Our Doctrinal Distinctive

Our church denominationally, doctrinally and historically identifies itself as Baptistic in distinctive and Calvinistic in soteriology, or the doctrine of salvation as expressing the eternal covenant of redemption and grace. We hold to the First London (1644, 46) and Second London (1677, 1689) Baptist Confessions as a general doctrinal and historical expression of our faith, but the Scriptures alone are our rule of both faith and practice.

The following is intended as a brief summary of what we believe.

We believe:

That the Scriptures are the Only and All Sufficient Rule of Both Faith and Practice

We believe that the Holy Bible was written by inspiration of God, and therefore has God for its author, salvation for its end, and unmixed truth for its matter. It must now, and to the end of time, remain the true center of Christian doctrine and life.

In Salvation by Grace Alone

We hold to the absolute sovereignty of God in salvation, that is, salvation is by the free and sovereign grace of God, not by man's so-called "free will." Salvation from beginning to end derives from God. It is He who determines and effects the salvation of each and every true child of God in the context of His absolute sovereign purpose and pleasure.

In a Regenerate Church Membership

A true Gospel church is an assembly which is bound together by a common faith in the Lord Jesus Christ after the New Testament pattern. Gospel or New Testament churches do not knowingly admit unregenerate persons into their membership.

In the Priesthood of the Believer

In the context of the New Covenant or Testament, there is no priest-cult or ecclesiastical mediator between the individual and the believer and His Lord.

In Liberty of Conscience

"Soul liberty" or "freedom of conscience" means that only the Word of God can command the conscience of the believer.

In the Autonomy of the Local Assembly

As the Apostles had no successors, each local church is autonomous, or self- governing under the headship of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In the Local Church Ordinance of Believers Baptism

Baptism symbolizes the believer's identification in the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Believer's baptism by immersion derives from the truth of the New Testament as to mode- Immersion, and subjects- believers.

In the Local Church Ordinance of Close Communion

The Lord's Supper is a memorial ordinance, observed "in rememberance of" the Lord Jesus Christ. We practice a "close communion," i.e. the observance of the Lord's Supper as a church ordinance and thus under its discipline and so limited to church members in good standing only. We also hold that the proper elements of this ordinance are unleavened break and wine.

In the Perpetuity of the New Testament Church

By "church perpetuity" we mean that New Testament or true gospel churches have had a continual, uninterrupted existence from the New Testament era to the present. As W. A. Jarrel put it, "There has never been a day since the organization of the first New Testament church in which there was no genuine church of the New Testament existing on earth."

In a Gospel Witness

Evangelism is inherent in the very nature of biblical Christianity. Evangelism is not only for the church in a corporate sense, but also an individual responsibility as opportunity presents itself in the normal course of daily life.

The Nature of Our Worship

Our worship services consist of prayer, congregational singing, the reading of Scripture and preaching.

All Members of the family are welcome!

[The distinctives of our church, with its Confessions of Faith, Constitution, Covenant and other peculiarities, are fully set forth in our Church Membership Manual, which is available to those who are considering membership.]