Doctrinal Statement

Affirmation of Faith

As per the Baptist General Conference of Canada Affirmation of Faith

Adopted July 2010 (BGC-C National Conference)

The Word of God:

We believe that the Bible is the revealed Word of God, fully and verbally inspired, written under the direction of the Holy Spirit. We believe it is without error in the original manuscripts and is true and trustworthy in all aspects that it asserts. It has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.

The Trinity:

We believe that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons, that these are equal in every divine perfection, and that they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence and redemption.

God the Father:

We believe in God, the Father, an infinite, personal spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. We believe that he concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of each person, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He Saves from sin and earth all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.

God the Son:

We believe in Jesus Christ, existing eternally as God's Son. In His incarnation He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, led a sinless life, performed miracles and taught with authority. We believe in his substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people and personal visible return to earth.

God the Holy Spirit:

We believe in the Holy Spirit, who was sent by the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment, and to regenerate, sanctify and empower all who believe in Jesus Christ. We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Christ and that He is an abiding helper, teacher and guide.

Angels:

We believe that angels are a distinct order of created spiritual beings; that they can appear in human form; that good angels minister to human beings and serve God as special messengers; that Satan, a fallen angel, and his evil angels when he leads, exercise great but limited evil power in the world, and will suffer final defeat at the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Regeneration:

We believe that all people are sinners by nature and by choice and are, therefore, under condemnation. We believe that those who repent of their sins and trust Jesus Christ as Saviour are regenerated by the Holy Spirit.

The Church:

We believe in the universal church, the living spiritual body of which Christ is the Head and all regenerated persons are members. We believe in the local church, consisting of a community of believers in Jesus Christ, baptized on a credible profession of faith, and associated for worship, ministry and fellowship. We believe that the mission of the church is to bring good news of Jesus Christ into our lost world.

Christian Conduct:

We believe that Christians should live for the glory of God and the well-being of others; that their conduct should be blameless before the world; that they should be faithful stewards of their possessions; and that they should seek to realize for themselves and others the full stature of maturity in Christ.

Ordinances:

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to the local church: baptism and the Lord's Supper. We believe in Christian Baptism as the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the triune God. We believe that the Lord's Supper was instituted by Christ in order to remember His death. We believe that these two ordinances should be observed and celebrated until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Religious Freedom:

We believe that every person is directly responsible to God. Believers should be free to covenant together in autonomous congregations with undue interference from the ecclesiastical or government authority. While respecting the authority of government we affirm the responsibility of the church to speak into the public forum. In matters of disagreement between Scripture and government, we believe we must obey God.

Church Cooperation:

We believe that local churches can best promote the cause of Jesus Christ by cooperating with one another in an association of like minded congregations. Such an organization, whether a district or national conference, exists and functions by the will of the churches. Cooperation in a conference is voluntary and may be terminated at any time. Churches may likewise cooperate with inter-denominational fellowships on a voluntary, independent basis.

Last Things:

We believe in the personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth and the establishment of His kingdom. We believe in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, the endless suffering of the unbeliever in hell and the eternal joy of the Believer in the presence of God.

Supplementary Position Statements of the Affirmation of Faith

Marriage and Morality:

We believe that marriage is a gift to society whereby a man and a woman are joined together in a lifelong commitment to faithful companionship, extended family connectedness, and in the sovereignty of God – the blessing of children. Our understanding stems from our reading of the Bible, our source of faith and behaviour.

We believe that marriage of a man and a woman reflects the original intent of God in creation (Genesis 2:24, 25). To that end, as a church we cannot endorse marriages of same sex individuals as consistent with what the Bible teaches. Therefore, our pastors may not perform same sex marriages. We consider this to be a pastoral statement giving spiritual guidance to our pastors and people. We realize that not all of Canada understands life in the same way.

Church Co-operation:

We believe that as a church, we may likewise co-operate with interdenominational fellowships on a voluntary, independent basis. We do not, however, identify with or any sense support the contemporary “charismatic movement”, in regard to its teachings and activities which distinguish it as such.

We hereby subscribe to the New Testament doctrines and principles historically held by Baptists and band ourselves together for the maintenance of these doctrines and principles, for the spread of the gospel, for the teaching of the Word of God, for worship and for fellowship.

Affiliation

We declare our loyalty to the Baptist General Conference of Canada and to the Baptist General Conference in Saskatchewan. We desire to cooperate with all other groups of believers who are in basic agreement with our Affirmation of Faith.