The Gospel: The good news of salvation found in Christ the Cornerstone-  John 14:6, Romans 1:16, Ephesians 2:19-20

The Word of God: Proclaiming the Word of God as truth-  2 Timothy 3:16–17, Hebrews 4:12

Transformed Lives: Life-changing discipleship-  2 Corinthians 5:17, Philippians 1:6

Community: Meaningful relationships-  Acts 2:42-44, Hebrews 10:24-25

Making Christ Known: Showing and sharing the Good News locally and globally-  Matthew 28:18–20, Acts 1:8

The Power of Prayer: Dependent upon God in prayer-  1 Thessalonians 5:16–17, 1 Timothy 2:8

Passionate Worship: Living for God’s glory and lifting Him high in worship-  John 4:24, Isaiah 43:7

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Aware of the strong trends in society to move further away from the truths of biblical Christianity, Gilmour Memorial Baptist Church and its leaders desire to be faithful to the time-tested teachings of the Holy Scriptures, reflected in the Statement of Faith below.

STATEMENT OF FAITH

(adopted by the congregation on March 5th, 2022.  An introduction was given by Pastor Ben-click here to read.)

The Scriptures

We believe the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments to be the full record of God’s self disclosure to mankind. Different men, while writing according to their own styles and personalities, were supernaturally moved along by the Holy Spirit to record God’s very words, inerrant in the original writings (Psalm 119:97-104; Psalm 119:160; Matthew 5:18; John 5:46-47; John 10:35; 2 Timothy 3:15-16). The Scriptures are infallible in their instruction (2 Peter 1:19), eternal in duration (Isaiah 40:8; 1 Peter 1:23-25), the final authority and the standard for faith and practice (Matthew 4:4; Psalm 119), and sufficient for counsel in every issue of life (Psalm 19:14-17; 2 Timothy 3:16).  Therefore, those applying themselves to study its literal, historical-grammatical context can accurately understand God’s Word.

The Triune God

We believe in the one living and true God (John 17:3), eternally existing in perfect unity as three equally and fully divine Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19–20). Each member of the Godhead, while executing distinct but complementary roles in redemptive history, has precisely the same nature, attributes, and being, and is equally worthy of the same glory and honor and obedience (John 1:1–4; Acts 5:3–4).

God the Father

We believe God the Father created all things in six days for His glory according to His own will (Revelation 4:11), through His Son, Jesus Christ. He upholds all things by the Word of His power and grace, exercising sovereign headship over all creation, providence, and redemption (Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3).

God the Son

We believe that Jesus Christ, the eternal Son, moved by love in accordance with the will of the Father, took on human flesh (John 1:1, 14, 18). Conceived through the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit, He was born of the virgin Mary. He, being fully God and fully man (John 14:8–9), lived a sinless life and sacrificially shed His blood and died on the cross in our place accomplishing redemption for all who place their faith in Him. He arose visibly and bodily from the dead three days later and ascended into heaven, where, at the Father’s right hand, He is now Head of His Body the Church, the only Saviour and Mediator between God and man, and will return to earth in power and glory to consummate His redemptive mission (1 Timothy 3:16).

God the Spirit

We believe the Holy Spirit, in all He does, glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ during this age. He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He draws the unredeemed to repentance and faith, and at salvation imparts new spiritual life to the believer, bringing that person into union with Christ and the Body of Christ. The Holy Spirit sanctifies, seals, fills, guides, instructs, comforts, equips, empowers, permanently indwells at salvation, and bestows spiritual gifts to the believer for Christ-like living and service (John 16:8; 13:15; Titus 3:5; Ephesians 1:22; 4:11–12; Romans 8:9–17; 12:4–8; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 12:4-5, 11–13, 19; Galatians 5:25; Hebrews 2:1–4; 2 Corinthians 12:12).

Mankind

We believe that God created mankind—male and female—in His own image and likeness, free of sin, to glorify Himself and enjoy His fellowship. Tempted by Satan, but in the sovereign plan of God, man freely chose to disobey God, bringing sin, death, and condemnation to all mankind. All human beings, therefore, are totally depraved by nature and by choice. Alienated from God without defense or excuse, and subject to God’s righteous wrath, all of mankind is in desperate need of the Saviour (Genesis 3:1–6; Romans 3:10–19; Romans 1:18, 32).

Salvation

We believe the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, as the substitutionary atonement in our place, and that salvation is found in none other than Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ’s death on the cross was the sole and complete payment for sins, fully satisfying God’s righteous wrath, for each person that places their faith in Christ alone by grace alone and turns from sin in repentance. The moment we trust Him as Saviour, we pass from death unto life, accepted by the Father according to the measure of Christ’s acceptance, and loved even as He is loved. As our representative and substitute, we believe that He shed His blood on the cross as the perfect, all-sufficient sacrifice for our sins. His atoning death and victorious resurrection constitute the only ground for our salvation (Acts 4:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; 1 Peter 3:18). We rejoice that “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Upon salvation, each person is made a new creation by the Holy Spirit, declared righteous before God, and secured as an adopted child of God forever. Genuine faith continues in obedience and love for Jesus Christ with a life eager to glorify God and persevere to the end (Romans 8:37–39; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Corinthians 12:13).

The Church

Upon placing one’s faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour, that believer is made part of the Body of Christ, the one universal Church, of which Jesus Christ is the Head. Scripture commands believers to gather locally in order to devote themselves to worship, prayer, the teaching of the Word, fellowship, the ordinances of baptism and communion, service to the local body through the development and use of talents and spiritual gifts, and outreach to the world to make disciples (Ephesians 1:22–23; Acts 2:42–46; 1 Corinthians 14:26; Matthew 28:18–20). Wherever God’s people meet regularly in obedience to this command, there is the local expression of the Church. A church’s members are to work together in love and unity, intent on the ultimate purpose of glorifying Christ (Ephesians 4:16).

Baptism and Communion

We believe Christian baptism is a public declaration of the believer’s salvation in Christ, identifying with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection symbolized by immersion in water. The Lord’s Supper is the united commemoration by believers of Christ’s death until He comes and should be preceded by a careful self-examination (Acts 2:41; Romans 6:3–6; 1 Corinthians 11:20–29).

Missions

We believe that the ministry of evangelism (sharing and proclaiming the message of salvation only possible by grace through faith in Jesus Christ) and discipleship (helping followers of Christ grow up into maturity in Christ) is the responsibility of all followers of Jesus Christ. We believe it is the aim, duty, and privilege of every believer and local church fellowship to glorify God by responding as active participants in the Great Commission call of Jesus Christ to go and make disciples of all nations. We believe the primary focus and priority of this call is centered on efforts that establish, strengthen, and reproduce biblically-based churches, which will then plant churches that plant churches for future generations and God’s Glory (Matthew 28:18–20, Acts 1:8, Romans 10:9-15, 1 Peter 3:15).

Things to Come

We believe in and expectantly await the glorious, visible, personal, return of the Lord Jesus Christ. The blessed hope of His return has a vital bearing on the personal life, service, and mission of the believer (1 Thessalonians 4:1–18). We believe in the bodily resurrection of both the saved and the lost. The lost will be raised to judgment and experience eternal wrath in hell. The saved will be raised to eternal joy in the new heaven and new earth in the manifested presence of God (Acts 1:3, 9; Hebrews 7:25–26).

Worship

The chief purpose of mankind is to glorify God by loving Him with the entire heart, soul, mind and might (Deuteronomy 6:5; Isaiah 43:7; Matthew 22:37). All believing men, women, and children are to glorify God and thus fulfill the purpose of their existence.  Worship glorifies God through adoration (Psalm 95:6), praise (Psalm 99:5), prayer (Daniel 6:10-11), thanksgiving (Nehemiah 12:46), and a complete yielding to Him (Romans 12:1). Worship declares His worth, pays Him homage, and celebrates Him in a life of devotion.

Marriage and Sexuality

We believe that marriage is created by God to be shared between one man and one woman, in a lifelong holy covenant, for the purpose of companionship, sexual intimacy, sanctification, and procreation (Genesis 1:26-28, Ephesians 5:21-33). Our created gender, sexuality, and sexual fulfillment are gifts from God that are to be informed by Holy Scripture and embraced with gratitude (Genesis 2:24, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, Matthew 19:2-6, 1 Corinthians 6, 2 Corinthians 6).  

Sanctity of Life

We believe that human life is sacred from conception to its natural end; and that we must have concern for the physical and spiritual needs of our fellowmen. (Psalm 139:13; Isaiah 49:1; Jeremiah 1:5; Matthew 22:37-39; Romans 12:20-21; Galatians 6:10).

Click here for a resource concerning revisionist gay theology.

Click here to find resources concerning the sanctity of human life.