Statement of Faith

We believe that there is only one living and true God (Deut. 6:4; Isa. 45:5-7; 1 Cor. 8:4), an infinite, all-knowing Spirit (John 4:24), perfect in all His attributes, one in essence, eternally existing in three Persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14) – each equally worthy of the same glory, honour and obedience and deserving of our worship. (John 1:1-4; Acts 5:3-4)

We believe that God the Father, the first person of the Trinity, created all things (Gen. 1:1-31; Eph. 3:9) in six literal days for His glory according to His own will (Rev. 4:11), through His Son, Jesus Christ. He upholds, directs, and governs all things by the Word of His power and grace (1 Chron. 29:11, Ps. 145:8-9; 1 Cor. 8:6), exercising sovereign headship over all creation, providence, and redemption (Col. 1:17; Heb.1:3).

We believe that Jesus Christ, the eternal Son, the second person of the Trinity, moved by love in accordance with the will of the Father, took on human flesh (John 1:1, 14, 18). Conceived through the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit, He was born of the Virgin Mary. He, being fully God and fully man (John 14:8-9), lived a sinless life and sacrificially shed His blood and died on the cross in our place accomplishing redemption for all who place their faith in Him. He arose visibly and bodily from the dead three days later and ascended into heaven, where, at the Father’s right hand, He is now Head of His Body the Church, the only Saviour and Mediator between God and man, and will return to earth in power and glory to consummate His redemptive mission (1 Tim. 3:16).

We believe that God the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ in all that He does during this age. He convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and judgment. He draws the unredeemed to repentance and faith, and at salvation imparts new spiritual life to the believer, bringing that person into union with Christ and the Body of Christ. The Holy Spirit sanctifies, seals, fills, guides, instructs, comforts, equips, empowers, permanently indwells at salvation, and bestows spiritual gifts to the believer for Christ-like living and service (John 16:7-9; 13:15; Acts 1:5; 2:4, Titus 3:5; Eph. 1:22; 4:11-12, Rom. 8:9-17, 29; 12:4-8; 1 Cor. 3:16; 12:4-5, 11-13, 19; Gal. 5:25; Heb. 2:1-4; 2 Cor. 12:12).

We believe that the Bible, composed of 66 books, both Old and New Testaments, is God’s revelation to man. God revealed His written word by a process of dual authorship. The Holy Spirit composed and recorded God’s written word to man, through human authors, using their unique personalities and writing styles. (2 Pet. 1:20-21) The original writings are free of error in whole or in part and are fully trustworthy as our final and sufficient authority to all of life. (Matt. 5:18. 2 Tim. 3:16-17, 2 Pet. 1:20-21)

We believe that God created mankind – male and female – in His own image and likeness, free of sin, to glorify Himself and enjoy His fellowship. Tempted by Satan, but in the sovereign plan of God, man freely chose to disobey God, bringing sin, death and condemnation to all mankind. All human beings, therefore, are totally depraved by nature and by choice. Alienated from God without defense or excuse, and subject to God’s righteous wrath, all of mankind is in desperate need of the Saviour (Gen. 3:1-6; Rom. 3:10-19; Rom. 1:18, 32).

We believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, as the substitutionary atonement in our place, and that salvation is found in none other than Jesus Christ. Before Creation, God chose those who would be saved and granted this unearned grace solely based on His sovereign good pleasure. Jesus Christ’s death on the cross was the sole and complete payment for sins, fully satisfying God’s righteous wrath, for each person that turns from sin in repentance and places their faith in Christ alone by grace alone. At salvation each person is made a new creation by the Holy Spirit, declared righteous before God, and secured as an adopted child of God forever. Genuine faith continues in obedience and love for Jesus Christ with a life eager to glorify God and persevere to the end (Rom. 8:37-39; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Cor. 12:13).

We believe that upon placing one’s faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour, the believer is made part of the Body of Christ, the one universal Church, of which Jesus Christ is the Head. The Scriptures command believers to gather locally in order to devote themselves to worship, prayer, teaching of the Word, fellowship, the ordinances of baptism and communion, service to the local body through the development and use of talents and spiritual gifts, and outreach to the world to make disciples (Eph. 1:22- 23; Acts 2:42-46; 1 Cor. 14:26; Matt. 28:18-20). Wherever God’s people meet regularly in obedience to this command, there is the local expression of the Church under the watchful care of a plurality of elders. A church’s Ministry Partners are to work together in love and unity, intent on the ultimate purpose of glorifying Christ (Eph. 4:16).

We believe that two ordinances have been established to the local church: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Christian baptism is a public declaration of the believer’s salvation in Christ, identifying with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection symbolized by immersion in water. The Lord’s Supper is the united commemoration by believers of Christ’s death until He comes and should be preceded by a careful self-examination (Acts 2:38-42; Rom. 6:3-6; 1 Cor. 11:20-29).

We believe that it is the aim, duty, and privilege of every believer and local church fellowship to glorify God by responding as active participants in the Great Commission call of Jesus Christ to go and make disciples of all nations. We believe the primary focus and priority of this call is centered on efforts that establish, strengthen, and reproduce biblically-based churches, which will then plant churches that plant churches for future generations and God’s glory.

We believe in and expectantly await the glorious, visible, personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ. The blessed hope of His return has vital bearing on the personal life, service, and mission of the believer (1 Thess. 4:13-18). We believe in the bodily resurrection of both the saved and the lost. The lost will be raised to judgment and experience eternal wrath in hell. The saved will be raised to eternal joy in the new heaven and new earth in the manifested presence of God (Acts 1:3, 9; Heb. 7:25-26).