What We Believe
Redeemer is an evangelical, charismatic, Protestant church. We hold to the central beliefs of the Christian faith (as expressed in the Apostles’, Nicene-Constantinopolitan and Chalcedonian Creeds), and we believe that the Bible is the inspired and authoritative Word of God. We are generally Reformed in our theology, with a strong emphasis on the grace of God and justification by faith; we believe that water baptism is for people who have repented of their sin and trusted in Jesus as Lord and Saviour; and we are charismatic in our doctrine and pursuit of spiritual gifts. As members of the Evangelical Alliance, we affirm modern statements like the Lausanne Covenant and the Evangelical Alliance statement of faith. We are also part of Newfrontiers, a group of apostolic leaders partnering together on global mission, joined by common values and beliefs, shared mission and genuine relationships. Below are some of these beliefes outlined.
Trinity and Sovereignty
The one true God who lives eternally in three persons – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19, 2 Corinthians 13:14). The love, grace and sovereignty of God in creating, sustaining, ruling, redeeming and judging the world. (Genesis 1:1, Colossians 1:16-17, Psalm 103:19, Isaiah 45:21-22, Revelation 20:12-13)
Bible
The divine inspiration and supreme authority of the Old and New Testament Scriptures, which are the written Word of God – fully trustworthy for faith and conduct. (2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:20-21, Psalm 119:105)
Sin
The dignity of all people, made male and female in God’s image to love, be holy and care for creation, yet corrupted by sin, which incurs divine wrath and judgement. (Genesis 1:26-27, Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Ephesians 2:1-3, Jeremiah 17:9)
Humanity
We believe God created human beings, male and female, in his own image. Adam and Eve belonged to the created order that God himself declared to be very good, serving as God’s agents and representatives to care for, manage, cultivate, and govern creation, living in holy and devoted fellowship with their Maker. Men and women, equally made in the image of God, enjoy equal access to God by faith in Christ Jesus and are both called to move beyond passive self-indulgence to significant private and public engagement in family, church, and civic life. In God’s wise purposes, men and women are not simply interchangeable but rather they complement each other in mutually enriching ways. Genesis 1:27–28 // Genesis 2:18–23 // 1 Corinthians 11:11–12
Deity and work of Jesus
The incarnation of God’s eternal Son, the Lord Jesus Christ – born of the virgin Mary; truly divine and truly human, yet without sin. (John 1:1,14, Luke 1:35, Colossians 2:9, Hebrews 4:15). The atoning sacrifice of Christ on the cross: dying in our place, paying the price of sin and defeating evil, so reconciling us with God. (Isaiah 53:5-6, 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Peter 2:24, Romans 5:8-10). The bodily resurrection of Christ, the first fruits of our resurrection; his ascension to the Father, and his reign and mediation as the only Saviour of the world. (1 Corinthians 15:20-22, Acts 1:9-11, Hebrews 7:25, 1 Timothy 2:5, Philippians 2:9-11)
Conversion
The justification of sinners solely by the grace of God through faith in Christ. (Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 3:23-24, Romans 5:1, Titus 3:5-7). The ministry of God the Holy Spirit, who leads us to repentance, unites us with Christ through new birth, empowers our discipleship and enables our witness. (John 3:5-6, Acts 1:8, Galatians 5:22-23, Romans 8:14-16, 2 Corinthians 3:17-18)
The Gifts & Baptism Of The Holy Spirit
We believe the Holy Spirit is alive and active in regeneration, empowerment and ongoing filling for the purposes of God in this world. We believe all of the gifts of the Holy Spirit are still available today. We believe the promise of Jesus in Acts 1:8 that ‘you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.’ We believe that Jesus’ promise applies to every believer and that we should ‘eagerly desire’ the gifts of the Spirit which are meant for the building up of the body and the advance of the kingdom of God.
Church
The church, the body of Christ both local and universal, the priesthood of all believers — given life by the Spirit and endowed with the Spirit’s gifts to worship God and proclaim the gospel, promoting justice and love. (Ephesians 4:4-6, 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, 1 Peter 2:9, Acts 2:42-47)
Church Government
Redeemer is overseen by a plurality of male pastor/elders.
The complementary nature of men and women requires that we partner together to love and lead the church. The consistent pattern in the New Testament is that qualified male pastor/elders shepherd each local body of believers. Pastors/elders are called to a number of formal and specific duties, including: prayer and Scripture study, caring for the people in the church, equipping the church to do ministry, giving an account to God for the church, living exemplary lives, preaching and teaching, praying for the sick, and teaching sound doctrine and refuting error at the corporate level.While the office of pastor/elder is reserved for men, to serve as “fathers” of the church family, the role of women as “mothers” of the church family is equally necessary and invaluable. Because men and women are complementary, it is essential that pastor/elders seek out formal and informal input from their sisters in Christ. Female leaders are also called to the task of committing themselves to prayer, Scripture, and exemplary obedience as they equip the church through leading, training, praying, and teaching within the various ministries of the church. 1 Timothy 3:1–7 // Hebrews 13:17 // 1 Timothy 5:17 // 1 Timothy 2:10–15 // Romans 16:1, 3-4
Return of Christ
The personal and visible return of Jesus Christ to fulfil the purposes of God, who will raise all people to judgement, bring eternal life to the redeemed and eternal condemnation to the lost, and establish a new heaven and new earth. (Matthew 24:30-31, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, Revelation 20:11-15, 2 Peter 3:13, Revelation 21:1-4)