Statement of Faith
What we believe, in twelve articles.
Doctrine is not decoration. This is the ground we stand on, and it is what you will hear preached from the pulpit week after week.
The Word of God
We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and that it has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
2 Timothy 3:16-17; Psalm 19:7; 2 Peter 1:20-21
The Trinity
We believe that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three Persons; that these are equal in every divine perfection, and that they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence and redemption.
Matthew 3:16-17; Matthew 28:19-20; John 14:26; 2 Corinthians 13:14
God the Father
We believe in God the Father, an infinite, personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. We believe that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.
John 4:24; Isaiah 44:6
Jesus Christ
We believe in Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles and teachings. We believe in His substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people, and personal visible return to the earth.
John 1:1-2, 14; Romans 5:8; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Acts 1:11; Hebrews 7:25
The Holy Spirit
We believe in the Holy Spirit who came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment, and to regenerate, sanctify and empower all who believe in Jesus Christ. We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Christ, and that He is an abiding helper, teacher and guide.
1 Corinthians 6:19; John 14:16-18, 26; 15:26; 16:7-14
Regeneration
We believe that all men are sinners by nature and choice and are, therefore, under condemnation. We believe that those who repent of their sins and trust in Jesus Christ as Saviour have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit.
John 3:3-7, 16-18; Romans 3:10, 23; 6:23; 10:9-13; 1 Peter 1:18-19
The Church
We believe in the universal church, a living spiritual body of which Christ is the Head and all regenerated persons are members. We believe in the local church, consisting of a company of believers in Christ Jesus, baptized on a credible profession of faith, and associated for worship, work and fellowship. We believe that God has laid upon the members of the local church the primary task of giving the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world.
Acts 2:41, 47; Colossians 1:18; Matthew 28:19-20; Ephesians 1:22-23
Christian Conduct
We believe that a Christian should live for the glory of God and the well-being of his fellow men; that his conduct should be blameless before the world; that he should be a faithful steward of his possessions; and that he should seek to realize for himself and others the full stature of maturity in Christ.
1 Corinthians 10:23, 31; 6:19-20; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; 2 Peter 3:14
The Ordinances
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to the local church — baptism and the Lord's Supper. We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water into the name of the Triune God. We believe that the Lord's Supper was instituted by Christ for commemoration of His death, and that these two ordinances should be observed until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Matthew 26:26-29; 28:19; Romans 6:1-11; 1 Corinthians 11:23-34; Acts 2:38
Religious Liberty
We believe that every human being has direct relations with God and is responsible to God alone in all matters of faith; that each church is independent and must be free from any ecclesiastical or political authority; that therefore church and state must be kept separate as having different functions, each fulfilling its duties free from dictation or patronage of the other.
Romans 14:12
Church Cooperation
We believe that local churches can best promote the cause of Jesus Christ by cooperating with one another. Cooperation in a conference is voluntary and may be terminated at any time. Churches may likewise cooperate with inter-denominational fellowships on a voluntary independent basis.
1 Corinthians 16:1
The Last Things
We believe in the personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to the earth and the establishment of His kingdom. We believe in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, the eternal felicity of the righteous, and the endless suffering of the wicked.
1 Thessalonians 4:14-18; Isaiah 24; Revelation 20-22; Matthew 24-25
Our articles of faith set the boundaries. Our distinctives explain how those convictions play out in the ordinary life of this congregation — the preaching, the singing, the governance, and the care of families.
Start with the gospel itself