Photo by Aaron Burden

What We Believe

THE SCRIPTURES

We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the verbally inspired word of God, the final authority for faith and life, inerrant in the original writings, infallible and God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Matt. 5:18; John 16:12-13).

ABOUT GOD

We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons––Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; co-eternal in being, co-eternal in nature, co-equal in power and glory, having the same attributes and perfections (Deut. 6:4; 2 Cor. 13:14).

ABOUT JESUS CHRIST

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became 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 man (John 1:1-2, 14; Luke 1:35). We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, substitutionary sacrifice and that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead (Rom. 3:24; 1 Peter 2:24; Eph. 1:7; 1 Peter 1:3–5). We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where, as our High Priest, he fulfills the ministry as Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate (Acts 1:9-10; Heb. 7:25, 9:24; Rom. 8:34; 1 John 2:1–2).

ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT

We believe that it is the Holy Spirit 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; 2 Cor. 3:6; 1 Cor.12:12–14; Rom. 8:9; Eph. 5:18).

ABOUT HUMANITY

We believe that all people were created in the image of God to have fellowship with him but became alienated in that relationship through sinful disobedience. As a result, people are incapable of regaining a right relationship with God through their own efforts (Gen. 1:26-27; Rom. 3:22-23, 5:12; Eph. 2:1–3, 12).

ABOUT SALVATION

We believe that the blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross, provides the sole basis for the forgiveness of sin. Therefore, God freely offers salvation to those who place their faith in the death and resurrection of Christ as sufficient payment for their sin (Eph. 1:7,  2:8–10; John 1:12; 1 Peter 1:18–19).

ABOUT ETERNAL SECURITY

We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever (John 6:37–40, 10:27–30; Rom. 8:1, 38-39; 1 Cor. 1:4–8; 1 Peter 1:5). We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word which clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh (Rom. 13:13-14; Gal. 5:13; Titus 2:11–15).

ABOUT SPIRITUAL GIFTS

We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowing of spiritual gifts. It is, however, the believer’s responsibility to attempt to develop their sovereignly given spiritual gift(s). The baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs at conversion and is the placing of the believer into the Body of Christ. We also believe that particular spiritual gift(s) are neither essential, nor do they prove the presence of the Holy Spirit, nor are they an indication of deep spiritual experience (1 Cor. 12:7, 11, 13; Eph. 4:7–8). We believe that God does hear and answer the prayer of faith, in accordance with His own will, for the sick and afflicted (John 15:7; 1 John 5:14-15). We believe that it is the privilege and responsibility of every believer to minister according to the gift(s) and grace of God that is given to him (Rom 12:1–8; 1 Cor. 13; 1 Peter 4:10–11).

ABOUT THE CHURCH

We believe that the church is the body of Christ, of which Jesus Christ is the head. The members of the church are those who have trusted by faith the finished work of Christ. The purpose of the church is to glorify God by loving him and by making him known to the lost world (Eph. 1:22-23; 1 Cor. 12:12–27).

We recognize believer’s baptism and the Lord’s supper as scriptural means of testimony for the church (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; 18:8; 1 Cor. 11:23–26)

ABOUT THE FAMILY

God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. It is composed of persons related to one another by marriage, blood, or adoption.

Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. It is God’s unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His church, and to provide for the man and the woman in marriage the framework for intimate companionship, the channel for sexual expression according to biblical standards, and the means for procreation of the human race.

Children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord. Parents are to demonstrate to their children God’s pattern for marriage. Parents are to teach their children spiritual and moral values and to lead them, through consistent lifestyle example and loving discipline, to make choices based on biblical truth. Children are to honor and obey their parents. (Gen. 1:26-28; 2:18-25Ex. 20:12; Deut 6:4-9; Prov. 1:8; 6:20-22; 19:3-9; Mark 10:6-12; Eph. 5:21-33; 6:1-4; Col. 3:18-21; Heb. 13:4)