I don't believe that statements of faith were necessary prior to the resurrection of our Lord, but people, saved or unsaved, recognize that the resurrection is a display of power and that Jesus Christ demonstrated undeniably His mastery over the base elements of our world and even over life and death. With this recognition comes the realization that people may be manipulated or used for personal benefit if His power can be tied to your own person or personal goals. The apostles had not yet suffered martyrdom before men started to appear with additions to the gospel which gave such individuals some degree of power over those who accepted their additions as a requirement for either salvation or fellowship. Most of the big churches and ministries in our time still make special requirements for either participation in fellowship, or for the "holding" of a leadership position. I have heard otherwise sound expositors of God's word state very plainly that tithing is a prerequisite for either membership or leadership in their congregations, even though tithing is never stated as a requirement in the new testament except to those under law, as in Jesus' references made to scribes, priests, pharisees, and Jewish disciples. I have heard otherwise sound expositors of the scripture tell people that God wouldn't bless them unless they opened up their wallets or bank accounts, and that their poverty or financial struggle was due to their being cheap with God, or even "stealing from God" by not tithing as in Malachi's preaching to apostate Israel. Malachi tends to be brought out of the old testament whenever a church is having financial problems, but poor revenue in a church is usually more about poor or dishonest preaching and a lack of understanding of the principles of stewardship and the purpose of wealth. I know more than a few people of wealth that have no regard for
Christ, or for God in general, or for good. They might be called blessed for their wealth, but the Lord has blessed me in ways that they can never know through their wealth. I use tithing as an example, because its a principle which is commonly abused by those who see it as a way to further their kingdom building efforts. The people that invoke old testament law and try to superimpose it over the grace of God are not above using the law to bind the conscience of those that Christ died to set free. This is a means to their power, not to the glorification of God. The law had a glory to it and a majesty expressed in wealth with the display of gold and other riches, but that glory was a fading glory almost two thousand years ago and can never compare to the glory of Christ, which still remains largely hidden even while on display in the church.
It would be easy to take what I'm writing here and try to make it about licentiousness, but the simple truth is that Christ died to set us free, and in receiving Him we make ourselves into His servants, not into servants of the law. You can't serve two masters. If Jesus lays a burden on you, then that burden is yours, not your neighbors, and you have no right to impose your burden upon your neighbor. "Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand." Romans 14:4
The Lord knows the heart of men and not just in general terms, but He even knows our thoughts and the hidden intent of our heart, even when we don't know ourselves. The law is good and reveals God's good will, but the law is for the lawless and not for those who are led by the spirit of grace. The Spirit of our Lord does not lead us into lawless deeds, we manage to do that quite well on our own, so we are told, in the imperative, to be lead by the Spirit of God, and that in this there is no condemnation.
Unfortunately, its much easier to follow the instructions of men, or use the scripture like some sort of checklist, that we may be satisfied with as sufficient for demonstrating our righteousness rather than walking continuously by faith, and in the same manner in which we were called.
If you find yourself under the teaching of some person or organization that is unwilling to make a comprehensive statement of faith, then you can be sure that such a person or organization has an agenda that may not be your own. As Stewards of the gifts of God, we are obliged to be informed about the activities and organizations that we give our time or money to. If, as is often the case, the organization we are supporting is opposed to the gospel of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ and the atonement He provided, we may be held accountable by God for our participation in perpetuating a false gospel, and something held accursed at His return. This is no little thing. As babes in Christ we can be easily deceived and easily lead into things which have an appearance of righteousness but are not of the substance of faith. This is why teachers are held to a higher standard, not by men, but by God. This is also why we are called to read and to study the Word of God ourselves and to approve the things spoken or done by men, discerning good from evil. There is no such thing as instant spiritual maturity, but we are called to move toward it as the Lord leads and teaches us how to do so. This is often through the agency of men, but everything is weighed by the Spirit of Truth within us, and we need to learn to discern His voice and His will rather than simply put our trust in some person that we hold as more "spiritual" than ourselves.
I applaud the efforts of those involved in providing a statement of faith for the forum, because disclosure of fundamental belief is a point of honesty, whether such fundamental belief is founded or unfounded. Honesty is a requirement of effective communication and the truth of the Word of God is the only foundation upon which a saving faith may be built. Amen. "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Romans 10:17
(That's my two cents and then some.)