About Us

We believe in:

  1. The full and verbal inspiration of all the Old Testament and New Testament Scriptures as originally given, and of these alone1: their being in themselves the Word of God, without error, and wholly reliable in both fact and doctrine2; their final authority and perpetual sufficiency in all matters of faith and practice3.

    1Exodus 24:4; 2 Samuel 23:1-2; Jeremiah 1:9, 30:1-4, 36:1, 2; John 8:26-28, 31-32, 46-47; 1 Corinthians 2:12,13; 2 Corinthians 13:3; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 1:1-2; 2 Peter 1:19-21
    2Psalms 19:7-11, 119:140,160; Daniel 10:21; Matthew 5:17-18; John 10:35, 17:17 Romans 3:1-2; 1 Thessalonians 2:13
    3Isaiah 8:20; Luke 16:29-31; 1 Corinthians 14:37; Revelation 22:18-19

  2. The unity of the Godhead and the divine co-equality of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit1; the sovereignty of God in creation2, providence3, and redemption4.

    1Deuteronomy 6:4; Numbers 6:24-27; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 John 5:7; Revelation 1:4-5
    2Genesis 1:1-31; Psalms 33:9; Acts 17:24-25; Romans 1:20; Revelation 4:11
    3Psalms 103:19; Proverbs 19:21; Isaiah 49:9-10; Daniel 4:35; Matthew 10:29-31; Ephesians 1:11
    4Luke 1:68-75; Ephesians 1:4-14; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 9:11-12; 1 Peter 1:18-20; Revelation 5:9

  3. The total depravity of human nature in consequence of the fall1, and the necessity of regeneration2.

    1Genesis 3:1-7, 6:5, 8:21; Psalms 51:5; Jeremiah 17:9; Mark 7:21-23; Romans 3:10-19, 5:12-19, 8:7; Ephesians 2:1-3
    2John 1:12-13, 3:3-7; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15; Ephesians 2:1, 5, 10; Titus 3:5; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23

  4. The true and proper deity of our Lord Jesus Christ1, his virgin birth2; his real and perfect manhood3; the authority of his teaching, and the infallibility of all his utterances4; his work of atonement for sinners of mankind by his substitutionary sufferings and death5; his bodily resurrection6 and his ascension into Heaven7; and his present priestly intercession for his people at the right hand of the Father8.

    1Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1, 5:18, 14:9-11, 16:15, 20:28; Romans 9:5; Philippians 2:6; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 1:3, 8; 1 John 5:20
    2Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-23; Luke 1:26-35
    3John 1:14; Philippians 2:7; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 4:15, 7:26; 1 Peter 2:22
    4Matthew 7:29; John 7:15-17, 46, 12:47-50
    5Isaiah 53:4-6; Matthew 20:28; Romans 5:6-11; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:13; 1 Peter 3:18
    6Matthew 28:1-6; Luke 24:36-43; John 20:24-29; 1 Corinthians 15:4
    7Mark 16:19; Acts 1:9-11; Ephesians 1:20-23; 1 Peter 3:22; Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 2:1

  5. The justification of the sinner solely by faith in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ1.

    1Isaiah 45:25, 53:11; John 3:16-18, 36; Acts 13:38-39, 16:31; Romans 1:16-17, 3:24-28; Romans 4:1-5, 5:1, 8:33-34, 9:30-33, 10:1-4; 1 Corinthians 6:11; Galatians 2:16, 3:8, 11, 24; Ephesians 2:8-9; Philippians 3:8-9; l John 5:10

  6. The work of the Holy Spirit as essential for a true and spiritual understanding of the Scriptures1; for regeneration2, conversion3, and sanctification4, and for ministry5 and worship6.

    1Proverbs l:23; John 6:45, 14:26, 16:13-14; 1 Corinthians 2:9-12; Ephesians 1:17-18; l John 2:20, 27
    2John 3:5-8; 6:63; Acts 11:15-18; Titus 3:5
    3John 16:7-14; Acts 3:19; 1 Corinthians 12:3
    42 Corinthians 3:18; Galatians 5:16, 22-25; Ephesians 3:16
    5Acts 4:31; l Corinthians 2:4-5; 2 Corinthians 3:6-8
    6John 4:24; Romans 8:26; Ephesians 2:18, 5:18-20; Philippians 3:3

  7. The universal Church, the body of which Christ is the Head, embracing all the redeemed, called by God through the Gospel, born of the Spirit and justified by faith1; the local church, comprising such believers as the expression of the universal Church2, and fellowship between such churches, manifesting the unity of the body of Christ3.

    1Matthew 16:18; Acts 20:28; Ephesians 1:22, 3:10, 21, 5:23-32; Colossians 1:18-24; Hebrews 12:23
    2Matthew 18:17; Acts 11:22, 13:1, 15:41, 16:5; Romans 16:1, 5, 16; 1 Corinthians 1:2; Galatians 1:2
    3Acts 15:1-4, 22-31; 1 Corinthians 16:1-3; 2 Corinthians 8:19, 23; Colossians 4:15-16

  8. The ordinances of Baptism and the Lord's Supper as being instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ1, but not in Baptism as conveying regenerating grace2, nor in the Lord's Supper as being a sacrifice for sin or involving any change in the substance of the bread and wine3.

    1Matthew 28:19; 1 Corinthians 11:23-32
    2Acts 8:13, 20-23, 36-37, 10:44, 47, 16:14-15, 18:8; 1 Corinthians 1:17, 21
    3Matthew 26:29; 1 Corinthians 11:26-28; Hebrews 7:23, 27-28, 9:25-28, 10:11-13

  9. The personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ in glory1.

    1Matthew 16:27, 25:31; John 14:3; Acts 1:11, 3:20-21; 1 Corinthians 1:7; Philippians 3:20; Colossians 3:4; 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 2:19, 3:13, 4:16-17, 5:23; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; 1 Timothy 6:14; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 9:28; Jude 14; Revelation 22:7, 12, 20

  10. The resurrection of the body1; the judgment of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ2, with the eternal blessedness of the righteous3 and the eternal punishment of the wicked4.

    1Job 19:26; Isaiah 26:19; John 5:28-29, 6:39-40; Acts 4:2, 24:15; Romans 8:11; 1 Corinthians 15:20-23, 42-45, 48-54; Philippians 3:21
    2Matthew 25:31-34; John 5:22; Acts 10:42, 17:31; Romans 2:16, 14:10-12; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 2 Timothy 4:1; Revelation 20:11-12
    3Matthew 25:46; John 10:28; 1 Corinthians 15:53; 1 Thessalonians 4:17; 2 Timothy 2:10; 1 Peter 1:4; 2 Peter 1:11; Revelation 22:3-5
    4Matthew 25:41, 46; Mark 9:44; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; Jude 13; Revelation 14:9-11

Foreword

Pilgrim Tabernacle was founded in March 1987.

At that time John Sherwood was called by the Church to be the Pastor.

The church is independent and self-governing but believes in fellowship and co-operation with churches of like faith and practice and desires to express the real unity existing between such churches.

We reject the Ecumenical Movement because of its failure to stand on fundamental biblical truth and we refuse spiritual collaboration with all who dent the doctrines of the historic evangelical Protestant Faith.

The main purposes of the Constitution are as follows:

  1. To express and set down in an orderly manner what Scripture teaches concerning the faith and conduct of the church;

  2. To regulate procedure in matters which arise in the course of church life, but which are not dealt with explicitly in Scripture, and which therefore must be ordered by the general principles of God’s Word;

  3. To provide a practical guide to the responsibilities and privileges of church membership.


"Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come."

Hebrews 13:12-14

Please click this link to download and view the rest of our Church Constitution document which includes scripture references.

We who desire to walk together in the fear of the Lord, do, through the assistance of His Holy Spirit, profess our deep and serious humiliation for all our transgressions.

And we do solemnly, in the presence of God and of each other, in the sense of our own unworthiness, give up ourselves to the Lord in a church state, according to the apostolic constitution, that He may be our God, and we may be His people, through the everlasting covenant of His free grace, in which alone we hope to be accepted by Him, through His blessed Son Jesus Christ, whom we take to be our High Priest, to justify and sanctify us, and our Prophet to teach us; and to be subject to Him as our Law-giver, and the King of Saints; and to conform to all His holy laws and ordinances, for our growth, establishment, and consolation; that we may be as a holy spouse unto Him, and serve Him in our generation, and wait for His second appearance, as our glorious Bridegroom.

Being fully satisfied in the way of church-communion, and the truth of grace in some good measure upon one another’s spirits, we do solemnly join ourselves together in a holy union and fellowship, and humbly submitting to the discipline of the Gospel, and all holy duties required of a people in such a spiritual relation.


  1. We do promise and engage to walk in all holiness, godliness, humility, and brotherly love, as much as in us lies to rend er our communion delightful to God, comfortable to ourselves, and lovely to the rest of the Lord’s people.

  2. We do promise to watch over each other’s conversations, and not to suffer sin upon one another, so far as God shall discover it to us, or any of us; and to stir up one another to love and good works, to warn, rebuke, and admonish one another with meekness, according to the rules left to us of Christ in that behalf.

  3. We do promise in a special manner to pray for one another, and for the glory and increase of this church, and for the presence of God in it, and the pouring forth of His Spirit on it, and His protection over it to His glory.

  4. We do promise to bear one another’s burdens, to cleave to one another, and to have a fellow-feeling with one another, in all conditions both outward and inward, as God in His providence shall cast any of us into.

  5. We do promise to bear with one another’s weaknesses, failings, and infirmities, with much tenderness, not discovering them to any without the Church, nor any within, unless according to Christ’s rule and the order of the Gospel provided in that case.

  6. We do promise to strive together for the truth of the Gospel and purity of God’s ways and ordinances, to avoid causes, and causes of division, endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3).

  7. We do promise to meet together on Lord’s-days, and at other times, as the Lord shall give us opportunities, to serve and glorify God in the way of His worship, to edify one another, and to contrive the good of His church.

  8. We do promise according to our ability (or as God shall bless us with the good things of this world) to communicate to our pastor or minister, God having ordained that they that preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel. (And now can anything lay a greater obligation upon the conscience than this covenant, what then is the sin of such who violate it?)

These and all other Gospel duties we humbly submit unto, promising and purposing to perform, not in our own strength, being conscious of our own weakness, but in the power and strength of the blessed God, Whose we are, and Whom we desire to serve. To Whom be glory now and for evermore. Amen.