BELIEFS

1. GOD

We believe there is only one true, eternally existent God. He exists in three co-equal persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The triune God is the Creator and Sustainer of all things, and is worthy of worship and obedience. (Deut. 6:4-5, Genesis 1:31, Luke 3:21-22, Matthew 28:18-20, Rev. 4:11) 


2. JESUS CHRIST

We believe that Jesus Christ is God. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, performed miracles, shed His blood on the cross to pay the debt for our sins, was buried, bodily resurrected, ascended to the right hand of the Father, and will return literally, visibly, and personally in glory and power. (John 1:1-3,14, Matthew 1:18-25, Philippians 2:5-9, Colossians 1:15, 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, Acts 1:11) 


3. HOLY SPIRIT

We believe that the Holy Spirit is God, Co-equal and Co-existent with the Father and the Son. He is the chief Convictor of sin and the chief Agent of regeneration and sanctification. The Holy Spirit lives within every believer and empowers every believer to live a godly life. (John 14:16-19, 16:7-15, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Romans 8:9,11, Titus 3:5)


4. THE BIBLE

We believe that all 66 books of the Biblical Canon are the infallible and verbally inspired Word of God. We also believe that the Bible is the all-sufficient rule of faith and practice for the believer. (Psalm 119:160, 2 Tim. 3:16-17) 


5. CREATION

We believe in the literal and complete Genesis account of Creation. (Genesis chapters 1 & 2) 


6. SATAN

We believe that Satan is a fallen angel, the archenemy of God and man, and that his destiny is the eternal lake of fire. He is the master deceiver, the author of confusion, and the father of lies. (Isa. 14:12-15, Ezek. 28:11-19, Matt. 25:41, 2 Cor. 4:4, Eph. 6:10-17, Rev. 20:10) 


7. THE VIRGIN BIRTH

We believe in the virgin birth and sinless humanity of Jesus Christ. (Matt. 1:18-20, 2 Cor. 5:21, 1 Peter 2:22) 


8. MIRACULOUS SPIRITUAL GIFTS

We believe that the miraculous spiritual manifestation of gifts (speaking in tongues, raising the dead, etc.) were temporary gifts given during the early years of the Church for the specific purpose of proving the authority of the Lord's Church and spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When the Apostles died and the church began to mature it was given God's Word (the Bible.) After this, some gifts were no longer needed since there would now be a written testimony of the Church's authority and activity. The Bible tells us that these gifts were only temporary ("partial" or "in part") and would be done away with. (1 Corinthians 13:8-13)


9. THE DEPRAVED NATURE OF MANKIND

We believe that man was created in the image of God. We also believe that man lived in a sinless condition until he fell from his sinless state by voluntary transgression. Because of this, all men sin and fail to relate rightly with God in the flesh. (Gen. 1:26, Gen. 3:6-24, Rom. 5:12&19) 


10. THE PAYMENT FOR SIN

We believe that the suffering and death of Jesus Christ on the cross was payment for all mankind’s sin and is effective only to those who repent, believe, and call on the name of Jesus Christ. (Isa. 53:6, Heb. 2:9, 1 Peter 2:24, 1 Peter 3:18, 2 Peter 3:9, 1 John 2:2) 


11. THE RESURRECTION

We believe in the bodily resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ and the bodily resurrection of His saints in the last days. (Matt. 28:1-7, Acts 1:9-11, 1 Cor. 15:42-58, 1 Thess. 4:13-18) 


12. THE RAPTURE OF THE SAVED

We believe in the bodily return of Jesus Christ. His bodily return will be the crowning event of the age. This event will include the resurrection of the righteous to be with the Lord forever, the thousand year reign of Christ, and the judgment of the unrighteous unto eternal punishment in the lake of fire. (John 14:1-6, 1 Thess. 4:13-18, 2 Thess. 2:8, Rev. 19, Rev. 20:4-6, Rev. 20:11-15, Rev. 21:8) 


13. SALVATION

We believe that the depraved sinner is saved by grace through faith alone in Jesus Christ when that sinner repents of sin, exercises faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and calls on Him for salvation. Furthermore, we believe that the Holy Spirit convicts sinners, regenerates, seals, secures, and indwells every believer after salvation. (Luke 13:3-5, John 3:16-18, Acts 20:21, Rom. 6:23, Eph. 2:8, 9, John 3:6, John 16:8, 9, Rom. 8:9-11, 1 Cor. 6:19-20, Eph. 4:30, Titus 3:5) 


14. SALVATION IS SAFE IN THE HANDS OF GOD

We believe that all who trust Jesus Christ for salvation are safe in Him and sealed by the Holy Spirit, never to perish. For true believers, salvation can neither be taken away nor given back. (John 3:36, John 5:24, John 6:37,10:27-30, Rom. 8:35-39, Heb. 10:39, 1 Peter 1:5) 


15. CHASTISEMENT AND REWARD

We believe that God deals with believers as His children by chastising the disobedient and rewarding the obedient. He does this in order to conform His children to His own righteous character. (Matt. 16:27, Matt. 25:14-23, John 1:12, Heb. 12:5-11, 2 John 8, Rev. 22:12) 


16. THE CHURCH

We believe that Jesus Christ established the Church and commanded it to take the Gospel to the entire world. The Church is the collection of local, visible assemblies of scripturally baptized believers with a covenant agreement to carry out this command. Each assembly is independent with regard to function, self-governing in practice, yet under the leadership of Christ Himself. Furthermore, we believe that true, Bible based churches should associate and cooperate together for the spread of the Gospel message to the world. However, the amount of and extent of the cooperation is to be determined by the local Church. (Matt. 4:18-22, Matt. 16:18, Matt. 28:19, 20, Mark 1:14-20, John 1:35-51, Eph. 3:21, Acts chapters 1 & 2). 


17. BAPTISM

We believe that scriptural baptism is the complete immersion of a new-born believer in water, administered by the authority of a New Testament church in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Baptism is not necessary for salvation but is a separate event that follows being born again. It is an act of faith that identifies believers with Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. A person must be baptized to be a member of the church or participate in the Lord’s Supper. (Matt. 28:19-20, Acts 8:35-39, Acts 2:41, Romans 6:4) 


18. THE LORD'S SUPPER

The Lord’s Supper was instituted by Christ Himself as a memorial of His crucified body and poured out blood that pay for the sins of the world. Church members eat the unleavened bread and drink the pure grape juice in proclamation of Christ’s death while awaiting His glorious return. It is a symbolic memorial and does not become the literal body or blood of Christ. (Matt. 26:26-28, 1 Cor. 11:23-34) 


19. PASTORS AND DEACONS

We believe that there are two divinely appointed offices in a church: pastors and deacons. These two offices are to be filled by men whose qualifications are set forth in Titus 1 and 1 Timothy 3. 


20. STEWARDSHIP AND TITHING

We believe that God is the giver of all earthly and heavenly blessings and the giver of all that we have and all that we are. We have a spiritual responsibility to the whole world. We have a responsibility to share the gospel. We have a duty to be good managers of our possessions. We have the responsibility to serve Him with our time, talents, and material possessions. The Scriptures say that we, as God’s children, should give a percentage of our income to His church, cheerfully, regularly, carefully, and generously. We should give for the progress of Christ's plan for His church here on earth. (Genesis 14:20, Leviticus 27:30-32, Deuteronomy 8:18, Malachi 3:8-12, Matthew 6:1-4,19-21, 19:21, 23:23, 25:14-29, Luke 12:16-21,42, 16:1-13, Acts 2:44-47, 5:1-11, 17:24-25, 20:35, Romans 6:6-22, 12:1-2, 1 Corinthians 4:1-2, 6:19-20, 12, 16:1-4, 2 Corinthians 8-9, 12:15, Philippians 4:10-19, 1 Peter 1:18-19). 


21. CHRISTIAN LIVING

We believe that a born-again Christian’s life will support their profession of faith and that their desires will conform to Christ's desires. Although a believer may be disobedient at times, he/she will not enter into a lifestyle characterized by sinful actions. Furthermore, we believe that as children of God we are to be different from the world, our minds being transformed by the Holy Spirit. We can now set our minds on the things that please God. (2 Cor. 5:17, 1 John chapters 3 & 5, Romans 12:1-2, 2 Cor. 6:14-18, Colossians 3:1-17) 


22. ETERNITY

We believe in a literal heaven and a literal hell. Heaven is the eternal abode for those who have accepted the Gospel of Jesus Christ and have been born again, while hell is the eternal abode for those who have rejected the Gospel and died in their sin. (John 14:1-3 & 6, Rev. 21, Luke 16:19-31, Matt. 24:50-51, 25:29-30) 


23. GENDER

We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. Rejection of one's biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person. (Gen. 1:26-27, Gen. 5:1-2, Matt. 19:4, Mark 10:6).


24. MARRIAGE

We believe that marriage is between one man and one woman. In the Garden of Eden God saw that it was not good that Adam was alone, so He created a woman as a partner for him and commanded both of them to multiply. Sexual relations within a marriage relationship is God ordained, while sexual relations outside of a marriage covenant is not God ordained and is sin. (Gen. 2:18-25, Hebrews 13:4)


25. HOMOSEXUALITY

Sexual relations between two individuals of the same sex is strictly forbidden by God and considered sin because this departs from the natural, created intent for mankind and turns to that which is unnatural. In addition, it is impossible for two people of the same sex to procreate, which deviates from God's designed plan. We also believe that the homosexual lifestyle is not a genetic disorder, but instead, an individual’s choice to follow sinful desires rather than those that are holy. Furthermore, we believe that God offers full forgiveness to those who confess and repent of this sin. (Gen. 1:27-28, Lev. 18:22 & 20:13, I Timothy 1:8-11, I Corinthians 6:9-10, Romans 1:24-28) 


26. ABORTION

We believe that life begins at conception and the termination of that life is considered murder of the innocent in all cases and at any stage of the pregnancy. Furthermore, we believe that God offers full forgiveness to those who confess and repent of this sin. (Ex. 23:7, Deut. 19:10, Psalm 106:37-39, Proverbs 6:16-17, Jeremiah 1:5, Psalm 51:5, Psalm 139:13-16) 


27. FORGIVENESS

We believe that when a person acknowledges their sin, confesses it to God, and then turns from it that sin will be forgiven. Jesus said that all manner of sin will be forgiven except the sin of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. (Matt. 12:31-32, 1 John 1:9)