What we believe

"From infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

 

2 Timothy 3:15-16



We are a Bible teaching, Bible preaching church.


Confession
Our primary confession of faith is the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith. 

Evangelical
In all that we do we seek to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, that He died for our sins, was buried, rose again on the third day in fulfillment of the Scriptures and thereby provided the way of redemption from sin. The proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ is central and essential to all we do for He alone is the way of salvation. For a person to be saved and find new life in Jesus they must be born again, regenerated, by power of the Holy Spirit, such a person will repent of their sin and yield their life to Jesus Christ, they will trust in Him alone for salvation and live in obedience to Him. Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved!

Reformed
In all that we do, we rest in God our Father who is sovereign in all things. Salvation is of the Lord. We hold to the Five Solas of the Reformation - “Sola Scriptura” (Scripture Alone); “Sola Gratia” (Grace Alone); “Sola Fide” (Faith Alone); “Solus Christus” (Christ Alone); and “Soli Deo Gloria” (To God Alone Be Glory).

God 
We believe there is only one God, who is eternally self-existent in three distinct but equal persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth. He is the almighty Creator; Saviour and Judge who sustains and governs all things according to His sovereign will and for His own glory.

Bible
We believe that God has revealed Himself in the Bible, which consists of the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments alone. All Scripture is God-breathed so in its entirety it is the Word of God, without error and fully reliable in fact and doctrine. The Bible alone speaks with final authority and is always sufficient for all matters of belief and practice. Its authority is derived from its Author and not from the opinions of men.

Humanity
We believe that all men and women, being created in the image of God, have inherent and equal dignity and worth. Their greatest purpose is to obey, worship and love God. We believe that God made our first father Adam perfect, holy and upright. He was appointed representative and head of the human race thereby exposing all his offspring to the effects of his obedience or disobedience to God’s commands. Since Adam disobeyed God, every aspect of human nature has been corrupted and all men and women are without spiritual life, guilty sinners and hostile to God. Every person is therefore under the just condemnation of God and needs to be born again, forgiven and reconciled to God in order to know and please Him.  

Jesus
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God - the second person of the godhead - and is fully God and fully man. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, and lived a sinless life in obedience to the Father. He taught with authority and all His words are true. On the cross He died in the place of sinners, bearing God's punishment for their sin, redeeming them by His blood. He rose from the dead and in His resurrection body ascended into heaven where He intercedes for His people in the presence of the Father and rules over all things for their sake.

Salvation
We believe that salvation is entirely a work of God's grace and cannot be earned or deserved. It has been accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ and is offered to all in the gospel. God in His love forgives sinners whom He calls to himself, granting them repentance and faith and imputing to them the righteousness of Christ. All who believe in Christ are justified by faith alone, receive eternal life, are adopted into the family of God, persevere in holiness and never finally fall away.  

Holy Spirit
We believe the Holy Spirit has been sent from heaven to glorify Christ and to apply His work of salvation. He convicts sinners, imparts spiritual life and gives a true understanding of the Scriptures. He indwells all believers, brings assurance of salvation and produces increasing likeness to Christ. He builds up the Church and empowers its members for worship and service.

Baptism & Lord’s Supper
We believe that baptism and the Lord's Supper have been ordained by Christ and given to the Church as visible signs of the gospel. Baptism is a symbol of union with Christ in his death, burial and resurrection, cleansing from sin and entry into his Church, but it does not impart spiritual life. Its scriptural mode is immersion in water in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Lord's Supper is a commemoration of Christ's sacrifice offered once for all and involves no change in the bread and wine; all its blessings are received by faith.  

Priesthood of all Believers
Every believer has direct access to God through Christ our High Priest, and shares with him in the work of reconciliation through intercession, worship and faithful service.  

Church
We believe the universal Church is the whole company of those who have been redeemed by Jesus Christ and regenerated by the Holy Spirit.. The local church, as a manifestation of the universal church, is a community of believers in a particular place who are committed to each other for the worship of God, the preaching of God's Word, the observing of the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord's Supper, pastoral care which includes biblical church discipline is exercised, and evangelism. The local church is fully autonomous, and remains so notwithstanding responsibilities it may accept through voluntary association. The unity of the body of Christ is expressed within and between churches by mutual love, care and encouragement, but can only take place where there is faithfulness to the gospel. 


Congregational Government
A constituted church meeting, under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and through the guidance of the Scriptures, is the highest court of authority for the local church. Elders and deacons are chosen and lead through the common consent of the church itself. Each individual member has a right and responsibility to participate fully in the life and government of the church, particularly in the appointment of its leaders.  

Future
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ will return in glory.  There will be a bodily resurrection of the dead and He will judge the world in righteousness. The wicked will endure eternal punishment while the righteous will be welcomed into a life of eternal joy in fellowship with God. There will be a new heaven and a new earth in which God will be glorified forever.