Calvary Baptist Church

Our statement of faith

1. THE WORD OF GOD: We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, fully and verbally inspired by the Holy Spirit. We believe that the Bible in its original manuscripts is free from all falsehood or mistake and so is entirely true and trustworthy in all its assertions on all matters of natural and theological fact and that it has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.

2. THE TRINITY: We believe that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons, that these are equal in every divine perfection, and that they execute distinct, but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence and redemption.

3. GOD THE FATHER: We believe in God, the Father, an infinite, personal spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. We believe that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.

4. JESUS CHRIST: We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles and teachings. We believe in His substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people and personal visible return to earth.

5. THE HOLY SPIRIT: We believe in the Holy Spirit, who came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgement, and to regenerate, sanctify and empower all who believe in Jesus Christ. We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Christ and that He is an abiding helper, teacher and guide.

6. ANGELS: We believe that angels are a distinct order of created spiritual beings; that they can appear in human form; that good angels minister to human beings and serve God as special messengers; that Satan, a fallen angel, and his evil angels whom he leads, exercise great but limited evil power in the world, and will suffer final defeat at the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ.

7. REGENERATION: We believe that all men are sinners by nature and by choice and are, therefore, under condemnation. We believe that those who repent of their sins and trust in Jesus Christ as Savior are regenerated by the Holy Spirit.

8. THE CHURCH: We believe in the universal church, a living spiritual body of which Christ is the Head and all regenerated persons are members. We believe in the local church, consisting of a company of believers in Jesus Christ, baptized on a credible profession of faith, and associated for worship, work and fellowship. We believe that God has laid upon the members of the local church the primary task of giving the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world.

9. CHRISTIAN CONDUCT: We believe that a Christian should live for the glory of God and the well-being of his fellow men; that his conduct should be blameless before the world; that he should be a faithful steward of his possessions; and that he should seek to realize for himself and others the full stature of maturity in Christ.

10. THE ORDINANCES: We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to the local church: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water into the name of the triune God. We believe that the Lord’s Supper was instituted by Christ for commemoration of His death. We believe that these two ordinances should be observed and administered until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

11. RELIGIOUS LIBERTY: We believe that every human being has direct relations with God, and is responsible to God alone in all matters of faith; that each church is independent and must be free from interference by any ecclesiastical or political authority; that therefore Church and State must be kept separate as having different functions, each fulfilling its duties free from dictation or patronage of the other.

12. CHURCH COOPERATION: We believe that local churches can best promote the cau organization. Such an organization, whether a regional or district conference, exists and functions by the will of the churches. Cooperation in a conference is voluntary and may be terminated at any time. Churches may likewise cooperate with interdenominational fellowships on a voluntary, independent basis.

13. THE LAST THINGS: We believe in the personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth and the establishment of His kingdom. We believe in the resurrection of the body, the final judgement, the eternal felicity of the righteous, and the endless suffering of the wicked.

On marriage

The Baptist General Conference of Canada (BGCC) understands marriage to be a divine gift to society whereby a man and a woman are joined together in a lifelong commitment to faithful companionship, extended family connectedness, and in the sovereignty of God - the blessing of children.

Our understanding stems from our reading of the Bible, our source of faith and behaviour. We believe that marriage of a man and a woman reflects the original intent of God in creation (Genesis 2:24,25).

To that end, our community of faith cannot endorse marriages of same sex individuals as consistent with what the Bible teaches. Therefore, our pastors may not perform same sex marriages. We consider this to be a pastoral statement giving spiritual guidance to our pastors and people.

We realize that not all of Canada understands life in the same way. We will respect the mosaic of pluralism called Canada. We will try to live lives filled with grace and forgiveness. However, faced with many choices in life, we call Canadians back to this Divine gift.

On Baptism

What is Baptism?

When Jesus completed his work, he empowered his followers to “go and make disciples (followers) of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:18-19). Jesus invites us today to put aside our own agendas, admit how we have wronged Him and others, receive His full forgiveness, and be changed by His power from the inside-out.

Baptism is Jesus’ idea of how a person should publicly declare their trust in Him as their personal Saviour and Master and commitment to follow Him for the rest of their life.

What if I’ve already been baptized?
If you have been baptized as an infant, we would encourage you to consider being re-baptized as a sign of your personal decision to follow Jesus Christ. If you have been baptized as a follower of Christ before coming to Calvary there is no need to be baptized again at Calvary – baptism is to declare you are a follower of Christ, not a specific local church. After baptism, the next step is to become a member of a local church, and we would invite you to do that at Calvary if this is your home church.

How do I get baptized?
Here are the steps for adults who want to be baptized.  

The Baptism Process

1. Affirmation – Sinmply affirm your desire to be baptized to the pastor, a deacon, or on one of the information cards in the church chairs.  A church leader meets with the baptism applicant to discuss their commitment to Jesus and their understanding of baptism  This provides an opportunity for the individual to affirm their readiness to take the step of baptism and for the church to affirm the readiness of the individual for baptism.

2. Celebration – Arrangements are made for the baptism to be performed at an appropriate gathering of believers. Friends and family are encouraged to attend so that others may witness the work of God in the person’s life and the church can celebrate their step of commitment and support and encourage them in the days to come.

For more information on baptism or being baptized at Calvary Church contact Pastor Randy at 735-3239 or calvarybaptist@goredlake.com