcend denominational boundaries and require clear, unified responses from the broader church.
Such issues include scriptural authority, sex and gender, political theology, etc. Many of these statements are designed to promote unity within specific movements and to provide clarity for those outside such movements.[1] These statements commonly employ a structure of affirmations and denials, often accompanied by scriptural references, and are organized into topical sections, articles, or chapters.
For the majority of church history, the concept of copyright and intellectual property did not exist. Consequently, the question of restricting access to such documents did not arise. The historic creeds, confessions, and catechisms are now widely recognized as belonging to the public domain, at least in their original language. This, however, is not the case for most contemporary Christian statements, which are generally copyrighted with “all rights reserved.”
Copyrights and Modern-era Christian Statements
In the modern world, governments enforce copyright laws for various purposes, including the protection of economic interests, the preservation of authorial attribution, and the prevention of unauthorized modification. These legal frameworks apply equally to theological works, including Christian statements. Accordingly, when Christians produce materials for teaching or ministry, they must consider how best to act in a manner consistent with biblical principles, seeking wisdom and guidance from the Holy Spirit.
Those who affirm the dorean principle maintain that Christian ministry and teaching should be supported rather than commercialized. This perspective holds that Scripture and theological instruction ought not be restricted or controlled in a way that limits their free distribution. Instead, a biblical ethic calls for these materials to be released into the public domain or under similarly permissive licenses that waive exclusive rights (see copy.church for further discussion).
Under United States law, original works are automatically protected by copyright upon creation. Therefore, unless an author explicitly dedicates a work to the public domain or releases it under a specific open license, it remains restricted by default. In practice, this has led to a situation in which many contemporary Christian statements are effectively locked down under copyright. As a result, churches, ministries, or individuals who reproduce such statements in full (whether on websites or in print) will be in violation of copyright law unless they obtain explicit permission.
This reality stands in tension with the purpose of these documents. Statements are typically produced to clarify belief, to persuade others, and to encourage widespread adoption and dissemination. Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that facilitating broad access and reproduction would better serve their intended purpose.
Organizations responsible for such statements could take meaningful steps in this direction by dedicating their texts to the public domain or by adopting licenses that allow unrestricted use under clearly defined conditions (such as attribution or non-modification), without requiring case-by-case permission. While such licensing is an improvement over strict copyright, advocates of the dorean principle contend that full public domain dedication remains the most biblically consistent, God-honoring approach.
At present, however, many statements include no explicit licensing information beyond a standard website footer indicating “© <Year> | Copyright by <Organization>. All Rights Reserved.” The copy.church Statements Initiative has been formed in order to raise awareness of this issue and to encourage reconsideration of such copyright practices. A detailed and regularly updated record of these efforts, including the current copyright status of various statements and any responses received, is available at copy.church.
Examples of Statements and Copyrights
The following examples reflect the status of these statements prior to the writing of this article. Given ongoing outreach efforts, the permissions associated with these documents may have changed.
First, consider the Statement on Social Justice and the Gospel, which was assembled by Josh Buice along with James White, John MacArthur, Voddie Baucham, and other evangelical leaders. The website for this statement explicitly indicates in its footer that it is under copyright with “All Rights Reserved.” The statement text itself provides no indication that it may be freely reproduced. A downloadable PDF is available, but it likewise bears the designation “All Rights Reserved.”
Under current U.S. copyright law, this would suggest that reproducing the full text of the statement on another website or in another publication is not permitted without explicit authorization. We sent an inquiry to the contact email provided on the website requesting clarification regarding reproduction permissions, but no response has been received at the time of writing.
By contrast, the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy (1978), produced by the International Council on Biblical Inerrancy, offers more permissive terms. Along with its companion documents (the Chicago Statement on Biblical Hermeneutics and the Chicago Statement on Biblical Application) this statement allows for reproduction without prior permission, provided that the source is credited:
This declaration may be reproduced without permission.
Please credit the source by citing the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals.
The copyright for these documents was ultimately transferred to Evangelical Ministries, now known as the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. The same permission structure applies to their Cambridge Declaration (1996). We likewise sent communication to the Alliance expressing appreciation for this clarity and openness, while also encouraging consideration of full public domain dedication in accordance with the dorean principle.
Finally, an example of complete public domain dedication may be seen in the Sunnyvale Statement on the Stewardship of Scripture (October, 2025). This statement addresses the issue of copyright in relation to Scripture and appears to be the first to explicitly place its text in the public domain.
It should be noted that public domain status permits unrestricted use, including reproduction, distribution, and modification, without the requirement of attribution. This enables individuals and organizations to adapt the text in helpful ways, such as by translating it, or integrating parts of it into their own belief statements.
Conclusion
Christian statements, like Scripture itself, are intended as proclamations of beloved truths addressed to the Church and to the world. Their purpose is not merely to exist, but to be read, shared, taught, and embraced. Therefore, why would any restrict such documents behind the bars of copyright? If they were truly authored with a well-intentioned desire for widespread adoption and dissemination, then removing barriers to access would seem to be both prudent and consistent with their stated aims.
It is our hope and prayer that those who oversee contemporary Christian statements will recognize the benefits of releasing these texts without restriction. Doing so would not only facilitate broader dissemination, but would also reflect a commitment to faithful stewardship in the distribution of Christian teaching. Such action would align with the conviction that what has been freely received ought also to be freely given (Matt 10:8). For those stewarding such statements or considering publishing a new statement, we commend dedicating them to the public domain to ensure their free dissemination.
About the Author
Brantley works in Internal Auditing within the Banking and Financial Services industry. He is a Reformed Baptist and the founder of ReformedWiki.org. He also administers several Reformed Baptist resource websites and online communities. Through his work, he encountered the dorean principle and became aware of the implications of default copyright practices, including the use of “All Rights Reserved” notices on ministry websites. In response, he has transitioned these resources, including 1689.com, to the public domain.
One example is the Prophetic Standards Statement, facilitated by the ministry of Michael Brown. ↩︎