The sum and substance of our creed:

Praise God from whom all blessings flow,

Praise Him all creatures here below;

Praise Him above ye heavenly host,

Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

[Scriptures] We believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are plenarily and verbally given by the inspiration of God and therefore inerrant in all their parts. God has preserved His Word through the Hebrew Masoretic Text and the Greek Textus Receptus. The Authorised Version is the most reliable translation of the Bible in English. The Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, faith and practice. (2 Tim 3:14-17; 2 Pet 1:19,20; Ps 19)

[God] We believe the Scriptures reveal the one true and only God, namely, the Divine Essence, or “Oneness” of Deity. “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord.” (Mk 12:29) That the one Jehovah is in three equal, yet distinct Persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. “There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one.” (1 Jn 5:7)

[Man] We believe God created Adam upright, but he fell by disobedience and all his posterity fell in him, he being the federal head and representative of all mankind. “By the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation.” (Rom 5:18) In consequence, mankind are condemned sinners, for “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Rom 3:23)

[Jesus Christ] We believe the Lord Jesus Christ is the great Immanuel, “God with us”. (Mat 1:23) He is very God and very man in one glorious complex person. The Triune God in the person of Christ, and for His sake, made all things. “For by Him were all things created that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers, all things were created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.” (Col 1:16,17)

[Election] We believe God loves His people with an everlasting love. (Jer 31:3) Before the world began, God did elect a certain number of the human race unto everlasting life, salvation, holiness, spiritual affection and good works, (2 Thess 2:13; Eph 1:4; 2:10) whom He did predestinate to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ of His own free sovereign grace and according to the good pleasure of His will. (Eph 2:5)

[Redemption] We believe, in the fulness of time “God sent forth His Son.” (Gal 4:4) Thus was “God manifest in the flesh.” (I Tim 3:16) The Lord Jesus Christ therefore became incarnate and really suffered and died as the substitute for the elect of God. As the covenant Representative and as standing in their law place, He fulfilled all the Divine precepts, and became “obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” (Phil 2:8) “He put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” (Heb 9:26) By His one offering, all His represented people have a complete discharge from all their transgressions; for “by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified.” (Heb 10:14) Jesus Christ is the alone Saviour of the chosen seed. “And thou shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins.” (Matt 1:21); and in order to effect this salvation, He took all their iniquities upon Himself. “The Lord hath laid upon Him the iniquity of us all.” (Is 53:6) So that all the iniquities of all the chosen seed were in covenant transferred to Jesus, their covenant Head; and that this covenant, and all that appertains to it, shall stand fast with Him. (Psa 89:28) Whereby He made all that satisfaction for their sins which the law and justice of God could require as well as made a way of bestowment of all those blessings which are needful for them both for time and eternity. The eternal redemption which Christ hath obtained by the shedding of His blood is special and particular, that is to say, it was only intentionally designed for the elect of God who alone can share its special blessings.

[Justification] We believe the justification of God’s elect is only by the righteousness of Christ imputed to them and received by faith without the consideration of any works of righteousness done by them, for “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.” (Rom 10:4) The full and free pardon of all their sins and transgressions is only through the blood of Christ according to the riches of God’s Grace. Christ as the righteousness of His people shall be acknowledged by all the truly enlightened, as in Jer 23:6: “And this is His name whereby He shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”

[Effectual Calling] We believe it is the will and prerogative of Immanuel to qualify and send forth men as His ministers to preach the everlasting Gospel. (Mk 16:15) All spiritual blessedness is connected with believing the Divine Report which relates to Jesus and His work. In other words, those who rightly believe, – “believe to the saving of the soul,” (Heb 10:39); and there is joy and peace in believing.” (Rom 15:13) However, regeneration, faith, conversion and sanctification are not acts of man’s free-will power, but of God’s mighty, irresistible, and efficacious grace; for the Holy Spirit of God makes persons “willing in the day of His power;” and they are “born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (Jn 1:13; Rom 9:16; Phil 2:13) All the people who are chosen by the Father and given to Christ in covenant shall, at the appointed time, be brought to Him, their covenant Head, by the effectual call of the Holy Spirit; as in Psa 110:3: “Thy people shall be willing in the day of Thy power;” and also as in Jn 6:37: “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me.”

[Perseverance of the Saints] We believe the elect of God shall hear His voice, and follow Him, possess eternal life, shall never perish, nor shall any pluck them out of their Redeemer’s hand. (Jn 10:27,28) This is generally termed the doctrine of the saints’ final perseverance, which we most cordially hold as true; for all the saints are “kept by the power of God through faith unto (final) salvation.” (I Pet 1:5)

[The Church] We believe Christ has established a community wherein the people of God may join together for corporate worship and the work of the ministry. (Matt 16) This community, also known as the church, is a local body of baptised believers following the commands of Christ. (Matt 28:18-20) The church is theocratic in government, congregational in structure and single-pastor in order. (Col 1:18; Acts 1:12-26; 8:1) Each church is autonomous as a body and free in its membership to seek the will of the Lord for the life of the fellowship. (1 Cor 5) Jesus blessed His church by giving under-shepherds to lead and feed His flocks. (Eph 4:7-16) The under-shepherd is responsible for the general oversight of the congregation, receiving counsel and assistance from a group of deacons who help him fulfill his calling on both spiritual and material matters. (1 Tim 3) Herein consists the plurality of leadership. As the pastor edifies the body with the Word of God, (2 Tim 4:1,2) and the deacons support the ministry by example and encouragement, (Acts 6:1-6) the congregation is therein equipped to arrive at decisions as a church on matters related to itself. Christ has commissioned his church to preach the Gospel, baptise believers and disciple (discipline) members of the body. (Matt. 18:15-20; 28:18-20) Baptism of believers by immersion and the Lord’s Supper are ordinances of Christ to be continued until his second coming. (1 Cor 11) Baptism is a prerequisite for church membership and the Lord’s Table is a perpetual observance for all members. (Acts 2:41-47) Every member has received at least one spiritual gift which is to be exercised through the church. (Rom 12) However, miraculous gifts such as healings, tongues and prophecy which were exercised by the early church were signs of the apostles purposed to confirm the oral message of the Gospel. (Acts 1:1-11) Such gifts no longer function today since that which is perfect has come, the Holy Scripture of the Old and New Testaments. (1 Cor 13)

[Last Things] We believe there will be a “resurrection of the dead” both of the just and the unjust. Christ will come a second time to judge the quick and the dead when He will consign the wicked to everlasting punishment and introduce His own people into His Kingdom and Glory where they shall be forever with Him. (Mat 25:31-46)