Statement of Faith

We believe in THE HOLY SCRIPTURE: Accepting fully the writing of the Old and New Testaments as the inerrant Word of God, verbally and plenarily inspired and therefore altogether sufficient as our only infallible and authoritative rule of faith and practice (Psalm 119:160; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21; Revelation 22:18-19).

We believe in THE ONE TRUE GOD: Who is a sovereign, intelligent, spiritual and personal being. He is perfect, infinite, and eternal in His being, holiness, love, wisdom, and power. He is absolutely separate from and above the world as its Creator, yet everywhere present in the world as Upholder of all things. In the unity of the Godhead there are three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, equal in every divine perfection and executing distinct ministries in relation to God’s creation and in the great work of redemption (Genesis 1:1; Exodus 20:2-3; 1 Corinthians 8:6; John 10:30; John 15:26).

We believe in THE LORD JESUS CHRIST: Who is the Second Person of the Trinity, the eternal Word and the Only Begotten Son. Without any change in His Divine Person, He became a man by the miracle of the virgin birth and thus is both true God and true man, one Person with two natures. He gave Himself in death upon the cross, bearing the sin of the world, and suffering the full penalty of divine wrath in our stead. He bodily arose from the grave and as our great High Priest ascended into Heaven, there to appear before God as our Advocate and Intercessor (John 1:1, 14; John 3:16; Matthew 1:18-25; Galatians 4:4-5; Philippians 2:6-10; Hebrews 4:14-16; 1 John 2:1-2).

We believe in THE HOLY SPIRIT: Who is the Third Person of the Trinity, the divine Agent in nature, revelation, and redemption. He convicts the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment; and He regenerates, indwells, baptizes, and seals all who become children of God through faith in Christ. He further empowers, guides, teaches, sanctifies, and fills believers. The Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts to be used for the edification of believers in the local church. The miracle and sign gifts were given for a unique purpose to the first century church. They ceased at the end of that century as the Scripture was completed and their purpose was fulfilled (John 3:5; John 14:16-17, 26; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 12:13; 2 Corinthians 12:12; Hebrews 2:3-4; Ephesians 1:13; Ephesians 5:18).

We believe that ALL PEOPLE ARE BY NATURE AND CHOICE, SINFUL AND LOST: That man was the direct creation of God, made in His image and likeness; and that by personal disobedience to the revealed will of God he became a sinful creature, the father of a fallen race which is universally sinful in both nature and practice. This sinfulness alienates all people from the life and family of God, and places them under the righteous judgment and wrath of God. Thus he has within himself no possible means of salvation (Genesis 1:27; Genesis 3:6; Psalm 51:5; Romans 3:23; Romans 5:12, 19).

We believe in SALVATION BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH: That salvation is the free gift of God, neither merited nor secured any part or in whole by any virtue or work of man, but is received only by personal faith in Jesus Christ, in whom all true believers have a present possession — the gift of eternal life. Upon the exercise of such faith a believer receives deliverance and eternal security from all condemnation, every spiritual resource needed for life and godliness, and the divine guarantee that they shall never perish (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5; John 1:12; John 10:28-29; Romans 8:1; Philippians 1:6).

We believe in RIGHTEOUS LIVING AND GODLY WORKS: Not as a means of salvation in any sense, but as its proper evidence and fruit. Therefore, as Christians we should obey the Word of our Lord, and seek the things which are above (Ephesians 2:10; Philippians 2:12-13; Colossians 3:1-4).

We believe in THE EXISTENCE OF SATAN: The devil who was created by God as an angel, but through pride and rebellion became the enemy of his Creator. He thus became the unholy god of this age and the ruler of all the powers of darkness and is destined to the judgment of an eternal justice in the lake of fire. His present powers are vast, but strictly limited by the permissive will of God who overrules all his wicked devices for good. We are able to resist and overcome him only in the armor of God, by the blood of the Lamb, and through the power of the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 14:12-15; Ephesians 2:1-3; 1 Peter 5:8; Revelation 12:9-11; 1 John 3:8).

We believe in THE RETURN OF CHRIST: That His coming in the air to rapture His church, which is our blessed Hope, is always imminent. Following that event, He will then pour out the righteous judgments of God upon the unbelieving world during a seven year tribulation period and afterward descend with His church and establish His literal and glorious kingdom over all the nations for a thousand years (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; James 5:8; Hebrews 10:37; Revelation 19:11-16; Revelation 20:4-7).

We believe in FUTURE LIFE, BODILY RESURRECTION, AND ETERNAL JUDGMENT: That the spirits of the saved at death go immediately to be with Christ in Heaven, and that for the determination of rewards which will take place when Christ comes for His own. The spirits of the unsaved at death descend immediately into Hades where they are kept under punishment until the final day of judgment at which time they shall be judged and cast into Hell, the place of final and everlasting punishment (1 Corinthians 15; 2 Corinthians 5:8-10; Revelation 20:11-15).

We believe in THE CHURCH: Which is an organized congregation of immersed believers, observing the ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws; and exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word. Its officers are pastors and deacons whose qualifications, claims, and duties are defined in the Scriptures. We believe the true mission of the church is to “make disciples,” which includes the faithful witnessing of Christ to all people and the responsibility of spiritual nature in the truths of God’s Word. The local church has the absolute right of self-government free from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations, and that the one and only Superintendent is Christ through the Holy Spirit. In all matters of membership, polity, government, discipline, and benevolence, the will of the local church is final. It is scriptural for true churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the Gospel, but each local church is the sole judge of the measure and method of its cooperation. We believe in the unity of all New Testament believers in the church, which is the body of Christ. All members of this one spiritual body should assemble and identify themselves in local churches (1 Corinthians 12:12-13; Acts 20:17-18; Ephesians 1:22-23; Acts 2:41-42; 1 Timothy 3:1-13; Philippians 1:1-2; Matthew 28:19-20).

We believe in THE ORDINANCES GIVEN TO THE LOCAL CHURCH WHICH ARE TWO: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper; that Baptism is by immersion of believers in water, thus portraying the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Lord’s Supper is the partaking of the bread and cup by the believer as a continuing memorial of the body and blood of Christ (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41; 1 Corinthians 11:23-34).

We believe in THE PRIESTHOOD OF ALL BELIEVERS: That Christ is our great High Priest and through Him every born-again person has direct access into God’s presence without the need of a human priest; that the believer has the right and responsibility to personally study and interpret the Scriptures guided by the Holy Spirit (John 14:6; Hebrews 4:16; 2 Timothy 2:15; 1 Peter 2:1, 5, 9).

We believe in THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE: With each having definite and distinct spheres of responsibility. Civil government is of divine appointment for the interest and good order of human society. Governmental leaders are therefore to be prayed for, and conscientiously honored and obeyed except in those things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the only Lord of the conscience and the coming King of Kings (Romans 13:1-7; Matthew 22:21; Acts 5:29).

We believe in PERSONAL AND ECCLESIASTICAL SEPARATION: In accordance with the biblical command to separate ourselves unto God from worldliness; and as a church, from ecclesiastical apostasy and unbelief (2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1; 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10; 1 Timothy 6:3-5; Romans 16:17).

We believe in the SANCTITY OF THE MARRIAGE RELATIONSHIP, in that the institution of marriage was designed by God to unite one man and one woman in life-long commitment (Genesis 2:23-24; Matthew 19:4-6). We also believe that sexual intimacy is a gift from God that is to be expressed only between a man and a woman within the bonds of such a marriage (Genesis 1:28; 1 Corinthians 6:1-3; Hebrews 13:4). Therefore, we believe that any other form of sexual expression is outside of God’s will and plan, and a sin against God (Romans 1:24-29; 1 Corinthians 6:12-20). Furthermore, we believe that God takes sexual sins seriously, yet He lovingly offers complete forgiveness and restoration through repentance to those who disobey the Bible’s teaching (Acts 3:19″; 1 John 1:9). We also take seriously the responsibility that we have as believers to model the example of our heavenly Father in loving all people — including those ensnared by sexual sin — as we seek their restoration (Galatians 6:1-2; Jude 23).