Our beliefs are
rooted in unchanging
truth.
Alexandria Presbyterian Church (APC) is a welcoming community of believers rejoicing in the gospel, transformed by its power, and responding with grateful hearts in service to our God and world. We are witnesses of how unchanging truth can change lives.
Alexandria Presbyterian Church (APC) is a welcoming community of believers rejoicing in the gospel, transformed by its power, and responding with grateful hearts in service to our God and world. We are witnesses of how unchanging truth can change lives.
What we believe
The following is a concise statement of our beliefs and theological identity. For a more in-depth examination of our theology, we suggest the online text of the Westminister Confession of Faith and, of course, the Holy Bible. Should you have further questions, an Elder or a member of our ministerial staff would be happy to assist you.
Doctrine
The Bible is the inspired and inerrant Word of God, the only infallible rule of faith and practice.
There is one God, eternal and self-existing in three persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) who are to be equally loved, honored, and adored.
All mankind participated in Adam’s fall from his original sinless state and is thus lost in sin and totally helpless. The Sovereign God, for no other reason than His own unfathomable love and mercy, has chosen lost sinners from every nation to be redeemed by the quickening power of the Holy Spirit and through the atoning death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ.
Those sinners whom the Spirit quickens come to believe in Christ as Savior by the Word of God, are born again, become sons of God, and will persevere to the end. Justification is by faith and through it the undeserving sinner is clothed with the righteousness of Christ.
The goal of God’s salvation in the life of the Christian is holiness, good works, and service for the glory of God.
At death the Christian’s soul passes immediately into the presence of God and the unbeliever’s soul is eternally separated from God unto condemnation.
Baptism is a sign of God’s covenant and is properly administered to children of believers in their infancy as well as to those who come as adults to trust in Christ.
Jesus Christ will return to earth, visibly and bodily, at a time when He is not expected, to consummate history and the eternal plan of God.
Denomination
Learn more about the Presbyterian Church in America denomination.
Evangelical
To say that we are evangelical means that we take our stand with all those who believe the foundational tenets of classical historical Christian doctrine. These foundational beliefs are the existence of the triune God, the deity of Jesus, the virgin birth, the substitutionary and vicarious atonement of Christ, the physical resurrection of Christ, the sure and bodily return of Christ, and the divine inspiration, infallibility, and divine authority of the Bible as the written Word of God. We joyfully affirm our unity with those from every tradition and denomination who hold to these fundamentals, including those true believers in Christ who, for whatever reasons, find themselves members of denominations or churches with which we might have certain disagreements.
This means we take seriously the Great Commission: “Go and make disciples of all nations.” Without compromising the sovereignty of God, we affirm the responsibility of each person to repent and believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and our responsibility to extend the gospel invitation as a call to salvation to everyone who hears its message. We invite all, without distinction, to drink freely of the Water of Life and to live eternally. This is the initial step we take in seeking to extend the transforming presence of Christ’s Kingdom.
Confessional
This means that we have a written confession of faith which we believe to be a good and accurate summary of the Bible’s teaching. Our confession consists of the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms. These documents (available from our church office) are not without flaw; yet we believe they do contain carefully worded summaries of the Bible’s content. All Ruling and Teaching Elders in the Presbyterian Church in America must vow that they hold to these standards and are required to indicate to their presbyteries or sessions where they take exceptions. It is important to note that every church has a confession, formal or informal, written or unwritten even though they may state that they have “no creed but Christ.” Every church summarizes its convictions in some form in order to identify its own church or denominational distinctives.
Covenantal
To say we are covenantal means we believe that the unifying principle of the Scriptures is the one covenant of grace that God made with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and finally and most importantly, in Jesus Christ. The covenant is a pledge or bond of loyalty which God made to His people through each of the above-named persons. The covenant is a relationship of loving loyalty that God has initiated with us as His people throughout human history. To speak of the unity of the covenants means that there is one way and one way only to salvation in both Old and New Testaments — that is, by faith alone in Jesus Christ.
We Have Something for Everyone
Understanding biblical teaching is important, but it’s also essential that this truth is applied. There are many opportunities for this truth to be worked out at APC. We hope you will take the next step and get connected to a ministry and serve in the context of community.