OUR BELIEFS
What we believe about The Bible
At Douglas Baptist Church, we believe that the Bible was given to us from God, 'All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness'. 2 Timothy 3:16.
We believe it contains all the truth that God desires us to know about Himself, ourselves, our world around us, and what comes after death. We believe that God invites every person to see what the Bible says for themselves. We believe God has given us the Bible not just for information for our minds, but for transformation in our hearts and lives. This transformation happens through the gospel.
What we believe about the Gospel
The central message of the whole Bible from first to last page is called the Gospel. The Gospel is the extraordinary work of Jesus - the second person of the Godhead.
Jesus, though fully God, took on a human nature also, and became a person living in this world, just like us. However, unlike us, Jesus never sinned but lived a perfect life. Jesus suffered a horrific death at the hands of religious leaders and hypocrites who refused to believe that he was the promised Saviour of the world. In line with the plan of God, God the Father used the death of His son to be a sacrifice on our behalf as a way to pay for our sins.
Jesus died and was buried in a tomb. But on the third day, Jesus came back to life in His body and walked out of His tomb. He spent more than one month greeting and interacting with people, before He ascended back to heaven where He sits and reigns today. Douglas Baptist Church (DBC) is His church!
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God's appeal to you today
If you haven’t done so already, God appeals to you today to believe what the Bible says about the gospel - that, 'For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.' (John 3:16).
God desires to completely clear the debt you owe Him. God wants to get rid of your guilt, and give you a right standing before Him immediately. God wants you to start enjoying a personal relationship with Him today, and know for sure that you are going to heaven when it is your time to die.
Will you respond to God today and His call on your life to believe the gospel? If so, simply talk to Him right now. Tell Him you know you’re a sinner, tell Him you believe what Jesus did for you, and tell Him you would like to receive His forgiveness and free gift of eternal life. He will respond to you straight away, for He promises that ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved' (Romans 10:13).
If you’re curious about the gospel, but have questions, please don’t hesitate about getting in touch with us. We are a safe place where you can ask your honest questions about God and spiritual matters. Or, please take a listen to some of our three minute stories to listen how God has transformed lives in our church, all because of the gospel.​
What we believe about baptism
At Douglas Baptist Church, we believe that Jesus has given His church two ordinances. One is the Lord's Supper, and the other is believer's baptism. Jesus calls all those who have repented and trusted in Him as their Lord and Saviour, to make a public declaration of their inward personal belief in His work alone to make them right with God. We see this pattern: repent - believe - be baptised displayed on repeat through the book of Acts.
By being plunged into the water, the believer identifies with Jesus' punishment of death on their behalf. By full immersion under the water the believer identifies with Jesus' burial. By emerging from the water, the believer identifies with Jesus' resurrection and new life in Him. (Romans 6:4).
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OUR LEADERSHIP
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Bryce, Lead Elder
Alex, Deacon
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Ivor, Elder
Aaron, Deacon
Kevin, Elder
Chris, Deaconess
Rio, Deacon
FAQs
What is a Baptist?
A Baptist is someone who:
1) believes that the Bible is the ultimate source of authority,
2) believes that church membership is for those who have personally trusted in Jesus as their Lord and Saviour AND have been subsequently baptised
3) believes every Christian has direct access to God, believes in the autonomy of the local church,
4) and believes in religious liberty for all.
How are Baptists different to other Protestant denominations?
Baptists hold to the five great pillars of the Reformation which they share in common with other Protestant denominations (Christ alone, grace alone, faith alone, glory of God alone, scripture alone). What distinguishes Baptists are those features as listed under q.1.
How are Baptists different to Catholics?
Baptists are a Protestant denomination that hold to the five great pillars of the Reformation, so they do not use or teach the oral tradition of the Catholic church. Protestants believe the five pillars are a return to what the Bible clearly teaches.
A critical difference between Baptists and Catholics is that Baptists believe salvation (gaining eternal life) is an entirely free gift of God that we receive by personally believing in Jesus' death, burial and resurrection.
Catholics believe that the individual must make a significant contribution by the things they do, and are reliant on the help of others (e.g. through infant baptism by a priest and confession to a priest), in order for God to grant them eternal life.
Why do you take the Bible so seriously?
Baptists believe that the ultimate Author of the Bible is God Himself, who spoke through the people of His choosing. As it's from God, the Bible is the only perfect and infallible source of information about God, us, life, death, and the afterlife. We believe that God still uses His Bible today to teach, guide, and transform hearts and lives.
Regular reading of the Bible is an important part of a Baptist's life, as its through reading the Bible, that a believer is able to commune with Jesus and grow in Him.
What translation of the Bible do you use?
We use the New International (NIV). Please contact us and we can send you a copy for free, or buy it on Amazon.ie.
When and how did your church start?
Douglas Baptist Church (DBC) launched in 2006. It was a church plant begun by Cork Baptist Church, Cork, Ireland.
Why do you meet in a school?
Up until this point, we've not needed our own building. We have an agreement with Douglas Community School in Douglas, Cork that we may use their canteen area for our Sunday services. The facilities in the school serve our needs well for Sunday services.
We use a variety of other venues (including our homes, local community centres, and local outdoor settings) to host our other church activites.
How do I become a member of your church?
In line with Baptist beliefs, you can apply for membership of Douglas Baptist Church (DBC) if you have a personal testimony that demonstrates a time in your life when you received Jesus as your Lord and Saviour AND you have been baptised by immersion.
Please note, you are welcome to attend our church without being a member.
I want to get baptised, what are the steps?
Contact us and we will arrange a time to meet with you. We'll ask you to share your testimony with us. It will be a very informal time together.
I'm afraid of dying, can you help?
No-one needs to be afraid of dying - because God freely offers the gift of eternal life. Please contact us and we would love to show you in the Bible what God says about His free gift of eternal life. We can guide you into receiving this wonderful gift from God!
You will also find the information you need in our sections about
'the Gospel' and 'God's appeal to you'. God bless you in your search for truth.