What we believe

To be ‘Evangelical‘ means that we are committed to the good news of God’s salvation in Jesus Christ. 

We proclaim that Jesus died and rose again that we might be reconciled to God and freed from the power of sin and death. 

Men, women and children are called to believe the good news, turn from sin and put their trust in Jesus. As a church we show the importance of this message through our commitment to evangelism and world missions.

To be ‘Reformed‘ means several things.

Historically, it means that we trace our roots to the 16^th century Reformation, when Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Knox  and others led a movement to reform the Church according to the Bible.

Theologically, it means that we believe in the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Bible, the supremacy of Christ, and in God’s glory as the highest good.

Our historical and theological heritage is often expressed in the “alones” (solas) of the Reformation, namely:

• Grace alone as the only way to be reconciled to God
• Faith alone as the only means of receiving God’s grace
• Christ alone as the only ground of God’s saving grace
• Scripture alone as the only infallible authority for belief
• God’s glory alone as the ultimate purpose for the lives of men and women

The Westminster Confession of Faith provides a detailed statement of our beliefs as a church and is available from the Presbyterian Church of Australia website – https://www.presbyterian.org.au/index.php/resources/westminster-confession-of-faith.

The term ‘Presbyterian‘ refers essentially to the way in which a church is governed. A Presbyterian church is governed by elders according to the pattern seen in both the Old and New Testaments. This is in distinction to being ruled by bishops in a hierarchical model, or by members in a congregational model.

In a Presbyterian church, biblically qualified elders are recognised through congregational election and lead the church corporately. This government is exercised locally, regionally and nationally through a graded series of courts known as Session, Presbytery and General Assembly. It provides a way for the whole Church to be connected in mutual accountability and responsibility, and demonstrate organisationally our common bond as the body of Christ under his headship.