Statement of Faith

God: We believe that there is but one God, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, who is the Creator and Sustainer of all things visible and invisible, revealed in three Persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (Genesis 1:1; Matthew 28:19; Colossians 1:16)

The Father: We believe in God the Father, the Ancient of Days, who is not aloof from human history but who, through various covenants, has initiated relationship with mankind, and to whom we have now been reconciled through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ upon the Cross. Because of Jesus Christ, we too can now call God “Father.” (Genesis 17:1-8; Matthew 6:9; Romans 5:6-11)

The Son: We believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, His virgin birth, that He died, was buried and on the third day rose back to life, that He ascended to heaven and is now seated at the right hand of the Father. We believe that He is the eternal Son of God, for whom and by whom all things were created. (Matthew 1:24-25; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 10:12)

The Holy Spirit: We believe that the Holy Spirit (as the third Person of the triune God) proceeded from the Father and the Son, and is of one substance, majesty and glory with the Father and the Son. (Genesis 1:2; Psalm 51:11; John 14:26)

The Holy Scriptures: We believe in the divine inspiration of the Holy Scriptures, as contained in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, as the sole written revelation of the mind and will of God, and we accept them in their original form as the divine inerrant Word of God. (2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:21)

Satan: We believe that the Devil, through temptation and deception, initiated the downfall of man and now seeks to destroy the faith of every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ and to hinder the further spread of the Gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ. (Genesis 3:1-5; Zechariah 3:1; John 8:44)

Salvation: We believe that it is impossible to attain salvation through self-effort, but that through simply believing in the atoning death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and in acting out that faith through receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we receive the remission of all our sins, reconciliation with God and the gift of eternal life. We hold that the believer has an eternal salvation secured in Christ. (John 3:16; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9)

Baptism: We believe in fulfilling the command of Jesus to baptize believers

in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and that this

baptism is symbolic of our death, burial and resurrection with the Lord Jesus

Christ in His redemptive work on the Cross. (Matthew 28:19; Colossians 2:12)

Sanctification: We believe it is the glorious privilege of every believer in

Christ to be made pure in heart and wholly sanctified by the operation of the

Holy Spirit through the blood of Christ and the Word of God. A believer cannot

be justified by works, but evidence of that justification can be seen through

works empowered by the Holy Spirit. (Hebrews 2:11; Hebrews 10:10; Hebrews 13:12)

The Church: We believe in the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, made up of

all who have believed on the Lord Jesus and received the salvation of the

Cross, and that this Church will come to the full expression of unity that can

only be found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, according to the prayer of Jesus

Christ in John 17. (Matthew 16:18; John 17:23)

The Lord's Supper: We believe, in accordance with the command of the

Lord Jesus, that we should celebrate this ordinance in remembrance of the

atoning work of Christ and as an act of fellowship together. (Luke 22:19-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

The Return of Christ: We believe in the physical second coming of the

Lord Jesus Christ, returning as He ascended, with power and majesty, to

judge the dead and the living. Those not found in the Book of Life will be

consigned to everlasting separation from God, described in the Scriptures as

the Second Death. Those found in the Book of Life will enter into the glorious

presence of God. (Acts 1:11; 2 Timothy 4:1; Revelation 20:12-15) 

Marriage and gender: We believe in the covenant of marriage between

one natural born man and one natural born woman. We believe there are only

two genders, male and female. (Genesis 1:27; Genesis 2:24; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10)

Gifts of the Spirit: We believe in the empowering of the Holy Spirit for

service and the present-day operation of the gifts of the Spirit, as described in

1 Corinthians 12:7-11. Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4)

Centrality of the gospel: We believe that the Gospel of the Lord Jesus

Christ must be central to all church teaching and activity. The Gospel is a

“whole Gospel for the whole Christian life.” (Matthew 24:14; Mark 16:15; Romans 1:16)

Ministry of every believer: We believe that every believer, regardless of

race, gender or educational status, is called by God to participate in His

glorious purpose. We are all “full time” in the ministry, even if we have a

secular vocation, and to this end, each believer has a unique mix of ministry

gifts, as determined by the Holy Spirit. (Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 4:16; 1 Peter 2:9)

Women in the church: The Gathering believes that men and women are

equally gifted and qualified to lead and serve as co-laborers in the church. We

do not simply permit, but expressly value, the presence of both men and

women in these various facets of church leadership, including the role of

overseer. (Judges 4:4-5; Acts 18:26; Romans 16:7; Galatians 3:28)

The Nicene Creed (AD 381)

We believe in one God, 

the Father, the Almighty, 

maker of heaven and earth, 

of all that is, 

seen and unseen. 

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, 

the only Son of God, 

eternally begotten of the Father, 

God from God, Light from Light, 

true God from true God, 

begotten, not made, 

of one Being with the Father; 

through him all things were made. 

For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, 

was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary 

and was made man. 

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; 

he suffered death and was buried. 

On the third day he rose again 

in accordance with the Scriptures; 

he ascended into heaven 

and is seated at the right hand of the Father. 

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, 

and his kingdom will have no end. 

We believe in the Holy Spirit, 

the Lord, the giver of life, 

who proceeds from the Father and the Son, 

who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, 

who has spoken through the prophets. 

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. 

We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. 

We look for the resurrection of the dead, 

and the life of the world to come.