Who we are
We are a Christian Evangelical Church connected to a Presbyterian family of churches (for more, see below).
We are a Christian Church, in that we understand ourselves to be a part of the “one true historic church” directly related to the legacy and teaching of Jesus’ Apostles. This means that Cornerstone firmly and fundamentally embraces the historic creeds of the Christian faith — the Apostles’ Creed and Nicene Creed.
We are also an Evangelical Church, in that we see ourselves as part of that stream of the church which upholds the truthfulness of the Bible, the reality of sin, the necessity of personal conversion, and the call to evangelism and mission.
We consider ourselves an evangelical Reformed Church. This is because we see ourselves as heirs of the protestant reformation. This means that we also adhere to the system of theology contained in the representative confessions and catechisms of the reformed tradition, particularly the Westminster Confession of Faith.
We are a Christian Church that functions under a Presbyterian form of church government. This means that we understand that the authority of the Church lies first with Jesus Christ Himself, as the Head of the Church.
We see in the New Testament that Jesus commissions people who are recognized by local congregations as carrying a special role and task of leadership known as Elders (greek: Presbyters). These are elected by the members of the local church. These men are called to a number of specific duties including: prayer and scripture study, preaching and teaching, caring for the people in the church, training Christians in ministry, living exemplary lives, praying for the sick, and many others.
Alongside the Elders, Cornerstone Church also places a significant emphasis on the role of deacons, qualified people who assist the elders in the practical work of the church, with a special emphasis on caring for the physical needs of the church and leading mercy ministries in the city.
Finally, we consider ourselves a Church that is desperately dependent on the Holy Spirit to be able to fulfill God’s calling. We believe that the Holy Spirit gives the preaching of the Gospel the power necessary to change lives. We believe the Spirit helps us live in a way that honors God with all that we have. And we believe the Holy Spirit gives the members of each church special gifts by which we can lovingly serve one another (1 Corinthians 12:7; 14-26; 13:1-13). When this is happening under the leadership and training of Elders, God builds His church (Ephesians 4:4-17).