Smawthorne Community Church is part of the Apostolic Church movement. Therefore, we hold to the founding doctrine of the Apostolic Church.
The following statements were developed by early Apostolic Church leaders and remain as brief statements of belief, expressing in simple and systematic terms, the basic tenets (beliefs) of the church.
- We believe in one true and living God, the Holy Trinity, who from all eternity is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- We believe that the Triune God created all things out of nothing and proclaimed them to be good. He made mankind, male and female, in His image and likeness. Yet, through the sin of our first parents, sin and guilt has passed to us all, and human nature has been inherently corrupted. Therefore our only hope of salvation lies in repentance from sin and regeneration by God’s grace in Christ. Those who do not finally repent will face God’s eternal judgment.
- We believe that God the Son has taken on true humanity and united it to Himself in the one person of the Lord Jesus Christ. For us and for our salvation he was born of the virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, died an atoning death in our place to bear the penalty of our sins, rose triumphant from the dead the third day, ascended bodily to the Father’s right hand, and ever lives to make intercession for us. He will come again and establish His millennial reign upon earth.
- We believe that through the finished work of Christ, believers are both justified by grace alone through faith alone and are being progressively sanctified.
- We believe that the glorified and ascended Christ baptises believers in the Holy Spirit with signs following, empowering the church for its mission in the world.
- We believe in the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit for the upbuilding, encouragement and consolation of the Church, which is the body of Christ.
- We believe in the Sacraments of Baptism by immersion and of the Lord’s Supper.
- We believe that the sixty-six books of the Holy Scriptures are inspired by God, without error, and carry His full authority.
- We believe that the ascended Lord Jesus governs and guides His Church through gifts of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, elders and deacons, for the unity, maturity, and growth of the church.
- We believe that God’s saving grace is found only in Jesus and that we are called to persevere and abide in faith in Him.
- We believe that Christ’s people are called to express their love through obedience to His commands, which includes the privilege and responsibility of bringing tithes and offerings to the Lord.
For further information about the church and what we believe, feel free to contact us.