About us

Core Beliefs

​

GOD

There is one God, Creator and Sovereign Lord of the Universe, who is self-existent, eternal, infinite, perfect, and glorious, and who exists eternally in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three persons are equal in power, glory, and divine perfection, and are worthy of worship and obedience.

​

The Bible

The Bible, consisting of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments alone, is the inspired, revealed, inerrant Word of God, and is our full and final authority, sufficient in all matters of faith and practice.

​

The Human Race

All men and women are created in the image of God with equal and inherent value and dignity. God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. Marriage is the unity of one man, born as such, and one woman, born as such, in covenant commitment for a lifetime, and this marriage relationship models the way God relates to His people. Children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord. All people were created to worship God and enjoy him forever, yet through the disobedience of Adam and Eve our first parents, and through our own personal choice, we are all sinners alienated from God, under his condemnation and wrath, and so in need of salvation.

​

The Lord Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, and died in the place of sinners on the cross, accomplishing redemption by bearing the punishment and the wrath of God for all who believe. He rose bodily from the dead and ascended to heaven where—as the only mediator between God and man—he intercedes for his people, and from where he will return in power and glory.

​

Salvation

Salvation is by grace alone, through faith in Jesus Christ alone. Salvation has been accomplished by Christ and is proclaimed and offered to all in the gospel. All who repent and believe are forgiven, pardoned, justified, and accepted by God for the sake of Christ’s righteousness, which is imputed to them. They are made new creatures in Christ, receiving the gift of eternal life and adoption into God’s family.

​

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit has been sent from heaven to glorify Christ and to apply his work of salvation. He convicts sinners, imparts spiritual life, and gives a true understanding of the Scriptures. He indwells all believers, distributes spiritual gifts, brings assurance of salvation, and produces increasing likeness to Christ. He builds up the Church and empowers its members for worship, service, and mission.

​

The Church

The Church is one holy and universal body, the bride of Christ. The church is composed of all who are redeemed through the work of Christ, and is called to worship God and to witness concerning Jesus Christ. The local church proclaims, values, and submits to the whole counsel of God, administers baptism and communion, which were appointed by Christ as signs of the new covenant, and exercises spiritual authority to care for her members and fulfill her mission of making disciples of all nations. Unity is expressed within and between churches by mutual love, care, and encouragement. True fellowship between churches exists only where they are faithful to the gospel.

 

The Return of Christ and the Future

Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to raise the dead and bring salvation and judgment to completion. Those joined to Christ by faith will be brought into fullness of eternal life and joy in Christ, while those alienated from Christ will be separated eternally from God. God will establish His kingdom fully with a new heaven and a new earth, in which He will be glorified forever, having triumphed over all evil, suffering, and death.

​

Secondary Issues

In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity. As we speak truth in love regarding the core beliefs above, which are essential to Christian faith and practice, we also offer grace to our brothers and sisters in Christ with whom we disagree on matters that are secondary. As some of these matters have implications for church practice and so require each body to take a particular stance, we offer the following guidance regarding how ICC Madrid addresses certain secondary issues:

 

Church polity

We acknowledge that Bible-believing Christians may disagree on how to organize church leadership. We are committed to leadership in our ministry by designated groups of leaders who share responsibility for the ministry and hold each other accountable. Ideally, along with lay ministry leaders, the church should appoint elders, responsible for the spiritual shepherding of the church and its members, and deacons, responsible for physical needs within the church and among its members.

 

Roles in the church

We acknowledge that Bible-believing Christians may disagree on the appropriate roles of men and women in the context of the church and church leadership. We reserve a limited set of leadership offices (specifically, pastor and elder) to men called to these roles. All other leadership roles and participation are open to women and men called to them.

 

Baptism

We acknowledge that a biblical case can be made for both covenantal infant baptism and believer baptism. We allow for both covenantal infant baptism and believer baptism. Because there is one baptism for the forgiveness of sins, we generally discourage re-baptism, although we recognize that there may be cases in which re-baptism is warranted.

Spiritual Gifts

Every Christian receives at least one spiritual gift when she or he accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. These gifts are given by the Holy Spirit for the building up of the church. We acknowledge that Bible-believing Christians may disagree on the full list of potential gifts and on which gifts are currently operational in the church.  We do not practice speaking in tongues in connection with corporate worship.​​

​

Church Covenant

​​

By God’s grace we have been brought to repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and to give ourselves wholly to him. Having been baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, we do now solemnly and joyfully renew our covenant with each other, depending on God to enable us to keep it.

(John 6:63, 16:7-11, 1:12; 1 Thess 2:13; Acts 2:41; 8:38; Matt 28:19; 1 Cor 12:12-13; Acts 2:42)

​

❖  We will work and pray for the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, bearing patiently with each other and freely forgiving one another as we have been forgiven in Christ. (Eph 4:1-3; Matt 18:21-35; Eph 4:32)

​

❖  We will walk together in love as brothers and sisters, a family of sinners saved by grace. As members together of the household of faith, we will pursue each other’s good as we encourage frequently, admonish gently, and receive correction humbly. We will care for and watch over each other with affection.

(John 13:34-35; Rom 12:10, 12:15, 16:17-18; Gal 6:1-2; Matt 18:15-17; James 5:16, 19-20; Col 3:16; Heb 3:12-13; 1 Thess 5:11; 1 Cor 5; 1 Pet 3:8; Eph 4:15, 29–31)

​

❖  Because no one can faithfully follow Jesus alone, we will gather regularly with the whole church for worship and fellowship, joining together in prayer, the sacraments, and the hearing of God’s word.
(Heb 10:23–25; 1 Cor 12:12–27; Prov 18:1)

​

❖  We will encourage one another in the ministry of the living Word of God, knowing that hearing, reading, studying, and meditating on inspired Scripture will enable us to mature in our faith. (Matt 4:4; Luke 8:11f; 11:28; Acts 18:11; Eph 6:17; Col 3:16; 1 Thess 2:13; 2 Tim 2:15, 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12; 1 Peter 1:23; 1 John 2:5)

​

❖  We will pray for each other and will pursue transparency with each other, resisting the temptation to hide our struggles and sins, that we might experience the grace of God in the care of his saints. We will rejoice at each others’ happiness and will seek with tenderness and sympathy to bear each other’s burdens and sorrows. (Rom 15:7; 1 John 1:6–10; James 5:16)

​

❖  We will seek, with God’s help and the support of the church, to live carefully in the world, denying ungodliness and worldliness, remembering that, as we have been buried by baptism and raised again to new life, so we now have a special obligation to God and to each other to lead a life that honors our Lord and Savior. (Eph 5:15; Tit 2:12; Rom 6:4; 1 Thess 4:7; 1 Pet 1:13-25)

​

❖  We will endeavor, as the family of Christ, to bring up the children under our care in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. (Deut 6:1-12; 11:18-20; Matt 6:6; Eph 6:4; Mark 5:19; Luke 5:19; Matt 5:16; Eph 5:15)

​

❖  We will be active together in evangelism, taking the initiative to proclaim Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit, and by a pure and loving example to seek the salvation of our family and friends, trusting God for the results. (Mark 1:17; 2 Cor. 5:18–20; 1 Pet 2:9, 3:15)

​

❖  We will contribute our time, talents, and treasure cheerfully and regularly to the ministry of the church, the needs of our neighbors, and the spread of the gospel to all nations. (Eph 2:21-22; Heb 10:25; Matt 28:19-20; 1 Cor 11:24-34; 1 Cor 16:1-2; Rom 16:17; 2 Thess 3:6; 1 Cor 5; Acts 2:42; 2 John 1:9-11; Matt 10:10; Gal 6:6; Mal 3:8-10; Acts 11:29; 2 Cor 8:1-5, Luke 24:46-48; Acts 1:8)

​

❖  If we leave this congregation we will, as soon as possible, join another gospel-preaching church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God’s Word. (Acts 18:27-28; Rom 16:1-2; 1 Cor 15:58; Col 3:23; Heb 10:24-25, 13:17)

​

❖  And through life, whatever opposition may come, we will live together with our fellow believers for the glory of him who has called us out of darkness into his marvelous light. (Matt 5:11–12; James 1:2; 1 Pet 2:9)

​

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all. Amen. (2 Cor 13:14)