Statement of Faith
The following is a basic summary of our beliefs on twenty major subjects:
Inspiration of the Scriptures
We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the verbally inspired Word of God. The Scriptures are inerrant, infallible and God-breathed, and are therefore the final authority for all matters of faith and practice. The 66 books of the Old and New Testaments are the complete and final revelation of God to man. The Scriptures shall be interpreted according to their normal grammatical-historical meaning. We believe that God has preserved His inspired Word for the English-speaking world in the King James Version (AV 1611). The King James Version shall be the official translation of the church, and will be the only translation used in preaching, teaching, or any other capacity in the church. (Psalm 19:7-11; II Timothy 3:16, 17; II Peter 1:21; I Thessalonians 2:13)The Godhead (Trinity)
We believe that there is but one true and living God, eternally existing and manifesting Himself to us in three divine Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, each coeternal in being, Equal in every divine perfection and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption. (Genesis 1:26; John 10:30, 36, 14:26, 15:26, 16:13-15, 17:22; II Corinthians 13:14)
God, the Father
We believe that God the Father is our Heavenly Father, the Maker and Supreme Ruler of Heaven and earth and worthy of all possible honor, confidence, and love. (Malachi 2:10; Matthew 11:25-27; Mark 14:36; Romans 8:15; I Corinthians 8:6; Galatians 1:1, 4; Ephesians 4:6, 5:20, 6:23; II Timothy 1:2; Jude 1)
Jesus Christ, the Son of God:
Blood Atonement
We believe in the substitutionary atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that all must be “born again” through personal faith in His shed blood or be forever lost. (Isaiah 53:11; II Corinthians 5:21; John 3:1-18, 6:44-58; Hebrews 2:9; I Peter 1:18, 19)Resurrection and Exaltation of Jesus Christ
We believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ, that He ascended bodily into Heaven and that He is now at God’s right hand as our Mediator, High Priest, and Advocate. (John 20; Acts 3:12-26; Romans 4:25; I Corinthians 15:12-28; Hebrews 9:24; I John 2:1)Second Coming of Christ
We believe in the personal, pre-millennial and imminent second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (John 14:1-3; Acts 1:11; I Corinthians 15:50-55; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 19:11-21, 20:1-6)
The Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption (John 16:8-11; Romans 8:9; II Corinthians 3:6; Ephesians 1:13-14)
We believe that He is the Divine Teacher who assists believers to understand and appropriate the Scriptures and that it is the privilege and duty of all believers to be filled with the Spirit. (Ephesians 1:17-18; 5:18; I John 2:20,27)
We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowal of spiritual gifts to every believer. God uniquely uses pastors, evangelists and teachers to equip believers in the assembly in order that they might do the work of the ministry. (Romans 12:3-8; I Corinthians 12:4-11,28; Ephesians 4:7-12)
We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and the gift of healing were temporary. We believe that speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the filling of the Holy Spirit and that ultimate deliverance of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection, though God frequently chooses to answer the prayers of believers for physical healing. (I Corinthians 1:22; 13:8; 14:21-22)
The Depravity of Man
We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, that he sinned, and thereby incurred not only physical death, but also the spiritual death which is separation from God. All human beings are born sinners by birth and by choice, positively inclined to evil, and therefore under just condemnation to eternal damnation without defense or excuse, and of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition. (Genesis 1:26-27, 2:17; Psalm 51:5, 58:3; Jeremiah17:9; Ezekiel 18:4; Romans 1:20, 3:10-23, 5:12; 6:23, Ephesians 2:1-3, 8, 9)
Salvation
We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins. We believe that we as sinners must be “born-again,” and that this new birth is instantaneous and not a process. There is no hope of salvation without Jesus Christ. (John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Romans 8:38,39, 10:9-13; Ephesians 2:8-9; II Timothy 1:12; I Peter 1:4,5; Jude 24)
The Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers
We believe that the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever. (John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Romans 8:1,38-39; I Peter 1:4-5)
We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word, which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh. (Romans 13:13-14; Galatians 5:13; Titus 2:11-15)
The Church
We believe that the local church is a called out assembly of baptized believers, who have covenanted together in the faith for the purpose of carrying out the great commission. (I Corinthians 12:12-14; Ephesians 1:22-23; Acts 2:42)
We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament. (Acts 14:27; 20:17; 20:28-32; I Timothy 3:1-13)
We believe in the autonomy of the local church free from any external authority or control where Jesus Christ is the Head. We will not join or become part of any convention. (Acts 13:1-4; 15:19-31; 20:28; Rom 16:1,4; I Corinthians 3:9-11,16; 5:4-7;Ephesians 1:22-23, 2:19-22;Colossians 1:18; I Peter 5:1-4)
We believe that the officers of ordination are pastors and deacons, and the Scriptural ordinances are water baptism and the Lord’s Supper. (I Timothy 3; Romans 6; I Corinthians 11)
We believe that the sole mission of the church is to win the lost, baptize them, and teach and instruct them in the Word of God so that they too will win the lost. (Matt 28:19-20; Mark 16:15)
Membership must be preceded by two important qualifications: moral and ceremonial. The moral qualification is regeneration. The ceremonial qualification is one, baptism (immersion) in water by the authority of the assembly itself, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:41-42; I Corinthians 12:13)
Satan
We believe satan was once created holy, and enjoyed heavenly honors; but through pride and ambition to be as the Almighty, fell and drew after him a host of angels; that he is now the malignant prince of the power of the air, and the unholy god of this world. We hold him to be man’s great tempter, the enemy of God and His Christ, the accuser of the saints, the author of all false religions, the chief power of the present apostasy; the lord of the antichrist, and the author of all the powers of darkness – destined however to final defeat at the hands of God’s own Son, and to the judgment of an eternal justice in hell, a place prepared for him and his angels. (Isaiah 14:12-17; Ezekiel 28:14-17; Matthew 4:8-11; John 8:44; Revelation 12:9-10, 20:10)
Creation
We believe in the Genesis account of creation, and that it is to be accepted literally, and not allegorically or figuratively; that man was created directly in God’s own image and after His own likeness; that man’s creation was not a matter of evolution or evolutionary change of species, or development through interminable periods of time from lower to higher forms; that all animal and vegetable life was made directly and God’s established law was that they should bring forth only “after their kind.” (Genesis 1:1; Exodus 20:11; John 1:3; Romans 1:20; Revelation 10:6)
Heaven and Hell
We believe that the souls of those who have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation do at death immediately pass into His presence and there remain in conscious bliss until the resurrection of the body at His coming when soul and body reunited shall be associated with Him forever in glory; but, that the souls of unbelievers remain after death in conscious misery in hell unto the final judgment of the Great White Throne at the close of the millennium, when soul and body reunited shall be cast into the lake of fire from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment and torment. (Luke 16:19-26, 23:43; II Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23; II Thessalonians 1:7-9; Revelation 20:11-15, 14:9-14; I Thessalonians 1:7-9; Revelation 20:11-15, 14:9-14; I Thessalonians 4:13-18)
Separation
We believe in the Biblical doctrine of separation which encompasses three things: (1) the separation of the local church from all affiliation and fellowship with those who deny the verities of the “faith which was once delivered to the saints,” and from those individuals and organizations similarly associated; (2) the separation of the individual believer from all worldly practices that may dishonor the Saviour, and (3) the separation of church and state. (Romans 12:1-2; II Corinthians 6:11-7:1; II Thessalonians 3:6, 14-15; I John 2:15-17; II John 9-11; Jude 3)
The Second Advent of Christ
We believe in that “blessed hope,” the personal, imminent return of Christ Who will rapture all believers prior to the seven-year Tribulation period. At the end of the Tribulation Christ will return personally and visibly, with His saints, to establish His Messianic Kingdom on the earth. (Psalm 89:3-4; Dan 2:31-45; I Thessalonians 1:10; Rev 19:11-16)
Civil Government
We believe that God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: 1) The Home; 2) the Church; and 3) the State. Every person is subject to these authorities, but all (including the authorities themselves) are answerable to God and governed by His Word. God has given each institution specific Biblical responsibilities with the understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the other. The home, the church, and the state are equal and sovereign in their respective Biblically assigned spheres of responsibility under God. (Romans 13:1-7; Ephesians 5:22-24; Hebrews 13:17; I Peter 2:13-14)
Human Sexuality / Unchaste Conduct
We believe that God has commanded that no intimate physical activity be engaged in outside of marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bestiality, bisexuality, incest, fornication, adultery, and pornography is a sinful perversion of God’s original intent for a physical relationship between a husband and wife. (Genesis 2:24; Lev 18:1-30; Romans 1:20-32; I Corinthians 5:1;6:9; I Thessalonians 4:1-8; Hebrews 13:4)
Abortion
We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, gender selection, birth defects, birth or population control, or the mental well-being of the mother are acceptable. (Job 3:16; Psalm 51:5; 139:14-16; Is 44:24; Jeremiah 1:5; Luke 1:44)
Missions
We believe that God has given the church a Great Commission to proclaim the Gospel to all nations. As ambassadors of Christ we must use every means available to go to the foreign countries and not wait for them to come to us. (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8)
Lawsuits Between Believers
We believe that Christians are prohibited from bringing civil lawsuits against other Christians or the Church to resolve personal disputes. We believe the Church possesses all the resources necessary to resolve personal disputes between members. We do believe, however, that a Christian may seek compensation for injuries from another Christian’s insurance company as long as the claim is pursued without malice or slander. (I Corinthians 6:1-8; Ephesians 4:31-32)
Giving
We believe that every Christian, as a steward of that portion of God’s wealth entrusted to him, is obligated to support his church financially. We believe that God has established the tithe as a basis for giving but that every Christian should also give other offerings sacrificially and cheerfully to the support of the Church, the relief of those in need, and the spread of the gospel. We believe that a Christian relinquishes all rights to direct the use of the tithe or offering once the gift has been made. (Genesis 14:20; Proverbs 3:9-10; Acts 4:34-37; Malachi 3; I Corinthians 16:2; II Corinthians 9:6-7; Galatians 6:6)
Authority of this Statement of Faith and Doctrinal Agreement
This doctrinal statement does not exhaust the extent of our faith. The Bible itself is the sole and final source of all we believe. We do believe, however, that the foregoing Statement of Faith accurately represents the teaching of the Bible, and therefore, is binding. All nominees for church offices as defined in the constitution shall verbally indicate or reaffirm full agreement with the above statement of faith.
