OUR AFFILIATION

 

DIVERGENT CHURCH is part of the Australian Christian Churches ( which is

the Assemblies of God in Australia). As such, we are in submission to the

leadership, codes and practices of the movement.

 

You can view the ACC website here 

 

Additionally, we are in relationship with a number of Pastors and Churches including Strong Nation Church, Rivers Edge Church, Resonate Church, Life Gate Christian Church and Wesley International Church. Leaders from these Churches make up our general oversight team and provide input, mentoring and general accountability for our regional leadership team.

 

OUR BELIEFS

 

STATEMENT OF FAITH (short hand)

 

If you want our more thorough Doctrinal statements or want clarification please ask.

 

We believe that the Bible is God's Word. It is accurate, authoritative and applicable to our every day lives. (Matt 5:17-18; 24:35; John 4:39; 2 Tim 3:16-17; 2 Pet 1:19-21).

We believe in one eternal God who is the Creator of all things. He exists in three Persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. He is totally loving and completely holy. (Gen 1:1; Deut 6:4; Ps 86:9-10; Is 43:10-11; Matt 28.19, Mark 12:29; John 1:1-3).

We believe that sin has separated each of us from God and His design for our lives. (Gen 1:26-31; 3:1-7, Rom 3:23, 6:23, Rom 5:12-21).

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ as both God and man is the only one who can reconcile us to God. He lived a sinless and exemplary life, died on the cross for the whole worlds sin, and rose again to prove His victory and empower us. (1 John 2:2, 2 Corinthians 5:18-21; Galatians 1:4; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14; Hebrews 9:25-26; 1 Peter 1:19-20).

We believe that in order to receive forgiveness and the 'new birth' we must repent of our sins, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and submit to His will for our lives. (Titus 2:11; 3:5-7; 1 Peter 1:23; 1 John 5:1).

We believe in Baptism (immersion) in Water in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as an act of obedience and identification with the death and resurrection of Christ. (Romans 6:3-7, Acts 2:17, 33, 38; 10:45-48, Hebrews 9:19-22; 10:22, 12:24; I Peter 1:2, Mark 1:10, Acts 8:38)

 

We believe in the empowering of the Holy Spirit for mission and ministry as a distinct operation of the Holy Spirit to redemption. One empowered with the Holy Spirit can fully expect to speak in their own spiritual prayer language and be released in other spiritual gifts. The empowering of the Holy Spirit (often called the Baptism in the HS) is an objective experience and is specifically encouraged for all believers. (Luke, 3:16, 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8; 2:1-4; 8:15-19; 11:14-17; 19:1-7, 1 Cor 12).

 

We believe that God has individually equipped us so that we can achieve His purpose for our lives, which is to worship God, fulfil our role in the Church and serve the community in which we live. (1 Corinthians 12:8-10, Eph 4:11-13, Romans 12:6-8

We believe in present day supernatural physical healing (Exodus 15:26; Psalms 103:3; Isaiah 53:4; Matthew 8:16-17; Mark 16:17-18; James 5:14-15). Scripture encourages us to prayer in faith for healing, bringing the elders to annoint them with oil (James 5:14). 

We believe we are all created to exist forever. We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin or in union with God through forgiveness and salvation. The place of eternal separation is called hell. Heaven is a place of eternal life with God (Matthew 25:46; 13:49-50; Luke 12:47-48; Romans 6:23; 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9; Revelation 20:11-15). 

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is coming back again as He promised. We believe this to before the literal thousand year reign of Christ. Speculation and division about details and dates are both unhelpful and unbiblical. (John 14:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; 2 Thessalonians 2:1; Titus 2:13; James 5:7-8; 1 John 2:28; 3:2-3).