Who Are We?

 

Birchwood Church is a community of believers in Jesus Christ who are seeking to glorify God in our lives and share to the good news of salvation through Jesus' life, death and resurrection to those living in Charlottetown, PEI.  As a Christian church, we affirm the creeds formulated by the ancient church, which include the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds.  

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We are an evangelical church.  Although the term 'evangelical' has been tossed around greatly and has come to be understood in different ways, when we say that we are evangelical, we mean that we place a priority on the proclamation of the 'good news' (evangel) of salvation from sin through Jesus Christ.

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As a Reformed church, we affirm the greatness of God in creation, providence and the work of salvation.  Our understanding of the Bible is summarized in the Westminster Confession of Faith.  You can click here to read the Confession of Faith.

 

We are also Presbyterian, which means we believe that the Lord Jesus intends for his church to be governed by a plurality of elders. As a Presbyterian congregation, we are connected with a wider group of churches known as the 'Free Church of Scotland'.  The 'Free' in Free Church points back to the historical struggle to remain 'free' from state interference in its internal affairs.  You can learn more about the Free Church of Scotland here.  

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Our Mission

 

The Church exists first and foremost for Mission—to make the message of Jesus known both at home and abroad. Our mission is to glorify God by proclaiming the good news of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ throughout the city of Charlottetown. We envision a community where it is safe to be deeply flawed and broken and discover the all-sufficient grace of God through Jesus Christ in the context of the church body.

 

We believe that the good news of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is not only relevant, but also life-changing.  As a church family, we seek to grow by power of the Spirit to live unto the glory of God.  

 

We also recognize that God's work extends beyond the borders of Charlottetown. We seek to support the work of spreading the good news of Jesus Christ throughout the world.  

 

In brief, we seek to: 

• Reach out to people with the gospel of Jesus Christ 

• Build people up in the gospel of Jesus Christ ('discipleship') 

• Extend our focus even beyond the city limits of Charlottetown by sending people out into the world as workers for Jesus Christ. 

 

 

Our History 

 

Our church has been meeting at its present location at 1 Birchwood Street since 1954, although our history on the Island stretches back further to the 1820's when Rev. Donald MacDonald started to preach in Prince Edward Island and established many churches.  In the mid 20th century, our churches joined a denomination known as the 'Free Church of Scotland'.  We remain connected to the Free Church of Scotland to the present day.