We believe the global Church is not comprised of buildings and denominations, but rather of people.  The Church is a body of believers who are diverse in their cultures and experiences, but united in their faith in Jesus Christ.  As a body of believers, we, together with Christians across the globe, affirm these essential tenants of our faith:

• The Bible, consisting of the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, is the uniquely inspired, infallible Word of God and the final authority on all matters on which it speaks. It reveals God’s truth and is a complete and unified witness of God’s redemptive acts.
• God is one in essence yet eternally exists in three persons — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit working together in creation, redemption, and restoration.
• Jesus Christ, the Son became flesh through His virgin birth and is both fully God and fully man. Through His sinless life, sacrificial death on the cross, and bodily resurrection, He conquered sin and death, becoming our Savior, Mediator, and eternal High Priest.
• The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, regenerates and indwells believers, empowers them for holy living, imparts gifts for service, and seals them for the day of redemption.
• Salvation is wholly dependent on God’s grace, received through faith in Jesus Christ alone. It is not earned by works but results in eternal life by receiving His righteousness, justification, and adoption as children of God.
• The Church is the body of Christ, made up of all true believers united by the Holy Spirit. It is expressed through local congregations who meet for worship, fellowship, discipleship, service and correction.
• Christ will return again personally, visibly, and bodily to judge the living and the dead, bringing justice and fulfilling God’s eternal purpose for creation.
• Believers have a mission to proclaim the gospel, make disciples of all nations, and serve others in love, demonstrating the character and compassion of Christ in the world.

John Knox is also a Presbyterian congregation, and as such part of the Reformed tradition.  Just as there are central truths of the gospel affirmed by Christians everywhere, there are particular understandings of the gospel that define Presbyterian and Reformed traditions.  We affirm the secondary authority of the Book of Confessions as a faithful exposition of the Word of God.  Essential tenants do not replace the confessions, but rather witness to the confessions common core and to the great themes of Scripture. The leadership within a Presbyterian church must affirm the essential tenants of the Reformed tradition, which are briefly described below:

• Humanity’s fall into sin has resulted in a disordered world. No part of human life is untouched by sin.  We are not merely wounded by sin, we are spiritually dead.  Apart from God’s initiative, salvation is not possible for us.  Our only hope is God’s grace.
• God has chosen his own before the foundation of the world, not based on human merit, but by his grace, choosing individuals for salvation and service.  The elect respond to the gospel in faith and choose Christ because they were first chosen by God.
• We are not elect for our own benefit. Through the work of the Holy Spirit we are enabled to be witnesses of God’s grace to the lost.  Christ sends us to make disciples everywhere.  We preach Christ, calling all to repent and believe the gospel.
• God’s grace is effectual, meaning it always accomplishes its purpose; rebirth quickens the individual to spiritual life in a way that his grace becomes irresistible.
• God grants perseverance to those he calls.  God will continue to protect and preserve us.  John assures us no believer can be snatched from the Father’s hand and Romans tells us those he calls he also brings to glory.
• Believers are united in a covenant community, which includes preaching the Word, the administration of the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and practicing mutual discipline to foster spiritual growth.
• Progress in holiness is a response to God’s grace, marked by prayer, self-examination, and love for God in all aspects of life. Believers submit their desires and intellect to God’s authority, and live out their faith actively, demonstrating love, truth, integrity and stewardship in all areas of life.