What We Believe

We hope you find this helpful to know what we are about and where we are coming from.
If you’re unsure about what any of the following means, please feel free to get in touch.

We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the verbally inspired word of God, the final authority for faith and life, inerrant in the original writings, infallible and God-breathed.
(2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Matt. 5:18; John 16:12-13).

God has revealed himself to us through his son, Jesus Christ, who is the visible image of the invisible God, the holy scriptures, and through all of creation itself.

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man (John 1:1-2, 14; Luke 1:35). We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice, and that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead (Rom. 3:24; 1 Peter 2:24; Eph. 1:7; 1 Peter 1:3-5). We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where, as our High Priest, he fulfils the ministry as Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate. (Acts 1:9-10; Heb. 7:25, 9:24; Rom. 8:34; 1 John 2:1-2).

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptising all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption. (John 16:8-11; 2 Cor. 3:6; 1 Cor. 12:12-14; Rom. 8:9; Eph. 5:18).

We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that through Adam’s sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God; each man is completely affected by sin and spiritually dead, and of himself utterly unable to remedy his lost condition. (Gen. 1:26-27; Rom. 3:22-23, 5:12; Eph. 2:1-3, 12).

We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins. (Eph. 1:7, 2:8-10; John 1:12;
1 Peter 1:18-19).

We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept persevering by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever (John 6:37-40, 10:27-30; Rom. 8:1, 38-39; 1 Cor. 1:4-8; 1 Peter 1:5). The work of sanctification, though ultimately the work of God, involves both God’s activity and our obedience.

We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowing of spiritual gifts. It is, however, the believer’s responsibility to attempt to develop their sovereignly given spiritual gift(s). Whilst the baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs initially at conversion (and is the placing of the believer into the Body of Christ), it also occurs at other times in the Christian’s life where God’s extraordinary power is required for the carrying out of ministry. (Acts 1:8).

We also believe that particular spiritual gift(s) are neither essential, nor do they prove the presence of the Holy Spirit, nor are they an indication of deep spiritual experience (1 Cor. 12:7, 11, 13; Eph. 4:7-8). We believe that God does hear and answer the prayer of faith, in accordance with His own will, for the sick and afflicted (John 15:7; 1 John 5:14-15). We believe that it is the privilege and responsibility of every believer to minister according to the gift(s) and grace of God that is given to him. (Rom 12:1-8;    1 Cor. 13; 1 Peter 4:10-11).

We believe that the church, which is the body and espoused bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born-again persons (Eph. 1:22-23; 5:25-27; 1 Cor. 12:12-14; 2 Cor. 11:2). We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures (Acts 14:27, 18:22, 20:17; 1 Tim. 3:1-3; Titus 1:5-11). We recognise the believer's baptism and the Lord’s Supper as sacraments in the church (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; 18:8; 1 Cor. 11:23-26).

We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept persevering by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever (John 6:37-40, 10:27-30; Rom. 8:1, 38-39; 1 Cor. 1:4-8; 1 Peter 1:5). The work of sanctification, though ultimately the work of God, involves both God’s activity and our obedience.