What We Believe

The great ancient ecumenical creeds – Apostles’ Creed, Nicene Creed, Athanasian Creed, Definition of Chalcedon – are excellent statements of faith regarding the Holy Trinity, Christ, and the essential Christian Gospel. We confess and believe all that is taught in the Old and New Testaments, the inspired, inerrant, infallible, sufficient and authoritative word of God. We are committed to the whole of Scripture, and to the systematic exposition of biblical truth known as the Reformed faith.

In addition to the Three Forms of Unity (Heidelberg Catechism, Belgic Confession of Faith, Canons of Dort), we treasure the rich and harmonious diversity of creeds and confessions within the historic Protestant Reformation tradition. In particular, we recognize that the system of doctrine contained in Scripture is also confessed in the Westminster Standards, namely the Confession of Faith, the Larger Catechism (Part 1 and Part 2), and the Shorter Catechism.

Being part of the historic Reformed church, we trace our heritage from the Apostles through the ancient church to the Protestant Reformation. This “faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3) is summarized in the “five solas” below:

Sola Scriptura | Salvation is revealed in the Scripture alone. The Bible is the inspired, inerrant Word of God, the only authoritative revelation of God’s will for our faith and life.

Sola Gratia | Salvation is by grace alone. God does for us what we cannot do for ourselves, in showing us favor we could never earn or deserve, before we would even want it or ask for it.

Sola Fide | Salvation is received through faith alone. We are counted righteous in Christ by believing and trusting in him, and we can add nothing to his finished work of salvation by our own good works (even though good works are evidence of a true and living faith).

Solus Christus | Salvation is in Jesus Christ alone. Jesus lived the perfectly obedient life that we should have lived, died the death under God’s wrath that we deserved to die, was resurrected from the dead and ascended into heaven… all on our behalf, to reconcile us to God. It is only by our sins being imputed to him, and his righteousness being imputed to us, that we are saved.

Soli Deo Gloria | Salvation is to the glory of God alone. The plan, initiative, and outworking of our salvation from start to finish is entirely due to the wisdom, grace, and acts of the Holy Trinity. Therefore, God alone is to be thanked and praised for his saving work in our lives.