The statements below are what we hold to be fundamental about our faith. If you are new in your faith or looking for more information, you may find some terms unfamiliar or ideas that seem daunting — don’t worry. The essential message is this: we are in need of salvation, and that can only be found in Jesus Christ.
“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” Ephesians 2:4-6.
We confess Jesus Christ as our Lord and saviour, and faith in Him to be the only way to, and the only requirement for, salvation. We offer fellowship to all in His name.
Statement of Faith, Belief and Doctrines
We believe that the Bible, consisting of the both the old and New Testaments, is the complete Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit, without error in the original writings, accurately preserved for us in our English translations, and absolutely binding upon us in all matters of our faith and conduct as Christians (2 Timothy 3:15-17; 1 Peter 1:10-12; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Psalm 19:7-9).
We believe that there is one God, the Creator, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Genesis 1:2, 26; Exodus 33:11; Exodus 33:20; Deuteronomy 6:4; John 1:1-2; John 5:17-23; John 14:25-26; John 16:7, 27-28; Philippians 2:6; Hebrews 1:1-8).
We believe in the sovereignty of God in creation, providence, revelation, grace, redemption, and the final judgment (Psalm 135:6; Isaiah 46:10; Romans 9:19-21; Colossians 1:15-18; 2 Timothy 3:16-17).
We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ is fully God, born of a virgin, sinless, and perfect (Matthew 1:20-25; Luke 1:35; John 1:14; Romans 8:3; Galatians 4:4).
We believe that the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ was substitutionary and representative (Romans 4:25; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 9:24-28; Hebrews 10:12-14).
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ rose bodily from the dead and ascended to the Father’s right hand, where He now ministers to us as our Great High Priest (Matthew 28:5-7; Mark 16:19-20; Luke 24:50-51; Acts 1:9; 1 Corinthians 15:20; Ephesians 4:8-10; Hebrews 4:14-16; Hebrews 7:25).
We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ will come to rapture His Church and subsequently return to reign on the earth for a thousand years (Isaiah 9:6-7; Daniel 2:44-45, Daniel 7:13; John 14:3; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Luke 1:32-33).
We believe that all human beings are sinners because we partake of the consequences of the Fall when Satan, an utterly evil personality, successfully tempted our first parents, Adam and Eve, and because we actually do evil things (Genesis 3:1-22; Psalm 53:2-3; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 3:19; Romans 5:12-19; Romans 8:5-7).
We believe that the moral standards as set forth in both the Old and New Testaments are God’s absolute requirements. All immoral behaviour and/or practices that countermand these standards are an abomination before the Lord and those who preach, practice, or condone them have no place in the Lord’s Assembly (Genesis 2:23-25; Leviticus 18-20; Romans 1).
We believe that unless the sinner comes to a saving faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, he or she is bound for everlasting torment with Satan in Hell (Romans 3:21-26; Romans 4:4-5; Galatians 2:16).
We believe that, by virtue of Christ’s death on the cross for the sins of the whole world and His resurrection from the dead, God forgives, reconciles to Himself, and gives everlasting life to everyone who repents of sin and exercises personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour (John 1:12-13; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23)
We believe that Jesus Christ lives in every Christian’s life by the Holy Spirit from that person is born again into God’s family, giving that person ‘all power’ to draw upon for daily life and Godliness, and for effective Christian service so that we need seek no experience in addition to this (Ephesians 2:10; Ephesians 4:24; Titus 3:4-8).
We believe that every true child of God possesses eternal life and, being justified, sanctified, and sealed with the Holy Spirit, is secure for all eternity (Ecclesiastes 12:7; Luke 16:19-31; Luke 23:43; 2 Corinthians 5:6-8).
We believe, however, that a Christian can, through sin, lose their fellowship, joy, power, testimony, and reward, and incur the Father’s chastisement (1 John 1:1-6).
We believe the relationship is eternal, being established by new birth; fellowship, however, is dependent upon obedience (2 Corinthians 5:17).
We believe in the pre-Tribulation return of our Lord Jesus Christ for His Church and His bodily second coming to bring judgment to this world (Acts 1:10-11) and to take His place of pre-eminence as Lord in His earthly millennial kingdom.
We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ will return for all Christians, alive or dead, changing them into His likeliness in preparation for eternity with Him, and will take them to be with Himself in Glory (1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).
We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ will return publicly to the establishment of the new heaven and new earth (Revelation 1:7).
We believe that the Church began with the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and is composed of true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 2)
We believe that true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are united to Him and to one another by the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 17:23; Romans 6:5; Philippians 2:1-3).
We believe that this means the Church as a whole is not an organisation, but a living organism known as the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 1:18-24; Corinthians 12:12-27; Ephesians 1:22-23; Ephesians 2:19-22; Ephesians 4:11-16; Ephesians 5:23-33; 1 Peter 2:5).
We believe that the Church’s calling, hope, and destiny are heavenly, and its chief function is to glorify God (Philippians 4:20; Hebrews 13:14).
We believe that the local church – the Assembly – is composed of believers in a locality who gather in Christ’s name for worship, prayer, edification, and testimony (Acts 2:41-47).
We believe that government and discipline are divinely outlined in the Scriptures as being the responsibility of the local Assembly (Hebrews 13:7; 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13; 2 Timothy 3:16-17).
We believe that there are two Christian ordinances given in Scripture: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38; 1 Corinthians 11:23-30).
We believe Baptism by emersion signifies the believer, having died with Christ, is buried with Him and also risen with Him to walk in newness of life (Acts 8:26-38; Romans 6:1-7).
We believe that the Lord’s Supper is a memorial feast instituted by the Lord Himself exclusively for His own (1 Corinthians 11:23-25).
We believe that in partaking of this Supper, believers remember Him and show forth His death until He comes (1 Corinthians 11:26).
We believe that in this setting particularly, believers function as worshipping priests before God (1 Peter 2:5, 9; Revelation 1:6).
We believe that our commitment is to obedience to the Lordship of Christ and that we have a faithful and fervent life (Romans 10:9; 1 Corinthians 1:9; 1 Peter 1:2; John 20:28).
We believe that every true child of God is called to display in his or her life the characteristics manifest in Jesus Christ, and to meet the need of other men as opportunity affords (Philippians 2:3-5; 1 Peter 1:15-16; Ephesians 4:14-15; Colossians 1:10).
We believe that it is the role of the Assembly to care for its members and to encourage members in their calling (Ephesians 4:11-12).
