WHAT WE BELIEVE
DISTINCTIVES
In addition to the First London Baptist Confession, we hold to the following beliefs as the practical outworking of the truth found in scripture alone.
NEW COVENANT THEOLOGY
We are members of a covenant created and established by the blood of God. As such, we are held to the standards of the New Covenant and not the old. For example, whereas the Old Covenant demanded that the thief not steal, the new covenant calls for love and the giving away of our goods to those in need and it calls for such acts to be done in spirit and truth, in love.
PERMANANCE VIEW OF MARRIAGE
Marriage is the unison of a man and woman for life. As a representation of Christ and His Church, the marriage covenant is a permanent one. Marriage was established by God as the permanent, exclusive, comprehensive, and conjugal “one flesh” union of one man and one woman. A believer is only allowed to marry another believer.
FAMILY INTEGRATION
Children belong in the presence of the body of believers, not to be separated from the church into little mini-churches of their own. Parents are commanded to raise their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. This obligation is placed upon parents and not anyone else.
PLURALITY OF ELDERS
The Churches of the New Covenant were led by multiple men who acted as shepherds to guard and teach. The Apostles appointed elders (plural) in every church they established. As such, we believe it is not wise for one man to shepherd alone. Titus 1:5.
ELDER-LED
Church authority lies in the elders. Churches were never set up as democracies until the recent past. God never established Israel as a democracy and the Bible does not mention the concept. God always places authority in men, not in mob rule. As such, elders are called to make decisions in a Christ-like fashion and under his direction to act as leaders who are, in practice, servants.
PRIESTHOOD OF BELIEVERS
Elders are not responsible for the work of the body. They are members of the body and individual members of the priesthood of believers. But although they have authority over the teaching of the church, they are not more of a priest than any other. Therefore, the work of the church (taking care of the flock) is the work of the church, not simply/solely the work of the pastor. 1 Peter 2:9.
CESSATIONISM
We believe that the gift of speaking in tongues was a demonstration of real languages that men could understand. I believe that God has the prerogative to give the gift of tongues today if he wishes, but I have not seen any evidence that he is still giving the gift. Similarly, with the gifts of healing and prophecy and other “miraculous” gifts, God may utilize them at any given time. Nothing stops him from using them, but he is obviously not utilizing them to the degree which he once did at the church’s infancy
ELECTION
The people of God are all of his elect who have ever lived, are now living, or ever will live, make up the one true universal Church. This Church is the continuation and fulfillment of the historical people of God whom, in Abraham, God chose to himself from all peoples and to whom he bound himself by making covenants and promises; that it, therefore, exists as a chosen race, a kingdom of priests, a holy nation, and a people for God’s own possession and that it shall flourish despite persecution and strife unto the end of the age. Revelation 5:9-10, Romans. 4:9-12, 22-24, Acts 2, 1 Cor. 10:11, Hebrews 11:39-40, Galatians 3:8, Titus 2:14, 1 Peter 2:9.
CHURCH CULTURE
The gathering of the body should be more like a family gathering around a banquet table, and less like rows of congregants sitting in pews. Acts 2:42. Acts 20.
COMPLEMENTARIANISM
God has designed certain roles for men and women. Husbands are placed in position of leadership over their families, wives are commanded to submit to his headship, just as Christ submitted to the Father. Men are commanded to lead their wives as Christ led the church by loving her and giving up his rights for her benefit; making decisions which are for her good, not solely his own.
CHURCH DISCIPLINE
Jesus gave instruction on how disciplinary action is to be carried out. Matthew 18. Paul also gave instruction on putting men outside of the fellowship due to unrepentant continued sin. 1 Corinthians 5.
DOCTRINES OF GRACE
Man cannot come to God out of his own strength/desire because he is bound completely in sin. God has elected his people before they placed faith in Christ. The atonement of Christ is applied to those who believe. The atonement is not universal in that it wipes sin away from every individual (a.k.a. Universalism), nor is it “Limited” in that it wipes away the sin of favored individuals (Acts 10:34-35, Romans 2:11).
AMILLENNIALISM
New Covenant Church holds to the amillennial position of the end times. Jesus’ return could be any day. Therefore, there is no need for a period of tribulation for 7 years or any special, preliminary, or secret return to rapture the church before the “real” return in judgement. The tribulation and “end times” are what we’re living in now. Acts 2:16-21, 1 Cor. 10:11, 1 John 2:18-19
INERRANCY OF SCRIPTURE
The Bible was written by men, inspired by God as they wrote. What they wrote down was factual, true, and given by God. It is sufficient for guiding the life of the man of God.
YOUNG EARTH CREATONISM
God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. Views that seek to explain “day” as millions of years can undermine the gospel by placing death, disease, and tears into existence before sin entered the world; thus making Jesus’ death to be unnecessary since he died to reverse that which sin brought upon the world, namely death.
NON-SABBATARIAN
We believe that God gave Israel the Sabbath as both a means of rest from work and as a foreshadowing of the rest that God would give his people (the true Israel) from sin in Christ. We do not believe that working on any particular day is sinful, but that we should be good stewards of the time, bodies, and resources God has given us. Christ is our daily sabbath rest (Heb. 8:5, 10:1, Heb 4, Mark 2:28, Gal 4:10-11, Rom 14:6, Col 2:16).