Our church is an independent Baptist community based on the biblical policies summarized in The 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith. Our confession of faith and the name of our church refer to the three pillars of the identity of our community. As a church built on the theological and spiritual foundations of the Protestant Reformation, we first profess the exclusive authority of the Bible (Sola Scriptura) in matters of faith and way of life. In this sense, we are a reformed community. Secondly, as a gospel church, we profess and proclaim the good news of Christ: God forgives by grace (Sola Gratia) the sins of those who turn with repentant faith to Jesus Christ (Sola Fide), who was punished for them by his death on the cross (Solus Christus). We are also a Baptist church because - according to the Bible - it is a Church of Christ, therefore the members of the local churches are a community of saved, born-again Christians who live for the glory of God (Soli Deo Gloria). Therefore, members of our church are individuals who testify of their personal conversion and are baptized.
Our Confession of Faith
Our creed is The 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith, worded by English Baptists who professed and preached the doctrines of grace. Together with the Westminster Confession of Faith on which it was based, it reflects the purely Reformed theological heritage of the Puritan era. Charles Spurgeon made the following statement:
This ancient document is a most excellent epitome of the things most surely believed among us. By the preserving hand of the Triune Jehovah we have been kept faithful to the great points of our glorious Gospel, and we feel more resolved perpetually to abide by them. Be not ashamed of your faith; remember it is the ancient Gospel of martyrs, confessors, reformers, and saints. Above all, it is the Truth of God against which the gates of hell cannot prevail. Let your lives adorn your faith, let your example recommend your creed. Above all, live in Christ Jesus, and walk in Him, giving credence to no teaching but that which is manifestly approved of Him, and owned by the Holy Spirit. Cleave fast to the Word of God, which is here mapped out to you.
The full text of The 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith is freely available on the internet.
Church principles
Our church is practicing its Christian vocation along the following seven main principles, which have already been practiced by spiritual predecessors such as Mihály Kornya (one of the pioneers of the Hungarian Baptist mission) or Charles Haddon Spurgeon (“Prince of Baptist Preachers”).
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1
Doctrines of grace
We proclaim and teach the doctrines of grace (also referred to as the “five points of Calvinism”) as the basic truths of the gospel of Christ. They emphasize the sinfulness and moral depravity of mankind, the unconditional selection of God for salvation, the redemptive work of Christ for those who believe in Him, the effective calling of the Holy Spirit to salvation, and the perseverance of the saved individuals in faith.
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2
Free offer of the Gospel
We believe in (– and practice) the universal tender of salvation, also called the free offer of the Gospel. Every Sunday we dedicate a service to an evangelistic preaching that encourages conversion, praying that God will use it to save precious souls. Evangelism is one of our main activities, with a focus on children and young people.
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3
Traditional worship
We believe that traditional worship corresponds to the clear teaching of the Bible. Worshiping God must be thoughtful, sincere, and reverent in order to have His glory and uplifting effect as we sing praises, give thanks, repent, dedicate ourselves, intercede for others, and listen to the Word of God. In the services we praise the Holy Trinity by singing together. We believe that singing is appropriate for His Holiness which adequately expresses the respect and meaningful worship -, traditional hymns and church hymns are apt to express, and not the modern worship nourished by pop music. Worship is not intended to entertain and artificially nurture emotions as if the house of God were a concert or dance hall. The purpose is to initiate the appreciation of Almighty God.
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4
Working church
We try to put the concept of the working church into practice. This means that every true believer will serve the Lord if he or she has the opportunity, with other members of the church, in various activities, for the glory of the Lord. If a church places emphasis on this, it will be able to perform evangelism, Sunday school, and other services with great force. Christians are not a “Sunday audience,” but a group of dedicated workers committed to the Lord.
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5
Biblical separation
We believe that the people of the Lord should abstain and beware of worldliness and false teaching. This is what the doctrine of biblical separation is about. False teaching denies the literal inspiration and infallibility of the Bible, its sufficiency in matters of faith and way of life, and other basic teachings of faith. True churches must defend and preserve the Truth at all costs, never compromising the only way of salvation.
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6
Prayer Meeting
We believe in the great importance of common prayer. Therefore, the prayer meeting is held as a separate meeting on a workday. Without the blessing of God in answer to prayer, all our witness would be in vain. Community prayer is paramount.
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7
Wider ministries
We believe that the local church is ordained by God to perform many duties. Therefore, if the Lord leads and helps them, they can perform “broader” services, such as church planting, foreign missions, training pastors, or publishing Christian literature.
This list, of course, does not cover all the responsibilities of a church, but it gives a picture of the spiritual heritage and tradition to which our church is attached.
