What We Believe

The Bridge Whitby Church (formerly Faith Baptist Church) has been worshiping and serving in the Durham Region since 1951. From the very beginning we’ve been all about telling people about the amazing love and grace of Jesus. Our mission is very straightforward. We want people to: Know God, Find Freedom, Discover Their Purpose and Make A Difference. We call these four aspects of The Bridge’s mission, our Pillars. As we live out this amazing mission we have some powerful guiding values which come straight from the Scriptures. Our vision is to be a vibrant community of authentic worshippers of God who take the message of His love to the Durham region. Our guiding values are that we believe in: Unapologetic Preaching, Passionate Worship, Intentional Discipleship, Loving Community, Bold Witness, Spiritual Healthy Leadership and Dependent Prayer.

Our Mission

Know God, Find Freedom, Discover Your Purpose and Make A Difference.

Our Vision

To be a loving and authentic community of Christians who seek to reach our communities and the world with the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ.

Our Values

Unapologetic Preaching - 2 Timothy 4:2
Passionate Worship - Psalm 63:1-4
Intentional Discipleship - Mathew 28:10-20
Loving Community - John 15:12
Bold Witness - Hebrews 13:6
Spiritually Healthy Leadership - Matthew 20:26-28; Acts 20:28
Dependent Prayer - Psalm 6:5-12; Matthew 6:25-26; 30–32

Bible

We believe the Bible to be the complete word of God. The sixty-six books, as originally written, comprising the Old and New Testaments were inspired by the Spirit of God and are therefore entirely free from error. The Bible is the final authority in all matters of faith and practice and the true basis of Christian union. 

References: II Timothy 3:16, Luke 24:27, II Peter 3:15-16, II Peter 1:20-21, Psalm 19:7-8, Titus 1:1, II Timothy 3:16-17, Deuteronomy 4:2, Revelation 22:18-19 

God

We believe in one God, Creator of all, holy, sovereign, eternal, existing in three equal persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 

References: Deuteronomy 6:4, Romans 3:30, Genesis 1:26, Isaiah 6:8, Matthew 28:19, John 1:1, Acts 5:3-4 

Christ

We believe in the absolute and essential deity of Jesus Christ, in His eternal existence with the Father in preincarnate glory, in His virgin birth, sinless life, substitutionary death, bodily resurrection, triumphant ascension, mediatorial ministry, and personal return. 

References: Matthew 28:19, John 5:18, Luke 1:34-35, II Corinthians 5:21, I Timothy 2:6, Romans 3:25, Matthew 28:6, John 20:24-28, Ephesians 1:20, I Timothy 2:5 

The Holy Spirit

We believe in the absolute and essential deity and personality of the Holy Spirit who convinces of sin, righteousness, and judgment; Who regenerates, sanctifies, illuminates, and comforts those who believe in Jesus Christ. 

References: Matthew 28:19, John 16:8-9, Titus 3:5, Galatians 5:22-23, I John 2:27, I John 15:8

Satan

We believe that Satan exists as an evil personality, the origination of sin, and the archenemy of God and man. 

References: Genesis 3; Isaiah 14:11-20

Man

We believe that man was divinely created in the image of God; that he sinned, becoming guilty before God, resulting in total depravity and thereby incurring physical and spiritual death. 

References: Genesis 1:26, Genesis 3, Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Revelation 20:11-15 

Salvation

We believe that salvation is by the sovereign, electing grace of God. Justification is by faith alone in the all-sufficient sacrifice and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, and those whom God has effectually called shall be divinely preserved and finally perfected in the image of the Lord. 

References: Ephesians 1, Ephesians 2:8,9, John 3:16, Romans 5, Romans 8 

Future things

We believe in the personal, bodily, and glorious return of the Lord Jesus Christ; in the resurrection of the just and the unjust; in the eternal blessedness of the redeemed; and in the judgment and eternal conscious punishment of the wicked. 

References: Revelation 19, Revelation 20 

The Local Church

We believe that a Church is a company of immersed believers, called out from the world, separated unto the Lord Jesus, voluntarily associated for the ministry of the Word, mutual edification of its members, the propagation of the faith, and the observance of the ordinances. We believe it is a sovereign, independent body, exercising its own divinely awarded gifts, precepts, and privileges under the Lordship of Christ, the Great Head of the Church. Its officers are Pastors, Elders and Deacons. 

References: Acts 2, 8, 10, Acts 2:42-44, 1 Corinthians 12, 1 Timothy 3, 1 Peter 5:4, Philippians 1:1 

Ordinances

We believe that there are only two ordinances for the Church regularly observed in the New Testament: 

I. Baptism II. The Lord's supper

References: Matthew 28:17-20, 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 

The Church and State

We believe in the entire separation of Church and State. 

Religious Liberty

We believe in religious liberty; that every man has the right to practice and propagate his beliefs. 

The Lord’s Day

We believe that the first day of the week is the Lord’s Day and that, in a special sense, it is the divinely appointed day for worship and spiritual exercise. 

Civil Government

We believe that civil government is of divine appointment for the interest and good order of society; that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored, and obeyed, except only in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the only Lord of the conscience and Prince of the Kings of the earth. 

References: Romans 13:1-8

Marriage

We believe that marriage is the covenantal union of one man with one woman before a company of witnesses and God. As a church, we will do all in our power to strengthen, support, and uphold the gift of marriage between one man and one woman in a covenantal relationship. 

References: Genesis 1:27, 28; Genesis 2; Matthew 5; Matthew 19; 1 Corinthians 7