About Us

About Us

We are a group of born-again Christians gathered unto the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is our desire to follow the pattern of worship and Christian fellowship found in the New Testament. We regularly meet for worship, prayer, Bible teaching and to share the good news of God’s salvation.

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 TIMothy 3:16-17

Since 1909, we have met as a local Christian Assembly in East Vancouver. Our assembly resembles thousands of other independent, autonomous Christian assemblies locally and worldwide who uphold fundamental biblical doctrines and practices.

What’s a Christian Assembly?

An assembly is a company of baptized believers (Acts 2:42), gathered unto the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 18:20, 1 Corinthians 1:1-9; 5:4, etc.) who meet regularly in a particular locality according to the pattern found in the New Testament (Acts 2:41-42), and developed fully in such epistles as 1 Corinthians and 1 Timothy. Such an assembly is a spiritual fellowship (1 Corinthians 10:16-17), which is expressed visibly as they meet for the breaking of bread, prayer, collective testimony, the teaching of the Word of God and the preaching of the gospel. They have been gathered together by the Holy Spirit (Mark 14:13, Romans 8:14); their sole authority is the Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17), and they have the promise of Christ to be in their midst (Matthew 18:20). They are a residence of the Holy Spirit on earth, so they are a temple unto the Lord (1 Corinthians 3:15-16). Such an assembly is guided by godly overseers and served by faithful deacons in both a temporal and spiritual ministry (I Timothy 3:1-16). The priesthood of all believers is exercised in worship, praise and prayer, and the gifts, given by the risen Head of the church (Ephesians 4:8-13), have liberty to function under the control of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 14:23-40). There is a clear line of demarcation between the within and without of an assembly and purity is maintained be a careful, compassionate and godly exercise of discipline (1 Corinthians 5:1-13).

Norman Crawford, Gathering Unto His Name, 1985

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What Do We Believe?

  • We believe there is one God, the Creator of all, eternally existing in three persons; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
  • We believe the Lord Jesus Christ, eternally the Son of God, took upon Himself true humanity. Conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin, He has a perfect and sinless humanity (John 1:1; Philippians 2:6; Matthew 1:23-25; 1 John 3:5).
  • Christ finished the work for our salvation while on the cross of Calvary. Through His sacrifice, Christ has effected complete and eternal redemption.
  • God set His seal of approval on the work of Christ by raising Him from among the dead, enthroning Him at His own right hand in Heaven.
  • Christ is the Head of the Church (Ephesians 1:22,23), the Lord of the individual (Romans 10:9), the High Priest over the House of God (Hebrews 10:21), and Advocate in the family of God (1 John 2:1).
  • We believe the Church, the body of Christ of which Christ is the Head, sometimes referred to as the universal Church, is composed of all believers in heaven and on earth who have been born again by faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.
  • We believe in the unity of the Church – “There is one body” (Ephesians 4:4), “Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3), and that the local church is an expression of that unity.
  • We believe the Church’s purpose is to exalt the Person and work of Christ – “that in all things He might have the pre-eminence” (Colossians 1:18).
  • We believe in the sinful nature of man through his fall in the Garden of Eden, and the impossibility of salvation on the basis of good works (Genesis 3; Romans 3:23; Ephesians 2:8-9).
  • We believe in the immediate and eternal salvation of every person who truly believes on Christ and by faith rests on His finished work as the only righteous ground on which a Holy God can forgive his sins.
  • All who by faith receive the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour are born again of the Holy Spirit, indwelt by the Holy Spirit and by the Holy Spirit baptized into the Body of Christ, the Church, of which He is the risen and ascended Head (1 Corinthians 12:12-14; Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:18).
  • We believe the local church or assembly, composed of true believers, is a testimony to Christ in its community (1 Corinthians 1:2).
  • We believe that God’s pattern for the local church today is the same as it was in the early church which met together and “continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42).
  • We believe in the priesthood of all believers (1 Peter 2:5,9).
  • We believe in the exercise of spiritual gifts in obedience to God’s Word –  (1 Peter 4:10,11), though certain “sign” gifts ceased in the first century.
  • We believe in godly order – “And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints” (1 Corinthians 14:32,33), “Let all things be done decently and in order.”
  • We believe in receiving all Christians regardless of their level of growth or spiritual understanding who are pure in walk (1 Corinthians 5), pure in doctrine (Romans 16:17), pure in associations (1 Corinthians 5:6; 1 Corinthians 15:33; 2 Corinthians 6; 2 John 10-11; 2 Timothy 5:22), pure in heart (2 Timothy 2:19-22). Letters are to be used in reception – ex. Phebe (Romans 16:1,2), Timothy (Philippians 2:19-23), Apollos (1 Corinthians 16:12), Tychicus (Ephesians 6:21), Onesimus and Marcus (Colossians 4:9).
  • We believe in discipline within the assembly – “Do not you judge them that are within?” (1 Corinthians 5:12; Matthew 18:17,18).
  • We believe in the personal, imminent, and premillennial coming of the Lord to the air to rapture (catch up) the Church (1 Thess. 4:13-17). We believe in the revelation of Christ in glory at His Second Advent to the earth to establish His Kingdom on earth and to reign in righteousness (2 Thessalonians 1:6-10; Phil. 2:9-11).
  • We believe that the New Testament Church is a distinct entity to Israel of the Old Testament and that there is a prophetic future for the nation of Israel still awaiting fulfillment.