OUR FAITH

Scriptures. We believe that the Holy Bible as originally written was verbally and plenarily inspired and the product of Spirit-controlled men, and therefore is truth without any admixture of error for its matter. We believe the Bible to be the center of true Christian unity and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions shall be tried. We believe in God’s preservation of the Scriptures so that mankind can make literal and accurate translations of the Scriptures into the languages of the world. (II Timothy 3:16, 17; II Peter 1:19-21, 3:15, 16; Isaiah 45:18, 19)

 

True God. We believe that there is only one living and true God, infinite in every excellence; that in the unity of the Godhead there are three personal indistinctions — the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit — one in substance and equal in every divine perfection. (Exodus 20:2-3; I Corinthians 8:6; I John 5:7, Isaiah 43:10-13)

 

We believe in the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is Divine as no other man can be, existing from all eternity co-equal with the Father and the Spirit. He has never ceased to be God for one moment, and His humiliation did not consist in laying aside His Deity; that as a man He was miraculously begotten of the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary. We believe in His bodily resurrection, His ascension into Heaven, and His High Priestly intercession for His people. We believe in His personal, pretribulational return for His church, and His visible, premillennial return to the world according to His promise. (John 1:1-12; I John 5:11-13; Matthew 1:20-25; Luke 1:26-38)

 

We believe that the Father is a divine person, equal with the Son and the Holy Spirit and of the same substance and nature. The Father’s love for mankind is seen in the sending of the Son into the world. The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father to provide direction to the Christian and the church. It is the Father Who knows the time of Christ’s return. (John 3:16, 15:26, 1:18; Matthew 11:27, 24:34-36)

 

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, equal with the Father and the Son, and of the same substance and nature; that He convicts of sin, righteousness and judgment; bears witness to the truth; is the Agent of the New Birth and that He seals, ensures, guides, teaches, witnesses to, sanctifies, helps and indwells every true child of God. (John 14:16-17; Romans 8:14-27; II Corinthians 1:19-22, 13:14; I Corinthians 6:19-20)

 

The Devil (Satan). We believe in the distinct personality of Satan, that he has temporary dominion of this world, is author of all the powers of darkness and sin, and is destined to the judgment of an eternal justice in the “lake of fire.” (Matthew 4:1-3; II Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 20:10)

 

Creation. We believe that God created the Heavens and the earth, including all life, “each after its own kind,” by direct act in six literal days, and not by the processes embodied in the “theory of evolution.” (Genesis 1 & 2; Colossians 1:16-17; John 1:1-3)

 

The Fall of Man. We believe that man, in the person of the first Adam, was created in innocence but by voluntary transgression fell into sin, thus plunging the whole race into condemnation and death, so that now all mankind is born in sin and in equity and are sinners not by constraint, but by choice and so are without excuse before God. (Genesis 3; Romans 3:9-12, 5:10-19; Revelation 20:15)

 

The Atonement For Sin and Salvation By Grace. We believe that the only escape from the condemnation of sin is through the blood atonement wrought by the Lord Jesus Christ when He voluntarily took upon Himself a human body and nature, yet without sin, and by His suffering, death and resurrection made full satisfaction to the justice of God for the sins of all men; that the blessings of salvation are given on the grounds of grace to all who believe and confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and that it is the duty of all to receive these offers of mercy. We believe, therefore, that those who receive Christ as Savior and Lord shall be forever in God’s presence. (John 1:1-3, 12, 14, 3:1-7; Hebrews 10:4-14, 2:9; Ephesians 2:8-9, 1:7; Roman s 10:9-13, 3:25; II Corinthians 5:21; I John 2:2; Revelation 1:5)

The Church. We believe that the local church is composed of regenerated, immersed believers, voluntarily united together for the purpose of the worshiping God, having fellowship with other believers, observing the ordinances of Christ and the proclaiming the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ throughout the world.

 

We believe the New Testament Church was unknown to the Old Testament prophets. We believe the New Testament Church began at Pentecost (Acts 2:1) with the New Testament saints, and will be consummated at the coming of Christ at the pretribulational rapture of the church. The church was established by the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is its sole Head; revealed through the holy Apostles; composed of those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior; and both Jew and Gentile, called out from the world and indwelt by the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 16:18; Acts 1:8; 2:1-13, 41:47; Ephesians 1:22-23, 3:21, 5:23-33; I Thessalonians 4:13-18)

 

We believe the Church should exercise the gifts, rights and privileges invested in it by the Scriptures; that its officers are pastors (bishops) and deacons; that is has the absolute right of self-government directed by the Holy Spirit and is answerable only to Christ; and that in all matters of membership, policy, government, discipline and benevolence the will of the local church is final.

 

The Two Ordinances. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper (Holy Communion) are the ordinances of the New Testament Church. We believe these are the only two church ordinances.

 

Baptism. Baptism is the immersion of the believer in water and is properly called “Believer’s Baptism.” It sets forth in a beautiful and solemn way our faith in a crucified, buried and risen Savior, with its effects in our lives of death to sin and resurrection to a new life. Those professing saving faith in Jesus Christ as Savior shall, by the pastor or person authorized by the church, be immersed in water in accordance with Scriptural teaching. (Matthew 28:19; Acts 10:47-48)

 

The Lord’s Supper (Holy Communion). The Lord’s Supper is the commemoration of our Lord’s death until He comes, and our continual fellowship with Him. It should always be preceded by careful self-examination. The Lord’s Supper shall be served in keeping with the Scriptural injunctions — “As often as ye do this,” and, “But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup.” (I Corinthians 11:23-24)

 

The Rapture and Subsequent Events. We believe in the imminent, personal, bodily, pretribulational, and premillennial return of Christ for His church (the Rapture), and that at that moment the dead in Christ shall be raised in glorified bodies, 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 seventieth week of Daniel. (I Thessalonians 4:13-18; John 5:24-25, 3:3-7; I Corinthians 15:42-44, 51-54; Phillippians 3:20, 21; Revelation 3:10)

 

We believe that the Great Tribulation period will follow the Rapture of the Church and will last for seven years. It will be culminated by the revelation of Christ in power and great glory to sit upon the throne of David and to establish His millennial reign and kingdom. (Daniel 9:25-27; Matthew 24:27-31; Luke 1:30-33; Isaiah 9:6,  7; 11:1-9; Acts 2:29,  30; Revelation 1:7-8, 19:11-21, 20:1-6)

 

At the close of the Millennium, all believers (the just) will be forever with God in worship, praise and service. All unbelievers (the unjust) will be raised and stand at the Great White Throne to receive their final judgment of condemnation to the eternal lake of fire. (John 5:28-29; Revelation 20:11-15, 21:24-27, 22:1-4)