What We Believe

The church adopts The Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689. This is in no way equal to the Holy Scriptures. A summary of this confession and what we believe is as follows.

1. The Holy Scriptures

We believe that all the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are given by inspiration of God and that they are therefore inerrant in all matters and our only final authority, being the only true rule for faith and practice.
2 Timothy 3:132 Peter 1:21John 10:25Isaiah 8:20Acts 17:11

We believe the Scriptures to be complete and that they are not to be added to in any way, since the prophets and apostles, with the miraculous signs given through them were provided by God for the foundation of the New Testament church and until the Scriptures were completed.
Revelation 22:182 Corinthians 12:12Ephesians 2:20

2. God − The Holy Trinity

We believe there is only one living and true God Who has been pleased to reveal His glorious character in creation but especially in the Scriptures.
Deuteronomy 6:41 Timothy 2:5Romans 1:20Psalm 19:1-11

We believe that God has revealed Himself in the Scriptures as existing in three distinct persons within the Godhead, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Who are equal in nature, power and glory. The Son and the Holy Spirit are as truly God as the Father.
Matthew 28:192 Corinthians 13:14John 10:30Romans 9:5Acts 5:3-4

3. The Covenant of Grace

We believe that before the world began God chose unto everlasting salvation those whom He did predestinate to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ. This choice was not due to any forseen faith or good works in those chosen but was according to the free and sovereign grace of God.
Ephesians 1:4Jeremiah 31:3Romans 8:29Ephesians 1:52 Timothy 1:9Romans 11:5

We believe that God the Father made a covenant of grace and peace with His Son Jesus Christ on behalf of those chosen, who were put into the hands of Christ and made His special care and charge, He agreeing to come into the world to keep the law for them and give His life on the cross for their sins and so obtain for them eternal life.
Psalm 89:3Isaiah 42:6Hebrews 13:20John 6:3739John 10:27-29Galatians 4:4-5

4. Creation and the Fall of Man

We believe that God created the universe, all originally very good, in six literal days and that the purpose for the creation of man was that he should love and glorify God his Maker which he was able to do in the beginning. We reject the theory of evolution and all’long-age’ opinions of the earth.
Genesis 1:31Exodus 20:11Matthew 22:36-381 Corinthians 10:31Ecclesiastes 12:13Ecclesiastes 7:29

We believe that Adam stood as the Head and Representative of mankind and that in sinning all his posterity sinned in him. Therefore the sin of Adam is imputed to all his offspring and they all derive a corrupt and sinful nature from the womb. From this corrupt nature all other sins proceed.
Romans 5:12Ephesians 2:3Psalm 51:5John 3:6Matthew 15:19Matthew 7:17-18

We believe that because of Adam’s original sin, and actual sins that men commit, that all men are by nature spiritually dead, that they are subject to physical death and to eternal punishment in hell.
Genesis 2:16-17Ephesians 2:11 Corinthians 15:22Romans 6:23Matthew 25:46

5. Jesus Christ The Mediator

We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ, being established from everlasting as the Mediator of the New Covenant, having engaged to be the surety of His people, did, in the fulness of time, really assume human nature, consisting of a true body and soul.
Proverbs 8:231 Timothy 2:5Galatians 4:4Hebrews 10:5Matthew 26:38

We believe that He was born of the virgin and that His taking a human nature did in no way mean that He ceased to be the Divine Son of God but was, during His earthly life and is for ever, both God and man in one person.
Matthew 1:23John 5:17-18Acts 20:28Hebrews 5:6

We believe that as the Mediator He really suffered and died as a substitute for His people in paying the penalty for their sins, having obeyed perfectly every commandment of God’s law for them. Christ died particularly and only for those who were entrusted to Him in the covenant of grace.
2 Corinthians 5:21Isaiah 53:4-6Mark 10:45Matthew 3:15Matthew 1:21John 10:15

We believe that Jesus Christ was buried, that He rose again on the third day in the same body that ad been crucified, though now glorified, that He appeared to many and ascended into Heaven to intercede for His people.
1 Corinthians 15:4-8John 20:27Acts 1:9-11John 17:9Hebrews 9:24

6. Evangelism and Effectual Calling

We believe that Jesus Christ has given His church the responsibility to preach the gospel to every creature and that we are to use all available means within God’s Word to this end. The doctrines of God’s sovereign grace in salvation should in no way inhibit evangelistic zeal and enterprise.
Mark 16:15Acts 1:82 Timothy 2:10Romans 9:1-3

We believe that although the gospel is to be preached sincerely and passionately to all, that only those who have been chosen by God in eternity and redeemed by Christ on the cross will actually respond to the call of the gospel, the Holy Spirit irresistibly working in their dead souls in order to enable them to believe and repent.
Romans 8:29-30Acts 13:48John 10:16Psalm 110:3Matthew 22:14John 3:3

7. Justification

We believe that justification is an act of God’s free grace whereby He pardons sin and accounts the sinner righteous in His sight. This is not based on anything we have done but only on the righteousness of Christ imputed to the sinner which is received by faith alone.
Romans 3:21-2228Psalm 32:1-2Romans 4:1-4Romans 5:19Galatians 3:10-13

8. Sanctification and Perseverance

We believe that the sinner who is enabled by the Holy Spirit to trust in Christ and repent of sin becomes new creature in Christ. However, due to remaining corruption there is a continual need and responsibility to progress in holiness through the power of the indwelling Spirit. Without a holy life no man will see the Lord.
2 Corinthians 5:17Philippians 2:12-13Galatians 5:161 Corinthians 6:19-20Hebrews 12:14

We believe that all those chosen by the Father, redeemed by the Son and called by the Holy Spirit through the gospel shall certainly and finally persevere, that not one will perish but shall enter into everlasting life. This in no way contradicts the need for holiness but means that God will keep and preserve His people in the way of holiness.
Romans 8:29-30John 10:28-29Matthew 24:12-131 Peter 1:15-16

9. The Church

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is Head of the Church, which is composed of God’s elect in every age. The Lord’s people, according to His command, are to gather themselves into local churches. To each of these churches Christ has given authority and responsibility for administering order, discipline and worship according to the Scriptures. The officers of a church are elders and deacons.
Ephesians 5: 2325271 Corinthians 1:2Revelation 2, 3Philippians 1:1

We believe that there are but two ordinances appointed by Christ in His church, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. These are positive commands to every believer. Baptism is to be administered by total immersion in water in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. It is a symbol of union with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. It signifies the washing away of sins and is a prerequisite to church membership.
Matthew 28:191 Corinthians 11:23-26Mark 16:16Acts 2:38John 3:23Romans 6:3-4Acts 22:16Acts 18:8,1 Corinthians 1:2

We believe that the Lord’s Supper was instituted by Christ on the same night He was betrayed. The broken bread represents His body broken, and the wine, His blood which was shed for His people at Calvary. It is to be observed until the return of Christ. It is in no sense a re-sacrifice of Christ. Its purpose is to commemorate the death of Christ.
1 Corinthians 11:23-26

We believe ‘believer’s baptism’ to be a prerequisite to communion at the Lord’s Supper, that only they who have obeyed the Lord’s command to be baptised and who are in fellowship and good standing in their local church may partake in he remembrance of the Saviour’s death.
Matthew 28:19-20Acts 2:40-42Acts 18:8cf 1 Corinthians 11:12-34

10. The Future

We believe in the visible, personal and bodily return of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Matthew 24:2730Acts 1:111 Thessalonians 4:16Revelation 1:7

We believe that there will be at Christ’s return a general resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust and that they will be gathered to the judgement seat of Christ.
Acts 17:312 Corinthians 5:10

We believe that the wicked shall be cast away into everlasting punishment whereas the righteous will be welcomed into Heacven where they will live and reign with Christ and enjoy His presence for ever. Even so come Lord Jesus!
Matthew 7:23Matthew 25:46Mark 9:482 Thessalonians 1:1-10Matthew 25:34Revelation 22:3-5