Our Beliefs

As a Presbyterian Church we believe the Westminster Confession of Faith is a good summary of the Bible’s teaching

A short summary of our beliefs are:

God

There is one God, who exists in three persons - Father, Son and Spirit - in perfect unity. He is the almighty and loving Creator, Saviour and Judge, who sustains and governs all things, according to his sovereign will, for his own glory.

Humanity

All people, men and women, are created in God's image and are called to love God with all their beings. However, since Adam and Eve sinned, all people are guilty of rebelling against God, so every part of human nature is thoroughly corrupted by sin. This makes everyone subject to God's righteous anger and condemnation.

The Bible

The Bible, as originally given, is the God-breathed, infallible, and inerrant word of God. This precious, life-giving word is sufficient for our knowledge of God, and is the supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.

Jesus Christ

God demonstrated his love for us by sending his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, into the world.  The Lord Jesus Christ is both fully God and fully man. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, and lived a sinless life in obedience to his Father.  He died on the cross, was buried, rose from the dead, and in his resurrected body he ascended into heaven where he is exalted as Ruler over all.

Salvation

Salvation is entirely the gracious gift of God and cannot be earned or deserved. It is accomplished through the atoning death, once for all time, of our only representative and substitute, Jesus Christ.  By Christ's death, God's anger is turned aside, we are freed from sin and death, we are declared innocent in God's sight, and we are adopted into God’s family as his children.  This salvation is offered through the preaching of the gospel and is received by turning to God from sin and trusting in Jesus Christ.

The People of God

The Lord Jesus Christ builds the church, his people, through the proclamation and teaching of his word.  All who have been saved through the work of Christ are members of his church and are united with one another.  God has equipped his people with gifts to be used for mutual encouragement in the church and for the proclamation of the gospel to the world. No particular spiritual gift is evidence of having received the fullness of God's Spirit.

The Holy Spirit

The Father and the Son have sent the Holy Spirit from heaven.  He enables people to turn to God as their Father, and to trust in Jesus Christ, as their Saviour and Lord.  The Spirit makes the death of Christ effective to individual sinners by giving them new spiritual life.  God's Spirit dwells in all those who have this new spiritual life, uniting them to Christ, and making them more like Christ, in their thinking, and character, and lifestyle. All those who have been born again by God's Spirit will be strengthened and protected by God throughout their lives, and thus, will persevere in the Christian faith until Christ returns.

The Future

The Lord Jesus Christ will return from heaven to welcome his people into a life of eternal joy in fellowship with God, and to execute God's condemnation on all who have not turned to Him in trust and obedience.  On that day all sin, suffering and death will be completely destroyed, creation will be restored, and God will be glorified forever.