Statement of Faith
I. The Scriptures
The Holy Bible is God's inspired, infallible Word, revealing His will for salvation and serving as the supreme authority in all matters of faith and life.
II. God
There is one living and true God, eternally existing in three Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—worthy of all worship and obedience.
III. Humanity and Sin
Humankind was created in God's image, yet through sin, all have fallen and are in need of redemption. Salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone.
IV. Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, fully divine and fully human. He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died for our sins, rose bodily from the grave, and ascended into heaven, where He intercedes for believers.
V. Salvation
Salvation is a work of God's grace, received through repentance and faith in Christ. Justification is by faith, leading to sanctification and culminating in glorification.
VI. The Church
The local church is a congregation of baptized believers, united in faith and mission. Christ is the head of the Church, and believers are called to worship, fellowship, evangelism, and discipleship.
VII. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper
Baptism by immersion is a testimony of faith in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. The Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act of obedience, commemorating Christ’s sacrifice.
VIII. The Lord’s Day
The first day of the week is set apart for worship and spiritual devotion in honor of Christ’s resurrection.
IX. Religious Liberty
God alone is Lord of the conscience, and church and state should remain separate, with each believer free to worship without coercion.
X. The Last Things
Christ will return personally and visibly to judge the world and establish His eternal kingdom. The righteous will dwell forever with Him, and the wicked will face eternal separation from God.
XI. Evangelism and Missions
The Church is commanded to take the gospel to all nations, making disciples and teaching them to obey all that Christ has commanded.
XII. The Christian Life
Believers are called to live in holiness, loving God and others, and demonstrating Christ’s character in all areas of life.
Our statement of faith is adapted from the New Hampshire Confession of Faith (1833) and the Baptist Faith & Message (2000) both of which we affirm.
Additional Affirmations
Cooper Avenue Baptist Church stands in unity with the historic and orthodox church throughout history and affirms Biblical creeds such as The Apostles Creed, The Nicene Creed, and The Athanasian Creed.
We stand within the protestant tradition affirming the "Five Solas" of the protestant reformation (scripture alone, Christ alone, faith alone, grace alone, glory to God alone).
We also stand within the historic Baptist tradition and affirm Baptist confessions such as the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession*, The Philadelphia Confession (1742), and The Abstract of Principles (1858).
*with the exceptions of Chapter 22, Paragraphs 7–8, and Chapter 26, Paragraph 4
And, additionally, we believe that the marks of a healthy church are expositional preaching, sound doctrine, a biblical understanding of the gospel, a biblical understanding of conversion, faithful evangelism, meaningful church membership, church discipline, biblical discipleship, and biblical leadership. We believe that these marks are biblical and therefore transcend geography, culture, and history.