STATEMENT OF FAITH
(1) THE HOLY SCRIPTURES
We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the verbally inspired Word of God, the final authority for faith and life, inerrant in the original writings, infallible and God-breathed. (II Tim. 3:16,17; Matt. 5:18; II Peter 1:20,21; John 16:12,13)
(2) THE GODHEAD
We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three Persons–Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections. (Deut. 6:4; II Cor. 13:14)
(3) THE PERSON AND WORK OF CHRIST
(a) We believe that The Lord Jesus Christ, the Eternal Son of God, became a man without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men. (John 1:1,2,14; Luke 1:35)
(b) We believe that The Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice, and, that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical, resurrection from the dead. (Rom. 3:24,25; I Pet. 2:24; Heb. 9:24; 7:25; Rom. 8:34; I John 2:1,2)
(c) We believe that The Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where as our High Priest He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate. (Acts 1:9,10; Heb. 9:24; 5:27; Rom. 8:34; I John 2:1,2)
(4) THE PERSON AND WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
(a) We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Person Who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and, that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the Body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption. (John 16:8-11; II Cor. 3:6; I Cor. 12:12-14; Rom. 8:9; Eph. 1:13,14)
(b) We believe that He is the Divine Teacher who guides believers into all truth; and, that it is the privilege and responsibility of all the saved to be filled with the Holy Spirit. (John 16:13; Eph. 5:18; I John 2:20, 27)
(5) THE PERSONALITY OF SATAN
We believe that Satan is the author of sin, the Father of Lies, a fallen angel, and the cause of the fall of man; he is the open and declared enemy of God and man; and, that he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire. (Job 1:6, 7; Isa. 14:12-17; Matt. 4:2-11; John 8:44, I John 3:8; Rev. 20:10)
(6) THE TOTAL DEPRAVITY OF MAN
We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam’s sin the entire human race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God; and, that man is totally depraved and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition. (Gen. 1:26, 27; Rom. 3:22,23; Eph. 2:1-3, 12)
(7) SALVATION
We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by His grace and received by personal faith in The Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins. (Eph 2:8-10; John 1:12; Eph. 1:7; I Pet. 1:18,19)
(8) THE SECURITY AND ASSURANCE OF BELIEVERS
(a) We believe that all the saved are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ. (John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; I Pet. 1:5; I Cor. 1:4-8)
(b) We believe that it is the privilege of believers too rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word; which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh. (Rom. 13:13,14; Gal. 5:13; Titus 2:11-15)
(9) THE TWO NATURES OF THE BELIEVER
We believe that every saved person possesses two natures; with provision made for victory of the new nature over the old nature through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit; and, that all claims to the eradication of the old nature in this life are unscriptural. (Rom. 6:13; 8:12,13; Gal. 5:16-25; Eph. 4:22-24; Col. 3:10; I Pet. 1:14-16; I John 3:5-9)
(10) SEPARATION
(a) We believe that every true believer should be set apart unto god and His service. In this regard, all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord; and, that separation from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices, and associations is commanded by God. (II Tim. 3:1-5; Rom. 12:1,2; 14:13, I John 2:15-17; II John 9-11; II Cor. 6:14-7:1)
(b) We believe that sexual intimacy is a wonderful gift of God that is only to be expressed between one man and one woman (as genetically defined), within the love and bonds of marriage (Genesis 2:24-25; Matthew 19:4-6; 1 Corinthians 7:3-5; Hebrews 13:4). Therefore, we believe that any other form of sexual intimacy is both immoral and a perversion of God’s gift (Leviticus 18:1-30; Proverbs 6:32; 1 Corinthians 6:18; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8).
(11) LAWSUITS BETWEEN BELIEVERS
We believe that Christians are prohibited from bringing civil lawsuits against other Christians or the church to resolve personal disputes. We believe the church possesses all the resources necessary to resolve personal disputes between members. We do believe, however, that a Christian may seek compensation for injuries from another Christian’s insurance company as long as the claim is pursued without malice or slander. (1:Cor. 6:1-8; Eph. 4:31-32)
(12) MISSIONS
We believe that it is the obligation of the saved to witness by life and by word to the truths of the Holy Scriptures and to seek to proclaim the Gospel to all mankind. (Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8; II Cor. 5:19,20)
(13) THE MINISTRY AND SPIRITUAL GIFTS
(a) We believe that spiritual gifts are God-given abilities to born-again believers for the purpose of building up the Body of Christ. The distribution of these gifts is at the point of salvation by the Holy Spirit. The purpose of these gifts is to glorify God and to edify the local church. It is essential that each member develops and employs his gift(s) for the church to accomplish its task. (Rom. 12:4-8; I Cor. 12:4-11,27-31; I Cor. 14:1-40; Eph. 4:8-13; I Tim. 4:14; II Tim. 1:6; I Pet. 4:10,11)
(b) We believe that the Scriptural gift of speaking in tongues was a literal, translatable language, and given for the purpose of Evangelism. We further believe that God does hear and answer the prayer of faith, in accord with His own will, for the sick and afflicted. (I Cor. 12:4-12; 13:8-10; 14:21,22; II Tim. 4:20; Acts 19:11,12; Heb. 2:3,4; Eph. 4:7-12; John 15:7; I John 5:14,15)
(c) We believe that the biblical offices of pastor and elder in the church, or their equivalents, are restricted to biblically qualified men (1 Timothy 2:12; 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9).
(14) THE CHURCH
(a) We believe that the church, which is the Body and the espoused Bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born-again persons of this present Age. (Eph. 1:22,23; 5:25-27; II Cor. 11:2, I Cor. 12:12-14)
(b) We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures. (Acts 14:27; 20:17; 20:28-32; I Tim. 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11)
(15) BAPTISM
We believe that water baptism by immersion is a symbol of the believer’s identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. Baptism is only for those truly born-again as a testimony to what has taken place in the heart. (Rom. 6:1-13)
(16) COMMUNION
We believe that The Lord’s Supper, the Communion Service, is held as a memorial to Christ’s death. We believe it should be done in a Scriptural manner and as a sign of our continuing fellowship with Christ. (I Cor. 11:23-34; 10:16,17; Matt. 26:26-29)
(17) DISPENSATIONALISM
We believe in the dispensational view of Bible interpretation, but reject the extreme teachings known as “hyper-dispensationalism”, such as that teaching which opposes either The Lord’s Table or Water Baptism as a Scriptural means of testimony for the Church in this Age. (Matt. 28:19,20; Acts 2:41,42; 18:8, I Cor. 11:23-26)
(18) THE SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST
We believe in that “Blessed Hope”, the personal, imminent, pre-Tribulational and pre-Millennial coming of The Lord Jesus Christ for His redeemed ones; and in His subsequent return to earth, with His saints, to establish His Millennial Kingdom. (I Thess. 4:13-18; Zech. 14:4-11; Rev. 19:11-16; 20:1-6; 3:10; I Thess. 1:10, 5:9)
(19) THE ETERNAL STATE
(a) We believe in the bodily resurrection of all mankind: the saved to eternal life and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment. (Matt. 25:46; John 5:28,29; 11:25,26; Rev. 20:5,6,12,13)
(b) We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with The Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection, when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with The Lord. (Luke 23:43; Rev. 20:4-6; II Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23; 3:21; I Thess. 4:16,17)
(c) We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious misery until the second resurrection, when with soul and body reunited they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment, and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting, conscious punishment. (Luke 16:19-26; II Thess. 1:7-9; Jude 6,7; Mark 9:43-48; Rev. 20:11-15)