Statement of Faith
I. Of the Scriptures
WE BELIEVE in the authority and sufficiency of the Holy Bible,
consisting of the sixty-six books of the Old and New
Testaments, as originally written; that it was verbally and plenarily inspired and is the product of Spirit-controlled men, and therefore is infallible and inerrant in all matters of which it speaks. We believe the Bible to be the true center of Christian unity
and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creed, and opinions shall be tried.
2 Timothy 3:16, 17; 2 Peter 1:19–21
II. The True God
WE BELIEVE there is one and only one living and true God, an
infinite Spirit, the Maker and supreme Ruler of Heaven and
earth; inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy of
all possible honor, confidence, and love; that 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 but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption.
Exodus 20:2, 3; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Revelation 4:11
III. The Holy Spirit
WE BELIEVE that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, equal with God the Father and God the Son and of the same nature; that He was active in the creation; that in His relation to the
unbelieving world He restrains the evil one until God’s purpose is fulfilled; that He convicts of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; that He bears witness to the truth of the gospel in
preaching and testimony; that He is the agent in the new birth; that He seals, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies, and helps the believer.
John 14:16, 17; Matthew 28:19; Hebrews 9:14; John 14:26; Luke 1:35;
Genesis 1:1-3; John 16:8-11; Acts 5:30–32; John 3:5, 6; Ephesians 1:13, 14;
Mark 1:8; John 1:33; Acts 11:16; Luke 24:49; Romans 8:14, 16, 26, 27;
1 Corinthians 12:8–10, 28–30; 13:8–10; 14:1–40; 2 Corinthians 12:12;
Hebrews 2:2–4
IV. The Devil, or Satan
WE BELIEVE in the reality and personality of Satan, the Devil; and that he was created by God as an angel but through pride and rebellion became the enemy of his Creator; that he 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.
Matthew 4:1–11; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 20:10
V. Creation
WE BELIEVE the Biblical account of the creation of the physical universe, angels, and humanity; that this account is neither allegory nor myth, but a literal, historical account of the direct, immediate creative acts of God without any evolutionary process; that Adam and Eve were created by a direct work of God and not from previously existing forms of life; and that all people are descended from the historical Adam and Eve, first parents of the entire human race.
Genesis 1; 2; Colossians 1:16, 17; John 1:3
In light of God’s creative design, we believe that the Bible
teaches that marriage is the joining of one man and one woman and that sexual intimacy is to be expressed only within the bonds of a Biblically defined marriage. Any other form of
marriage or sexual intimacy is immoral and a perversion of God’s gracious will.
Genesis 2:18, 24, 25; Matthew 19:4–6; 7:2; 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20; 7:1–5;
Ephesians 5:22-33; Hebrews 13:4
VI.The Fall of Mankind
WE BELIEVE that mankind was created in innocence (in the image and likeness of God) under the law of his Maker, but by voluntary transgression Adam fell from his sinless and happy state, and all human beings sinned in him, in consequence of which all human beings are totally depraved, are partakers of Adam’s fallen nature, and are sinners by nature and by conduct, and therefore are under just condemnation without defense or excuse.
Genesis 3:1–6; Romans 1:18, 32; 3:10–19; 5:12, 19
VII. The Virgin Birth
WE BELIEVE that Jesus was begotten of the Holy Spirit in a miraculous manner, born of Mary, a virgin, as no other person was ever born or can be born of woman, and that He is both the Son of God and God, the Son.
Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:35; John 1:14
VIII. Salvation
WE BELIEVE that the salvation of sinners is divinely initiated
and wholly of grace through the mediatorial offices of Jesus
Christ, the Son of God, Who, by the appointment of the Father,
voluntarily took upon Himself our nature, yet without sin.
That by the shedding of His blood in His death He fully satisfied the just demands of a holy
and righteous God regarding sin; that His sacrifice consisted not
in setting us an example by His death. He is in every way qualified to be a suitable, a compassionate, and an all-sufficient Savior.
We believe that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the only condition of salvation. Repentance is a change of mind and purpose toward God prompted by the Holy Spirit and is an
integral part of saving faith.
Jonah 2:9; Ephesians2:8; Acts15:11; Romans 3:24,25; John 3:16; Matthew18:11;
Philippians2:7, 8; Hebrews 2:14–17; Isaiah53:4–7; 1John 4:10; 1Corinthians 15:3;
2 Corinthians 5:21; 1Peter 2:2
IX. Resurrection and Priesthood of Christ
WE BELIEVE in the bodily resurrection of Christ and in His ascension into Heaven, where He now sits at the right hand of the Father as our high priest interceding for us.
Matthew28:6,7;Luke 24:39;John 20:27;1Corinthians 15:4; Mark 16:6; Luke 24:2–6, 51; Acts1:9–11; Revelation 3:21; Hebrews 8:6; 12:2; 7:25; 1Timothy 2:5; 1 John 2:1;
Hebrews 2:17; 5:9, 10
X. Grace and the New Birth
WE BELIEVE that in order to be saved, sinners must be born again; that the new birth is a new creation in Christ Jesus; that it is instantaneous and not a process; that in the new birth the
one dead in trespasses and in sins is made a partaker of the divine nature and receives eternal life, the free gift of God; that the new creation is brought about by our sovereign God in a
manner above our comprehension, solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with divine truth, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the gospel; that its proper evidence
appears in the holy fruits of repentance, faith, and newness of life.
John 3:3; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 John 5:1; Acts 16:20–33; 2 Peter 1:4; Romans 6:23;
Ephesians 2:1, 5; Colossians 2:13; John 3:8
XI. The Security of the Saints
WE Believe that all who are truly born again are kept by God the Father for Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:6; John 10:28, 29; Romans 8:35–39; Jude 1
XII. The Church
WE BELIEVE that a local church is an organized congregation of immersed believers, associated by covenant of faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws; and exercising the gifts, rights, and privilege invested in them by His Word; that its officers are pastors and deacons, godly men whose qualifications, claims and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures. We believe the true mission of the church is the faithful witnessing of Christ to all people as we have opportunity. We hold that 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; that it is Scriptural for true churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the gospel; that each local church is the sole judge of the measure and method of its cooperation; that on all matters of membership, of polity, of government, of discipline, of benevolence, the will of the local church is final.
1 Corinthians 11:2; Acts 20:17–28; 1 Timothy 2:12; 3:1–13; Titus 1:5–9; Acts 2:41, 42
We believe in the unity of all New Testament believers in the
Church which is the Body of Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:12, 13; Ephesians 1:22, 23; 3:-6; 4:11; 5:23;Colossians 1:18; Acts 15:13-18
XIII. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper
WE BELIEVE that Christian baptism is the single immersion of a believer in water to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem our identification with the crucified, buried, and risen Savior, through Whom we died to sin and rose to a new life; that baptism
is to be performed under the authority of the local church; and that it is prerequisite to the privileges of church membership.
We believe that the Lord’s Supper is the commemoration of His death until He come, and should be preceded always by solemn self-examination. We believe that the Biblical order of the ordinances is baptism first and then the Lord’s Supper, and that participants in the Lord’s Supper should be immersed believers. Acts 8:36, 38, 39; John 3:23; Romans 6:3–5; Matthew 3:16; Colossians 2:12; 1Corinthians 11:23–28; Matthew 28:18–20; Acts 2:41, 4
XIV. Separation
WE BELIEVE in obedience to the Biblical commands to separate ourselves unto God from worldliness and ecclesiastical apostasy.
2 Corinthians 6:14—7:1; 1 Thessalonians 1:9, 10; 1Timothy 6:3–5; Romans 16:17;
2 John 9–11
XV. Civil Government
WE BELIEVE that civil government is of divine appointment for the interests and good order of human society; that magistrates are to be prayed for, 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; 2Samuel 23:3; Exodus 18:21, 22; Acts 23:5; Matthew 22:21;
Acts 5:29; 4:19, 20; Daniel 3:17, 18
XVI. Rapture and Subsequent Events
WE BELIEVE in the pretribulational rapture of the church ,an event that can occur at any moment, and that at that moment the dead in Christ shall be raised in glorified bodies, and the living in Christ shall be given glorified bodies without tasting death, and all shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air before the seven years of the Tribulation.
1Thessalonians 4:13–18; 1Corinthians 15:42–44, 51–54; Philippians 3:20, 21;
Revelation 3:10
We believe that the Tribulation, which follows the rapture of
the church, will be culminated by the premillennial return of
Christ in power and great glory to sit upon the throne of David
and to establish His Kingdom upon this earth.
Daniel 9:25–27; Matthew 24:29–31; Luke 1:30–33; Isaiah 9:6, 7; 11:1–9; Acts 2:29, 30; Revelation 20:1–4, 6
XVII. The Righteous and the Wicked
WE BELIEVE that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that only those who are justified by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and sanctified by the Spirit of our God are truly righteous in His esteem; while all such as continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight wicked and under the curse; and this distinction holds among all people both in and after death, in the everlasting felicity of the saved and the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost in the Lake of Fire.
Malachi 3:18; Genesis 18:23; Romans 6:17, 18; 1 John 5:19; Romans 7:6;
6:23; Proverbs 14:32; Luke 16:25; Matthew 25:34-41; John 8:21; Revelation 20:14, 1