This document has three sections: first, an overall vision for the life of our church today; second, the historical, theological grounding of our doctrine; and third, key notes about what is normative for our common life and ministry.
We hope this Statement helps convey to you our joyful commitment to classical Anglican Christianity. We count on God to give us the grace to stand with love for all in the unchanging Good News of Jesus Christ, in the gift of Biblical revelation, and in the moral vision expressed in historic, Anglican Christianity.
Conversation can take understanding further – please contact us at 843.884.9090 or on this website to learn more!
Vision
We are a church with one great purpose: “Make Disciples” (Matthew 28:19)
Thus, “In everything, becoming more like Christ.”
Our Vision is anchored in Four Core Areas of our congregation’s life:
Worship
Offering ourselves to God in common prayer and praise
Discipleship
Forming the life of Christ in all
Fellowship & Pastoral Care
Enjoying and Caring for one another
Outreach
Serving needs in the world in Christ’s name
Our congregation’s life is called to reflect Four Gospel Commands:
First, we are to repent and believe in the gospel (see especially Mark 1:15)
…turn to and trust Jesus’ way, truth and life.
Second, we are to love one another as Jesus loves us (see especially John 15:12)
…love and care for the household of faith.
Third, we are to share our faith with others (see especially Matthew 28:19-20)
…everyone is welcome in the household of faith.
Fourth, we are to always keep our focus on the Kingdom of God (see especially Mark 13:33-37)
…the household of faith is promised a forever home, heaven.
Beliefs
Received from Christian Tradition as a sure theological foundation about God, ourselves, and the life of the Church, we ascribe to the following core doctrines:
Life and Ministry
Under our Vision, and building on our theological heritage, the life of our Church is many faceted. The following is a list of key, if not exhaustive, normative aspects for the life of all members:
Conclusion
This Statement does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. For the purposes of this church, in faith, doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline, the Rector (senior priest), under the ultimate authority of the Bishop, is the final interpretive authority on matters of doctrine and their application.
While this Statement operates as normative for the life of the whole congregation, the Bible in many places calls especially for the godly conduct and accountability of leaders, and so for the integrity and healthy functioning of the church, all persons employed in any capacity or who serve as leaders in this church, must ascribe in writing to this Statement of Faith.
We hope this Statement helps convey to you our joyful commitment to classical Anglican Christianity. We count on God to give us the grace to stand with love for all in the unchanging Good News of Jesus Christ, in the gift of Biblical revelation, and in the moral vision expressed in historic, Anglican Christianity.
Conversation can take understanding further – please contact us at 843.884.9090 or on this website to learn more!
Vision
We are a church with one great purpose: “Make Disciples” (Matthew 28:19)
Thus, “In everything, becoming more like Christ.”
Our Vision is anchored in Four Core Areas of our congregation’s life:
Worship
Offering ourselves to God in common prayer and praise
Discipleship
Forming the life of Christ in all
Fellowship & Pastoral Care
Enjoying and Caring for one another
Outreach
Serving needs in the world in Christ’s name
Our congregation’s life is called to reflect Four Gospel Commands:
First, we are to repent and believe in the gospel (see especially Mark 1:15)
…turn to and trust Jesus’ way, truth and life.
Second, we are to love one another as Jesus loves us (see especially John 15:12)
…love and care for the household of faith.
Third, we are to share our faith with others (see especially Matthew 28:19-20)
…everyone is welcome in the household of faith.
Fourth, we are to always keep our focus on the Kingdom of God (see especially Mark 13:33-37)
…the household of faith is promised a forever home, heaven.
Beliefs
Received from Christian Tradition as a sure theological foundation about God, ourselves, and the life of the Church, we ascribe to the following core doctrines:
- A belief in the triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; three distinct persons co-equal in glory and co-eternal in majesty and of one substantial Godhead, such that there are not three gods but one God.
- A belief in the Holy Scriptures as divine revelation, trustworthy, carrying the full measure of God’s authority, containing all things necessary to salvation, and to be submitted to in all matters of faith and practice of life.
- A belief in the one Savior of humanity, Jesus Christ, who in His person is both fully God (“of one Being with the Father,” The Nicene Creed, Book of Common Prayer and at the same time fully human.
- A belief in the perfect obedience of Christ; His suffering, His substitutionary and atoning death on the cross, and His bodily resurrection and ascension as the only means given for our salvation and reconciliation with God.
- A belief in faith alone as the only grounds for the merits of Jesus Christ being imputed to us for our justification before God (justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone), leading to good works empowered by the Holy Spirit.
- A belief in the return of Jesus Christ in glory to judge the living and dead, and a belief in the bodily resurrection of the dead and their entrance into either eternal blessedness or damnation.
- A belief in the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church as those that have been redeemed entirely by the work of Jesus Christ and called out of bondage into freedom, out of darkness into light, out of error into truth, out of death into eternal life.
- A belief in the Nicene and Apostles’ creeds as accurate representations and sufficient statements of the Christian faith, and affirmation of the (39) Articles of Religion as a coherent and concise expression of Anglican doctrine.
- A belief that historic Anglican polity organizes the visible Church under the offices of Bishop, Presbyter (Priest), and Deacon; and furthermore, that the Church exists to worship the Triune God and to lift up the Savior Jesus Christ before all people through the faithful preaching and teaching of the Gospel, through prayer, and through the faithful administration of the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper (Holy Communion or the Eucharist).
Life and Ministry
Under our Vision, and building on our theological heritage, the life of our Church is many faceted. The following is a list of key, if not exhaustive, normative aspects for the life of all members:
- We are called to weekly, corporate worship: to praise, to prayer, to confession, to hearing God’s Word, to Communion – the gathering of God’s people together before the Lord in worship.
- We are called to regular, ongoing times of Christian formation: to learn the Christian faith and life, in order to grow as disciples of Jesus in the knowledge, love and service of God.
- We are called to participate in a common life together: to regular fellowship whereby we can know, enjoy, care for, and pastor one another.
- We are called to serve others in need: to participate in ministries which reach out to those in spiritual and material need among and beyond our congregation.
- We are called to aim for and practice a holy life, seeking and serving Christ in all persons: to engage in relationships which evidence the gifts of the Holy Spirit such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control; and which are characterized by sexual morality, including fidelity in marriage and chastity in singleness.
- We believe that marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in an exclusive union intended by God to be lifelong. Because God has ordained and defined it as His covenant relationship between a man and a woman, our church will only solemnize a marriage between one man and one woman, and our facilities will only host such weddings.
- We are called to make faithful offerings, through the life of the Church and beyond, of the time, talent and treasure with which God has blessed us.
Conclusion
This Statement does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. For the purposes of this church, in faith, doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline, the Rector (senior priest), under the ultimate authority of the Bishop, is the final interpretive authority on matters of doctrine and their application.
While this Statement operates as normative for the life of the whole congregation, the Bible in many places calls especially for the godly conduct and accountability of leaders, and so for the integrity and healthy functioning of the church, all persons employed in any capacity or who serve as leaders in this church, must ascribe in writing to this Statement of Faith.