WHAT WE BELIEVE

​The gospel is the “good news” that Christ Jesus came into the world to save people who were by nature his enemies, seeking their own glory rather than the glory of God (1 Tim. 1:15). By his sinless life, his atoning death in the place of his people, and his resurrection from the grave, Jesus reconciles us to God (1 Pet. 3:18) and makes us new creations (2 Cor. 5:17). Having ascended into heaven, he now reigns at the right hand of the Father as Lord over all (Acts 2:33–36; Eph. 1:20–22), possessing all authority in heaven and on earth (Matt. 28:18). Though creation has fallen into corruption through sin, Christ is restoring it to its original purpose (Rom. 8:19–23; Rev. 21). This restoration begins in the hearts of his people but extends outward into every sphere of life—family, church, state, education, and culture—so that all things are brought under his righteous rule (2 Cor. 10:5; Isa. 2:2–4). As Christ’s body on earth, the church is called to labor faithfully for the establishment of a new Christendom, bearing witness to his reign until every knee bows and every tongue confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord (Phil. 2:10–11). Christianity is the story of the mighty works of God in Christ, who redeems a people and renews the world under his good Lordship.​

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CHRISTIAN CATHOLICITY

We are Reformed catholics, confessing with the creeds and Reformed confessions that there is one holy, catholic, and apostolic church, united to Christ her Head by the Spirit and the truth of the gospel. By “Christian Catholicity” we affirm that our congregation will be part of the one church of Christ, and so we will live in fellowship, accountability, and love toward all who call upon the name of the Lord Jesus in sincerity and truth.​

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With all Christians, we confess the truths of the four great ecumenical creeds of Christendom:

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The Apostles Creed (2nd Century)

The Nicene Creed (381)

The Athanasian Creed (4th Century)

The Chalcedonian Creed (451)

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WE BELIEVE THE BIBLE 

The Bible is God’s perfect word. God wrote the Bible through his prophets and apostles. He does not make mistakes. As human beings we are joyfully obligated to conform our minds to what God has revealed to us in the Bible. We do not come up with our own opinions about God or the world. We go to the book written by the Creator of the world.

To see a more detailed expression of the nature of the Bible, see the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy.

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WE HIGHLY-VALUE THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION.

We are Reformed, meaning we love and agree with the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century and what it stood for in its core. We are also confessional which means that we stand united with all Christians throughout history in belief and practice. A confession of faith does not replace the Bible, it is a summary of what we believe the Bible teaches.[1]

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The most detailed expression of what we believe the Bible teaches is found in the Westminster Confession of Faith (with minor exceptions).[2] See more creeds and confessions we affirm in our Book of Confessions.

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BOOK OF CONFESSIONS​

We subscribe to the creeds and confessions below as accurate statements of what the Bible teaches:

The Apostles Creed (2nd Century)

The Nicene Creed (381)

The Athanasian Creed (4th Century)

The Chalcedonian Creed (451)

Belgic Confession (1561)

The Thirty-Nine Articles (1571)

Heidelberg Catechism (1563)

Canons of Dordt (1618)

Westminster Confession of Faith (and Shorter and Larger Catechisms) (1647)

The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy (1978)

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Notes

[1] Daniel Hyde, “Creeds and Confessions: Biblical and Beneficial,” Ligonier, September 5, 2014, accessed June 11, 2018, http://www.ligonier.org/blog/creeds-confessions-biblical-beneficial/. 

[2] Exceptions:

1. Chapter 7: Of God’s Covenant with Man— Para . 2: (cf. Chp. 19, para. 1, 6). Regarding the covenant of life initially given to Adam, we deny that it was structured upon a principle of meritorious works. Furthermore, we affirm that faithful observance of any divine ordinance is impossible in the absence of a heart posture of belief. Even in his original state, Adam’s obedience was to be the natural fruit of a trusting relationship with his Creator.
2. Chapter 21: Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath Day— Para . 8: We hold that the sanctification of the Lord’s Day involves a cessation from ordinary labors, providing bodily refreshment as a creational good. While the day is chiefly devoted to corporate and private worship, we do not believe that wholesome recreative activities, particularly those which build up the bonds of affection among believers, are inherently contrary to the Sabbath’s restorative purpose.
3. Chapter 23: Of the Civil Magistrate–– Para. 3: “[The Civil Magistrate] has power to call synods, to be present at them and to provide that whatsoever is transacted in them be according to the mind of God.” We reject any interpretation of the magistrate’s duty that grants him authority to govern the internal affairs of the Church or to sit in judgment on its doctrinal conclusions. The responsibility to ensure that synodical decisions conform to the Word of God belongs to the officers of the Church, not the civil authority.
4. Chapter 24: Of Marriage— Para. 4: Remove this part, “The man may not marry any of his wife’s kindred, nearer in blood than he may of his own: nor the woman of her husband’s kindred, nearer in blood than of her own.”
5. Chapter 25: Of the Church— Para. 6: While we unreservedly condemn the papal office as a usurpation of Christ’s unique headship over the Church and thus anti-Christian in its claims, we do not deem it necessary to identify the Bishop of Rome as the specific, final Antichrist prophesied in the eschatological passages of Scripture.
6. Chapter 27: Of the Sacraments— Para. 4: While the administration of the sacraments is a central duty of the teaching elder, we affirm that the Session, acting corporately, possesses the authority to authorize any ordained elder—whether ruling or teaching—to administer Baptism and the Lord’s Supper under its oversight.
7. Chapter 28: Of Baptism— Para. 3: We acknowledge that the signification of Baptism, which is the washing with water, may be properly represented through the various modes of sprinkling, pouring, or immersion. Para. 4: In light of our communion’s charitable allowance for differing interpretations on the recipients of baptism, an individual’s conviction regarding believer’s baptism alone shall not disqualify him from the office of elder.
8. Chapter 29: Of The Lord’s Supper— Para. 7: We define a worthy partaker as a baptized member of the covenant community in good standing, capable of physically consuming the elements. We deny that a predetermined age or a specific level of intellectual comprehension is a prerequisite for participation. The judgment concerning a young child’s readiness to commune is entrusted principally to the parents, subject to the pastoral guidance and final approval of the Session.