教會信仰
An excerpt from CBC Church By-Laws:
ARTICLE 2 - PURPOSE
The purpose of this Church shall be maintain public services in New Haven County, Connecticut, for the worship of God and for the teaching and preaching of the Gospel, and to promote the interests of the Kingdom of God according to the Teaching of Christ, as followed by the faith and practice of American Baptist Churches in the USA.
ARTICLE 3 - DECLARATION OF DOCTRINES AND PRINCIPLES
The Church receives only the Holy Bible, both Old and New Testament, as an all-sufficient basis of doctrine and practice. As Christians, we believe:
- The Trinity God, God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
- The Scripture, both Old and New Testaments, is God-breathed and is infallible.
- Man was created in the image of God but fell into sin and fell short of the glory of God. The wages of sin is death.
- Jesus Christ is wholly God and wholly man and was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
- Jesus Christ was crucified and died for our sin but was resurrected from the dead after three days. He ascended into heaven and sat at the right hand of God the Father.
- Jesus Christ will come again to judge the quick and the dead. Believers will enjoy eternal bliss with the Lord and unbelievers will be condemned to everlasting punishment.
- Man can become the child of God and his sin to be forgiven only through accepting Jesus Christ as Savior by the work of the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is the only salvation.
- It is by grace we have been saved, through faith, and is not from ourselves, it is the gift of God.
- The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ, and to convict man, regenerate the believing sinner, indwell, guide, instruct, and empower the believer for godly living and service.
- Christ Jesus is the head of the Church. The purpose of the Church is to witness God and to glorify God.
As a summary of principles for Christian conduct among its Members it reaffirms the following Church Covenant:
- Having been led by the Spirit of God to repent of our sins and receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, and having been baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we do now in the presence of God and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully enter into Covenant with one another as one body of Christ.
- We engage therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this Church in knowledge, holiness, comfort, and Christian service; to promote its prosperity and spirituality; to be presented at its service of worship as regularly as possible; to observe its ordinance; to maintain its means as the Lord has prospered us; for the support of the work of the Church at home and abroad.
- We furthermore covenant to read the Bible daily and to maintain family or personal devotion; to teach and train our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; to seek the salvation of all with whom we associate; to walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, careful of our conduct, and zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Savior.
- We furthermore covenant to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember each other in prayer; to aid each other in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling, and courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation, and mindful of the word of our Savior, to secure it without delay.
- Conscious of our own shortcomings and realizing that we cannot fulfill these obligations in our own strength, we nevertheless covenant together remembering the words of the apostle Paul, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."