Statement of Faith

The following statements outline those aspects of Christian belief which Above Bar Church holds to be foundational.

This page gives the detail of the basis of faith of Above Bar Church

We Believe In

  • One God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit as revealed in Scripture and in the sovereignty and grace of God in creation, providence, revelation, redemption and final judgement

  • The divine inspiration and consequent infallibility of Scripture as originally given and in its final authority in all matters of faith and conduct

  • The responsibility of every Christian believer to seek to live under the authority of Scripture and in loving relationships with fellow Christians

  • The dignity of all people, made male and female in God’s image, to love, be holy and care for creation

  • The universal sinfulness and guilt of the human race in consequence of the fall and our liability to God’s wrath and judgement

  • Jesus Christ, the virgin-born incarnate Son of God and his sacrificial death in our place as the sole and all-sufficient ground of redemption from the guilt and power of sin and from its eternal consequences

  • The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and his ascension into heaven

  • The justification of the sinner solely by the grace of God through faith alone

  • The illuminating, convicting, regenerating, indwelling, sanctifying and empowering work of God the Holy Spirit in every believer

  • One universal church comprising all believers as the body of which Christ is the head, expressed locally in terms of committed fellowship, worship, service, care and mission

  • The responsibility of all believers, both individually and collectively, to share their faith actively with others everywhere

  • The personal, visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ in power and glory, in final judgement, the eternal punishment of the unsaved and the eternal fellowship of believers with Christ in a new heaven and a new earth

We Hold To The Following Distinctive Practices

Baptism: Individuals become Christians through the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit when they hear the good news and truly repent of their sin, turning to Jesus Christ as the only one who can bring them to God. In line with New Testament teaching, we encourage each Christian to obey the command of Jesus to testify to God’s grace in their lives by being baptised as a believer.

Marriage: We believe that marriage is a gift of God in creation for the benefit of the married couple, any children they may have, and the wider society. We follow the clear teaching of the Bible that marriage is intended to be a lifelong union of one woman and one man, and that any sexual intercourse outside marriage (so defined) is sinful and wrong. We will therefore not condone, promote, assist or encourage the practice of sexual intercourse in any other context. Above Bar Church holds to the traditional Christian marriage ethic and adheres to the guidance set out by the FIEC to which we are affiliated. Therefore Above Bar Church is licensed only for the solemnisation of such marriages.

Women in ministry: As a church we're very positive about encouraging, equipping and training women to exercise their God-given gifts, including gifts of leadership and teaching. As an FIEC-affiliated church, however, we ascribe to the FIEC Women in Ministry Ethos Statement and appoint only male ministers and elders.

Dedication of infants: We encourage believers in the church to dedicate to the Lord in public any children he may give them. We do not believe that this act of dedication makes the child a Christian. Rather it provides an opportunity for us all to give thanks for the child, for the parents to commit themselves to bringing the child up within the Christian faith and for the wider church family to recognise their share in the responsibility to care for and teach the child.