Statement of Faith
What we believe
In all essential beliefs – we have unity: ”There is one body, and one Spirit … there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of us all …” (Eph 4:4-6)
In non-essentials we have liberty: “Accept those whose faith is weak, without passing judgement on disputable matters … who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his master he stands or falls… So then each of us will give account of himself to God… So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God.”
(Rom 14:1, 4, 12, 22)
In all beliefs – we show love: “… If I hold in my mind not only human knowledge but also the very secrets of God, and if I have the faith that can move mountains – but have no love, I amount to nothing at all.” (1 Cor 13:2 Phillips paraphrase)
We believe that the Bible is the inspired, infallible unchangeable and complete word of God, our only rule for faith and practice. (2 Tim 3:5-17; 1 Pet 1:10-12; 2 Pet 1:20-21)
We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons; Father, Son and Holy Spirit; each of them is equal in being, power and glory. (I John 5:6-8; Matt 28:19; 2 Cor 13:14)
We believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, God's only Son, His virgin birth, sinless life, sacrificial death for our sins, His bodily resurrection to the right hand of God, and His personal, literal, imminent return. (John 1:1; Isa 7:14; Heb 7:6; 1 Cor 15:3-4; Acts 1:11)
We believe that God created the heavens and the earth, including all life, \”each after its own kind,” by direct act and not by a process of evolution. (Heb 11:3, Genesis 1)
We believe in the distinct personality of Satan, that he is the ”god of this age,” author of all powers of darkness and sin, and is destined to the judgement of an eternal justice in the lake of fire. (Rev 20:1,2; Eph 6:12)
We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that through Adam\’s sin the human race fell, inherited a sin nature, and became alienated from God. We believe that man is depraved, and of himself, unable to remedy his lost condition and is destined to eternal, conscious judgement in the lake of fire. (Ps 53:2-31; Luke 19:10; Rom 4:19, 5:6,12-19, 8:5-7)
We believe that God, out of love for the human race sent the Lord Jesus Christ into the world to save sinners. Jesus Christ, God incarnate, paid the full penalty for human sin when He died on the cross.
Any person who, in simple faith, trusts in the risen Christ as his only hope of heaven, refusing to trust in anything else, receives the gift of eternal life, which once granted can never be lost. Every child of God possesses eternal life and, being regenerated, justified, and sealed by the Holy Spirit, is safe and secure for all eternity.
However, a Christian can, through sin, lose his fellowship, joy, power, testimony and reward; and incur the Father's discipline. Relationship is eternal, being established by the new birth; fellowship is dependent upon obedience to the Word of God. (John 3:16-18; 5:24; 6:47; 10:27-30; Rom 3:21-25; 4:5; 8:38-39; Gal 2:16; Eph 2:1-10; 1 Tim 1:15; Titus 3:3-7; Rev 22:17)
We believe that the universal church, which began at Pentecost, is the Body and Bride of Jesus Christ, and is comprised of all those who have been born of the Holy Spirit throughout history until the Lord comes for His own at the end of the age.
We believe that the local church or assembly of believers, is established for worship, prayer, fellowship, teaching, witnessing for Christ and observing the ordinances of the Lord, which are:
- Baptism of believers by immersion.
- The Lord's Supper.
a) Leadership of the assembly: The local church is independent or autonomous, it has only one head, the Chief Shepherd, our Lord and Master Jesus Christ.
i) It is not governed by majority opinion, but by a team of godly men called elders who are appointed to guard, to oversee, to shepherd (pastor) and rule. (Acts 14:23; 20:28; Titus 1:9; Acts 20:31; Acts 20:28; 1 Pet 5:1-2; Acts 20:8; 1 Tim 5:17; Heb 13:7).
ii) Practical administration is by appointed deacons. (Acts 6:1-5; 1 Tim 3:8-13).
b) Worship and teaching: Spirit-led men are responsible for the leadership of the assembly in both “open” and “arranged” public worship. They are also responsible for the teaching of the assembly. (1 Cor 14:34-37; 1 Tim 2:8, 11-12; 1 Cor 14:26)
We believe that the Holy Spirit seals, baptises, indwells and regenerates all believing sinners at the moment of conversion. While every believer has been baptised with the Spirit, he also has the obligation to practise the fullness of the Spirit. (Eph 1:13; 1 Cor 6:19; Rom 8:9; Titus 3:5; 1 Pet 4:10; Heb 2:3,4)
We believe that the Holy Spirit gives every Christian at least one spiritual gift for service. However, we believe that certain gifts such as apostle, prophet, tongues, interpretation of tongues, miracles, healing, word of wisdom and word of knowledge were temporary sign gifts. They were primarily associated with the foundation of the church before the completion of the canon of Scripture.
The apostles had a one-of-a-kind, non repeatable, and nontransferable role in the history of the church. Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds NKJV (Acts 5:12; 14:3; 2 Cor 12:12). Signs, wonders, and miracles were the benchmark of a true apostle of Jesus Christ.
a) The apostles were sovereignly chosen by God for their ministry. Acts 19:15; 1 Cor 1:1; Rom 1:1; 1&2 Cor 1:1; Eph 1:1; Col 1:1; 1 Tim 1:1; 2:7; Acts 10:41; 1Cor 12:28
b) The apostles were personally appointed by the Lord Jesus Christ. Luke 6:13; John 6:70-71; Acts 20:24; 26:16; Rom 1:5; Gal 1:1
c) The apostles had to be eyewitnesses of Christ\’s life, death and resurrection. Acts 1:2-26 10:39-41; 1 Cor 9:1, 15:8.
d) The apostles received the gospel by direct revelation from Christ not from other men. Matt 20:17-19; John 13-17; Acts 1:1-3; Gal 1:11-12; 1 Cor 11:23-25, 15:3; Eph 3:3-5
e) The apostles were the foundation of the church. Eph 2:20; 4:12 Acts 2:42; 2 Pet 1:19
f) The apostles were given unique ministry duties. Mark 3:14; 1 Cor 11:1, 4:16; 1 Thess 1:6
We believe that the next great event in the fulfilment of prophecy will be the coming of the Lord in the air to receive to Himself both His own who are alive and remain until his coming, and also all who have fallen asleep in Jesus (the Rapture). This will be followed by the Tribulation.
We also believe that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both just and unjust, and that the former will enjoy eternal life while the latter will suffer eternal punishment. We hold that when the Lord Jesus Christ returns to the earth in person with power and great glory He will introduce the millennial age. (Luke 16:19-26; John 14:1-3; 1 Cor 15:51-52; 1 Thes 4:13-18; 2 Thes 1:7-9; Rev 20:1-3)