The Institute for Principle Studies grew from a grassroots effort in Modesto, California, in the early 1990’s.

A local church decided to revamp its outreaches by conducting a comprehensive evaluation of its ministries. A church-wide survey and dozens of member meetings produced a list of hundreds of suggestions for addressing unmet needs.

The need for instruction on how to apply biblical principles to matters of voting, citizenship, and government was one of the most frequently cited unmet needs in the church.

In response to these results, the church formed a team, which included Michael Winther, the future founder and current president of IPS, and tasked them with the objective of creating a course on the subject.

After ample trial, the result was a course that taught the principles, philosophy, and purpose of government from a Christian perspective.

Interest in this course material soon spread beyond the original church, which sparked a new ministry. Thus, in 2005, Mike Winther officially founded the Institute for Principle Studies to carry this work forward.

…that the Holy Scriptures, comprised of the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, are fully inspired by God and are therefore infallible in the original writings and completely trustworthy in all areas in which they speak.

…that there is only one eternal, almighty and perfect God.  Within the Being of this one true God exist three eternally distinct and coequal Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  These three Persons, also referred to as the Trinity, are the one true God.

…that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, the Second Person of the Trinity, who took upon Himself human flesh through the miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the virgin Mary.  He who is true God became true man, uniting two natures in one person forever.  Christ lived a perfect, sinless life, died on the cross as an atoning sacrifice for our sins, rose bodily from the dead, and ascended into Heaven where He now serves as our High Priest, our only Mediator.

…that the Holy Spirit is the eternal Third Person of the Triune God, the Regenerator and Sanctifier of the redeemed, the Bestower of spiritual fruit and gifts, and the abiding Advocate who empowers believers for godly living and service.

…that Adam was directly created without sin and in the image of God and did not evolve from preexisting forms of life.  Through the fall of Adam that image of God in humanity has been defiled, although not eradicated.  Every human being is radically corrupt and estranged from God.  Human beings are condemned by God because of their descent into sin through their relationship to Adam.  The desperate need of humanity is forgiveness of sins and consequent restoration of fellowship with God; yet humans remain totally unable to atone for and restore themselves.

…that Jesus’ death on the cross provided a substitutiary atonement for the sins of humanity.  We believe that man is justified (saved) by grace through faith in the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ without any mixture of works.

…in the existence of Satan and that hell is a place of eternal conscious punishment for him, his host, and all unbelievers.

…that the Christian church is composed of all persons who through saving faith in Jesus Christ have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit. Corporately and individually, its members strive to worship, serve, and glorify God through prayer and praise, diligent study and application of the Scriptures, evangelism, sanctified living, good works, and observance of the rites of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The mission of the church is the discipleship of all nations – not only the saving of souls but also the bringing of the gospel to bear on every aspect of life and thought.