We acknowledge the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament as the verbally inspired Word of God and as the sole and infallible guide of faith and life. We support the confessions and creeds of the reformed faith including the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed.
The Basis of Our Faith:
- God is one God in three persons; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
- God is King over all creation and our salvation; Authoritative in His word and final judgement
- God’s Word – the Bible, as the only authority in all matters of faith and conduct
- All people are guilty of sin and fall short of the glory of God; and as such are subject to God’s just judgment
- Jesus, the Son of God, as both God and man; his virgin birth, and his real and sinless humanity; his death on the cross, his bodily resurrection and his present authority over creation
- Our rescue from the guilt, penalty, and power of sin through the once-for-all sacrifice of our representative and substitute Jesus Christ; the only mediator between God and man
- Justification as God’s act of undeserved mercy in which the sinner is pardoned all his sins and accepted as righteous in God’s sight because of the righteousness of Christ
- We are declared right with God on the basis of faith alone
- The Holy Spirit applying the work of Christ to us; effectively opening our hearts to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ
- The continuing work of the Holy Spirit to cause us to grow in holiness and likeness to Christ, and to empower our witness of the glory of God in Him.
- The Church which is the Body of Christ to which all true believers belong
- The further personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ who will judge all men; executing God’s just judgment upon all and receiving the faithful to eternal glory.
St. Paul’s Reformed Church shall be composed of persons who, believing in God as heavenly Father, accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and depending on the guidance of the Holy Spirit, are organized for Christian worship for the furtherance of Christian fellowship and for the ongoing work of Christian Witness.
The avowed purpose of this Church shall be to worship God; to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, God’s Son; to celebrate the Sacraments; to promote Christian fellowship within the Church and the community; to promote Christian life, to advance the Kingdom of God, consistent with the teachings of Scripture and to guide and instruct the membership to live and worship according to the Word of God.
The Church acknowledges the Holy Scripture of the Old and New Testament as the verbally inspired Word of God and as a the sole and infallible guide and authority for faith and life. The articles of Faith of the congregation shall be the Apostles Creed and the Nicene Creed. The Church relies entirely on the passages of Holy Scripture referring to the same and in this regard , avail ourselves of the freedom of conscience according to the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers as taught in the Bible.
The Church shall be an independent , reformed , congregational church guided by the Word of God and the Constitutional Bylaws as adopted and/or amended by the Church. The governance of this church shall be vested in its communicant members who shall delegate to the Consistory oversite of the congregation, authority for the management and operations of the Church and the right of control in all its affairs subject to the written Word of God, the Holy Bible with limited deference to the Laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania relating to not for profit Corporations and/or Ecclesiastical Corporations. The Consistory as the governing body of the church shall be comprised of a plurality of elders (including the pastor) and the potential of one or more deacons/deaconesses who meet the Scripturally defined qualifications.