Our Beliefs

We are a Christian church that is Reformed Baptist, a Protestant denomination. We uphold Reformed theology and are committed to the theological distinctives of the historic Protestant Reformation.

  • We believe that salvation for sinners is by the grace of God and through faith alone in Jesus Christ.
  • We believe in the sufficiency of the Scripture; all of the Bible is the Word of God and should govern all of life. It is authoritative and without error.
  • God is a spirit. He is three persons in one: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He is absolutely holy, just and sovereign in every detail of life.
  • We believe that the true Church of Jesus Christ is composed only of believers who are empowered by the Holy Spirit and who evidence new life by obedient living as revealed in the Bible.
  • We hold to the London Baptist Confession of Faith 1689 as a helpful organization of Bible truth (doctrine).

We are a member of the Reformed Baptist Network.

Grace Fellowship Church - Our Beliefs

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” -1 Timothy 2:15

    What does it mean that we are Protestant?

    We trace our roots back to the 1600’s when churches experienced a renaissance of searching the Bible for the core truths of the Christian faith. As a result, they “protested” the corrupted teachings of the Roman Catholic church, which had strayed from a biblical foundation, and came together as Protestants.

    What are some key Protestant beliefs?

    5 Latin statements that define Protestantism are known as The 5 Solas:

    • SOLA GRATIA—Saved by Grace Alone;
    • SOLA FIDE—through Faith Alone;
    • SOLUS CHRISTUS—in Christ Alone;
    • SOLA SCRIPTURA—the Bible Alone as our authority for faith; and
    • SOLI DEO GLORIA—All to the Glory of God.

    A helpful summary of The 5 Solas is found at thegospelcoalition.org/essay/the-five-solas/

    What does it mean that we are Reformed?

    “Reformed” denotes that we come from a branch of Protestant churches that formed under the leadership of church “reformers” like Ulrich Zwingli and John Calvin.

    What are some key Reformed beliefs?

    The acronymn TULIP, developed from the teachings of John Calvin, is helpful in summarizing Reformed beliefs:

    • T—Total Depravity;
    • U—Unconditional Election;
    • L—Limited Atonement;
    • I—Irresistable Grace; and
    • P—Perseverance of the Saints.

    A detailed explanation of these principles can be found at ligonier.org/learn/articles/tulip-and-reformed-theology-introduction

    What does it mean that we are Baptist?

    As Baptists, we believe baptism is a sacrament reserved for believers, and is carried out by full immersion in water. As Baptists, we also hold to a congregational form of church government, where each church is self-governing.

    What is the foundational confession of Reformed Baptists?

    As Reformed Baptists, we hold to the teachings of The 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith.

    As a self-governing church, how are we networked with other churches?

    We belong to a network of Reformed Baptist churches called RBNet (Reformed Baptist Network). This network gives us both fellowship with other churches, and cooperation in the cause of missions.