What We Believe

Christ Church affirms the ancient faith of the Christian Church as outlined in the Apostles’ Creed (https://www.blueletterbible.org/study/ccc/apostles_creed.cfm ) and the Nicene Creed (https://www.blueletterbible.org/study/ccc/nicene_creed.cfm ).

We believe that there is only one true, living, and eternal God who is Creator and Preserver of all things, visible and invisible. We believe God is infinite in power, wisdom, justice, goodness, and love, and rules with gracious regard for the well-being and salvation of all people, to the glory of God’s name. We believe in the mystery of the Trinity, one God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, co-equal and co-eternal. 

(Scripture References: Gen. 1:1-2; Exod. 3:13-16; Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19; John 1:1-3; 5:19-23; 8;58; 14:9-11; 15:26; 16:13-15; 2 Cor. 13:14; Col. 2:2).

We believe the Son is the Word of the Father and of one substance with the Father. The Son took on human flesh being conceived through the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the womb of the Virgin Mary. He is the one Christ, fully God and fully human, who suffered, was crucified, died, and was buried, to reconcile us to the Father, and to be a sacrifice for our sins. We believe that Christ physically rose from the dead, taking His body again, and that He ascended into heaven to be with the Father. We believe that Christ is the only true Savior and Mediator between humans and God. We believe that Christ will come again to judge all humans. 

(Scripture References: Matt. 1:21; 20:28; 25:31-32; 26:27-28; Luke 1:35; 19:10; 24:1-7, 39; John 1:1, 10, 14; John 20:19; Acts 1:9-11; 2:24; Rom. 8:33-34; 2 Cor. 5:10, 18-19; Phil 2:5-11; Heb. 1:1-4; 2:17; 9:14-15).

We believe in the Holy Spirit who proceeds from the Father and the Son. We believe the Holy Spirit is of one substance, majesty, and glory with the Father and the Son. We believe the Holy Spirit is the administrator of the salvation planned by the Father and provided by the Son’s death, resurrection, and ascension. The Holy Spirit brings about our conviction, regeneration, sanctification, and glorification. We believe that the Holy Spirit is our Lord’s ever-present self, indwelling, assuring, and empowering the believer. 

(Scripture References: Matt. 28:19; John 4:24; 14:16-17, 26; 15:26; 16:7-8, 13-15; Acts 5:3-4, 15:8-9; Rom. 8:9, 14-16; 1 Cor. 3:16; 12:4-7; 2 Cor. 3:17-18; Gal. 4:6; 2 Pet. 1:21). 

We believe the Holy Bible, both Old and New Testaments, is God’s written Word, uniquely inspired by the Holy Spirit. It bears unerring witness to Jesus Christ, the living Word. As attested by the early church and subsequent councils, it is the trustworthy record of God’s revelation, completely truthful in all it affirms. It has been faithfully preserved and proves true to the human experience. 

The Scriptures have come to us through human authors who wrote, as God moved them, in Spirit, to speak through the Bible to all generations and all cultures. 

We believe the Bible has authority over all human life. It teaches the truth about God, His creation, His people, His one and only Son and the destiny of humankind. It also teaches the way of salvation and the life of faith. Whatever is not found in the Bible nor can be proved by it is not to be required as an article of belief or as necessary to salvation. 

(Scripture References: Deut. 4:2; 28:9; Ps. 19:7-11; Matt. 5:17-18; 24:35; Mark 8:38; Luke 10:25-28; John 5:39, 46-47; 14:24, 26; 17:17; Acts 10:43; Rom. 15:4; Gal. 5:3-4; 2 Tim. 3:14-17; Heb. 1:1-4; 4:12; James 1:21; 2 Pet. 1:10-12, 16-21, 1 John 2:2-6; Rev. 21:5; 22:19).

We believe the Church is created by God and is the community of all true believers under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Christ is the Lord and Head of the Church, and the Holy Spirit is the Church’s life and power. The Church is both divine and human, heavenly and earthly, ideal and imperfect. We believe the Church exists to fulfill the purposes of God in Christ, redemptively ministering to all. Christ loved the Church and gave Himself that He might present her holy and without blemish before the Father. The Church is a fellowship of the redeemed and the redeeming, preaching the Word of God and administering the sacraments according to Christ’s instruction.

(Scripture References: Matt. 16:15-18; 18:17; Acts 2:41-47; 9:31; 12:5; 14:23-26; 15:22; 20:28; 1 Cor. 1:2; 11:23; 12:23; 16:1; 1 Cor. 1:2; 11:23; 12:23; 16:1; Eph. 1:22-23; 2:19-23; 2:19-22; 3:9-10; 5:25-30; Col. 1:18; 1 Tim. 3:14-15).

We believe that baptism and the Lord’s Supper (Holy Communion) are the sacraments of the Church commanded and ordained by Christ through which God conveys his love toward us. They are a means of grace by which God works invisibly in us, quickening, strengthening, and confirming our faith in Him. 

We believe baptism is a sacrament of the church, commanded by our Lord, signifying entrance into the household of faith, and is a symbol of repentance and inner cleansing from sin, a representation of the new birth in Christ Jesus and a mark of Christian discipleship.

We believe children are under the atonement of Christ and heirs of the kingdom of God. Therefore, children are acceptable for Christian Baptism upon the request of parents or guardians who shall give assurance for them of necessary Christian training. Children should be nurtured and led to personal acceptance of Christ and by profession of faith confirm their baptism. We also support parents who desire to dedicate their children giving them an opportunity to personally accept baptism at a later date. 

We believe the Lord’s Supper is a sign of our redemption, a remembrance of the sufferings and death of Christ, and a token of love and union, which Christians have with Christ and with one another. The Lord’s Table is open to all who rightly, humbly, and in faith eat the bread and drink the cup, partaking in the body and blood of Christ in a spiritual manner until He comes again.

(Scripture References: Matt. 3:13-17; 26:26-29; 28:19; Mark 1:9-11; 14:22-24; Luke 3:21-23; John 3:5; 6:53-58; Acts 2:38, 41, 46; 8:12-17; 9:18; 16:33; 18:8; 19:5; 22:16; Rom. 4:11; 1 Cor. 5:7-8; 10:16-17; 11:20, 23-29; Gal 2:27-29; Col. 2:11-12; Titus 3:5).

We believe that God created human beings as male and female in God’s own image, innocent, morally free, and responsible to choose between good and evil, right and wrong. 

(Scripture References: Gen. 1:26-31; 2:4-25; Psalms 8:3-8)

We believe that the first humans rebelled against God and fell from righteousness. All people, as offspring of Adam, are corrupt in their very nature so that from birth, they are devoid of holiness and inclined towards evil; we all fall short of the glory of God. We must be born again through faith in Jesus Christ to see the Kingdom of God. Without the grace of God, no one can do good works that are pleasing and acceptable to God. We believe, however, that humans influenced and empowered by the Holy Spirit can freely exercise their will for good. 

(Scripture References: Gen. 3:1-24; Ps. 51:5; Rom. 1:18-20; 3:23; 5:12, 17-19.)

We believe we are never accounted righteous before God through our works or merit, but that as penitent sinners we are justified or accounted righteous before God only by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

(Scripture References: John 1:12-13; 3:3-8, 16; Acts 10:43; 13:38-39; Rom. 3:21-26, 28; 4:2-5; 5:8-9; 8:15-17; 1 Cor. 6:11; Eph. 2:8-10; Phil. 3:9; Col. 3:9-10.)

We believe that sanctification is the renewal of our fallen nature by the Holy Spirit, received through faith in Jesus Christ, who cleanses us from sin through His sacrifice on the cross. We believe that we are not only delivered from the guilt of sin, but are saved from sin’s power, and are empowered by God’s grace to love God with all of our hearts and to love our neighbors as ourselves. 

(Scripture References: Lev. 20:7-8; John 14:16-17; 17:19; Acts 1:8; 2:4; 15:8-9; Rom. 5:3-5; 8:12:12:1-2; 1 Cor. 6:11; 12:4-11; Gal. 5:22-25; Eph. 4:22-24; 1 Thess. 4:7; 5:23-24; Heb. 10:14).

We believe that good works are the fruit of faith and follow after justification. Good works cannot atone for our sins. Yet, they are pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ. They spring out of a true and lively faith. By good works a lively faith may be known, as a tree is discerned by its fruit. 

(Scripture References: Matt. 5:16; 7:16-20; Rom. 3:27-28; Eph. 2:10; 2 Tim. 1:8-9; Titus 3:5; James 2:14-26).

We believe that marriage, as instituted by God, is a covenant of lifelong union between one man and one woman. The marriage covenant is the only relationship which is divinely designed for the birth and rearing of children and is a covenant union made in the sight of God, taking priority over every other human relationship. By God’s grace, Christian marriage reflects God’s character, His covenant love, and is an illustration of Christ’s love for the Church.  

While we affirm God’s ideal for marriage as a lifelong covenant between one man and one woman, we do recognize that we live in a fallen world, and we are broken people. We are thankful for God’s grace through Jesus Christ, which is available to all who turn to Him in repentance whereby we can experience forgiveness and healing.

We believe that singleness and celibacy are God honoring lifestyles commended by the Bible. Those who choose singleness and celibacy follow the examples of Jesus and Paul, and live full, meaningful, and purpose-filled lives that point us to the temporary nature of marriage and our eternal union with Christ. 

(Scripture References: Gen. 2:18-25; Matt. 10:11-12; 19:4-6; 1 Cor. 7:32-35; Eph. 5:21-31; Col. 3:18-19; Heb. 13:4.)

We believe that sex is a part of God’s good creation. We acknowledge that all people are born sexually broken with desires and inclinations that do not reflect God’s design for humanity. Faithfulness to Christ as Lord demands a lifelong stewardship of our sexuality for all persons. Sex outside of the marriage covenant is an abuse of God’s good gift and outside of God’s design for humanity. Those who experience same sex sexual desire share in the same call of all Jesus’ disciples: celibacy or faithfulness in marriage between one man and one woman. 

While we affirm a scriptural view of sexuality and gender, we also affirm that all are welcome to experience God’s grace in Jesus Christ. We are committed to be a church of radical hospitality and healing for any and all who have experienced sexual brokenness. 

(Scripture References: Gen. 2:25; Prov. 5:18-19; Song of Sol. 1:2; 7:1-13; Matt. 5:28; 1 Cor. 6:15-18.)

We believe that women are called to be in leadership of the church, including pastoral leadership. In both the Old and New Testaments, leadership included both men and women. From the very beginning, men and women are created in the image of God and given the joint task of being stewards of God’s creation. Moses’ sister, Miriam, delivered Moses from the Nile River. Later, Miriam was given the title of prophetess as the Hebrews sojourned across the desert toward the promised land. Deborah was used by God as a deliverer to rescue the Israelites from their enemies. Mary of Nazareth was given the special responsibility of bearing and rearing the Christ child. God indicated that it was through a descendent of Eve that the serpent (Satan) would be crushed.

Jesus included many women among his followers, such as, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, Salome, Susanna, and Joanna. Specifically, women were the first to proclaim the good news of Jesus’ resurrection. On the day of Pentecost both men and women received the Holy Spirit. During Paul’s ministry, many women played a vital role. Lydia hosted the first church on European soil in her house. In his letters, Paul includes many women who had ministered alongside him and in the churches.

(Scriptural References: Gen, 1:26-30; 3:16; Exod. 2:1-10; 15:21; Judges 4-5; Matt. 28:1-10; Mark 15:40-41; 16:1-8; Luke 1-2; 8:1-3; 24:1-12; John 20:1-18; Acts 1:13-15; 2:1-18; 16:11-15; Rom. 16:1-16; Gal. 3:28; Phil. 4:2-3).

As well as affirming the Christian faith of the scriptures and the ancient Christian Creeds, we also stand on the shoulders of the Methodist movement. Our above statements of belief, therefore, have a Wesleyan accent coming from the Articles of Religion of the Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, as well as statements of belief from the Free Methodist, Wesleyan, and Global Methodist churches.

Christ Church comes from the Wesleyan expression of the Christian faith; therefore, we hold to a Wesleyan understanding of salvation:

1. All need to be saved. (Gen. 3; Ps. 51:5; Rom. 3:10-12, 23)
2. All can be saved. (John 1:12; 3:16; Rom. 10:13; 2 Cor. 5:19, 21)
3. All can know they are saved. (John 5:24; Rom. 8:15-16, 10:9: Eph. 2:8-9)
4. All can be saved to the utmost. (John 17:17; Rom. 13:8; Col. 3:12-17; 2 Pet. 1:3-4)

As Wesleyans in practice, we greatly value the teachings of the father of Methodism, John Wesley. Wesley’s Standard Sermons were taught to and by his lay preachers during the Methodist revival in the 1700s and following. Those sermons, which emphasize both holiness of heart and life, can be found here: http://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-sermons-of-john-wesley-1872-edition/the-sermons-of-john-wesley-the-standard-sermons/