What We Believe

For Christ’s Crown and Covenant

This is the motto for our denomination and sums up our beliefs and the original goal of the church. We affirm that Christ is King over all nations, whether they acknowledge him or not, and by God’s grace to undeserving sinners the Christian’s citizenship is in his kingdom.  The Bible speaks often about the covenant relationship that exists between God and his people.  The Covenant of Grace binds God and his people together in an unbreakable bond of everlasting love.  God’s promise is, ‘I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people’ (Leviticus 26:12).

There are various ways of describing a Reformed Presbyterian (or Covenanter, as we are sometimes known):

Christian:

someone who follows Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord.  This is not just as a hobby, but shapes every aspect of life.  The Christian is also a member of the community of Christ’s Church who seeks to invite others into it.

Reformed:

this is an affirmation our use of the Bible as our supreme guide for life, since it is the Word of God and carries his authority. The Bible is the God-given guide for individuals and for the Church in every aspect of life.

Calvinist:

we do not exalt a man, even a great one like John Calvin, but we do accept the biblical truths that he emphasised.  We believe that we are chosen by God for salvation apart from any goodness in us (we do not have any).  There is nothing within us that will save us or will bring us to God – it is the Holy Spirit who brings us to faith in Christ

Presbyterian:

this refers to the form of church government that allows us to choose leaders based on their spiritual maturity and their godly call.  Each congregation has elders who oversee the work of the church and care for the people, and some (known as ‘pastors’) preach and teach.  Representatives from each congregation also meet in wider assemblies known as presbyteries and a Synod.  We believe that this is how the church that was governed from the earliest days of Christianity.

Sinners but saved:

we take the Bible seriously when it describes us as sinners and tells us how we have disobeyed and rebelled against God.  We believe that God is a just God and that he will provide justice.  We believe that we have been saved from his wrath and we are able to be in a relationship with God through his Son Jesus Christ.  Through the work of the Holy Spirit, we believe that we will understand God’s will for us more clearly and will be able to follow the Lord more faithfully.

For more information on our beliefs please visit www.rpc.org/beliefs/ or you can read about them in more detail in the Westminster Confession of Faith.