Beliefs & Doctrine · Providence Baptist Chapel

Who we are

Established in 1875, Providence Baptist Chapel stands as a place for preaching the Gospel of Christ and teaching the Word of God. We aim to point lost souls to Christ and disciple Christians to serve and grow.

We warmly invite those in Cheltenham and Gloucestershire to join our worship services. Our congregation is united by a shared commitment to the Gospel, focusing on reverent worship, biblical teaching, prayer, and evangelism.

Scripture

God’s sufficient and final authority for faith and life.

Gospel

Salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

Church

A gathered church with a regenerate membership and biblical ordinances.

Hope

Christ will return; we live with resilient hope and holy love.

Plan a visit Beliefs & doctrine

Quick details

Naunton Parade, Cheltenham GL53 7NP
Sunday 11:00 AM & 6:30 PM
(+44) 7471899498

Beliefs

In brief

We are a Reformed Baptist church who believe the Bible is the Word of God, that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, and that the local church is central to Christian discipleship.

Scripture

God’s sufficient and final authority for faith and life.

Gospel

Justification by grace through faith, because of Christ’s finished work.

Church

A regenerate membership, gathered worship, and the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

Hope

Christ will return; we live with resilient hope and holy love.

Statement of faith (PDF) 1689 confession (PDF)

Read our church distinctives

Downloads

Full documents in PDF format.

Statement of Faith & Church Rules 1689 Baptist Confession

Doctrine

Confessional standards

We hold the Holy Scriptures as the solid foundation for faith and life. Our doctrinal views align with the 2nd London Baptist Confession (1689), and our church rules summarize our doctrinal and practical position.

If you’d like to read these in full, you can download the PDFs below.

Statement of Faith & Church Rules (PDF) 1689 Baptist Confession (PDF)

How this helps

A clear summary of what we teach from Scripture
Shared convictions for church life and membership
A historic Reformed Baptist confession

Distinctives

Some of our church distinctives

Plan a visit

Being Reformed in doctrine means grounding all our teaching and practice in the authority of Scripture, emphasising God’s sovereignty in salvation, and upholding the biblical truths reclaimed during the Protestant Reformation. It centres on grace alone, faith alone, and Scripture alone as the basis of our faith. As the Bible says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).

In its evangelism Providence Baptist Chapel proclaims the Gospel, consciously acknowledging that all those whom the Father has given to Christ will come to Him and He will in no wise cast them out. Our adherence to the doctrine of election inspires rather than hinders our gospel endeavours. God has not only ordained those who will believe but also the means by which they believe.

Since its inception Providence Baptist Chapel has placed great emphasis on private and public prayer. It stresses the importance of prayer in the life of the congregation and encourages regular attendance at the public times of prayer. Our elders regularly meet for special times of prayer, and our church has special days of prayer during the year.

We believe that the worship of the Triune God should follow the pattern clearly taught in the Bible. This consists of the reading and hearing of the Word of God, prayer, expository and experiential preaching, and the singing of Psalms and biblical hymns. It is to be done with reverence and godly fear from a heart filled with praise and thankfulness, realising who God is, and what we are in His sight.

We believe that the Lord’s people must keep themselves clear from worldliness and false teaching. This is the doctrine of biblical separation. False teaching stems from an impaired view of the supremacy, inspiration and infallibility of the Bible and leads to departure from other fundamental doctrines of the faith. True churches must defend and preserve the Truth at all costs never compromising the only way of salvation.

Practice

Church life

Lord’s Day worship

Expository preaching, prayer, and congregational singing, offered with reverence and gladness.

Baptism & the Lord’s Supper

We cherish the ordinances Christ gave to His church as visible signs of the gospel.

Membership & care

A committed church family seeking to encourage one another in discipleship and love.

Prayer & witness

We depend on the Lord in prayer and seek opportunities to make Christ known.