The Bible - We believe that "the Bible is the Word of God, a collection of books, written by men who were guided by God to teach us about Himself and His will." We believe that all those things necessary for our salvation are clearly set forth in the pages of Holy Scripture. We believe that the Bible, as applied to our hearts by the Holy Spirit, is the only true authority for the individual Christian and for the church. To place any other authority, written or oral, alongside that of Holy Scripture is to make the Bible superfluous.

God - We believe in one God, who is our Heavenly Father, who made all things and rules over all in wisdom, righteousness and love. We believe that this one living and true God is a Trinity of persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. MAN - We believe that man was originally created in the image of God. As he came forth from the hand of the Creator he was truly righteous and holy. By a free act, man rebelled against God's rule, and by this rebellion separated himself from God who is the source of all life.

Sin - We believe that sin is rebellion against God. Whenever we break God's holy laws we sin against Him. Since sin cuts one off from fellowship with God, who alone is the source of life, it can finally lead only to eternal death. God's Word tells us that sin is an universal human problem, "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)

Salvation - We believe that "God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16) We believe that the Eternal Son of God became man for us men and our salvation, and that He is forever the Son of God and Son of Man, in One Divine Person. We believe our Lord Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary, that He lived a perfect and holy life, and that He died on the cross to bear the sin and guilt of His people. We believe that this same Lord Jesus Christ arose from the dead, and is even now reigning at God's throne in heaven.

Faith - We believe that by faith we have applied to our hearts all the benefits which Christ merited for us on Calvary's cross. We believe that by a living faith in the Savior our sins are forgiven us by God, and the perfect righteousness of Christ Jesus is declared to be ours. "The just shall live by faith." (Romans 1: 17)

Grace - We believe that everything we receive, including our faith and salvation, is due only to the grace of God. By grace we mean God's unmerited favor toward us; God blesses us because of what He is, rather than what we are. This marvelous truth forever cuts off all grounds for human pride and vain-glory. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Good Works - We believe that we are saved from sin and condemnation by God's grace, through faith alone. Faith, however, is never without good works. As Christians we are called upon to pattern our lives after the example of the Lord Jesus Christ. These good works can never become a source of pride, as though God has saved us because we are better than other men, for these very works also are the result of God's grace in our lives.

The Church - We believe that the church is the special possession of the Son of God, who in every age and in every place, calls people into its fellowship by His Word and Spirit. We believe that all those who by true faith are united to the Savior are part of His body, the church. We believe that it is the duty of every Christian to unite himself to a worshiping congregation where the true Christian faith, as presented to us by the witness of Holy Scripture, is proclaimed. We believe that there are three marks by which we can identify the true Christian Church. Here you will find the Word of God preached in all its clarity, the Sacraments administered in all their purity, and the lives of her members reflective of the will of God.

The Sacraments - We believe that there are but two sacraments, instituted by Christ for the edification, or strengthening of the faith of His followers. The sacraments are signs and seals of God's activity and grace. We believe that Holy Baptism is for us and our children the sign and seal of God's eternal covenant of love and faithfulness toward us. In baptism we receive the mark which sets us apart as belonging to the family of God. The water of baptism symbolizes the washing away of our sins by the blood of Jesus Christ. We believe that the sacrament of Holy Communion presents to us in visible and symbolic form the same Savior who is proclaimed in Holy Scripture. Thus when by faith we partake of the bread and wine, we do indeed in our souls receive the true bread and wine of life eternal, Jesus Christ.

The Return of Christ - We believe that the same Lord Jesus Christ, who ascended into Heaven, shall one day return as the judge of the living and the dead. We believe that at the return of Christ, the dead shall arise and all men shall receive their just judgment of God. We believe that those who all their life have rejected the Savior, will at the Last Day be rejected by God, who alone is the source of life and joy. We believe that those who have confessed Christ before men, He will own and confess before God and the holy angels, and receive them into the eternal joys of heaven.

The Commission - We believe that we as Christians must be faithful to our Savior's command to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. Every Christian must of necessity be a missionary, presenting the claims of Christ to all men. Our Savior said: "Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Matthew 28:19-20)

The Challenge - We believe that it is a privilege and joy to serve the Lord with our best in time, talents and resources. As the Lord has blessed us, so we return our gifts to Him, for His glory and the salvation of men. We are God's servants whose task it is to redeem the times for the Redeemer of the world.

About the Reformed Church of America (RCA) - The RCA is part of the one and holy universal church, established by our Lord Jesus Christ. In the sixteenth Century, under the leading of the Holy Spirit, the Church of Jesus Christ was reformed according to the word of God. This Reformation, led by such men of God as John Calvin and Martin Luther, cleansed the Church of many superstitions and abuses, which had crept in contrary to the teachings of the Bible. It was this Biblical Faith, which our early American forefathers brought to America, when in 1628 the first Reformed Church in America was organized in New York City. This church, still a thriving congregation, is the oldest Protestant Church in America with a continuous history. Patterning its faith and order after the example laid down in Holy Scripture, the Reformed Church is Calvinistic or Biblical in its theology, and Presbyterian or representative in its church government. The faith of the Reformed Church, whose sole authority is the Bible, is in conformity with the great creeds of the Early Church and the confessions of the Protestant Reformation.