One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:5–6)
If you've worked your way through Our Vision and Our Values you'll understand how this page expands a little more on what we call "doctrine". If you're wondering, "What kind of church is Cornerstone?", this will help explain some of the core doctrines we believe.
We Believe in the Authority of Scripture
We believe and teach that the Bible is God’s Word. That means it is “breathed out by God” (2 Tim. 3:16). The Bible is without error, sufficient for all people in all generations, and is to be the final authority in all matters of belief and practice in the church and in the life of the Christian.
We Believe God is Sovereign Over All Things
We call ourselves Reformed because we align with several important doctrines which the Reformers (John Calvin, Huldrych Zwingli, John Knox) defined for the church in the 16th century church Reformation in Europe. One of these is the authority of Scripture mentioned above. A second is the belief that God is sovereign over all things, even the salvation of individuals (Rom. 9:6-24; Eph. 1:11). A third is a belief that all people must believe in Jesus Christ in order to be saved (Rom. 10:11-13). Fourth, we believe the Bible teaches that mankind is trapped in sin because of the fall of Adam, and unable to free himself without the radical intervention of God in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the regeneration of the soul by the Holy Spirit to be born again(Rom. 5:12;Jn. 3:3-6).
We Practice Believer’s Baptism
Once a person is born again by the Holy Spirit, they are commanded to be baptized. Our church is baptistic, which means that we baptize those who have professed faith in Jesus Christ (Matt. 28:16-20; Acts 16:30-34). We do this by immersing a new believer in water as an appeal for a clean conscience by repentance of their sins and identity in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus (1 Pet. 3:21; Acts 8:36-39). We do not set a minimum age on baptism. Our views are developed in Believe and Be Baptized.
We Believe in the Ongoing Ministry of the Holy Spirit
Continuationist is a word you may have never heard before; it means the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament continue into the present, just as they were in the first century church. We live in the age of the Spirit which began at Pentecost, where God poured out his Spirit on his church (Acts 2:17). The result of this baptism by the Spirit was that a variety of gifts (1 Cor. 12:3-11) have been given to God's people, and we are to pursue these earnestly (1 Cor. 14:1), and exercise them as we are able; all for the glory of the Giver of all gifts (1 Peter 4:10-11).
We Believe that Men and Women Complement One Another
Like "continuationist", "complementarian" may be another new idea. It captures the conviction that while God made men and women of equal worth and inherent value as his image-bearers, he made them distinct in their relationship to one another—he made them complementary. Right from the start the Lord designed men and women to leave their families and become a new oneness (Gen 1:27). In this special marriage relationship between one man and one woman, the man (husband) is the head of the woman (the wife), and is responsible to lay down his life for her as Christ did the church, and to live with her in an understanding way that honors her value as a co-heir with Christ by cherishing, honoring, and leading her (Eph. 5:25-32; 1 Pet. 3:7). Wives are to submit to their husbands, respecting them as their spiritual head and leader—as the church is to Christ—honoring them, and helping them in their calling (Eph. 5:22-24; 1 Pet. 3:1-6; Gen. 2:18, 22-24). Beyond the marriage relationship, Scripture teaches that only men are to be ordained with the authority of overseers (elders, pastors) in the church. (1 Tim. 2:12; 1 Cor 11:2-15) While women are not permitted to have authority over or teach men in the church, our sisters in Christ are entrusted with the same call to use her spiritual gifts and abilities as they are able, to carry out the Great Commission and care for the church (Act. 21:9; 18:18-28; 1 Cor. 11: 5a; Rom. 16:3-4, 7; Col. 4:15).
We are Governed by Elders and We Partner with Other Churches
The New Testament teaches that churches are to be led and governed by qualified, gifted men called elders, overseers, or pastors (Hebrews 13:7, 17; 1 Peter 5:1-5; Acts 20:17, 28). Cornerstone Fellowship Church is led by a plurality of elders that have been judged to be faithful in doctrine and godly character (1 Tim. 3:1-7; Titus 1:1-9).
We also see a model in the New Testament of churches partnering together to preserve good doctrine (Acts 15), to hold pastors accountable (1 Tim 5:19-20), and to work together in mission toward accomplishing the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8). Cornerstone partners with other churches in our denomination, Trinity Fellowship Churches for the sake of faithful doctrine, qualified and accountable leaders, and partnership in church planting.
We Believe Building Strong Local Churches is the Way to Accomplish the Great Commission
We believe all Christians should become members of a local church and live out the "one anothers" that we read about in the New Testament—"build up one another", "love one another", "bear one another's burdens", etc. (1 Thess. 5:11; 1 Peter 4:8-11; 1 John 4:7ff.; Gal. 6:2). This is why we place a strong emphasis on small groups in the life of our church—a context in which Christians can build the kind of relationships that foster growth, encouragement, and support in a world filled with challenges.
We believe that building healthy local churches, and planting new ones, is the way God intends for us to accomplish the Great Commission (Matt 28:18–20; Acts 1:8; e.g., Acts 13–14). The message of the gospel was entrusted to faithful men to teach to other, into all the earth (2 Tim. 2:2). Each local church is to faithfully reflect the image of the universal Church as Christ's body according to the instruction of the New Testament writers. It is our desire to see disciples who make disciples, and to faithfully carry the gospel into all spheres so that every community around the world could represent Christ as the church.
Only faith in the gospel (as described in passages like 1 Corinthians 15:3-11 or Romans 3:21-31 and 10:9-10 or captured in a church creed such as the Apostles' Creed or Nicene Creed) and believer's baptism are required to be a member at Cornerstone. However, the beliefs listed on this page are necessary for any man who wants to serve as a Deacon of a Small Group. Beyond this, our pastors subscribe— affirm, teach, and defend—to the Trinity Confession of Faith.