Statement of Faith

What do we believe? 

At St A's we are active members of the Baptist Union of Great Britain.  Click here to read their page entitled 'Who are Baptists'.  The following statements are taken directly from the BUGB website.

Declaration of Principle

The Basis of the Baptist Union is:

• That our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh, is the sole and absolute authority in all matters pertaining to faith and practice, as revealed in the Holy Scriptures, and that each Church has liberty, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to interpret and administer His laws.

• That Christian Baptism is the immersion in water into the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, of those who have professed repentance towards God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ who 'died for our sins according to the Scriptures; was buried, and rose again the third day'.

• That it is the duty of every disciple to bear personal witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to take part in the evangelisation of the world.

Five Core Values: a gospel people called to be:

A Prophetic Community
Following Jesus in confronting evil, injustice and hypocrisy.  Challenging worldly concepts of wealth, power, status and security.
As Baptists, we emphasise the importance of conscience, and of carefully listening to the voice of conscience.  Having a dissenting history, we should be unafraid to live distinctively and prophetically.

An Inclusive Community
Following Jesus in transcending barriers of gender, language, race, class, age and culture.  Identifying with those who are rejected, deprived and powerless.
We should reflect Jesus’ love for the fallen, the excluded, the poor and hungry, the oppressed, voiceless and powerless.  As Baptists we need to recover the Reformation emphasis on the priesthood of all believers.

A Sacrificial Community
Following Jesus in accepting vulnerability and the necessity of sacrifice.  Seeking to reflect the generous, life-giving nature of God.
Baptist communities will resist the temptations of worldly power and triumphalism.  We will recognise the importance of vulnerability and the necessity of sacrifice as the path to resurrection and new life.  We will embrace the call to live with paradox and failure.  We will seek to reflect the generous life-giving nature of God.

A Missionary Community
Following Jesus in demonstrating in word and action God’s forgiving and healing love.  Calling and enabling people to experience the love of God for themselves.
Corporately and individually we are obliged to seek to bring other people to a personal experience of God’s saving love and to a faith-relationship with him and to demonstrate in our words and actions God’s forgiving and healing love.

A Worshipping Community
Following Jesus in engaging in worship and prayer which inspire and undergird all we are and do.  Exploring and expressing what it means to live together as the people of God, obeying his Word and following Christ in the whole of daily life.

We must recognise the primacy of worship and prayer, both individually and corporately.  This will nurture our relationship with God and awaken us to the wonder of his salvation.  It will open our hearts and minds to the renewing power of the Holy Spirit, making us more ready to obey his Word and honour him in all aspects of our daily lives.  It will also enrich our life together as the people of God by guiding and undergirding all we are and do.