Our Faith & Church Handbook

''The Independent tradition''

The Independents belong to the tradition of reformed churches; they are the fruits of the reformation, and as such are open to frequent and constant reformation.

God is acknowledged in the Holy Trinity which is: God, the Father, revealed in Jesus of Nazareth, God the Son, and who is eternally present in his Spirit, God the Holy Spirit.

The Bible testifies to the great actions of God in Israel’s history, in the person of Jesus Christ and in the activity of the Holy Spirit and under the ministry of the Spirit it becomes the Word of Life for Christians throughout the ages.

We profess two sacraments as in the Bible: Baptism as well as the Lord’s Supper through Communion.

 Church procedure

For Independents, the local company that congregates in the name of Jesus is a whole church. It is a community, and its members, through a covenant with each other, declare their willingness to live together and promote the Kingdom of God in the light of the Bible and in the strength of the Holy Spirit.

As Christ is its Head, the church is free to worship and serve according to its understanding of the Word and will of the Lord, without being answerable to any other institution or individual.

The Church Meeting is the governing body when the members come together with the aim of trying, prayerfully, to arrive at the ministry of Christ as it is revealed through the Bible and the Spirit. Church meetings are held when needed and an AGM held once a year.

Find out more about our tradition through our Church Handbook (below)

Our Church Covenant at Saron (below)

In this place we make a solemn vow with God and with one another: that we will acknowledge and

confess God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit;  that we will make every effort – God’s grace being our aid

to walk in God’s way, according to God’s Word, the only sufficient rule for the life of all people; 

that in true love we will do our best to deepen and strengthen our communion with one another,

counselling, reproving, comforting, loving, forgiving, helping and suffering with one another

patiently, and submitting ourselves at all times to the governance of Jesus within his Church; that

we will endeavour to keep this vow, not in our own strength but in the power of Christ; Nor will we

limit ourselves to the words of this Covenant, for it will be our responsibility at all times, to embrace

every light and truth that God’s Word will reveal to us. May God be our help.