The most important question a believer can ask about a church is “What does the church believe and teach?” It is our conviction that a body will act in accordance with their understanding of God and His self revelation. The fact that you are reading this document shows that you, too, believe this to be an essential matter. Although this document is not comprehensive, it is a guide to who we are and what we cherish as a body.
We are orthodox
What we mean by orthodox is that Christ Community Church believes in the supreme authority of Scripture because it is God’s written revelation. We believe all sixty-six books of the Bible were inspired by the Holy Spirit and that the Bible in its entirety is true and without any mixture of error. We adhere to the historic Christian doctrines formulated and tested by the Word of God. We believe in the Apostle’s Creed and its fidelity to the main tenets of the Christian faith. We believe that the affirmations articulated by the Councils of Nicea (325 AD) and Chalcedon (451 AD) correctly explicate the doctrines of the Trinity and Christ’s two natures. Ultimately, we believe that we are in continuity with historic Christianity and our theological
commitments are faithful to the Word of God.
We are Protestant
What we mean by Protestant is that the theological commitments of Christ Community Church are grounded upon the reform movements of the sixteenth century. We believe that the Protestant Reformation represented a recovery of essential biblical doctrines concerning the way of salvation and the supremacy of God’s Word. The reformers did not invent new doctrines or posit radical new ideas; rather, they re-discovered what the Bible had always said, and what faithful Christians had always believed. We believe the Reformers were right in calling the church to return to God by returning to the Scriptures. Therefore, we believe in the supremacy of Scriptural authority and in salvation by grace alone through faith alone and in Christ alone.
We are Evangelical
What we mean by Evangelical is that the ministry of Christ Community Church is grounded in the Bible and centered on the cross of Christ. As evangelicals committed to the Bible, we champion theological accuracy, sound biblical exposition, personal Bible study, and biblical literacy – all grounded upon the unique and the supreme authority of the Bible for doctrine, church practice, and personal spiritual growth. As evangelicals committed to the cross of Christ, we firmly believe that Jesus is the only way to a right relationship with God (Acts 4:12). It is Christ’s substitutionary death and His glorious resurrection that gives us the boldness to call people to repentance. In light of Christ’s atoning work, we compel the lost to be converted and trust Christ as their Savior. As a cross-centered church, we uphold and treasure Christ and His glorious work as the basis of our existence as a body and the grounds upon which to proclaim the gospel message to the lost. As a cross-centered body, we cherish our evangelical heritage by gladly joining hands with others, who uphold the gospel at the center of their calling, for the purpose of evangelism and global missions.
We are Baptist
What we mean by Baptist is that we affirm traditional Baptist theology and church polity. One of the salient features of Baptist church life and polity is the notion of believer’s baptism. We believe that the Bible teaches baptism as an ordinance of the Lord for those who have repented and have come to faith (Col. 2:12; 1 Pet. 3:21; Gal. 3:26-27). It signifies their union with Christ in his death and resurrection (Rom. 6:3-4). We believe that the mode of baptism prescribed in the Bible is by immersion (Acts 8:36-39; John 3:23; Rom. 6:34) and in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19). We believe that a church is made up of confessing believers who have been baptized as a sign of their union with Christ. As Baptists, we also affirm the autonomy of the local congregation. We believe that the local church is under the Lordship of Christ and, ultimately, responsible to Him for all her endeavors. This does not negate fellowship or even associational ties with other local congregations, but it does not allow for ecclesial hierarchy in matters of theology or church discipline.
We are Evangelistic
What we mean by evangelistic is that we take seriously the Great Commission of Matthew 28: 18-20: “Go and make disciples of all nations.” Without compromising the Sovereignty of God, we affirm the responsibility of each person to repent and believe on Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. We firmly believe that it is not God’s desire that any should perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). In light of this, we take our responsibility to extend the message of the Gospel as a call to salvation to everyone who hears it message. To this end, we call all, without distinction, to drink freely of the Water of Life and to live eternally in the presence of their Creator. This privilege and responsibility is not only applicable in our immediate context, but it extends to all the nations. Therefore, we make every effort to evangelize and support the work of the gospel at home and abroad.
* Christ Community Church is an affiliate of the Southern Baptist Convention, Montgomery Baptist Association, and the Pillar Network.