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Section 1 - Statement of Faith
I. The True God
We believe that there is one, and only one, true and living God; that He is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, immutable, and infinitely holy; that He exists eternally in Three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; and that these Three, though One, are yet Three Distinct Persons, equal in every divine perfection. (Genesis 17:1; Deuteronomy 4:35; Psalm 99:9; 102:26-27; 139:1-7; Isaiah 44:6; Jeremiah 23:23; Matthew 28:19; John 1:1-3; Revelation 1:8)
II. Jesus Christ
A. His Identity
We believe that Jesus Christ is the Only Begotten Son of God Who exists eternally with the Father; that He is the Savior Whom the Father sent into the world to redeem the world. (John 1:1-34; 14:6-7; 17:3,5)
B. His Incarnation
We believe that He took upon Himself flesh, without sin, and dwelt among men here on earth; that He was at one and the same time both truly God and truly Man. (Luke 2:11; John 1:14; Philippians 2:5-7)
C. His Virgin Birth
We believe that He was born of a virgin, a woman who had never known a man; therefore He had no earthly father but was conceived in the womb of this virgin by the Holy Spirit. (Isaiah 7:14; 9:6; Matthew 1:18-23; Luke 1:34-35)
D. His Death
We believe that He was crucified and died on the cross at a place called Calvary; that He died as man's substitute, suffered the full wrath of God, and thereby paid the penalty of sin. (Matthew 27:33-54; Romans 5:6-8; I Corinthians 15:3)
E. His Blood
We believe that His blood, which He shed in death at Calvary, is the only atonement for the sins of man and that it is sufficient to wash away the sins of any person who truly believes. ( Romans 5:9; Hebrews 9:22; Ephesians 1:7; I John 1:7)
F. His Resurrection
We believe that He arose bodily from the dead, and through His resurrection a sure hope of immortality and everlasting life is given to all who have been saved by Him. (Matthew 28:6-7; Luke 24:1-7; Romans 4:25; I Corinthians 15:4)
G. His Ascension
We believe that He ascended bodily back into Heaven from whence He came and is now seated at the right hand of the Father, carrying on His ministry of intercession. (Luke 24:50-51; Acts 1:9; 2:31-33; Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25; 12:2; I John 2:1)
H. His Second Coming
We believe in Christ's Pre-millenial, Pre-tribulational return, that this will be a personal and visible return of Jesus in like manner as He ascended back up into heaven. Thus, in fulfillment of His own promise, He will return before the seven-year Tribulation to receive His own unto Himself. He will, after the Tribulation, return with His own and set up His Kingdom on earth where He will rule for a thousand years, which time is known as the Millenium. (John 14:3; Acts 1:10-11; I Thessalonians 4:16-18; Revelation 19:11-16; 20:4-6)
III. The Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Holy Trinity, the promised Comforter and not an abstract power or influence. He is sent into the world to convict men of sin, to regenerate the believing sinner, to seal the believer until the day of redemption, and to baptize the believer into the body of Christ. (Matthew 28:19; John 15:26; I Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1:13; 4:30)
IV. The Scriptures
We believe that the Bible is the divinely, verbally inspired, inerrant Word of God, written by holy men of old as they were moved by the Holy Spirit of God. The primary message is the Gospel that sinners might believe and be saved. The Bible does not merely contain truth; it is the truth, the standard by which all truth must be tested. The King James Version (Authorized Version) of the Bible is to be used by all officers and teachers in the public ministry of the church. (John 5:39; 17:17; II Timothy 3:15-16; II Peter 1:20-21)
V. Man
We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God but that he fell from his perfect state by voluntary transgression. Since that first transgression, all men have been born in sin and have, through inheritance, a totally depraved nature utterly devoid of the holiness required by the law of God. Man is a sinner by nature, choice, and practice and is, therefore, under just condemnation, without defense or excuse. (Genesis 1:26-27; 3:1-6; Romans 3:10,23; 5:12; Psalm 51:5)
VI. The Way of Salvation
We believe that the only way man can be saved from eternal damnation is by truly repenting of his sin and trusting Jesus Christ, God's Son, as his personal Savior; that an exercise of faith in Christ's finished expiatory work is sufficient unto salvation. Man is regenerated by God's Spirit and becomes a true child of God. This so great salvation is wholly by the grace of God, a free gift of God's love and cannot be obtained by any good works or deeds of men. We further believe that, since salvation is by God's grace alone, salvation is for eternity as the believer is kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. (Luke 13:3; John 1:12;5:24; 10:28-29; Acts 4:12; 16:31; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:3-5; Ephesians 2:8-9)
VII. The Church
A. Invisible Church
We believe that the true church is the mystical union of all born-again believers, who in their unity
compose the body of Christ, with Christ Himself as the Head.
(I Corinthians 12:13,27; Ephesians3:3-11; 5:32; 1:20-22; 5:23-24)
B. Local Church
We believe the local church is an organized assembly of baptized believers; united in the faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws; and exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word. (Acts 5:11; II Corinthians 1:1; Galatians 1:2; Hebrews 10:25; Revelation 2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, 14)
VIII. Church Ordinances
We believe that the ordinances enjoined by the gospel, given to the church by Christ, and to be observed by the church are two: Baptism and the Lord's Supper; that these are sacred ordinances, and that the obligation to honor and observe them comes directly from the authority of Christ who appointed them. Both ordinances are to be administered by the pastoral staff.
A. Baptism
We believe that Christian Baptism is the immersion in water of one who truly has had a personal, saving relationship with Christ; that it symbolizes the believers being buried with Christ and raised to walk in newness of life; and that this ordinance must be administered in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19)
B. The Lord's Supper
We believe the Lord's Supper commemorates the death and the dying love of the Lord Jesus Christ. Its elements, which are symbolic, shall be unleavened bread symbolizing the broken body of the Lord Jesus, and unfermented grape juice symbolizing His shed blood. These, being taken together, show forth His death until He comes again. While we do not have closed communion, we believe that all participants must be born-again and of like faith and practice. This ordinance is to be observed only after a solemn self-examination. (Matthew 26:26-29; Luke 22:17-20; I Corinthians 11:23-30)
IX. The World to Come
We believe that the end of this present world will come by fire and that the world to come will be eternal. In the age to come, there will be two eternal places: one of endless joy for all the people of God who have been saved by His grace, and the other of endless punishment for all who have never been reconciled to God by the Blood of Christ. These two places are known as heaven and hell.
A. Heaven
We believe this is a place of beauty, bliss, and righteousness, where God will dwell with His people forever. (John 14:1-3; II Corinthians 5:1; Revelation 21:1-22:5)
B. Hell
We believe this is a place of ceaseless torment, characterized by fire and brimstone, where all who have not trusted Christ will suffer forever. (Luke 16:19-31; Matthew 5:22,29,30; 23:33; Revelation 20:14-15; 21:8)
X. The Devil
We believe in the existence of Satan and that he is not merely an abstract power or influence but a living, personal being; that he is the god of this world and the prince of the power of the air and that he is constantly going up and down in the earth seeking whom he may devour. He does not possess the attributes of God and was defeated by Christ at Calvary. He shall be eternally punished in the lake of fire. (Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:14-19; John 8:44; II Corinthians 4:4; Colossians 2:15; I Peter 5:8; Revelation 20:10)
XI. Angels
A. Holy Angels
We believe that the angels are an innumerable host of created beings, possessing characteristics of personality (intellect, emotion, and will), and are superior to man in power. They exist to praise and glorify God, to serve as ministering spirits on behalf of believers, and to serve God in whatever ways He desires. (Psalm 103:20-21; 148:2; Matthew 22:28-30; Luke 20 36; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:13-14; II Peter 2:11)
B. Fallen Angels
We believe that demons are fallen angels who followed Satan in his rebellion against God, that they are unclean and decieving spirits, and that they continue to serve Satan in carrying out his evil purposes. Their ultimate destiny is the lake of fire. (Matthew 10:1; 12:24; 25:41; Luke 4:36; Acts 5:16; 8:7; I Timothy 4:1; Revelation 12:9)
XII. The Christian Walk
We believe that a person, once he has truly accepted Christ as Savior, is a new creation in Christ, that he should live a holy, consecrated life, and that he should seperate himself from the world and all its lusts in obedience to the command of God. (I Corinthians 6:19-20; II Corinthians 5:17; 6:14, 17-18; II Timothy 2:19; I Peter 2:9; I John 2:15)
XIII. Judgment
We believe that everyone, saved and unsaved, shall face God in judgment. According to the Scriptures, the judgment of the saved will be separate from the judgment of the unsaved. We believe the Scriptures teach that these judgements shall be as follows:
A. Judgment of Christians (The Judgment Seat of Christ)
We believe Christians shall be judged according to their works from the time they received Christ Jesus as their Savior until the time they stand before Him in judgment. They shall be rewarded or shall suffer loss according to their works. (Romans 14:10-12; I Corinthians 3:11-15; II Corinthians 5:10)
B. Judgment of the Unsaved (The Great White Throne Judgment)
We believe all who have rejected Christ shall be judged according to their works and cast into the lake of fire to suffer forever. (John 3:18, 36; 5:24; Revelation 20:11-15)
Section II - Church Covenant
Having been lead by the Holy Spirit of God to trust the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior and to give ourselves wholly to Him, we do now joyfully and solemnly covenant with one another to walk together in Him as one body in Christ. We do, therefore, in His strength and by His grace, promise the following: We will exercise Christian care and watchfulness over one another and faithfully warn, exhort, admonish, and encourage one another, as occasion may afford. We will not forsake the assembling of ourselves together. We will promote the church's prosperity and spirituality in order to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline, and doctrines. We will cheerfully and willingly contribute our material means, according as God has prospered us, for the maintenance of a faithful and evangelical ministry to spread the gospel over the earth. We will maintain family and private devotions and train up our children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. We will faithfully witness for Christ in seeking the salvation of the lost. We will seek God's power to deny ungodliness and every worldly lust, and to walk circumspectly in the world, that we may be living testimonies to the praise of His glory. We will be just and honest in all our dealings and live to the glory of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. "Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you that which is wellpleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." (Hebrews 13:20-21)
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