What We Believe

The following are the core beliefs of Harlem Community Church based on the foundational truths taught in the Bible. All of our teaching and ministry is rooted in and flows out of these biblical doctrines.

At Harlem Community Church, we affirm the Holy Bible as the authoritative Word of God, serving as the final authority in all matters of doctrine. Inspired by God and written by multiple authors over thousands of years, the Bible is infallible and inerrant in its original form (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21). Comprising 66 books, it tells one cohesive story of God's relentless pursuit to redeem His creation. We trust in its reliability and find guidance for our beliefs and actions within its pages, recognizing it as the source of truth for our faith journey (Proverbs 30:5; Romans 16:25-26).

At Harlem Community Church, we affirm the belief in one God who exists eternally in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as revealed in Scripture (I John 5:7; Genesis 1:26; Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19; Luke 1:35; Isaiah 9:6; Hebrews 3:7-11). This Triune God is co-equal and co-eternal, embodying infinite attributes beyond human comprehension. God is the creator of all things, existing outside the confines of time and space. His nature is multifaceted yet harmonious, encompassing qualities of love, justice, mercy, and holiness. We trust in His sovereignty, acknowledging that every aspect of His character works together for the ultimate good of His creation.

At Harlem Community Church, we confess Jesus Christ as the eternal Son of God, born of a virgin, and lived a sinless life (John 1:1; 1:14; 3:16; 14:6; 20:28, Isaiah 9:6, 1 Timothy 2:5, Matthew 1:18, 23-25; Luke 1:27-35; Isaiah 7:14). He willingly sacrificed Himself on the cross as the perfect atoning sacrifice for our sins, offering redemption and reconciliation to all who believe (1 John 1:7; Revelation 1:5, 5:9; Colossians 1:20; Romans 3:10-12, 23, 5:9; John 1:29). Through His death and resurrection, Jesus conquered sin and death, providing access to God for humanity (John 14:6). He now reigns at the right hand of the Father, interceding on behalf of believers and offering the promise of new life in Him (Hebrews 7:25). As followers of Christ, we strive to emulate His example, living lives transformed by His grace and empowered by His Spirit.

At Harlem Community Church, we affirm the presence and work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers, guiding, comforting, and convicting us, and adopting us into the family of God (Joel 2:28-29; Matthew 3:11; Mark 16:17; Acts 1:5, 2:1-4, 17, 38-39, 8:14-17, 10:38, 44-47, 11:15-17, 19:1-6). The Holy Spirit empowers us to grow in Christ-likeness, producing the fruit of the Spirit in our lives and equipping us with spiritual gifts to serve God's people and the world in need (Galatians 5:22-23). Given at Pentecost as the promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit enables the Church to spread the Gospel globally (Acts 2:1-4). These spiritual gifts, which manifest in diverse ways, are essential for building and sanctifying the Church, confirming the truth of the Gospel, and edifying believers. We eagerly seek the manifestation of these gifts in accordance with Scripture, ensuring they operate in harmony with Biblical parameters (Hebrews 2:4; Romans 1:11, 12 :4-8; Ephesians 4:16; 2 Timothy 1:5-16, 4:14; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31, 14:1-40; 1 Peter 4:10).

At Harlem Community Church, we affirm that salvation is a gift from God, bestowed upon us by His grace through faith in Jesus Christ and His sacrificial death, burial, and resurrection (Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 2:16, 3:8; Titus 3:5; Romans 10:9-10; Acts 16:31; Hebrews 9:22). Created in the image of God for fellowship with Him, humanity's disobedience led to separation from God. In His infinite love and mercy, the Father sent Jesus to redeem us through His atoning sacrifice on the cross and resurrection from the dead. Through faith in Christ, we exchange our sin for His righteousness, the only means of salvation and reconciliation with the Father. Salvation is not earned through good works or human efforts but received as a free gift of God's grace.

At Harlem Community Church, we view the Church as the dynamic Body of Christ, with Jesus serving as its head. It consists of individuals who have placed their trust in Jesus Christ, redeemed through His blood and born of the Holy Spirit. The Church's purpose is to glorify God, make disciples, and share the Gospel locally and globally while meeting community needs. We observe baptism as a symbol of faith and identification with Christ's death and resurrection, and communion as a continual remembrance of His sacrifice. Commissioned by Christ, the Church gathers locally for worship, edification through the Word, prayer, fellowship, and the observance of Baptism and the Lord's Supper (Matthew 28:19–20, Acts 2:41–47, Ephesians 1:22–23).

At Harlem Community Church, we uphold the practice of water baptism as commanded by the Word of God following faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, administered in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38). Additionally, we observe the Lord's Supper as a sacred time of communion in the presence of God, partaking of the bread and cup in remembrance of Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross, symbolizing His Body and Blood (Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 16:16; Acts 8:12, 36-38; 10:47-48; 1 Corinthians 10:16, 11:23-25).

Harlem Community Church holds firm to the belief in the imminent return of Christ, as outlined in Scripture (Matthew 24:30, 26:63-64; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8; Revelation 1:7). We anticipate His glorious return to reign on earth for a thousand years (Titus 2:13; Romans 8:18–25; 1 Peter 1:7, 13; 4:13; 2 Thessalonians 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:7; Acts 1:11; Mark 13:33–37; Matthew 24:27, 30, 44; Luke 21:27; 2 Peter 3:11; Matthew 24:42–51; Revelation 20:4).

Moreover, we affirm the bodily resurrection of all people and the eternal fellowship of believers in Heaven, alongside the conscious suffering of the lost in the Lake of Fire (Revelation 3:5; 13:8; 20:11–15; 21:8, 27; Matthew 13:36–43; 25:3–46; Philippians 4:3; John 14:1–6; Hebrews 6:19–20; 2 Thessalonians 1:9). In the end, Jesus will reign eternally, judging all creation with justice and mercy, offering eternal presence to those who accepted salvation through Him and eternal separation for those who did not (Revelation 20:11–15).