What We Believe

We believe

We hold further the following principles:

1. That the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, as originally given, are fully inspired by the Spirit of God, entirely trustworthy and entirely free of error, and that they are the final authority in all matters of faith and practice.
2. In one God, Creator of all, holy, sovereign, eternal, existing in three equal persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
3. In the deity of Jesus Christ, in his eternal existence with the Father in glory, in his virgin birth, true humanity, sinless life, substitutionary death, bodily resurrection, triumphant ascension, his present life as our High Priest and Advocate, and his personal return.
4. In the deity and personality of the Holy Spirit, who convicts of sin, of righteousness, and of judgement, who regenerates, sanctifies, and abides in all who believe in Jesus Christ.
5. That Satan exists as an evil personality, the originator of sin, the arch-enemy of God and humanity.
6. That God created man in his own image; that man sinned, became guilty before God, resulting in a fallen and sinful nature, thereby incurring physical and spiritual death.
7. That only those who repent of their sin and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved, and that salvation is by grace alone; that by the will of the Father, Christ voluntarily suffered a substitutionary and sacrificial death; that believers are justified by faith solely on the grounds of the all-sufficient sacrifice and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
8. That Jesus Christ will return visibly and victoriously from his Father's presence to gather his people to himself and to complete his conquest of sin and evil. All people, both believers and unbelievers, will be raised bodily and be judged by God. Believers will enjoy eternal well-being in God's presence, while unbelievers will suffer eternal exclusion from his presence. The whole creation will be so transformed so that righteousness will characterise the new heavens and the new earth forever.
9. That the Church universal is the whole company of believers called out from the world and set apart for the Lord Jesus, and that the local church is a voluntary, but committed, community of believers for the ministry of the Word, the mutual edification of its members, the propagation of the faith and the observance of the ordinances. We believe the local church is an autonomous, interdependent body, exercising its own God-given gifts, beliefs and privileges under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church.
10. That the Lord Jesus Christ appointed two ordinances - Baptism and the Lord’s Supper - to be observed as acts of obedience and as a perpetual witness to the cardinal facts of the Christian faith; that Baptism is the immersion of the believer in water as a confession of identification with Christ in burial and resurrection to newness of life in Christ, of commitment to the local church and of commitment to God’s mission; that the Lord’s Supper is the partaking of the bread and wine as symbolic of the Saviour’s body and blood, proclaiming his sacrificial death until his return.
11. In the priesthood of all believers, in that born-again followers of Jesus have direct access to God without being compelled to go through any human intermediary; and that they are free to serve God in whatever ministry God has equipped them to perform.
12. In the principle of separation of Church and State in that, in the providence of God, the two differ in their respective natures and functions. The Church is not to be identified with the State nor is it, in its faith or practice, to be directed or controlled by the State. The State is responsible for administering justice, ensuring an orderly society and promoting the welfare of all its citizens. The Church is responsible for proclaiming the Gospel and for demonstrating and making known God’s will and care for all humanity.
13. In the principle of religious liberty, namely that no individual should be coerced in matters of faith. The right of private conscience is to be respected.
14. In the joint principle of godly leadership and congregational participation. Leaders who are gifted by God and recognised are a blessing to the church. They work in conjunction with a participative congregation for the furtherance of the vision and mission of the church. Leaders will discern God's direction for the church and will encourage the congregation towards its accomplishment. The congregation will unify around the vision and contribute wisdom and help in fulfilling the corporate goals. Like the leaders, the congregation plays its part in ensuring that major doctrinal deviation is corrected, and moral failure is admonished and checked.
15. That, in Christ, there is no discrimination on the basis of race, language or culture.