Bible-based Christian church in Sapporo★ Biblical Christ Church

WHICH BELIEVES THE BIBLE AND CHRIST

Background about the birth of church

When we introduce ourselves with photos, the expression 'a Christian church which believes the Bible and Christ' may not be easy to understand, because it seems that the expression is such an obvious thing.

It is a Protestant church, to make it sound simple. However, there are 2 reasons for using another expression. First, the church which sent our founding missionaries was born in Mexico where there is strong Catholic background.

Light born in the darkness

In Japan, there does not seem to be such a negative image toward Catholic churches. However, the situation is different in Latin America, including Mexico.
Not only the difference between Catholic and Protestant such as Catholic church adores Mary as God(※１), there has been a lot of idol worship related to the indigenous beliefs.

In some cases, some were excommunicated from Catholic church, by saying that they got saved by believing in Jesus as the Savior. It is like another religion. In such a situation, a movement of seekig the true God was born naturally around 1980s. Then a group of churches who believed the Bible and Christ were born.

No protesting anyone

Still they did not call themselves Protestant, because the meaning of Protestant is ' to protest'.
The Protestant movement started as a group which protested the corrupt Catholic churches in the middle age. They wanted to be a group of believers who simply believed God and the Bible, instead of becoming hostile against anyone. Therefore, they called themselves simply 'Christians'. (※２)

（※2）In many Latin American countries including Mexico, the word 'Christian' does not include Catholics. Not only because otehrs consider that, Catholic themselves tend to call themselves 'Catholics' instead of 'Christians'.

By the way, in Japan, the churches which have the Biblical faith are usually called Protestant.
However, it is not a universal understanding. In many countries including Mexico, churches are called with the name of their denomination such as Lutheren or others. Protestant is not a generic term for the evangelical churches.

APOSTLES'S CREED

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
and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended to heaven
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic* church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.

Amen