What We Believe
The Trinity
We believe that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons, that these are equal in every divine perfection, and that they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence and redemption, and are worthy of all honor, confidence and love.
God the Father
We believe in God, the Father, an infinite, personal spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. We believe that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of each person, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ
We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe in His virgin birth, (as no other man was ever born or could ever be born), His sinless life, miracles and teachings. We believe in His substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people, and personal visible return to earth. We believe He is both the ‘Son of God’, and ‘God the Son’.
The Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person equal with God the Father and God the Son and the same nature; that He was active in creation, that He came to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and to regenerate, sanctify, and empower all who believe in Jesus Christ. We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Christ, and that He is an abiding helper, teacher and guide.
THE SCRIPTURES
We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. That it is the only complete and final revelation of the will of God to men, it is the true foundation of Christian unity, and that it has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
Angels and the Devil
We believe God created an order of spiritual beings called angels to serve Him and do His will (Psalm 148:1-5; Colossians 1:16). The holy angels are obedient spirits ministering to the heirs of salvation and glorifying God (Hebrews 1:6-7; 13-14). Certain angels, called demons, Satan being their chief, through deliberate choice revolted and fell from their exalted position (Revelation 12:7-9). They now tempt individuals to rebel against God. Their destiny in hell has been sealed by Christ’s victory over sin and death.
Creation
We believe in the Genesis account of creation; that God created everything from nothing; that God created man & woman in His own image and likeness, as a result, each person is unique, possesses dignity and is worthy of respect.
The Fall of Mankind
We believe that mankind was created in innocence under God’s law, but through the temptation of Satan, mankind chose to disobey God and fell from his sinless state, and this brought sin and death to the human race and suffering to all creation. We believe that all people are sinners, separated by God through sin, by choice, and therefore, are under condemnation without defense or excuse.
Atonement & Regeneration
We believe that all people are sinners by nature and by choice and are, therefore, under condemnation. We believe that those who repent of their sins and trust in Jesus Christ as Savior are freed from the bondage and penalty of sin. That Jesus was the voluntary substitution for each sinner, bearing the penalty of God’s law, the just dying for the unjust, bearing our sins in His own body on the cross. We believe that an individual is united to Christ through regeneration by the Holy Spirit. As a child of God, the believer is acquitted of all guilt and brought into a new relationship of peace. Christians grow as the Holy Spirit enables them to understand and obey the Word of God.
Grace in the ‘New Creation’
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 who died to their sin now receives eternal life as a gift from God; that such are kept by the power of God through faith into eternal salvation and shall never perish; that this is possible by God’s grace, and solely by the power & work of the Holy Spirit.
Justification
We believe that Christ secures justification for those who believe & put their faith in Him; that justification includes the pardon of our sin and the gift of eternal life; that it is received not because of any works of righteousness that we have done, but is the imputing of Christ’s righteousness on us on the grounds of His perfect life, substitutionary death and victorious resurrection.
The Church
We believe the church is a living spiritual body, of which Christ is the head and all regenerated persons are members. We believe in the local church, consisting of a group of believers in Jesus Christ, baptized on a credible profession of faith, united for mutual encouragement and growth in discipleship through worship, nurture, fellowship and service; that the primary task of the church is found in the Great Commission;
To teach or disciple all nations.
(through preaching the gospel and teaching the Truth of God’s Word)To baptize them in the name of the Father, Son & Holy Spirit.
To teach them and free them to serve in order to build up the church.
The Ordinances
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to the local church: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
Baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believers identification with the death, burial and resurrection of their personal Savior Jesus Christ.
The Lord’s Supper (communion) is the partaking of the bread and the cup by believers together as a continuing remembrance of the broken body and shed blood of Christ. It is an act of thankful dedication to Him and serves to unite His people until He returns.
Christian Conduct
We believe that Christians, both individually and collectively, are to be salt and light in society; that Christians are to reflect Christ’s likeness to the world. We believe that Christians should live for the glory of God and the well-being of others; that their conduct should be blameless before the world; that they should be faithful stewards of their possessions; and that they should seek to realize for themselves and others the full stature of maturity in Christ.
Religious Liberty
We believe that religious liberty is the inalienable right of all individuals to freedom of belief and conscience, with ultimate accountability to God; that every human being has direct relations with God, and is responsible to God alone in all matters of faith; that each church is independent and must be free from interference by any ecclesiastical or political authority; that therefore Church and State must be kept separate as having different functions, each fulfilling its duties free from dictation or patronage of the other.
The Government
We believe that civil government is a divine ordination from God for the interests and good order of human society; that Christians should pray for & honor civil leaders, and obey and support government in matters not contrary to the Scriptures; The government should guarantee religious liberty to all persons and groups regardless of their religious preferences, consistent with the common good.
The Resurrection, Return of Christ & Related Events
We believe in the literal bodily resurrection of Christ, that He rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures, that after revealing Himself and teaching His disciples for forty days, He ascended to His Father’s right hand, where, as our Great High Priest, He eternally lives making intercession for those who belong to Him; We believe that Jesus Christ will return to the earth suddenly, personally and visibly in glory according to His promise to establish His kingdom; the unrighteous will be consigned to the everlasting punishment prepared for the devil and his angels; the righteous, in their resurrected and glorified bodies, will receive their reward and dwell forever with the Lord in heaven.