What We Believe
Welcome to Immanuel Baptist Church
We have accepted Jesus Christ as our personal saviour.
First and foremost, members of Immanuel Baptist Church Southsea, have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal saviour. We believe that Christ died for our sins, that he defeated death and rose again, and that through his love and mercy our sins have been forgiven. As following Christ and accepting his salvation are conscious acts, we do not baptise infants. Instead, we practise ‘believers’ baptism,’ most often by full immersion. Baptism is a public declaration of one’s faith, and is symbolic of Christ’s death and resurrection.
Baptist churches do not answer to a governing body, but are instead independently run by the prayerful and democratic decisions of their members and elected leadership. By taking an active part in church meetings, we share in the responsibility for church life and show our commitment to one another.
As disciples of Christ, we have a responsibility to share the gospel with others. We do this in a variety of ways including through active ministry and witnessing about the impact Christ’s love has made to our lives. As a church family, we are committed to loving, supporting and encouraging one another.
The Evangelical Alliance Statement of Faith
What we believe in
- The one true God who lives eternally in three persons – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
- The love, grace and sovereignty of God in creating, sustaining, ruling, redeeming and judging the world.
- The divine inspiration and supreme authority of the Old and New Testament Scriptures, which are the written Word of God – fully trustworthy for faith and conduct.
- The dignity of all people, made male and female in God’s image to love, be holy and care for creation, yet corrupted by sin, which incurs divine wrath and judgement.
- The incarnation of God’s eternal Son, the Lord Jesus Christ – born of the virgin Mary; truly divine and truly human, yet without sin.
- The atoning sacrifice of Christ on the cross: dying in our place, paying the price of sin and defeating evil, so reconciling us with God.


- The bodily resurrection of Christ, the first fruits of our resurrection; his ascension to the Father, and his reign and mediation as the only Saviour of the world.
- The justification of sinners solely by the grace of God through faith in Christ.
- The ministry of God the Holy Spirit, who leads us to repentance, unites us with Christ through new birth, empowers our discipleship and enables our witness.
- The church, the body of Christ both local and universal, the priesthood of all believers — given life by the Spirit and endowed with the Spirit’s gifts to worship God and proclaim the gospel, promoting justice and love.
- The personal and visible return of Jesus Christ to fulfil the purposes of God, who will raise all people to judgement, bring eternal life to the redeemed and eternal condemnation to the lost, and establish a new heaven and new earth.