Who We Are
Trinity Church is a local Christian congregation serving the Bolton and Bury area in the North West of England.
We stand in the catholic (universal) faith of the historic Christian Church — the faith expressed in the ancient creeds and defined in the first four ecumenical councils. We are an Evangelical church, committed to proclaiming the good news of God’s redeeming grace in Jesus Christ.
Our calling is simple and profound:
to see lives, communities, and the whole of earthly life restored to joyful fellowship with God.
Our heritage is Reformed and Protestant. We believe church government is led by bishops and councils and our culture reflects both Episcopalian and Presbyterian influences — but we are not formally Anglican or Presbyterian.
Our distinctives in doctrine and worship are not meant to divide us from other faithful churches. Rather, we aim to contribute our particular gifts for the strengthening of the whole Church of Christ.
Our Purpose
Trinity Church exists to glorify God by conducting and calling people to the physical (not virtual), weekly worship of God: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
We aim to proclaim the gospel of
Jesus Christ, calling all people into fellowship with God through Him, making disciples, and faithfully
ministering His Word through teaching, fellowship, sacraments and prayer-filled service.
As the early church devoted themselves to “the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42), so do we.
What We Believe
Scripture first!
Our doctrine is founded upon the Holy Scriptures. Above all, we desire the Bible to shape and correct our theology — not the other way around.
We gladly confess the historic Christian faith expressed in:
- The Apostles’ Creed
- The Nicene Creed (Western form)
- The Definition of Chalcedon and Athanasian Creed
We also stand substantially within the Reformed tradition, drawing from:
- The Westminster Confession of Faith (1647)
- The Larger and Shorter Catechisms
- The Belgic Confession
- The Canons of Dort
- The Heidelberg Catechism
Yet all such standards remain subject to Scripture.
We seek to be, in the best sense, “always Reforming” — continually bringing both old and new treasures out of God’s Word (Matthew 13:52)
Our Theological Commitments
We are broadly Calvinist in theology.
We hold a Postmillennial hope in the long-term triumph of Christ’s kingdom in history.
We subscribe to the 39 Articles of the Church of England — while rejecting any view that gives the civil government authority over the Church. Christ alone is Head of His Church.
We affirm:
- God created all things in six consecutive 24-hour days.
- Adam was created on the sixth day as the father and representative head of the human race.
Take Up the Shield of Faith!
At Trinity Church, our emblem is the Scutum Fidei—Latin for “Shield of Faith.” This ancient Christian diagram is also widely known as the Shield of the Trinity, because it illustrates the mystery of the Triune God.
Since our founding in 1983, we have taken this shield as our insignia. In Ephesians 6:16, Paul calls believers to “take up the shield of faith,” and over the centuries the Church has linked this image with the Scutum Fidei.
Together, the two meanings remind us that God Himself is our protection, and that trusting in Him joins us together as His people.
The Shield of the Trinity is therefore more than a historic emblem—it is our confession. It proclaims that the God we worship is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and that in Him we find both our refuge and our unity.
For Trinity Church, the shield is a lasting sign of who we are: a people gathered in faith, standing together in the life and love of the Triune God.