STATEMENT OF FAITH

We Believe that there is one living and true GOD, eternally existing in three persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, equal in power and glory, that this Triune God created all, upholds all, and governs all. (Genesis 1:1; Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 44:8, 48:16; Matthew 28:19-20; John 10:30; Hebrews 1:3)

We Believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God, fully inspired without error and the infallible rule of faith and practice. The Word of God is the foundation upon which this Church operates and is the basis for which this Church is governed. We believe that the Word of God supersedes any earthly law that is contrary to the Holy Scriptures. (Nehemiah 8:8; Isaiah 34:16; John 17:17; 2 Timothy 2:16-17; Hebrews 4:12; 1 Peter 1:23-25; 2 Peter 1:2-4,1:21)

We Believe in the person of God the Father, an infinite, eternal, personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power, and love; that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men; that He hears and answers prayers, and that He saves from sin and death all those who come to Him through Jesus Christ. (Deuteronomy 33:27; Psalms 90:2, 102:27; John 3:16, 4:24; 1 Timothy 1:17; Titus 1:3)

We Believe in the person of Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit.(Matthew 1:19-22; Luke 1:28-38) 

We Believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, and teachings, His substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people and personal, visible return to earth. (Isaiah 7:14; Micah 5:2; Matthew 1:23; Mark 16:19; Luke 1:35; John 1:1-2, 11:25; 1 Corinthians 15:2-4; 1 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 1:8; 1 John 1:2; Revelation 1:8)

We Believe in the person of the Holy Spirit, who came forth from the Father and the Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and to regenerate, sanctify, and empower for ministry, all who believe in Christ. (John 14:16-17, 16:8-11; Romans 8:26)

We Believe the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Jesus Christ and that He is an abiding helper, teacher, and guide. (John 6:13, 14:16-17, 16:8-11; Romans 8:26)

We Believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit and in the exercise of all the Biblical gifts of the Holy Spirit according to the instructions given to us in Scriptures. (1 Corinthians 12:1-14; Romans 12:1-8; Ephesians 4:7-13) 

We Believe that all persons are sinners by nature and therefore are under condemnation, and that they remain in that condition until God saves and regenerates them. That salvation is the result of faith in Christ, given by the Holy Spirit, and always is evidenced by the repentance of their sins and confession that Jesus Christ is Lord. (Acts 8:15-17; Ephesians 2:1-3; Romans 3:23, 5:8; Titus 3:5)

We Believe all true believers, who have accepted Jesus as their personal Savior, and follow His Word, the Bible alone and no other gospel, consisting of the redeemed of all the ages, are considered a part of His body, of which Christ is the head, and as the Bible says, are a part of His Church, “from every tribe, tongue, and nation,” and find unity in the basic, irrefutable, Biblical beliefs. (1 Corinthians 12:12-13; Ephesians 4:15-16)

We Believe that the Lord Jesus Christ instituted two ordinances for the Church as outward, visible expressions of our faith (salvation is by grace, through faith, in Christ alone): a) full immersion water baptism of believers, and b) the Lord’s Supper. (Matthew 28:19; Luke 22:19-20; Acts 2:38; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; Ephesians 2:8-9)

We Believe that the Lord validated the ordinance of marriage. (Matthew 19:4-5; John 2:1-11)

We Believe that marriage was given by God as part of His common grace, and that it has no meaning other than as He has provided. We believe that marriage is subject to the curse of the Fall but that believers, living in obedience to the Scripture and under the control of the Holy Spirit, can begin to experience peaceful, productive, and fulfilled marriages as intended by God. (Genesis 2:18-24, 3:16; 1 Peter 3:7)

We Believe that the marriages of believers are to illustrate the loving relationship of Christ and His Church; with the husband loving his wife as Christ loves the church and the wife responding to her husband’s loving leadership as the church responds to Christ. (Ephesians 5:18-33)

We Believe that as believers, marriages are to illustrate Christ’s relationship with His Church, believers should choose to marry those who share their faith, and regenerate life. (2 Corinthians 6:14) 

We Believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning and that is marriage sanctioned by God which joins one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture. (Genesis 2:23-24)

We Believe that marriage is always a public, formal, and officially recognized covenant between a man and a woman.  We believe that without such a covenant, prolonged conjugal cohabitation does not establish, and is not equivalent to, marriage. We believe that where no such covenant exists, or can be discerned between a cohabiting couple, prior to coming to faith in Christ, family units should be preserved to the extent possible and, if otherwise appropriate, solemnization encouraged.  We teach that where a valid marriage has been established, prior to coming to faith in Christ, the couple should remain married. (John 4:18; 1 Corinthians 7:24)

We Believe that God hates divorce, permitting it only where there has been unrepentant sexual sin or desertion by an unbeliever. We believe that remarriage is permitted to a faithful partner, but only when the divorce was on biblical grounds. (Malachi 2:14-16; Matthew 5:32, 19:9; 1 Corinthians 7:12-15)

We Believe that any form of sexual immorality, such as adultery, fornication, homosexuality, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, pedophilia, pornography, any attempt to change one’s sex or disagreement with one’s biological sex, is sinful and offensive to God. (Leviticus 18:1-30; Matthew 5:8; Romans 1:26-29;  1 Corinthians 5:1, 6:9; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8)

We Believe that homosexuality is subject to God’s wrath of abandonment, is a matter of choice and not inherited status, and epitomizes man’s ungrateful rebellion against God. (Romans 1:18-28)

We Believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity.  Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture or the doctrines of the Church.  We believe that the faithful proclamation of the Scripture, including the call to repentance, does not constitute hate speech, or hateful and harassing behavior, but is instead, a fundamental part of the Church’s loving mission to the world. (Matthew 28:16-20; 2 Corinthians 5:11-20; 1 Timothy 1:5; 2 Timothy 4:1-2)

We Believe that God offers redemption and forgiveness to all who confess and forsake their sin, including sexual sin, and seek His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. We believe His forgiveness is total and complete, and that God imputes the full righteousness of Christ to the believing sinner. We believe that the forgiven sinner has been cleansed from the guilt of sin, set apart or made holy, unto God and justified before Him. We believe that any man or woman who has received that forgiveness is “in Christ” and is a “New Creation.” (Psalms 103:11-12, 130:3-4; Isaiah 43:25, 44:22; John 5:24; Colossians 2:13-14; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21)

We Believe in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ which is His personal, visible return to earth, and the establishment of His millennial kingdom, in the resurrection of the bodies, both the unrighteous and the righteous, and endless separation of the wicked. (Matthew 16:27; Acts 1:11; Revelation 19:11-16, 20:11-15)

We Believe in a literal Heaven and Hell and that all those who place their faith, hope and trust in Jesus will spend eternity in Heaven with the Lord, and those who reject Jesus’ free gift of salvation will spend eternity separated from the Lord. (Psalm 9:17; Matthew 5:3, 18:9, 25:31-46; Mark 9:42-49; Luke 12:5; John 3:18; Hebrews 12:22-24; 1 Peter 1:3-4; Revelation 14:9-11, 20:11-15)