Our beliefs are anchored in Scripture and expressed through our DNA: Christ-exalting, Gospel-centered, Kingdom-minded.
We believe there are essential teachings within Scripture that unite the global church, important matters where faithful Christians may differ, and above all, love that binds us together. This principle guides our approach: "In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In everything, love."
There are essential teachings within Scripture that form the bedrock of our faith and community. There are also important matters where faithful Christians may differ, and we hold these with grace and liberty. In all things, we are bound together by love for Christ and one another.
The Kingdom of God motivates everything we do—from individual discipleship to urban engagement. We are not just preparing people for heaven; we are preparing heaven's citizens to transform earth until Jesus returns to complete what He began.
The beliefs we absolutely share as essential within the One City Church family are:
We believe in one God eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each person is fully God, yet there is only one God. The Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Spirit, and the Spirit is not the Father, yet all three are one in essence, power, and glory. The Trinity is the foundation of all Christian truth and worship—we are saved by the Father's love, through the Son's sacrifice, by the Spirit's power.
We believe the Bible (66 books of the Old and New Testaments) is God's inspired, authoritative, inerrant, and sufficient Word for all of life and godliness. The Holy Spirit superintended the human authors to write exactly what God intended, without error in the original manuscripts. Scripture is our final authority for all matters of faith and practice, and through it God continues to speak to His people today. We submit to its teaching and find in it everything necessary for salvation, spiritual growth, and godly living.
We believe Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, two natures united in one person forever. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life in perfect obedience to the Father. On the cross, He bore the full wrath of God as our substitute, dying for our sins and reconciling us to God. He rose bodily from the dead on the third day, validating His sacrifice and securing our justification. He ascended to heaven where He sits at the Father's right hand as our advocate and Lord. He will return in glory to judge the living and the dead and to establish His eternal Kingdom.
We believe all people are born in sin and under God's righteous judgment, unable to save themselves by good works or religious effort. Salvation is entirely by God's grace through faith alone in Christ alone—it is a gift, not something we earn. When we trust in Christ, God declares us righteous (justification), begins transforming us to be like Jesus (sanctification), and will one day complete this work when we see Him face to face (glorification). This salvation is secure for all who truly believe—nothing can separate us from God's love in Christ.
We believe the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, fully God and equal with the Father and Son. He convicts the world of sin, regenerates believers, and takes up permanent residence within every Christian at the moment of salvation. He seals us as God's possession, assures us of our adoption as God's children, and progressively transforms us into Christ's likeness. He empowers believers for holy living and effective ministry. We believe in the present and active work of the gifts of the Spirit—including but not limited to prophecy, healing, tongues, interpretation, word of knowledge, word of wisdom, miracles, and discernment—for the building up of the church and advancement of God's Kingdom. We pursue these gifts while maintaining order and testing all things according to Scripture.
We believe the church is the body of Christ, composed of all believers from every tribe, tongue, and nation. The local church is God's primary means for discipleship, worship, fellowship, and mission. Christ has commissioned the church to make disciples of all nations by proclaiming the gospel, baptizing believers, and teaching them to obey everything He commanded. We believe in Christ's personal, visible, and glorious return to earth. He will raise the dead—believers to eternal life and unbelievers to eternal judgment. He will establish a new heaven and new earth where righteousness dwells, and God will be all in all. This hope motivates our worship, shapes our character, and fuels our mission to see Abuja and the nations renewed by the gospel.
We stand with the global church in affirming the historic creeds that have united Christians across cultures and centuries. These ancient summaries of faith connect us to believers throughout history and around the world.
The Apostles' Creed is the foundational summary of Christian doctrine, with roots tracing back to the early 2nd century. It was used as a baptismal confession in the churches of Rome and has been treasured by Christians worldwide as a clear statement of essential gospel truths.
We confess with the universal church:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic (universal) church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Nicene Creed was formulated in the 4th century at the Councils of Nicaea (325 AD) and Constantinople (381 AD) to address false teachings about Christ's deity and the Trinity. It provides a more detailed confession of faith that has been embraced by Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant churches for over 1,600 years.
We affirm with the historic church:
We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made. Who, for us and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the living and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.
And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets. And we believe in one holy, catholic (universal), and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
These ancient confessions remind us that we are part of something much larger than ourselves. When we recite these words, we join our voices with countless believers—from the early church movement to the modern church in Abuja. They anchor us in theological truth while connecting us to the global body of Christ.
The creeds also serve as guardrails, helping us distinguish between essential Christian orthodoxy and the particular interpretations or emphases of any single church or movement. Though we may differ on secondary matters, these creeds represent the non-negotiable core of the Christian faith.
The Gospel is the good news that God, our Creator, has acted to rescue humanity from sin and restore all creation through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, establishing His Kingdom on earth through His people by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Gospel story unfolds across the entire biblical narrative in four major movements:
God created a perfect world where humanity flourished in unbroken relationship with Him and one another.
Humanity chose rebellion over relationship, seeking to become gods ourselves, which brought corruption and brokenness to all creation.
God launched His rescue mission, beginning with Abraham and culminating in Jesus Christ, who lived the perfect life we couldn't live, died the death we deserved, and rose again to secure salvation for all who believe.
God's ultimate plan is the complete restoration of all things. Scripture promises a new heaven and new earth where God dwells with His people forever—this hope fuels our mission to see Abuja and the nations transformed by the gospel.
As Scripture declares: "The Son is the image of the invisible God... For in him all things were created... all things have been created through him and for him... and through him to reconcile to himself all things... by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross" (Colossians 1:15-20).
We believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only hope for humanity. By God's grace alone, people are redeemed from sin and death and made righteous and alive in Christ. The Gospel speaks to the whole person and can transform anyone anywhere, bringing the healing and restoration needed to advance God's Kingdom of heaven on earth.
Salvation is God's comprehensive solution to everything that is broken in our world and in our hearts. It's how God rescues, restores, and renews both individuals and all creation.
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).
The moment we trust in Christ, God declares us righteous based on Jesus' finished work on the cross. Our sins are forgiven, Christ's righteousness is credited to our account, and we are adopted as God's children. This is a completed transaction that can never be reversed—we are permanently justified before God.
"To us who are being saved it is the power of God" (1 Corinthians 1:18).
Salvation continues as the Holy Spirit progressively transforms us into Christ's likeness. Day by day, He works to free us from sin's power, develop Christ-like character within us, and empower us for holy living and fruitful ministry. This ongoing work involves our active participation as we yield to the Spirit and pursue spiritual disciplines.
"The one who endures to the end will be saved" (Matthew 24:13).
God's saving work will be fully completed when Christ returns. We will receive resurrection bodies, be perfectly conformed to Christ's image, and dwell with God in the new heaven and new earth. All creation will be liberated from corruption, and every tear will be wiped away. This future reality gives us hope in present suffering and motivates us to persevere in faith.
This three-dimensional view of salvation shows us that God's rescue plan is both comprehensive and ongoing—covering our past guilt, present struggles, and future hope.
We believe the Kingdom of God is the central theme of Jesus' teaching and the driving force behind our mission. The Kingdom is God's sovereign rule and reign—wherever His will is done and His authority is acknowledged, there His Kingdom is present.
The Kingdom of God has both present and future dimensions. Jesus inaugurated God's Kingdom through His life, death, and resurrection, bringing God's reign into the present world. Yet the Kingdom awaits its full consummation when Christ returns and establishes the new heaven and new earth.
This "already but not yet" reality means we experience Kingdom life now while longing for its complete fulfillment. We see glimpses of God's Kingdom in answered prayers, transformed lives, healed relationships, acts of justice, and communities flourishing under God's design. At the same time, we await the day when every knee will bow and every injustice will be made right.
Kingdom citizenship transforms how we live in every sphere of life. The Kingdom of God is not merely about getting to heaven someday—it's about heaven invading earth today through God's people. As Kingdom citizens, we are called to:
Allow God's rule to transform our hearts, minds, and character
Build authentic Christian community that reflects Kingdom values
Work for justice, peace, and flourishing in our city and society
Our vision for "personal, community, and cultural renewal" flows directly from Kingdom theology. We believe God has called us to demonstrate and proclaim His Kingdom in Abuja by:
The Kingdom of God motivates everything we do—from individual discipleship to urban engagement. We are not just preparing people for heaven; we are preparing heaven's citizens to transform earth until Jesus returns to complete what He began.
Christ has given the church two sacred ordinances that carry deep spiritual significance. These are not empty symbols but powerful acts of obedience through which we experience God's grace. Baptism marks our entry into new covenant community, while communion provides ongoing spiritual renewal.
We practice baptism by full immersion for believers who have made a personal decision to follow Jesus Christ. Baptism is more than a symbol; it is an act of obedience to Christ's command (Matthew 28:19) and a powerful spiritual reality.
It serves as an outward declaration of an inward transformation—a public testimony of our death to sin and resurrection to new life in Christ. Through baptism, we actively participate in the reality of our union with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection (Romans 6:3-4).
We believe baptism should follow personal faith in Jesus Christ, as demonstrated in Scripture where people first believed the gospel and then were baptized. We encourage all believers to experience believers' baptism by immersion as their personal declaration of faith and act of obedience to Christ.
We regularly observe the Lord's Table in obedience to Jesus' command given on the night before His crucifixion: "Do this in remembrance of me" (Luke 22:19). This sacrament is more than a symbol—it is a means of grace through which we encounter the living Christ and experience spiritual nourishment.
The bread and cup remind us of Christ's broken body and shed blood for our salvation, but they also invite us into deeper communion with Him and one another. Through the Lord's Table, we proclaim Christ's death until He comes again (1 Corinthians 11:26), examine our hearts before God, experience spiritual renewal, and celebrate our unity as the body of Christ.
"We are a gospel movement that exists to see everyone, everywhere, becoming one with God—experiencing personal, community, and cultural renewal—from Abuja to the ends of the earth."