Who we are
On our home page we describe plfc in this way:
We're an independent evangelical church in Isleham, Cambridgeshire, affiliated to the FIEC. We meet regularly Sunday morning and evening for worship and teaching, and have a range of midweek activities to meet the needs of different age groups.
Clearly, this is a very brief description and many visiting this site may want a fuller statement on our beliefs and doctrinal position. We have intentionally not put this on the home page simply because in the final analysis it is sufficient to say we are Bible believing Christians, and secondly because we do not want to confuse anyone visiting this site with theological terms, especially anyone who does not personally know and love the Lord Jesus Christ.
A fuller statement of our position is given below:
This should be read in association with our official Basis of Faith
The founding indenture of the church that is now known as Pound Lane Free Church made on 7th May 1830 states the purpose of the church as "maintaining the Doctrine of the one living and true God. Three co-equal persons in the Godhead. Eternal and personal election. Original sin. Particular redemption. Free justification by the imputed righteousness of Christ. Regeneration. Conversion and Sanctification by the Spirit and grace of God. The moral law as a rule of life and conduct for all believers. The final perseverence of the Saints. The resurrection of the body to eternal life. The future judgement. The eternal happiness of the righteous and the everlasting misery of such as died impenitent, and practising Baptism by immersion to such as are of years of understanding upon their own confession of repentance towards God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ." - We recognise (a) that this accords with sound doctrine, and (b) the legality of this document in defining the doctrinal position of this church. We gladly and wholeheartedly retain this doctrinal position today.
Pound Lane Free Church (otherwise known as plfc) is firstly an evangelical church. We use the word "evangelical" in the traditional historical sense. We believe unquestioningly in the full inspiration, inerrancy, authority and sufficiency of scripture in all matters of faith and practise. We totally reject any attempt to re-interpret scripture or to reject any part of scripture or its teachings now, or at any time in the future.
In saying that we are a "Free" church we again use that label in the historical church sense, meaning that we are non-denominational and free from any governmental or denominational direction or control. We operate as an independant church under the authority of God's Word and the direction of Holy Spirit.
Our affiliation to the FIEC (Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches) is in recognition of our calling to enjoy fellowship with like-minded believers in a wider sphere than just the local church. The FIEC provides such a setting together with helpful advice to affiliated churches on legal matters etc. without in any sense becoming involved in local church government.
We believe that God's purpose in creation and salvation can be summarised in His sovereign design to create a people for His praise and glory whose delight and purpose is in Him. To this end, our great goal is to magnify and glorify God and His grace towards fallen sinners in Christ Jesus. Our desire is to lift Him up in how we view our salvation, our total dependence upon Him, and our life's goal of imaging Christ. In our theology and in our lives we want always to make much of Him and little of us.
Although we prefer not to use non-bibical labels seeing them as often unhelpful and unnecessarily divisive, we would be described as Reformed in our teaching. We believe totally in the sovereignty of God in all things (Psalm 135:5-6, 1 Tim 6:15-16, Acts 4:27-28) including every aspect of salvation (Acts 13:48, John 15:16, Eph 1:4 & 11, John 10:26, Romans 9:11-12). We equally believe that this is absolutely necessary since unregenerate man is totally unable to make any move towards God - he is spiritually dead in his trespasses and sin(Ephesians 2:1-5, Rom 5:6-10). We believe that Christ's work of atonement was complete in every sense (through penal substitution for sinners on the cross (Isaiah 53:4-5 & 10-12, Romans 8:3-4)) and has already secured the salvation in full for all who will, in time, be brought by God's Spirit to true repentance and faith (John 19:30, 1 Peter 1:18-21). We believe that once saved, a person cannot lose their salvation - they have 'passed over from death to life' and so will be preserved by God throughout the rest of their life through their perseverance in the faith (Ephesians 1:13-14, Romans 8:28-30, John 5:24, Romans 8:1).
We believe that the Bible teaches that God, who is all sufficient, had no need to make man. Rather He chose to make us solely for His good pleasure and glory. His purpose as revealed in Jesus Christ is to redeem for Himself a people who are to be for His glory and praise (Isaiah 43:6-7), a people whose delight and joy is in Him (Psalm 37:4, Psalm 71:23, Psalm 126:2-3). We believe that a person can only be truly happy when they discover their true purpose in imaging Christ, and that, only by a personal relationship in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that such a relationship can only be entered into through true repentance of sin and personal faith in the atoning merit of the death of the Lord Jesus Christ and in that alone.
We believe in Believer's Baptism (Matt 28:18-20, Acts 2:41), and in celebrating the Lord's Supper (1 Cor 11:23-26) as being right and commanded responses of a believer to what God has done for them in bringing them to salvation. But in neither as having any merit in salvation.(Ephesians 2:8-9)
We believe that all churches are to be evangelistic and missionary focused. It is our great goal to make Christ known in the locality in which we are situated through individual witness, corporate events, and regular village-wide mailings as well as to evangelise in a wider sphere through mission support and the internet. We are actively involved in overseas mission through representation from selected mission organisations, visits, email and video links with a number of friends serving overseas, by financial giving, and by prayer. In addition to monies given specifically for mission, a minimum of 10% of all undesignated giving to plfc is used in overseas mission.
We currently use the ESV for public Bible readings and preaching. Pew Bibles are available in both normal and large print and we make it a practise to announce the page number before public reading.
In terms of collective worship, we recognise value in both old and modern hymns and spiritual songs provided that the theology contained in the song is faithful to God's Word and the words and setting conducive to expressing our praise to God. We project the words of all songs onto a screen, but also announce book numbers where the song is found in Songs of Fellowship for those who prefer to hold a book in their hands!
We believe that the Bible teaches a very clear equality in worth and standing between man and woman, but an equally clear distinction in role between the two. We reject all attempts being made in our generation to blur or remove any biblical distinctions whether it be in the church, society or within the family.
We fully recognise and respect the sincerity of those who follow any other religion, or belief system outside of Biblical Christianity but totally reject the idea that any such teaching can have any merit in reconciling man to God, or in providing any means of salvation.
Referenced verses
Psalm 135:5-6
Return to textFor I know that the LORD is great, and that our Lord is above all gods. Whatever the LORD pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.[ESV]
1 Timothy 6:15-16
Return to textwhich he will display at the proper time--he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.[ESV]
Acts 4:27-28
Return to textfor truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.[ESV]
Acts 13:48
Return to textAnd when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.[ESV]
John 15:16
Return to textYou did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. [ESV]
Ephesians 1:4 & 11
Return to textv4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love .... & v11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,[ESV]
John 10:26
Return to textbut you do not believe because you are not part of my flock.[ESV]
Ephesians 2:1-5
Return to textAnd you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-- among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved-- [ESV]
Romans 5:6-10
Return to textFor while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die-- but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. [ESV]
Romans 9:11-12
Return to textthough they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad--in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls-- she was told, "The older will serve the younger."[ESV]
Isaiah 53:4-5 & 10-12
Return to textSurely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed....Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors. [ESV]
Romans 8:3-4
Return to textFor God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.[ESV]
John 19:30
Return to textWhen Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, "It is finished," and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.[ESV]
1 Peter 1:18-21
Return to textknowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.[ESV]
Ephesians 1:13-14
Return to textIn him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.[ESV]
Romans 8:28-30
Return to textAnd we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. [ESV]
John 5:24
Return to textTruly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.[ESV]
Romans 8:1
Return to textThere is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.[ESV]
Isaiah 43:6-7
Return to textI will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made."[ESV]
Psalm 37:4
Return to textDelight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.[ESV]
Psalm 71:23
Return to textMy lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you - I, whom you have redeemed.[ESV]
Matthew 28:18-20
Return to textAnd Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." [ESV]
Acts 2:41
Return to textSo those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.[ESV]
1 Cor 11:23-26
Return to textFor I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.[ESV]
Ephesians 2:8-9
Return to textFor by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.[ESV]
Psalm 126:2-3
Return to textOur mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them." The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.[ESV]