The Bible
The Bible is God’s word, given by divine inspiration; the record of God’s revelation of Himself to humanity (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The Bible is completely trustworthy in all it teaches, and is the supreme authority for all matters of doctrine and conduct. It gives us direction (Psalm 119:105), shows us right and wrong (Psalm 119:11), shows us the truth about ourselves (Hebrews 4:12), makes us “wise for salvation” (2 Tim 3:15), and equips us for a life of love and service (2 Tim 3:17).
God
God is the self-existent, infinite, holy, personal Creator of the universe. God has always existed, and He created the universe by the power of His Word (Hebrews 11:3). There is only one true God (Isaiah 45:5). In the unity of the Godhead there are three persons – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – all of one substance (that is “God”), yet with distinct personalities (Matthew 28:19).
Jesus Christ
Jesus is the only begotten Son of God (John 1:18; 3:16), both fully God, and one with the Father (John 10:30), and at the same time, fully human (Hebrews 2:5-18). Jesus is the Mediator between God and humankind, having been sent by God to earth to die for us and forgive our sins (John 1:29), and to bring us into restored relationship with God (Romans 3:21-31).
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead, who has always existed with God the Father and Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit baptizes every believer into the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13) and gives each person spiritual gifts that empower them to bear fruit as he or she gives Him control of their life (Galatians 5:22-3). The Holy Spirit is the guarantee that Jesus Christ is coming back for His church (2 Corinthians 1:21- 2).
The Death and Resurrection of Jesus
Jesus died on the cross, was buried, and after three days rose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). After forty days, Jesus ascended into heaven (Acts 1:3-11), where He is now at the right hand of the Father (Hebrews 1:3), pleading to God on our behalf (1 John 2:1).
Humanity and Sin
God created humans in His own image (Genesis 1:26-7), to have fellowship with Himself and to be stewards over His good creation (Gen 1:26-28). Each person is unique, possesses dignity and is worthy of respect (Ps 139:13-17). Adam and Eve’s disobedience of God has brought sin and death upon the entire human race. As a result, everyone is born with a sinful nature (Rom 3:23) and is in need of reconciliation with God. Our sin leads to death, but God has given everyone who turns back to Him eternal life through Jesus Christ (Romans 6:23).
Salvation
We are saved from our sins and death, and given new, full and eternal life by believing in the person and work of Jesus Christ (John 3:16). There’s nothing we can do to earn our salvation; it is God’s gracious gift to us (Ephesians 2:8-9). Once a person believes that God has saved them by His grace, they are secure in Christ for eternity (John 10:28-9). Through faith in Jesus a believer is brought into right-relationship with God; yet salvation also entails being brought into the community of faith and ultimately experiencing the full restoration of all our relationships – with others, with our own selves, and with the created world.
Angels, Satan, and Demons
There is a very real spirit world, made up of God’s messengers, called angels, and God’s enemies: Satan and his demons (Ephesians 6:12). Satan is also the enemy of the believer (1Peter 5:8), and he blinds the mind of the unbeliever (2 Corinthians 4:4). Satan and his allies are ultimately doomed to defeat (Revelation 20:10).
The Church
The church is the universal body of Christ, comprised of all believers everywhere. The church exists to make disciples of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19-20).
Future Things
God has a plan for the future, where God, in his own time and in his way, will bring all things to their appropriate end and establish the new heaven and new earth (Rev 21:1-4). The focal point of God’s future plan is the sudden, personal and visible return of Jesus (Titus 2:13; John 14:1-3; Matthew 24:44). The dead will be raised and the unrighteous will be consigned to the eternal punishment prepared for the devil and his angels (Revelation 20:15; Matthew 25:41, 46). Those who have trusted in Jesus Christ will, in their resurrected and glorified bodies, receive their reward and dwell forever with the Lord (John 14:1-3; Phil 3:20-21; 1 Thes 4:13-18; 2 Cor 5:10).
Baptism
Upon confession of faith, Christians are commanded to be baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:18-20). We understand this to be believer’s baptism by immersion.
Lord’s Supper
The Lord’s Supper (Communion) is open to all who have personally accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. When we partake in the bread and the cup we are thankfully remembering the broken body and shed blood of Christ (Luke 22:19-20) and in so doing, proclaiming his death as we anticipate Jesus’ return (1 Cor 11:26).
Christian Love
Followers of Jesus Christ should seek to love everyone they come in contact with (1 Corinthians 16:14). Love identifies us as true disciples of Jesus (John 13:35).
Our Affiliation – North American Baptist Conference
We believe every follower of Jesus is a missionary. Our mandate is to equip missionaries for services in churches and communities in Canada, in the US, and on mission fields scattered around the world.