The purpose for which this local church exists is the worship of God in spirit and truth, the spiritual benefit of believers, and the fulfilment of the great commission to make disciples of all nations by the preaching of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. This church believes the Bible to be the Word of God and the only sure guide in all matters relating to faith and practice. Our principal articles of faith, taken from the Bible, can be summarised as follows:
Triune God
There is but one true and living God who exists in three persons – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit – who are equal in eternity, substance, power and glory.
Sovereignty
God has decreed in Himself, before the world began, by His most holy, wise and sovereign will, all things that come to pass.
Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, lived a perfect life, died voluntarily as a substitute and sacrifice for the sins of His people, rose bodily from the dead, ascended to the right hand of the Father, and will personally return in power and glory.
Man
Man was originally made perfect in the image of God, but fell from this perfection through the work of a personal devil, Satan. All people are therefore born under the guilt and condemnation of that sin, under the wrath of God, subject to eternal death, alienated from God, and unable in and of themselves to turn to Him.
Salvation
The Father planned from all eternity to save an innumerable company of people. He has freely chosen them eternally in Christ and predestined them to salvation, holiness and everlasting life, entirely by His own sovereign pleasure and grace.
Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit applies the redemption procured once and for all by Christ through the new birth in the heart of the believer. By His grace sinners believe unto salvation and bring forth the fruit of the Spirit. Saving faith is the sovereign and gracious gift of God.
Justification
Justification is an act of God’s free grace by which He pardons all our sins and accounts us as righteous in His sight. It is received by faith alone.
Adoption
Those who are justified receive the Spirit of adoption, and enjoy the liberties and privileges of the children of God.
Sanctification
Those whom God justifies He also sanctifies by His Spirit, renewing them in their whole person and enabling them more and more to die to sin and live to righteousness. A holy life is absolutely necessary as a result of true faith, and as the evidence of the new birth.
Security
Those whom the Father has chosen, the Son redeemed, and the Spirit sanctified, shall certainly obtain everlasting life and shall never be lost. He who endures to the end shall be saved.
Resurrection
There will be a resurrection from the dead of all people who have died, at the last day. All people will appear before the judgement seat of God. The wicked will be punished eternally in hell and the righteous will be eternally blessed in heaven.
The Church
The Church is the whole number of God’s people in heaven and earth, made up of all those, and only those, who are regenerate by the Spirit and united to Christ by faith. A true local church is a company of faithful people meeting for the worship of God, recognised by the faithful preaching of the Word of God, the proper administration of the ordinances, and the right exercise of spiritual discipline.
Baptism
Believers’ baptism by immersion is the only proper mode of baptism. After baptism a person has the responsibility and right to commit himself/herself to membership of the local church. This is shown in attendance at all the means of grace, especially the Lord’s Supper. We follow the practice of inviting baptised members in good standing with their churches to join us at the Lord’s Table. The Lord has set His supper within the discipline of the local church.
Church Order
We follow the principle of the congregational order of churches. All churches are independent of each other and are self-governing, each member of the church contributing his or her part to the work and organisation as God the Holy Spirit may direct. Though independent we are not isolationist, and earnestly seek to promote fellowship with like-minded churches for each other’s spiritual welfare. “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.” Romans 11:36 (NIV)