About Us
Who we are
We are a Church that is rooted on the Word of God and we make it our ambition to preach Christ to the world. Here's how it all started.
Chennai, the multicultural and multiethnic capital of the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, has witnessed vibrant growth and development in the past few decades. This Indian hot spot is now home to several thousands of people who converse primarily in English. There is a dearth of Churches in Chennai to minister to people from other Indian states as well as other countries who communicate only in English. Understanding this need, the Tamil Baptist Church (TBC), Kilpauk initiated a ministry to reach out to non-Tamils in Chennai with the Gospel of Christ. At the same time, the Holy Spirit worked a similar burden on Pas. Joshua Edwin who was appointed to oversee the ministry to the English speaking community of Chennai in the year 2000. A Fellowship Group was started initially. The ministry shaped up further with a worship service that was conducted in the premises of the Tamil Baptist Church on Sunday mornings at 7.00 a.m. This was the beginning of the Cornerstone Baptist Church!
The ministry has witnessed steady growth ever since. The Fellowship Group became a weekly Bible Study class which met every Friday to study God's Word. Children's Bible classes were held on Sunday evenings to instill the fear of God in young minds. The women in the Church began to meet for fellowship once a month and the mothers in this group organized 'Moms in Touch'; an initiative to reach stay at home mothers. The seed of God's Word was regularly sown in the hearts of members and the ministry saw further growth with the release of the monthly news bulletin, 'Milk and Meat' as the voice of the Cornerstone Baptist Church. Recognizing the need for the Church to engage in discipleship, the first camp was organized in 2004 in the outskirts of Chennai. With the goal of enabling believing families to apply Biblical principles in their life and home, the 'Couple's Fellowship' was initiated in 2009. The first 'Vacation Bible School' in English was conducted in 2009at JasperJyoti Matriculation School where 40 children were introduced to the Gospel. Another landmark in the year 2009 was the change in Church venue. The Church Women's Centre, Gurukul, Kilpauk was hired to accommodate the growing congregation and Church timings were changed to 9.00 a.m.
The various ministries of the Church have been ongoing and have yielded much fruit. This is evidenced in the lives of the congregation. The Lord's desire to establish and strengthen the ministries of the Cornerstone Baptist Church became evident with the registration of the Church as a Trust under the Tamil Nadu Government on October 2014. True to its name, the Cornerstone Baptist Church endeavors to preach Christ and empower believers to build their lives on Christ, the Cornerstone.
We are so glad you visited our site and it is our prayer that you may be blessed by our teachings and ministry.
We are a Church that is rooted on the Word of God and we make it our ambition to preach Christ to the world. Here's how it all started.
Our Pastor
Joshua Edwin is the pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church. He earned a B.Sc from Loyola College, Chennai and B.D from Union Biblical seminary, Pune. Joshua and his wife Vijaya have been married since 1995.They have two children, Anugraha and Sachay.
Joshua was serving in the Youth wing of Friends Missionary Prayer Band since 1990 and having received a call to pastoral ministry launched out to plant a church with the support of the Tamil Baptist church. The primary focus of Joshua’s ministry is verse-by-verse exposition of God’s Word.
Statement of Faith
The BIBLE alone is the inspired Word of God, and the only authoritative rule for faith and practice.
All MANKIND is born in a state of total sinful depravity. Therefore, no person has the will, or the ability to come to God in his own strength.
GOD is sovereign in creation, providence and salvation.
JESUS CHRIST, the Son of God, willingly died as a substitutionary sacrifice for the sins of His people.
SALVATION cannot be merited by our 'good works'. It is entirely a gift of God's free grace. God requires man to repent of his sins, and commit himself by faith to Jesus Christ, accepting Him as Lord and Savior. Salvation, once received, cannot be lost. All true believers will persevere in the faith, and in a holy lifestyle. At the time of salvation, all Christians receive the indwelling and fullness of the HOLY SPIRIT, and are baptized by the Spirit into the Body of Christ. As he lives by the power of the Spirit, the believer is enabled to live a godly life in this present evil world.
In ETERNITY the saved shall enjoy everlasting life, and the lost shall suffer everlasting punishment.
The Cornerstone Baptist Church subscribes to the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith.