Here at Hackney Evangelical Reformed Church (HERC), you can expect to hear biblical teaching teaching that will benefit the soul. Historically, the term evangelical has referred to gospel preaching churches who believe in the infallibility of the Bible and so view it as the sole authority for the faith and practice of the Church. The church historian David Bebbington offered a definition of evangelicalism which identified four distinguishing marks.
1. Biblicism
A high view of the authority of Scripture.
2. Crucicentrism
A view that gives a central place to Christ’s atonement on the cross.
3. Conversionism
A view that prioritises the necessity of the new birth.
4. Activism
A view that emphasises the gospel as being lived out in discipleship.
If this is accepted as a fair representation of ‘evangelicalism’ then we want to wholeheartedly embrace the term as reflecting the ethos of our church ministry. There is a commitment to preaching from (and through) the Bible week by week with an emphasis on a Christ and cross-centred interpretation.
That means we proclaim the great doctrines of salvation while inviting sinners to put their trust in Jesus Christ who saves them from the wrath of God.
At the heart of historic evangelicalism, are the world-shaping events of the sixteenth century protestant reformation. The reformers protested against the errors and excesses of Roman Catholicism by insisting that the Bible has sole authority in the life of the church, Jesus Christ is the only Mediator between God and man and that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ, to the glory of God alone.
The 1689 Baptist Confession Of Faith reflects our major beliefs. Click here
link for this statement. While we do not necessarily subscribe to every detail of this historic confession, it is still a faithful representation of the core beliefs of our local church.
