Following is the Hillside Evangelical Church statement of faith, which is the conventional way of stating publicly what this church believes. It seeks to state clearly and briefly those core elements of faith that govern all that we do in our church. These are core convictions of biblical teaching and faith that hold us together as a church.

While it is important to identify the core beliefs of the church we recognise that there is a range of understandings and beliefs in the Christian church. It is on these core, essential areas (below) that we seek unity and on other less-essential areas we seek to practice charity and understanding.

Statement of Faith

The Head of the Church is Christ, and the Bible, God’s Word is our supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
The doctrinal basis of the Church shall be the fundamental truths of Christianity, as revealed in Holy Scripture, including:

• The unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit in the Godhead.
• The sovereignty of God in creating and upholding all things, revealing Himself to mankind and acting in Jesus Christ to redeem, restore, and judge.
• The divine inspiration and infallibility of Holy Scripture as originally given, and its supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
• The sinfulness and guilt of fallen man, making him subject to the condemnation of God.
• The eternal deity and sinless humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ.
• His miraculous conception by way of the Holy Spirit and His birth of the virgin Mary.
• His death in our place as the only perfect sacrifice for sin offered once-for-all.
• His bodily resurrection and ascension.
• His unique position as the only mediator between God and man.
• Justification by the grace of God through faith alone in Jesus Christ.
• The need for the Holy Spirit to make the work of Christ effective to the individual sinner, granting him repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ.
• Salvation as the present experience of the forgiveness of sins, peace with God, joy in the Holy Spirit, and certainty of eternal life.
• The work of the indwelling Holy Spirit in the enlightenment, re-creation and sanctification of men, leading to a life of practical holiness and empowering them for their witness in the world.
• The future personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ in glory.
• The bodily resurrection and judgement of all men.
• The eternal joy and fulfilment of the saved, and the eternal punishment of the lost.
• The one true Church, the body of Christ, of which He alone is the head, comprising all in every place who trust in Him for salvation.