Doctrinal Summary

Decisive Doctrine

I. The Scriptures

The Bible, consisting of the Old and New Testaments, is the inspired Word of God and, being clear and inerrant, is the final and sufficient authority for all of Christian faith and practice.

II. God

There is only one true God, an eternal, holy, personal Being who is all powerful, knowing, loving and is the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe. God is triune and so reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

A. God the Father

The Father reigns over the universe, His creatures and history according to the purposes of His grace. Fatherly to all men, He is Father to those who are his children through faith.

B. God the Son

The Son of God is Jesus Christ, who took on human nature in the incarnation but yet remained without sin. Perfectly fulfilling the law of God, His substitutionary death redeemed men from sin. Raised from the dead, He ascended into heaven, is now exalted at the right hand of God and will return.

C. God the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit inspired men to write the Scriptures and, through illumination, enables men to understand truth. He exalts Christ, effects regeneration and convicts men of sin, calling them to the Saviour. Baptising them into the Body of Christ, He indwells every believer, cultivating character, comforting and bestowing spiritual gifts, sealing them unto the day of final redemption.

III. Man

Man was created by God, in His own image, as male and female. Man sinned against God by free choice, falling from his original innocence, and brought sin into the human race, causing them to inherit a nature and an environment inclined toward sin.

IV. Salvation

Salvation is offered freely to all who respond with faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and repentance toward God. Faith is the acceptance of Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. Repentance is a genuine turning from sin toward God. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption. In its broadest sense salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification.

V. God's Purpose of Grace

Election, the gracious purpose of God according to which He saves sinners, is consistent with the free agency of man and is the glorious display of God's sovereign goodness. While believers may fall into sin, those whom God has accepted in Christ shall persevere to the end.

VI. The Church

Christ is the head of one united spiritual body, the Church, which includes all believers from every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation. The purpose of the Church is to glorify God. Members of the Church are directed to associate themselves together in local assemblies.

VII. The Family

The family is the God ordained foundational institution of human society. Marriage, the uniting of one man and one woman in lifetime covenant commitment, is the framework for intimate companionship, channel of sexual expression and means for procreation. A husband is to love his wife, providing for, protecting and leading his family. A wife is to submit to her husband, serving as his helper. Children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing from the Lord and to honour and obey their parents, who are to teach and lead them to make choices based on biblical truth.

VIII. Evangelism and Missions

It is the duty and privilege of every follower of Christ and of every church of the Lord Jesus Christ to endeavour to make disciples of all nations by verbal witness undergirded by a Christian lifestyle, and by other methods in harmony with the gospel of Christ.

IX. Last Things

Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth, raise the dead and judge all men. The unrighteous will be consigned to the place of everlasting punishment, while the righteous, in resurrected and glorified bodies, will receive rewards and dwell with the Lord forever.

Distinctive Doctrine

Church Order

I. The Nature of the Local Church

A local church is a distinguishable group of believers gathering together as an autonomous body to carry out the ministry and mission given to them in God’s Word.

II. The Leadership of the Local Church

While Christ is the Chief Shepherd, God’s Word calls for a plurality of men called elders to shepherd each local church. Deacons are recognised servants of God within the local church.

III. The Ministry of the Local Church

Each believer is to be involved in the ministry and mission of the local church. This should be done in accordance with distinctions made in God’s Word, including differences in gifting and gender.

IV. Headship within the Local Church

Men and women, as image-bearers of God, are equal, yet have specific roles and responsibilities. Just as the head of Christ is God, the head of man is Christ and the head of woman is man. This is visibly displayed when ‘praying or prophesying’ by men uncovering and women covering their heads.

Church Ordinances

I. Baptism

Baptism is the immersion of a believer in water, symbolising faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, death to sin, burial of the old life and the resurrection to walk in newness of life.

II. The Lord’s Supper

The Lord's Supper is remembering and proclaiming Christ’s death in anticipation of His return through partaking of the bread and the cup, which represent His body and blood. The Lord’s Supper is an act of both communion with the risen Christ and fellowship with each other, as all who partake are members together in one local body.