Statement of Faith
We believe in God the Father Almighty maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and buried, He descended into Hell. On the third day He rose again from the dead, He ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From there he shall come to judge the living and the dead. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the global Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.
The Triune God
The one true God who lives eternally in three persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Revelation
God has graciously revealed himself in a general way through creation and has supremely revealed Himself through the incarnation of His Son. Moreover God has revealed himself in human words. Through the Holy Spirit all of scripture, 66 books of the Old and New Testament, has been given to make us wise for salvation and godly living. These writings alone are utterly authoritative and without error in the original writings.
Creation of Humanity
God created human beings, male and female, in His image to love, be relational and care for and rule over all of creation. Men and women are not simply interchangeable, but rather complement each other in mutually enriching ways, as they fulfil their distinctive roles in life.
Sin
Despite being created in the image of God, humanity has sinned and marred the image of our maker. The consequence of disobedience is separation from God and ultimately death. The supreme need of all human beings is to be reconciled to God through completely undeserved mercy and grace.
The Plan of God
From all eternity God determined in an act of undeserved favour to save a great multitude of guilty sinners from every tribe, language and people group. In this he foreknew them and chose them to be His people.
The Gospel
The good news of Jesus Christ is that through Jesus’ death and resurrection there is a new way opened up to God the Father. Through faith in Jesus we may be saved. Salvation can be through no other means and by no other name than the name of Jesus Christ and the work He accomplished on the cross and resurrection from the dead.
The Redemption of Christ
Through Jesus’ incarnation, righteous life, death, resurrection and ascension Jesus acted as our representative and substitution. Through Jesus we become the righteousness of God. On the cross Jesus cancelled sin, propitiated God, bore the penalty for sin and reconciled to God all those who believe.
The Justification of Sinners
Through Christ’s obedience we are justified and freed from the punishment and consequence of our sins. This is given to each one who believes as a free gift. Nothing can be added to make us righteous in God’s sight and nothing can be taken away from it for those who believe in His name.
The Power of the Holy Spirit
Through the Holy Spirit believers are renewed, sanctified, and adopted into God’s family. They participate in the divine nature and receive His sovereignly distributed gifts. The Holy Spirit is Himself the down payment of the promised inheritance and in this age indwells, guides, instructs, equips, revives, and empowers believers for Christ-like living and service.
The Kingdom of God
Those who have been saved by grace enter into the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God, already present but not fully realised, is the exercise of God’s sovereignty in the world.
God’s New People
We believe that God’s new covenant people, the universal church, is seen in local churches of which Christ is the only head. The church is the body of Christ, the apple of his eye, graven on his hands, and He has pledged Himself to her forever. The church is distinguished by her gospel message, her sacred ordinances, her discipline, her great mission, and, above all, by her love for God, and by her members’ love for one another and for the world. The church is the corporate dwelling place of God’s Spirit, and the continuing witness to God in the world.
Baptism and the Lord’s Supper
We believe that baptism and the Lord’s Supper are ordained by the Lord Jesus himself. The former is connected with entrance into the new covenant community, the latter with ongoing covenant renewal.
The Restoration of All Things
We believe in the personal, glorious, and bodily return of our Lord Jesus Christ with his holy angels, when he will exercise his role as final judge, and his kingdom will be consummated. We believe in the bodily resurrection of both the just and the unjust. On that day the church will be presented faultless before God by the obedience, suffering and triumph of Christ.