Beliefs
- Old North Church is part of Converge Worldwide, also known as the Baptist General Conference. Please visit the Converge website for more information.
- The mission of Old North Church is to introduce Jesus Christ to all the people God calls us to serve so that together we can become his devoted followers.
- The vision of Old North Church is to be a Christ-centered, multi-generational community of disciple-making disciples.
- We work toward this vision by working out our core values of:
- Biblical preaching & teaching
- Personal & intentional discipleship
- Healthy children & families
Theology is not a dry, dogmatic system of religious thought. It is a conversation about God, the synergy of right belief and right practice. The following is a brief outline of our church’s core beliefs.
Bibliology – The Doctrine of the Bible
The Bible is the word of God, communicating God’s mission of salvation and culminating in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the revelation of God’s character and works, written by human authors under the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It is inerrant in the original manuscripts and authoritative in all matters of faith and conduct. The Bible is sufficient for knowing the will of God and living in obedience to him.
- Luke 24:27, 44; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21; James 1:22-25
Theology Proper – The Doctrine of God
God is the creator and ruler of the universe. He eternally exists as one God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, co-‐equal in power, glory, and perfections. God exists in perfect unity and community within Himself. He is the only Being worthy of worship and is working all things to the glory of His great name.
- Genesis 1:1, 26, 27; 3:22; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Cor. 13:14
Jesus Christ is the second member of the Trinitarian Godhead and equally God along with the Father and Holy Spirit. Jesus is the full manifestation of God. He took on flesh and became a man in fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. Jesus lived a sinless life and died on a cross as the substitutionary sacrifice for humanity’s sin and rebellion against God. He was buried, rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and now serves as our mediating high priest. He will come again to judge the living and the dead and will reign eternally as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
- Matt. 1:22,23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5; 14:10-30; Heb. 4:14, 15; 1 Cor. 15:3, 4; Rom. 1:3, 4; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Tim. 6:14, 15; Titus 2:13
- 2 Cor. 3:17; John 16:7-13; 14:16, 17; Acts 1:8; 1 Cor. 2:12; 3:16; Eph. 1:13; Gal. 5:25; Eph. 5:18
Anthropology – The Doctrine of Man
Humanity is the good handiwork of the Trinitarian God, created in God’s image. However, humanity chose to rebel against God in the pursuit of sin and independence from God’s good rule and blessing. Therefore, mankind is separated from God, entrapped in sin by nature and choice. While the image of God remains in human beings, it is severely marred. Outside of a work of God’s pure grace, humanity stands dead in their sins, condemned, and utterly lost.
- Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6; Rom. 3:23; Isaiah 59:1, 2
Soteriology – The Doctrine of Salvation
The salvation of mankind is fully dependent upon a work of divine grace: a work that was fully accomplished by Jesus Christ. Through the cross, Jesus achieved what people could never achieve by their own works or merit. Salvation is presented through the proclamation of the gospel, calling people to place their faith in Jesus Christ and repent of their sin. The blessings of salvation include election, regeneration, justification, sanctification, adoption, perseverance, and glorification.
- Romans 6:23; Eph. 2:8, 9; John 14:6; 1:12; Titus 3:5; Galatians 3:26; Rom. 5:1
Ecclesiology – The Doctrine of the Church
The church is the community of God’s redeemed, those whom God has called into fellowship with Christ and one another, according to His good purpose and pleasure. Jesus is the head of the church and sustains it by His grace and power. The church is to exemplify a unified community that exercises love, generosity, leadership, and discipline. It calls the world to the worship of Jesus Christ through the proclamation of the gospel and a life of obedience to God’s word. 4 The church will employ the ordinances given by Jesus; namely, baptism and communion. Baptism is the initial ordinance that symbolizes the participation of a believer in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. It is an act of obedience to God’s word, following the example of the Lord Jesus. Communion is a repeated ordinance that remembers the person and work of Christ, particularly His atoning work on the cross. The symbols of bread and the fruit of the vine represent the body and shed blood of Jesus for the remission of sins.
- Acts 2:42-‐47; Ephesians 1:3-6; Matthew 5-7; Matthew 28:19‐20; Luke 22:14-23
The Eternal State
The souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord. Believers in Christ will dwell forever in the bliss of their resurrected bodies, in the presence of the Lord in the new heavens and new earth. The souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious punishment and torment until the second resurrection, when they will appear at the final judgment and be cast into the lake of fire. They will not be annihilated, but instead suffer everlasting, conscious punishment apart from the presence of God.
- Matthew 25:46; John 5:28-29; John 11:25-26; Rev. 20:5-‐6, 12-‐13; Luke 23:43; 2 Cor. 5-8; Phil. 1:23; 3:21; 1 Thess. 4:16-17; Rev. 20:4-‐6; Matt. 25:41‐46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-26; 2 Thess. 1:7-9; Jude 6-7; Rev. 20:11-15