Statement of Beliefs

What Altar of Lively Stones believes, teaches, and stands on — drawn from Scripture alone.

Altar of Lively Stones is an apostolic community rooted in 1 Peter 2:5, headquartered in Ndola, Zambia, under the leadership of Pastor Mpangwe Mutwale. The beliefs outlined on this page are the doctrinal convictions that govern our teaching, our worship, our community life, and our mission. We hold these not as traditions inherited from men, but as truths revealed in the Word of God.
01
The Holy Scriptures

We believe the Holy Bible, comprising the Old and New Testaments, to be the inspired, infallible, authoritative, and inerrant Word of God. Written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit, it is the supreme and final authority for all Christian faith, doctrine, and living. The Bible is truth without error and the complete revelation of God's will for humanity.

2 Timothy 3:16-17  ·  2 Peter 1:20-21  ·  Psalm 119:105  ·  Romans 15:4
02
The Eternal Godhead

We believe in one God, eternally existent in three co-equal, co-eternal, and infinitely perfect Persons: the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit. The three are coequal and are one God. Each Person of the Trinity executes distinct but perfectly harmonious roles in the great work of creation, providence, and redemption.

Deuteronomy 6:4  ·  Matthew 28:19  ·  2 Corinthians 13:14  ·  1 Peter 1:2
03
Jesus Christ the Lord

We believe in the full deity and full humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Son of God, coequal with the Father and the Holy Spirit. We affirm His virgin birth, His sinless life, His miracles, His atoning death through His shed blood on the Cross, His bodily resurrection, His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and His imminent, personal, visible return in power and glory. He is the Chief Cornerstone of the Church, our Saviour, and our greatest treasure.

Isaiah 9:6  ·  John 1:1-14  ·  Romans 3:24-25  ·  1 Corinthians 15:3-4  ·  Acts 1:9-11  ·  Colossians 1:15-20
04
The Nature of Humanity and Sin

We believe that God created every human being in His own image and likeness, endowing each person with inherent dignity and the capacity for relationship with Him. Yet all of humanity has fallen short of the glory of God. Sin is a fundamental condition of separation from God that affects the human heart and places every person in need of divine redemption. No human effort, moral achievement, or religious observance can bridge this separation. Only the atoning work of Jesus Christ on the Cross provides the remedy.

Genesis 1:26-27  ·  Psalm 51:5  ·  Isaiah 59:1-2  ·  Romans 3:23  ·  Romans 5:12
05
Salvation

We believe that salvation is the free gift of God's grace, received through personal faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the Cross. Every believer is justified by His blood, regenerated by the Holy Spirit, and called to a life of consecration and holiness. When we turn from sin and turn to Jesus in faith, we are saved. Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ by faith. We believe that believers overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, walking in daily surrender to God.

John 14:6  ·  Romans 5:1  ·  Romans 6:23  ·  Romans 10:9-10  ·  Ephesians 2:8-9  ·  Titus 3:5  ·  Revelation 12:11
06
The Holy Spirit

We believe in the active, ongoing, and present ministry of the Holy Spirit. He is coequal with the Father and the Son. He indwells every believer at salvation to guide, comfort, and enable a life of holiness. We believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit as an endowment of power for life and service, with the biblical evidence of speaking in other tongues. We believe in the present-day operation of all spiritual gifts, including prophecy, healing, and deliverance, for the edification of the body of Christ and the extension of God's kingdom.

Acts 1:8  ·  Acts 2:1-4  ·  John 14:16-17  ·  1 Corinthians 12:4-11  ·  Galatians 5:25  ·  Ephesians 1:13
07
Water Baptism and the Lord's Supper

We believe that water baptism by immersion is a commandment of our Lord Jesus Christ for all believers, administered in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is a public declaration of faith, symbolising the believer's identification with Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. We also observe the Lord's Supper as a corporate act of remembrance of His broken body and shed blood, and a proclamation of His return until He comes.

Matthew 3:16-17  ·  Matthew 28:18-20  ·  Romans 6:4  ·  1 Corinthians 11:23-26  ·  Colossians 2:12
08
The Church

We believe that the Church is the spiritual body of Jesus Christ, of which He is the Head. It is composed of all true believers, whom Scripture calls living stones, gathered, shaped, and built together into a spiritual house. We believe in the corporate priesthood of all believers. Every member carries a priestly calling to offer spiritual sacrifices of prayer, worship, and service, walking in covenant belonging, mutual accountability, and local fellowship.

1 Peter 2:5  ·  Acts 2:41-47  ·  1 Corinthians 12:12-27  ·  Ephesians 2:19-22  ·  Hebrews 10:24-25
09
Christian Stewardship

We believe that every believer is called to be a faithful steward of their time, talents, financial resources, and calling. We are to live with integrity and purpose, representing Kingdom culture in every sphere of society, from the home to the marketplace. God has given us the capacity to create, build, and serve as a demonstration of His covenant faithfulness.

Deuteronomy 8:18  ·  Proverbs 22:29  ·  Matthew 25:14-30  ·  Colossians 3:23-24
10
The Second Coming and Eternal State

We believe in the personal, bodily return of our Lord Jesus Christ to establish His eternal Kingdom and to judge the living and the dead. We believe in the bodily resurrection of the dead: of the saved unto eternal, conscious fellowship with God in Heaven, and of the lost unto eternal, conscious separation from Him. Heaven and hell are real places of eternal existence. We live as a community committed to holiness, readiness, and the preparation of others for His glorious return.

Titus 2:13  ·  1 Thessalonians 4:16-17  ·  2 Corinthians 5:10  ·  Revelation 20:11-15  ·  Matthew 25:46