What We believe

This Church recognizes that it cannot bind the consciences of individual members in areas where the Scripture does not speak directly or where it can legitimately be understood in more than one way, but that each believer is to be led by the Lord to whom they alone are ultimately responsible. For the preservation of the peace and unity of the Church, officers, staff and all teachers shall be in agreement with this Doctrinal Statement. All members should refrain from imposing doctrines that are not included in this Doctrinal Statement in such a way as to encourage doctrinal disputes, which could destroy the peace and unity of the church. By accepting and subscribing to these articles of faith, we by no means, set aside or under-value any of the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments.

The Bible

We believe in the absolute authority, accuracy and inerrancy of the sixty-six (66) books of the Holy Bible; its full verbal inspiration of the original manuscripts and its all-sufficiency and final authority as the Christian’s rule of faith and practice (Proverbs 30:5; Isaiah 40:8; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21).

God

We believe that there is but one God, the Creator, Preserver and Ruler of all things, who is perfect in holiness, and in love, infinite in wisdom and measureless in power, and who reveals Himself to us as three distinct entities, Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Deuteronomy 6:4; Nehemiah 9:6; I Chronicles 29:11-12; Exodus 15:11; I John 4:8; Matthew 28:19).

Jesus Christ

We believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal and only begotten Son of God, conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, and that He is true God and true man and is the only mediator between God and man (Matthew 1:20; Luke 1:30-35; John 12:45; 14:19; 1 Timothy 2:5).

Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person, equal with the Father and Son, and of the same substance and nature; that He convicts of sin, righteousness and judgment; that He bears witness to the church; that He is the agent of the new birth; and at conversion He baptizes the believer into the Body of Christ; and that He seals, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses to, sanctifies and helps the believer, indwelling every true child of God (John 3:3-7; 16:8-11; Ephesians 1:13; 2 Corinthians 13:14; John 14:16-17; Romans 8:14-27; 1 Corinthians 12:12-13).

Man

We believe that man was created in the image of God by direct creation and that he was originally in fellowship and communication with God. By man's choice he sinned, breaking this fellowship and incurred both physical and spiritual death. Thus, all mankind by nature and by choice are sinners and unable of their own selves to reestablish fellowship with God. Apart from Christ all individuals shall be forever separated from God (Genesis 1:26; Ezekiel 18:20; Romans 3:23; Titus 3:5; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 6:23).

Justification

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according the Scriptures as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice, that all who believe on Him are justified on the ground of His shed blood (1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Revelation 1:5).

Salvation

We believe that salvation is by grace through faith, not of works, and that all who receive by faith the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are born again of the Holy Spirit, thereby becoming children of God. We believe in the eternal security of the believer (Ephesians 2:8,9; John 3:3-7; 1:12; 10:27-29; Romans 8:14-17).

The Assurance of Salvation

We believe God’s Word teaches the assurance of salvation and the keeping power of God for daily living to every born-again person and that this is eternal for the believer. (John 5:24; 10:28-29; Rom. 8:1,28-39; 2 Cor 5:1, 6-8; Phil. 1:6; 1 Peter 1:3-5; 1 John 5:13).

The Christian Walk

We believe that all who are born again by the Holy Spirit are made partakers of the divine nature, and are called with a holy calling to walk, not after the flesh, but after the Spirit; and that they can be victorious over the flesh through the power of the Holy Spirit and thus not manifest the works of the flesh, which would dishonor Christ’s name, but manifest the fruit of the Spirit, which glorifies God (Romans 6-8; Gal. 5:16-23; Eph. 1:3-14; 4:1-6:4; 1 Peter 1:15-16; 2 Peter 1:3-4)

Resurrection - Jesus Christ

We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord, in His ascension into heaven and in His present ministry there for us as High Priest and Advocate.

Resurrection - Man

We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just, the bodily resurrection of the unjust the everlasting conscious blessedness of the saved and the everlasting conscious punishment of the lost (1 Corinthians 15:20-24; Revelation 20:12-15; 2 Corinthians 5:8).

Local Church, Baptism

We believe that the local church is the local expression of the Body of Christ and is a voluntary association of baptized believers equal in rank and privilege, subject to the Word of God, and independent of any external ecclesiastical control whatsoever.

We believe that God's Word commands every believer to be baptized by immersion in water. Though baptism has no saving merit it does show forth in solemn and beautiful symbolism the believer's faith in and union with the crucified, buried, and risen Savior (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:41; Acts 8:38; Acts 18:8; Romans 6:3-5).

Lord's Supper

We believe that the Lord's Supper is a provision of bread and the cup which are symbolical of Christ's broken body and shed blood; that the Lord's Supper is partaken of by saved individuals in commemoration of the suffering and death of their Lord and in anticipation of His soon coming again; that its observance is to be preceded by faithful self-examination (Luke 22:19-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-30).

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit

We believe that each believer has sovereignly been given at least one spiritual gift by the Holy Spirit; that no believer is destitute of such a gift; that these gifts are given to believers in order that they might minister to the rest of the body; and that the Church has been given specific gifted believers whose purpose it is to equip the saints for their jobs of ministry and of building up the body of Christ. (Rom. 12:6-8; 1Cor. 12:4-11; Eph. 4:7-12; 1Peter 4:10)

The Future

We believe in the personal, visible, imminent return of the Lord Jesus Christ for His church and in His coming in Glory with the believers to set up His millennial kingdom upon the earth followed by an eternal kingdom on a new heaven and earth. The saved will forever be in His presence and fellowship while the unsaved will forever be separated from God and His fellowship (1 Corinthians 15:4; Acts 1:9-11; Hebrews 4:14-16; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; 1 John 2:1-2; Revelation 19:11-16; 20:1-15; 21:1-8).

Human Sexuality

We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between one man and one woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one’s gender by surgery or appearance. (Gen. 2:24; Gen. 19:5, 13; Gen. 26:8-9; Lev. 18:1-30; Rom. 1: 26-29; 1 Cor. 5:1; 6:9; 1 Thess. 4:1-8; Heb. 13:4).
We believe that the only Scriptural marriage is the joining of one man and one woman. (Gen. 2:24; Rom. 7:2; 1 Cor. 7:10; Eph. 5:22-23).

Family Relationships

We believe that men and women are spiritually equal in position before God, but that God has ordained distinct and separate spiritual functions for men and women in the home and the church. The husband is to be the leader of the home, and men are to be the leaders (Pastors and deacons) of the church. Accordingly, only men are eligible for licensure and ordination by the church. (Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:18; 1 Tim. 2:8-15; 3:4-5, 12)
We believe that God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. The husband is to love his wife as Christ loves the church. The wife is to submit herself to the Scriptural leadership of her husband as the church submits to the headship of Christ. Children are a heritage from the Lord. Parents are responsible for teaching their children spiritual and moral values and leading them, through consistent lifestyle example and appropriate discipline, including Scriptural corporal correction. (Gen. 1:26-28; Ex.20:12; Deut. 6:4-9; Ps. 127:3-5; Prov. 19:18; 22:15; 23:13-14; Mk. 10:6-12; 1 Cor. 7:1-16; Eph. 5:21-33; 6:1-4, Col. 3:18-21; Heb. 13:4; 1 Pet. 3:1-7)

Divorce and Remarriage

We believe that God disapproves of and forbids divorce and intends marriage to last until one of the spouses dies. Divorce and remarriage are regarded as adultery except on the grounds of fornication. This church believes that divorced and remarried or divorced persons can be used by God in service in the ministry of the church. The circumstances of the divorce will be considered for placement in ministry leadership position (Mal. 2:14-17; Matt. 19:3-12; Rom. 7:1-3; 1 Tim. 3:2, 12; Titus 1:6).

Abortion

We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the physical or mental well-being of the mother are acceptable. (Job 3:16; Ps. 51:5; 139:14-16; Isa. 44:24; 49:1, 5; Jer. 1:5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:44)

Euthanasia

We believe that the direct taking of an innocent human life is a moral evil, regardless of the intention. Life is a gift of God and must be respected from conception until natural death. Thus, we believe that an act or omission which, of itself or by intention, causes death in order to eliminate suffering constitutes a murder contrary to the will of God. Discontinuing medical procedures that are extraordinary or disproportionate to the expected outcome can be a legitimate refusal of over-zealous treatment. (Ex. 20:13, 23:7; Matt. 5:21; Acts 17:28)

Authority of Statement of Faith

The Statement of Faith does not exhaust the extent of our faith. The Bible itself is the sole and final source of all that we believe. We do believe, however, that the foregoing Statement of Faith accurately represents the teaching of the Bible and, therefore, is binding upon all members. All literature used in the church shall be in complete agreement with the Statement of Faith.