Statement of Belief

• The entire basis of our faith rests upon the Holy Bible, God’s infallible, inerrant and verbally inspired written Word, comprised of all 66 books of the Old and New Testaments. The Word of God is the revelation of His mind and will to man, and it is the all‑sufficient guide for salvation for lost sinners and His instructions for the Christian life (2 Timothy 3:15–17; 1 Peter 1:20–21).

 

• We believe in one God, the creator and sustainer of all, who exists eternally and manifests Himself in a tri‑unity as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each possessing equally the attributes of deity and distinct personality characteristics (Romans 15:6; 1 Timothy 3:16; Titus 2:13; John 14:16–17).

 

• The Lord Jesus Christ is God, the Living Word—true God and true Man. He was begotten of the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, and lived in perfect, sinless humanity. He is perfect deity and true humanity united forever in one peerless Person (John 1:1; Luke 1:28–35; 1 Timothy 2:5–6).

 

• His life on earth was lived in sinless perfection. He voluntarily died for the sins of mankind on the cross at Calvary, satisfying all the righteous demands of a holy God against sinful humanity. In His death He purchased eternal redemption and salvation for all who believe (Hebrews 7:26; John 10:17–18; 19:30; Hebrews 9:12).

 

• We believe, as the Holy Scriptures confirm, that the Lord Jesus Christ will return bodily from heaven to take His redeemed people—those who are born again by the Holy Spirit—up to heaven before the time of the Tribulation that will come upon the world. After the Christians have been taken, a great world leader, influenced by Satan and identified in the Bible as “the man of sin,” or the Antichrist, will be revealed (1 Thessalonians 4:13–17; 2 Thessalonians 1:6–10; 2:3–12).

 

• All human beings are born with a sinful nature and are therefore totally depraved before a holy and righteous God. Because man is absolutely unable to offer anything to God that could save him from eternal punishment, the salvation of man is entirely the work of God and does not depend, in whole or in part, upon any good or religious works. “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). From the moment an individual places their faith and trust in Jesus Christ as Saviour, they are assured of full pardon for all their sins and guaranteed everlasting life (Acts 16:31; Romans 10:9–10; 1 John 1:9).

 

• All who, by faith, accept the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour are born again of the Holy Spirit, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and by the Holy Spirit baptized into the body of Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ is the risen Head of the Church, His body, composed of all those now living and those who have died who have been made a part of His body through saving faith (1 Corinthians 12:12–14; Ephesians 1:22–23; Colossians 1:18).

 

• The early believers met together and “continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.” Scripture urges Christians not to forsake assembling together, but to encourage one another, especially as we see the Day approaching. Believers are to meet regularly for worship (particularly the remembrance meeting, the Lord’s Supper) and for mutual edification and encouragement through the Scriptures (Luke 22:19–20; 1 Corinthians 11:23–28; Acts 2:42; Hebrews 10:25).

 

• The New Testament does not support a one‑man, professionally trained pastorate or a paid pastorate as the sole pattern of church leadership, but presents a plurality of elders raised up from within the local assembly of believers. These men oversee and shepherd the flock in the spirit of 1 Peter 5:1–4 and Acts 20:28.

 

• We believe in the bodily resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous, the eternal blessedness of the saved, and the everlasting, conscious punishment of the unsaved who have refused God’s free offer of salvation (John 5:21–22; 1 Thessalonians 4:17; Revelation 20:11–15).

 

• We believe in the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ in glory, when He will come to earth a second time to establish His kingdom and reign in righteousness over the entire world (2 Thessalonians 1:6–10; Philippians 2:9–11).

 

• The Lord Jesus Christ commanded His followers to preach the gospel—the good news—throughout the world and to make disciples from all nations, with the promise: “All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatever I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age. Amen” (Matthew 28:18–20).

 

• All who, by faith, accept the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour are born again of the Holy Spirit, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and baptized by the Spirit into the body of Christ. This is known as spiritual baptism.

 

• Once a person accepts the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord, the next step of obedience is baptism by immersion in water. This is known as real (water) baptism. This pattern is seen in Acts 2:41: “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.” Baptism is the outward demonstration of an inward faith, a public confession that the believer has been united with Christ in His death and resurrection. “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection” (Romans 6:3–5).

 

• The next act of obedience for the believer is to be received into the fellowship of a local assembly. Again Acts 2:41 shows that those who were baptized were added to the local gathering of Christians. A newly converted believer should display a clear testimony, a tender conscience, and a humble spirit, ready to receive instruction on living a godly life. Fellowship is mutual: the believer is being received by the whole assembly of believers, not only by those in leadership. A spirit of submissiveness to the oversight and a desire to learn and grow is expected of those seeking reception to local fellowship.