Alongside believers throughout the world, we affirm the fundamental truth claims of the historic and ancient Christian faith which are summarized in the earliest creeds of the church. These point us to the central message of salvation in Christ and belief in God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit which we gladly confess in baptism and conversion. The foundation of our faith is built on the person and work of Jesus Christ in His Cross and the true character and nature of God; every other belief flows from this Gospel foundation.
What We Believe
We confess Jesus Christ as Lord and joyfully receive His Gospel through personal repentance and faith.
We Are Christians
First and foremost, we confess Jesus Christ as the true and only Son of God and Savior of the world.
We Affirm The Early Christian Creeds:
The Apostles Creed
The “Apostles Creed” was written as early as 150 AD. It was not written by the apostles themselves, but is a simple summary of the Gospel message that they proclaimed. It focuses on the historical truth that Christ came, Christ died for our sins, Christ rose physically from the dead, and Christ will come again to judge the world in righteousness. The statement also affirms the truth of creation and of the triune nature of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It highlights the critical importance of the church, the sure promise of God’s forgiveness, and the physical resurrection to come.
The Nicene Creed
The Nicene Creed was developed in the 4th century (325 and 381 AD). These Christian leaders re-affirmed the central truths of the Apostle’s Creed and added needed emphasis on the full divinity of Christ. It also emphasized the full divinity and personhood of the Holy Spirit.
The Athanasian Creed
The Athanasian Creed was most likely written in southern France in the 5th century, and reaffirmed the earlier creeds while further emphasizing the teaching of the Trinity and the deity of Christ in response to the heresy of Arianism which denied both.
The Chalcedonian Creed
The Chalcedonian Creed was formulated in 451 AD by church leaders who came together to address and correct various teachings that brought confusion about the nature of Christ in His incarnation. It affirmed the previous creeds that declared Jesus as being both fully God and fully man, and clarified that Christ must therefore have both a fully human nature and a fully divine nature.
We Are Evangelical and Always Reforming
Second, we commit to continued renewal in our faith by the Holy Spirit working through the Word of God.
As a church, we gladly affirm many key principles and teachings of the Protestant Reformation passed down through gifted teachers such as Martin Luther, Jean Calvin, Ulrich Zwingli, John Knox, and many others in the centuries that followed until today. Their ministries and teaching point us back to the clear and unfading light of the Gospel in Scripture. We believe these principles help safeguard Christ’s church against human traditions and unscriptural beliefs which can dilute and even deny the power of the Gospel.
We Embrace The “Five Solas” of Salvation:
By Grace Alone
Sola Gratia means that we are saved by God’s grace alone. Salvation cannot be earned, but rather is a free gift to sinners who deserve death rather than life because of their guilt before God and rebellion against Him. But in unfathomable love and mercy, God’s plan has always been to grant salvation as a free gift to sinners who receive His offer by faith in Christ through the Gospel message (Ephesians 2:1-10).
Through Faith Alone
Sola Fide means that salvation comes to us by grace alone through faith alone. We cannot ever merit God’s favor or earn His acceptance by our good works. We do not deserve God’s forgiveness. Instead, we are reconciled by the work of Jesus on the Cross to make atonement for our sins. Because the blood of Christ was shed for us, we are now justified and have true and lasting peace with God (Romans 5:1-11).
In Christ Alone
Solus Christus teaches that salvation is found in Jesus Christ alone. There is no other mediator which God has appointed on earth or in heaven to stand between Himself and His creatures. The saints, the virgin Mary, or any other prophet or teacher cannot bring us into relationship with God or help us draw nearer to Him. Jesus is the Great High Priest of God’s people, and he is the only mediator between God and man. (1 Timothy 2:3-6, Hebrews 12:22-29)
From Scripture Alone
Sola Scriptura means that the truth of the Gospel is preserved for us in the inspired and infallible revelation found in Scripture alone. The Holy Scriptures are the only “God-breathed” and trustworthy source of divine revelation. Religious traditions or teachings which are not explicitly grounded in Scripture do not have binding authority in matters of faith and practice. The truth of eternal salvation is perfectly preserved and powerfully present for us in Scripture alone (Matthew 15:4-9, Mark 7:1-8).
That said, “Scripture Alone” does not mean Scripture Only. Guided by the unfailing and perfect light of God’s Word, Christians are able to gain insight into God’s creation from all kinds of sources and fields of knowledge. Through a humble and growing knowledge of God’s Word, we mature in godly wisdom and are able to discern what is good and pleasing to God in accordance with His will (2 Timothy 3:12-16, Romans 12:1-2).
To The Glory of God Alone
Soli Deo Gloria means that our salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, and revealed in Scripture alone to the glory of God alone. God’s design is that the Gospel message would bring ultimate glory to Himself. It leaves absolutely no room for human boasting through self-justification or supposed human righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:26-31, Romans 3:21-28).
The central and enduring accomplishment of history, then, is not any earthly achievement. Rather, it is the revealing of God’s Son, Jesus, and His achievement of redemption at the Cross. If we truly understand salvation, we will boast entirely in who God is and what He has done for us according to His great love and mercy in Christ (John 3:16-18, 1 Peter 4:11).
We Are A Baptistic and Free Church
Finally, we believe in self-governing churches that gladly join others in Gospel witness around the world.
As a church we honor our Baptist heritage, but we also recognize and deeply cherish brothers and sisters who come from other backgrounds. We therefore offer an associate membership for non-Baptists who wish to participate in the life of our church.
During and after the time of the Reformation, various Christian groups came together to apply its principles further. Their vision was to establish churches free from outside control that prevented believers from worshipping according to conscience. Ultimately their goal was to organize their own worship, teaching, and church governance more closely in line with Scripture. We seek to embody these same principles today and learn from the rich heritage of faith that they have left us.
We Maintain Historic Baptist Principles:
The Bible and Tradition
First and foremost, Baptists are people of the Word. We emphasize the supreme authority of the Scriptures over and above any human tradition or teaching. At the same time, we freely affirm historic Christian creeds and practices from the past and value them for their helpful insight (for an example from history, see the London Baptist Confession). However, the ultimate binding authority for Christians is Scripture alone, and we view all practices and teachings by its all-sufficient and authoritative light.
Believer's Baptism
Baptists do not practice infant baptism, but instead seek to organize church membership around each individual’s personal engagement with God through baptism accompanied by a testimony of personal faith and repentance. To learn more about our associate membership for those baptized as infants, feel free to contact us (Mark 1:14-15, John 3:1-5).
Baptism is the symbolic and spiritual “entry” into the Christian faith that God has given each believer to express their personal repentance and faith in Christ. Immersion in the water and baptism in the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is a powerful picture of Jesus’s own death, burial, and resurrection. For this reason, we celebrate every new life in Christ with a special baptism service in the presence of the church (Romans 6:1-11, 1 Peter 3:21).
Congregational Governance
Baptists have a strong commitment to practice the ideal of a “regenerate church” where only those with a clear testimony of personal faith in Christ are accepted as members. God’s design for the church is not as a social institution for those born into the faith, but as a spiritual family those who are born again through a personal and living faith in Jesus Christ. The “priesthood of believers” means that every member is gifted by the Holy Spirit to serve in varied but necessary roles (1 Corinthians 12:12-13, Ephesians 2:4-5).
As Baptists we practice congregational governance where each member has a voice and vote in the church’s spiritual direction, as well as an active role in service to the community. Our churches are independent and self-governing; and yet we still maintain the proper place and practice of qualified and ordained biblical leadership especially through the role of elders and deacons within each local church (Matthew 18:15-20, 1 Peter 2:5-9, Hebrews 13:17).
Christians in Society
The early Baptists were persecuted throughout Europe and the Americas as a result of their non-conformist faith. This resulted in a call for religious freedom and the separation of church and state. We believe all people should form their own beliefs and spiritual practice in good conscience, assuming they do not break just laws or cause harm to others (2 Timothy 2:24-26, 2 Corinthians 4:1-6).
Baptists also have a long history of seeking to embody the principles of Jesus’s social teaching in the Gospels. We believe in the power of forgiveness, peacemaking, non-violence and non-retaliation. Not all Baptists are pacifists, but we do affirm that many wars throughout history have been waged unjustly and created horrific and unnecessary human suffering (1 Peter 3:8-17, Romans 1:29-30).
Mission and Mercy
Baptists are a people known for commitment to world missions and mercy relief efforts for the spread of the Gospel and the fame and renown of Christ. Although not governed by denomination, healthy Baptist churches have a strong impulse to freely associate with other like-minded churches in order to see the advance of the Kingdom of God in the hearts and lives of all people (Matthew 28:16-20, 1 Corinthians 16:1-4).
Whether through Christian unions, cooperative giving, evangelistic societies, or the formation of institutions such as hospitals, schools, and seminaries, Baptists engage in outreach for the common good. This plays out in local, regional, national, and global contexts as leaders come together with human and financial resources around a common and God-given vision (Matthew 5:2-12, 1 Chronicles 16:24).