Church 21 stands in the tradition of historic Christian faith, a faith well stated in the Apostle’s Creed. On matters of doctrine we embrace the maxim: “In the essentials unity, in the non-essentials diversity, in all things charity.” In other words, we believe that all doctrine is important, but that common adherence on all points of doctrine is not necessary for salvation. The Apostles Creed articulates the essentials well:

APOSTLES CREED

I believe in God the Father Almighty

maker of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord;

He was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

and born of the Virgin Mary,

He suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried;

He descended to the dead.

On the third day he rose again.

He ascended into heaven,

and is seated at the right hand of the Father;

He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit;

one holy Church;

the communion of saints;

the forgiveness of sins;

the resurrection of the body;

and the life everlasting. Amen

STATEMENT OF FAITH

The Word of God - We believe that the Bible composed of 66 books of the Old and New Testaments is the Word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and that it has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.

God - We believe that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; that these are equal in every divine attribute and perfection, and that they inseparably operate in all of God's works of creation, providence, and redemption.

God the Father - We believe in God the Father, an infinite, personal spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. We believe that He infallibly foreknows all that shall come to pass, that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.

God the Son - We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and who thereby took on a complete sinless human nature. We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, and teachings. We believe in His penal substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people, and personal future visible return to earth.

God the Holy Spirit - We believe in the Holy Spirit who came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and to regenerate, sanctify, and empower all who believe in Jesus Christ. We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Christ, and that He is an abiding helper, teacher and guide.

Regeneration - We believe that man was created by God in His own image; that he sinned and thereby incurred physical, spiritual and eternal death, which is subjection to the wrath of God; that as a consequence, all human beings are both born with a sinful nature and are sinners by choice, and are therefore under condemnation. We believe that those regenerated by the Holy Spirit, who repent and forsake sin and trust Jesus Christ as Saviour, become new creatures, are delivered from condemnation, and receive eternal life.

The Church - We believe in the universal church, a living spiritual body of which Jesus Christ is the head and all regenerated persons are members. We believe in the local church, marked out by faith in Jesus Christ, baptized in obedience to his command, and associated for worship, work and fellowship. We believe that God has laid upon the members of the local church the task of giving the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world.

Ordinances - We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to the local church, baptism and communion. We believe that Christian baptism is by water into the name of the Triune God. We believe that communion was instituted by Christ for commemoration of His death. We believe that these two ordinances should be observed and administered until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Christian Living - We believe that a Christian should live for the glory of God and the well-being of his fellow man, in obedience to God's revealed will in scripture; that his life should be blameless before the world; that he should be a faithful steward of his possessions; and that he should seek to realize for himself and others the full stature of maturity in Christ.

Last Things - We believe in the personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth and the establishment of His kingdom. We believe in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, the eternal life of the righteous and the eternal suffering of the wicked.