That God created man in His own image; that man sinned and thereby incurred the penalty of death, physical and spiritual; that all human beings inherit a sinful nature which issues (in the case of those who reach moral responsibility) in actual transgression involving personal guilt.

That the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins, a substitutionary sacrifice, according to the Scriptures, and that all who trust in Him are justified on the grounds of His shed blood.

In the bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus, His ascension into heaven, and His present life as our High Priest and Advocate.

In the personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

That all who receive the Lord Jesus Christ by faith are born again of the Holy Spirit and thereby become children of God.

In the resurrection both of the just and the unjust, the eternal blessedness of the redeemed and the eternal banishment of those who have rejected the offer of salvation.

That the one true Church is the whole company of those who have been redeemed by Jesus Christ and regenerated by the Holy Spirit; that the local church on earth should take its character from this concept of the Church spiritual, and that the new birth and personal confession of Christ are essentials to membership of the true Church.

That the Lord Jesus Christ appointed two ordinances - Baptism and the Lord’s Supper - to be observed as acts of obedience and as perpetual witnesses to the cardinal facts of the Christian faith; that Baptism is the immersion of the believer in water as a confession of identification with Christ in burial and resurrection, and that the Lord’s Supper is the partaking of bread and wine as symbolical of the Saviour’s broken body and shed blood, in remembrance of His sacrificial death until He comes.The Church (SWBC) further believes in the following distinctive Baptist emphases:

The Church universal as a whole company of those who have been redeemed by Jesus Christ and regenerated by the Holy Spirit. The local church, being a manifestation of the universal Church, is a community of believers in a particular place where the Word of God is preached and the ordinances of Believer’s Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are observed. The local church is fully autonomous, except in so far as it binds itself by voluntary association.

Believer’s baptism is an act of obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ and a sign of personal repentance, faith and regeneration; it consists of the immersion in water in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and is a public testimony to the faith of the candidate.

The principle of congregational church government, namely, that a constituted church meeting is, under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, the highest court of authority for the local church; and that each individual member has the inalienable right and responsibility to participate fully in the life and government of the church, including the appointment of its leaders.

The priesthood of all believers, by which we understand that each believer has direct access to God through Christ our High Priest, and shares with Him in His work of reconciliation,. This involves intercession, worship, faithful service and bearing witness to Jesus Christ, even to the ends of the earth.

The principle of religious liberty, namely, that no individual should be coerced either by the State or any secular, ecclesiastical or religious group in matters of faith. The right of private conscience is to be respected. For each believer this means the right to interpret the Scriptures responsibly and to act in the light of his conscience.

The principle of separation of Church and State in that, in the providence of God, the two differ in their respective natures and functions. The Church is not to be identified with the State nor is it, in its faith and practice, to be directed or controlled by the State. The State is responsible for administering justice, ensuring, an orderly community and promoting the welfare of its citizens. The Church is responsible for preaching the Gospel nurturing believers and for demonstrating and making known God’s will and care for all mankind.