Who We Are

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We are a Biblical Church

We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, inspired by the Spirit, faithful in all it records, and without error in its original manuscripts. We believe the Bible is authoritative and the sole sufficient guide for all matters of faith and practice (2 Tim 3:16-17; 2 Pet 1:20-21).

 

We are an Evangelical Church

We believe that every man is a sinner and under God’s wrath with no hope of heaven apart from the sovereign grace of God in Jesus Christ (Rom 3:23; Rom 6:23).

We believe that God the Father, in love, sent the eternal Son of God, Jesus Christ, into the world to save sinners (John 3:16; 1 Tim 1:15).

We believe we are saved not by the works we do, but through faith alone in the perfect life, substitutionary death, and triumphant resurrection of the Lord Jesus (1 Cor 15:3-5; Eph 2:8).

We believe the Holy Spirit draws sinners to Christ, gives saving faith and repentance, and instructs us and equips us to live lives of obedience to the Lord (John 3:8; Tit 3:5; 1 Cor 2:10-14; Gal 5:16).

 

We are a Confessional Church

We believe the teachings of Scripture are succinctly summarized in the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms. In addition, we believe the teachings of the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed. While these documents are not infallible, they are sound words of biblical interpretation and a faithful exposition of the historic Christian Faith (2 Tim 1:13; Tit 2:1).

 

We are a Reformed Church

We believe the five slogans which emerged in the sixteenth century Protestant Reformation are nothing less than biblical Christianity. They are:
The Bible alone is the Word of God (sola Scriptura).
We are saved through faith alone and not the works of the law (sola fide).
Salvation is granted to sinners by God’s grace alone (sola gratia).
Jesus Christ is the only Savior of sinners (solo Christo).
All glory belongs to God alone (soli Deo gloria).

 

We are a Presbyterian Church

We believe Christ’s church is governed by a body of elders called by God and elected by the congregation. The word Presbyterian comes from the Greek word for elder (presbuteros). God has given these shepherd-elders to care for the souls of God’s people and encourage them towards spiritual maturity (Eph 4:11-16; 1 Pet 5:1-4). The Presbyterian form of church government also emphasizes the cooperative nature of Christ’s church reflected in Acts 15. Therefore, while the elders at Second oversee this local ministry, they also share in overseeing the work of sister churches through a regional Presbytery and the churches in the Presbyterian Church of America through a General Assembly.