What We Believe

STRANGERS REST EVANGELICAL CHURCH

CHURCH RULES AND REGULATIONS

1. DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION

        a. Connected Person means a child, parent, grandchild, grandparent, brother or                   sister, aunt or uncle or first/second cousin of the subject person.

        b. “Male and Female/man and woman etc.” are given their biblical definition.

2. NAME

The Church shall be known as “Strangers Rest Evangelical Church”

3. Articles

a. The Trust deed of 5^th October 1917 requires that the Strangers Rest building be              used for evangelical Christian work by persons holding the following tenets:

• The Divine Inspiration, Authority and Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures;
• The Unity of the Godhead and the Trinity of the Persons therein;
• The utter depravity of human nature through Adam’s sin;
• The Incarnation and Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ;
• His Sacrifice on Calvary as full satisfaction to Divine Justice on account of the sins of His people. His bodily resurrection from the dead on account of their justification and his session at God’s right hand as their High Priest and Intercessor. His coming again to receive them unto Himself;
• The Works of the Holy Spirit in the regeneration of sinners; and
• The Resurrection of the Just and of the Unjust.

4. The Rules

The following Rules are to be interpreted and to take effect subject to and in                    conformity with the terms of the Trust Deed.

5. MEMBERSHIP
   a. Membership of the Church shall be open to such persons who profess the                Christian faith in accordance with the Basis of Faith and have satisfied such              other requirements as have been specified in the Church Rules.

DOCTRINAL POSITION

The doctrinal position of the Church eldership shall be the 1689 Baptist Confession       of Faith with the exception of relevant clauses relating to baptism in the case of any     elder who is a paedobaptist subscribing to the Westminster Confession of Faith.

EXPANSION OF AND ADDITIONS TO ARTICLES

1)    The Bible:

God’s greatness and holiness are such that, without his aid, man can neither
understand him nor find the way to a right relationship with him. In his mercy
however, God has made himself known. He has revealed himself through creation,
but human sinfulness blinds us to the glory of God, and because of this such
revelation is inadequate to bring anyone to salvation. God has therefore
revealed himself definitively for our salvation through the Old and New
Testaments of the Bible as they witness to Christ. We therefore accept all that
is written in the Bible, as originally given, as not merely containing, but
being, the inspired and infallible Word of God, which is without error and the
final and sufficient authority in all matter of Christian faith and life. It is
neither to be added to nor substracted from. 

2)    God:

The Lord our God is but one only living and true God; whose subsistence is in and of himself, infinite in being and perfection; whose essence cannot be comprehended by any but himself; a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions, who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; who is immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, every way infinite, most holy, most wise, most free, most absolute; working all things according to the counsel of his own immutable and most righteous will for his own glory; most loving, gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin; the rewarder of them that diligently seek him, and withal most just and terrible in his judgments, hating all sin, and who will by no means clear the guilty. (1 Cor. 8:4, 6; Deut. 6:4; Jer. 10:10; Isa. 48:12; Exod. 3:14; John 4:24; 1 Tim. 1:17; Deut. 4:15, 16; Mal. 3:6; 1 Kings 8:27; Jer. 23:23; Ps. 90:2; Gen. 17:1; Isa. 6:3; Ps. 115:3; Isa. 46:10; Prov. 16:4; Rom. 11:36; Exod.34:6, 7; Heb. 11:6; Neh. 9:32, 33; Ps. 5:5, 6; Exod. 34:7; Nahum 1:2, 3) God, having all life, glory, goodness, blessedness, in and of himself, is alone in and unto himself all sufficient, not standing in need of any creature which he hath made, nor deriving any glory from them, but only manifesting his own glory in, by, unto, and upon them; he is the alone fountain of all being, of whom, through whom, and to whom are all things, and he hath most sovereign dominion over all creatures, to do by them, for them, or upon them, whatsoever himself pleaseth; in his sight all things are open and manifest, his knowledge is infinite, infallible, and independent upon the creature, so as nothing is to him contingent or uncertain; he is most holy in all his counsels, in all his works, and in all his commands; to him is due from angels and men, whatsoever worship, service, or obedience, ascreatures they owe unto the Creator, and whatever he is further pleased to require of them. (John 5:26; Ps. 148:13; Ps. 119:68; Job 22:2, 3; Rom. 11:34-36; Dan. 4:25, 34, 35; Heb. 4:13; Ezek. 11:5; Acts 15:18; Ps. 145:17; Rev. 5:12-14) In this divine and infinite Being there are three subsistences, the Father, the Word or Son, and Holy Spirit, of one substance, power, and eternity, each having the whole divine essence, yet the essence undivided: the Father is of none, neither begotten nor proceeding; the Son is eternally begotten of the Father; the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son; all infinite, without beginning, therefore but one God, who is not to be divided in nature and being, but distinguished by several peculiar relative properties and personal relations; which doctrine of the Trinity is the foundation of all our communion with God, and comfortable dependence on him. (1 John 5:7; Matt. 28:19; 2.Cor. 13:14; Exod. 3:14; John 14:11; I Cor. 8:6; John 1:14,18; John 15:26; Gal. 4:6)  It follows:

a.    The eternal generation of the Son by the Father and the eternal procession of the Holy Spirit from the Father and the Son are the only properties that differentiate the members of the Godhead from each other and the Father who is unbegotten. To deny any one of these properties is to confound the persons of the Godhead;

b.    that there is no subordination by one divine person to another within the inner life of the Trinity because each divine person subsists in perfect equality with each other and because the will of God exists in the essence of God which is possessed by each divine person;

c.     That there is no mutual eternal submission between the divine persons within the inner life of the Trinity because this would imply that there are three Gods and not one; 

d.    The Second Person of the Trinity is subordinate or subject to the Father only in His capacity as Mediator, as a man, in which he appeared in the form of a servant.

3)    The Creation of the World. God created the heavens and the earth and all that they contain through His Son in six literal days and rested on the seventh.

4)    The Utter depravity of human nature through Adam’s sin: That God created man, perfect in His own image, but being tempted by the Devil, man, by his own free choice, disobeyed God and became a sinner, guilty, and totally depraved before God. Man’s whole nature is now perverted by sin and his fellowship with God is broken, thereby incurring physical, spiritual and eternal death.

5)    The Deity of Christ Thatthe Second Person of the Trinity, the One and Only Eternally Begotten Son of God, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, became flesh, and was born of the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life and taught entirely without error. He suffered and died in the place of sinners, bearing their sin, its guilt and punishment. By His death and the shedding of His blood “He made one sacrifice for sin forever”. To that end He was crucified, died, was buried and on the third day rose again from the dead. The Lord Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father and will return again imminently.

6)    The work of atonement: The work of atonement is of infinite value and effective to pay for the sins of God’s Elect which is evidenced by those who truly repent of their sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (John 3:16 and 1 Timothy 2:4); 

7)   The Work of the Holy Spirit in the regeneration of sinners: God, the Holy Spirit, must work in man before he can enter into salvation. He leads the sinner to an awareness of his sinfulness and brings him to repentance and trust in Christ. He brings to birth in him a new and eternal life. The Holy Spirit convicts and regenerates the sinner and sanctifies, illuminates and comforts those who believe in Christ. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to develop in the believer’s life the fruits of love and holiness and to empower the believer for service.

8)    The Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ:The glorious personal and bodily return of the Lord Jesus Christ is imminent. The date of this event, whilst not known to man, is appointed by and known to God the Father and the signs of its imminence are described in Scripture. It is the Blessed hope set before all believers.

9)    The Resurrection of the Just and the Unjust: God has appointed Jesus Christ as Judge and there will be a final judgement. Those who believe in Christ will be raised in a glorified body and enjoy, eternally and to the full, the presence of their Lord in the new heavens and new earth. Those who do not believe in Christ will be banished from God’s presence forever into conscious eternal punishment inhell which is the lake of fire. 

10) The One Church: All who have been redeemed with the precious blood of Christ, and upon whom God has bestowed his righteousness as a free gift, belong to Christ. They alone may rightly be called Christians. They alone are members of the one universal and eternal Church of Christ. The unity they enjoy in Christ is to be reflected in their love for one another and in seeking to serve one another in love.

11) The Gathered Church Each local church is a fellowship of believers gathered by Christ and committed to each other for the worship of God, the preaching of the Word, the administering of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, pastoral care and discipline, and for evangelism. The church has no need of, nor should acknowledge any other authority over it than his. Through him, the church has direct access to God and enjoys fellowship with other assemblies of his people in a unity which transcends all barriers.

BAPTISM AND THE LORD’S SUPPER

These have been commanded by the Lord Jesus Christ as an obligation to the churches until his return. Baptism is a symbol of union with Christ and entry into his church but does not impart spiritual life. The Lord’s Supper is a commemoration of
Christ’s sacrifice which was offered once for all, and involves no change in
the bread or wine. Neither baptism nor the Lord’s Supper of themselves convey
grace to the receiver, but rightly received by faith are a means of grace.

Church Rules

2.   Church Membership

   1.    Conditions of Membership

      (a)      Membership shall be open to all who profess repentance towards God and    faith alone in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ for their salvation, and who  show their repentance and faith by living a life of obedience according to God’s Word, and who normally attend at least one meeting per week.(Matthew 28:19; Acts 2: 38-39; 8: 38-39; 10:47-48; and Romans10:9).

      (b)      A person will only be considered for membership who gives wholehearted    assent to the basis of Faith and is willing to abide by the Church Rules.

       (c)      Applications for membership should be made to the Minister, or if there is      no Minister, an Elder or, if there is/are no Elder(s), a Deacon. At least two      people, being the Minister and Elder(s), or, if there are no elders, a deacon,  together with at least one member approved by the elder or deacon, will      interview applicants and present recommendations to the Church Meeting      based on their testimony of saving faith in Christ, their reasons for desiring    membership and their acceptance of the Church Rules set out in the constitution. The potential member will be asked to give their testimony to the membership before their election where appropriate. An applicant for membership should not be interviewed by a connected person.

(d)      If the consent of the church is given, the applicant will be received into
membership and welcomed into fellowship at the Lord’s Table. He or she will be
given a copy of the Statement of Faith and these membership rules and his or
her name entered on the Register of Members.

(e)    Members may be received from other Christian churches by letter of transfer; such applications shall be considered and voted upon in accordance with (a) to (d) above.

2.    Aims of Membership

    All members are encouraged to engage in the following activities as guided by the Scriptures:

1.     Joining in worship on the Lord’s Day and sharing in the Lord’s Supper (Acts            2:42);
2.   Attending whenever possible the Church on the Lord’s Day, being the first              day of the week, and Prayer/Bible Study Meetings (Hebrews 10:24-25);
3.   Engaging in daily personal prayer and Bible Reading (1 Peter 2:2);
4.   Aiming to read the King James Version as being the most accurate                        translation of the Hebrew Masoretic and Greek Received Texts (Psalm 12:6;            119:140; 152, 160; Proverbs 30:5-6; Matthew 24:35; John 17:17b; 1 Peter            1:25; Revelation 22:18-19)
5.   Agreeing to consider the teaching about head-covering for women in 1                  Corinthians 11;
6.   Assisting in the financial support of the church (2 Corinthians 9:7).
7.   Upholding the work of the church and the leadership in prayer (Ephesians              6:18-19);
8.   Respecting the leaders and being willing to follow biblical instruction                      (Hebrews 13:17);
9.   Bearing with one another in love, seeking to avoid causing unnecessary                  division in the church and striving to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the              bond of peace (Ephesians 4:2-3).
10.   Leading godly lives and striving to be holy (1 Peter 1:14-16).                  

3.Termination of Membership

• Any member who renounces or opposes the Church’s statement of Faith in whole or part or alternatively whose conduct is found to be persistently inconsistent with the Christian life, shall, after due warning and following the procedure outlined in these rules, be removed from membership by the members’ meeting at the recommendation of the Elder(s).
• An individual’s membership also ceases on:
  • Death;
  • On written resignation;

4.Examples of Conduct Inconsistent with Christian Life

Examples of conduct inconsistent with the Christian life include but are not limited to:-

• Scandalous behaviour
• Neglect of common responsibilities
• Dishonesty
• Corruption of pure worship
• Disorderly or angry behaviour
• Irregular attendance at the means of grace
• Breach of Christian fellowship
• Holding false doctrine that qualifies in the Bible for separation

Resistance to appointed government (including a refusal to participate in any disciplinary enquiry into suspected disorderly or sinful conduct on their part)

[1] 1 Corinthians 5:11; 6,9,10

[2] 1 Thessalonians 5:14; 2 Thessalonians 3:11

[3] Revelation 21:8; 1 Corinthians 5:10; 6:9; Exodus 20:16

[4] 2 Corinthinas 6:16; Revelation 2:14

[5] 2 Thessalonians 3:6; 1 Corinthians 5:11

[6] Hebrews 10:25,26

[7] Matthew 19:15-20; Acts 20:28-31

[8] Galatians 1:7-9; 1 Timothy 1:19-20; 6:3-5; Titus 3:10

[9] Matthew 18:17; 2 Thessalonians 3:6

The decision to remove a member will be influenced by the presence or lack of repentance by the member concerned.

5.Procedure for Personal Offences and Public Offences

• For personal offences, if a member wishes to challenge a church member as to his or her behaviour, he should first speak in private with the church member, according to Matthew 18:15.  If the offending member does not repent the offended member should involve one or two other members, as per Matthew 18:16.  If the offending member still will not repent, and if the other witnesses are persuaded that the complaint of the offended member is legitimate, the offended member should inform the elder(s), or deacon(s) if there is no elder, that he wishes to bring the matter to the church, as per Matthew 16:17.
• Public offences (against the Christian faith and life) should be handled by the church authorities. Since Christ has committed the government of the church to the Elders, they will be responsible for securing and preserving proper order and, inevitably, this will involve the administration of biblical church discipline.
• Any disciplinary actions should be carried out in strict accord with the teaching and example of God’s Word. It should be administered with authority, seriousness, wisdom, impartiality, meekness, patience, and love.
• There are three degrees of corrective discipline: first, admonition and rebuke, administered privately or publicly, depending on the nature of the offence; second, suspension from special privileges, which include partaking at the Lord’s Supper, attending church meetings (both business meetings and special church meetings), and performing service in the church; and third, exclusion from membership and fellowship, to impress upon the offender the extreme gravity of his spiritual
• Accordingly, the Elders will contact the person concerned, pointing out the fault, calling   for, true repentance, and (if need be) warning of possible If there is no satisfactory response, the Elders will implement the censure of suspension; and if, after further counsel and warning from them, the person stubbornly persists in a wrong and sinful course, the  Elders    shall   bring  his       or  her name before the gathered church, in order that there might be exclusion from all the rights and privileges of membership. At that meeting, the Minister shall describe the nature of the offence (whether it involves the forfeiture of Christian character or the violation of church  order).  He shall          also  outline  the  disciplinary  steps already  taken. The  church shall then proceed to the act of formal exclusion. This is the normal procedure but, if the offence is of a highly aggravated character, it may prove necessary to act without any delay.
• Discipline should be received from the Elders with due respect, humility, submission, penitence, and purpose to amend.
• If the offender subsequently gives satisfactory evidence of repentance, he or she should be forgiven and received back into membership at the discretion of the Elders and the church.