The Scriptures
We believe the Scriptures, as originally given, to be God’s inspired word. We accept them as infallible and recognise them as our rule of faith and life.
The Being of God
We believe God, as revealed in scripture, is alone worthy of worship and service. God is our Creator, immortal and possessing life in himself. God is our Redeemer, both in inception and application of his plan of salvation for sinners.
God, though one, in being exists in three distinct persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Mankind
We believe man was created by God, holy and truly happy. Under the influence of Satan, Adam rebelled against God by an act of disobedience. Consequently, the nature of man became sinful and has continued so through subsequent generations. The world was also spoilt so that man and the world became alienated from God.
Salvation
The need for salvation arises from man’s sinful condition. The opportunity for salvation results from the divine grace of God. This is accomplished in the plan of Redemption that required the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He paid the penalty for sinners by an act of substitution.
Those who recognise their sin, confess it and believe on Jesus Christ are brought into salvation by an inner working of the Holy Spirit and so become justified by faith.
Ordinances
We believe that baptism and the Lord’s supper, in that order, were instituted by Christ both for his glory and the spiritual good of believers. These two ordinances are to be observed in the church until his return. While baptism is a once and for all ordinance, and properly the initial step of new converts, the Lord’s supper is a continuing means of grace in the heart of believers.
Christians in Society and the Church
Since a Christian has become a child of God and a member of the Family of God, it is necessary to seek to live in such a way so as to honour God and reflect this to those around us.
The true Church is eternal and invisible and consists of all in every generation who, quickened by the Spirit, trust in Christ as their Saviour.
The Scriptures most frequently use the term church in the local sense of Christians of a particular locality coming together in fellowship and giving themselves to the Lord and one another. The Lord Jesus Christ exercises his government of the local church through gifted men called to the office of elders for spiritual leadership and deacons for the administration and temporal aspects of church life. Christians should seek to join a local fellowship for mutual service and support and obey the command to meet regularly together.
Last Things
We believe the Lord Jesus Christ will return to this world. He will come in judgement and all, those past and present, who have put their trust in him will be transformed into perfection and immortality.
The above is our brief statement of belief. As a church we subscribe to the Association of Grace Baptist Churches of East Anglia articles of faith and the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith. A fuller explanation of our belief and practice can be found in “We Believe” published by Grace Publications.