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 . 1: We hold that this ending phrase "or any other way not prescribed in the Holy Scripture" should instead read, "or any other way that does not have biblical warrant." Para . 8: We hold to the Continental view of the Lord's Day, in which it is our duty to gather with God's people for corporate worship. We do not believe recreation is forbidden on the Lord's Day Sabbath.
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 hold to the original text of the WCF before this part was modified, which correctly identifies the duty of the godly magistrate to protect the Church, facilitate the gathering of synods, and ensure that the Church’s business is conducted according to the mind of God, without thereby claiming for the magistrate an authority to dictate doctrine or override the ecclesiastical keys.
4. Chapter 24: Of Marriage— Para. 4: We object to this statement: “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 do not agree with the Roman Catholic office of the Papacy, we do not deem it necessary to identify the Bishop of Rome as the Antichrist prophesied in the eschatological passages of Scripture.
6. Chapter 27: Of the Sacraments— Para. 4: We believe there are rare times when an elder in God's church may appoint a person to temporarily administer a sacrament in an extraordinary circumstance.
7. Chapter 28: Of Baptism— Para. 3: Sprinkling, pouring, and immersion are all valid modes of baptism. Para. 4: We believe it should be possible for a man to become an elder who holds to credobaptism personally.
8. Chapter 29: Of The Lord’s Supper— Para. 7: Regarding the Lord’s Supper, we believe that anyone who has been baptized and is a member in good standing of the church can take Communion, as long as they are physically able to eat and drink the elements. We don’t believe a child needs to reach a certain age or pass a ‘theology test’ to participate. They are members of the covenant community, and Jesus said to let the little children come to him. We trust parents to decide when their child is ready to take Communion, with the church’s elders there to provide guidance and give the final sign-off.