Statement of Faith
(A) The Holy Scriptures. We believe the Old and New Testament Scriptures are the verbally and plenarily inspired Word of God. The Scriptures are inerrant, infallible and God-breathed and are, therefore, the final authority for faith and life. The sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments are the complete and divine revelation of God to Man. The Scriptures shall be interpreted according to their normal grammatical-historical meaning. God has promised that He (not man) would preserve His Word so that truth will be known to all generations and so the textual criticism (attempting to recreate the original autographs) is rejected. Because of this, and the 400 years of God using it, I use the King James Version for English-speaking people. (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:20-21, Psa 12:6-7, 78:1-7, 146:6, Pro 22:20-21, Isa 59:21)
(B) Dispensationalism. We believe that the Scriptures interpreted in their natural, literal sense reveal divinely determined dispensations or rules of life that define man’s responsibilities in successive ages. These dispensations are not ways of salvation, but rather are divinely ordered stewardships by which God directs man according to His purpose. The Biblical dispensations are as follows (Gen 1:26-28; Gen 2:15-17; Gen 3:17-19; Gen 4:4-7; Gen 7:11-12,23; Gen 8:20-22; Gen 9:1-6; Gen 12:1-3; Gen 15:6; Exo 19:1-8; Deu 7:11-15; Deu 8:11-20; Num 1:50; Deu 33:10; Mat 26:28; 1 Cor. 9:17; 2 Cor. 3:9-18; Gal. 3:13-25; Eph. 1:10; 3:2-10; Eph 2:8-9; Rom 10:9-10; Rom 8:2-4; Gal 2:20-3:3; Col. 1:24-25, 27; Rev 19:11-20:3; Rev 20:7-12)
(C) The Godhead. We believe in one triune God, eternally existing in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—each co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections. (Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19; John 14:10, 26; 2 Cor. 13:14; 1 Jo 5:7)
(D) The Person and Work of Christ.
(1) We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men. (Isa. 7:14; 9:6; Luke 1:35; John 1:1-2, 14; 2 Cor. 5:19-21; Gal. 4:4-5; Phil. 2:5-8)
(2) We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice, and that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead. (Acts 2:18-36; Rom. 3:24-25; Eph. 1:7; 1 Pet. 2:24; 1 Peter 1:3-5; 1 Co 15:3-17)
(3) We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate. (Acts 1:9-10; Rom. 8:34; Heb. 9:24; 7:25; 1 John 2:1-2)
(4) We believe that He only is the great High Priest and that we need not the intercession of any man, but that Christ ever lives to make intercession for us. (1 Peter 2:9, Heb 7:23-8:6)
(E) The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit.
(1) 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, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption. (John 16:8-11; Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 12:12-14; 2 Cor. 3:6; Eph. 1:13-14)
(2) 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 the saved to be surrendered completely to the Spirit. (Eph. 1:17-18; 5:18; 1 John 2:20, 27)
(3) We believe that the Holy Spirit is sovereign in the bestowal of spiritual gifts to every believer. He uniquely uses evangelists, pastors, and teachers to equip believers in the church to do the work of the ministry. (Rom. 12:3-8; 1 Cor. 12:4-11, 28; Eph. 4:7-12)
(4) We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and the gift of healing, were temporary. Speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit and was used to communicate to the unbelievers in their specific language. Ultimate deliverance of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection, although God frequently chooses to answer the prayers of believers for physical healing. (1 Cor. 1:22; 13:8; 14:21-24; Act 2:4-21)
(F) The Sin Nature of Man. We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam’s sin the human race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God. Man is sinful and, of himself, unable to remedy his lost condition. (Gen. 1:26-27; Rom. 3:22-23; 5:12; 6:23; Eph. 2:1-3; 4:17-19)
(G) Salvation.
(1) We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins. We believe that all sins, except blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, are forgivable. (Matt. 12:31-32; John 1:12; Eph. 1:7; 2:8-10; 1 Pet. 1:18-19; 1 John 1:9)
(2) We believe that salvation is obtained when a man;
a. Confesses that he is a sinner
b. With a heart of belief accepts that Christ is God, and was literally raised from the dead
c. Verbally confesses his faith in Christ alone to save him. (Rom 10:9-10)
(3) We believe that once a man is saved there will be outward, distinctive signs that the Holy Spirit now abides in him. (2 Co 5:17)
(4) We believe that God did not choose some people for salvation and leave others to damnation, but that He made salvation available for all. (2 Pe 3:9, Joh 3:19, 1 Jo 2:2, Rom 10:13, Joh 6:37, 1 Tim 2:3-6, Mat 18:4, 1 Jo 4:4)
(H) The Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers.
(1) We believe that once a person is saved, he is kept by God’s power and remains secure in Christ forever. (John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Rom. 8:1, 38-39; 1 Cor. 1:4-8; 1 Pet. 1:4-5)
(2) 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. (Rom. 13:13-14; Gal. 5:13; Titus 2:11-15, Rom 6:1-4, 11-15)
(I) The Church
(1) We believe that the local church, which is the body and the espoused bride of Christ, is solely made up of born-again believers. (1 Cor. 12:12-14; 2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 1:22-23; 5:25-27)
(2) We believe that the establishment, propagation, and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament. (Acts 14:27; 20:17, 28-32; 1 Tim. 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11)
(3) We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any external authority or controls, and any affiliations, societies, organizations, associations, or agencies we affiliate with to further our objectives are not authoritative in matters of church practice or belief. (Acts 13:1-4; 15:19-31; 20:28; Rom. 16:1, 4; 1 Cor. 3:9, 16; 5:4-7, 13; 1 Pet. 5:1-4)
(4) We recognize water baptism by immersion and the Lord’s Supper as the scriptural ordinances of obedience for the church in this age. (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; 8:36-38; 1 Cor. 11:23-26)
(i) Baptism
a. We believe that every truly born again soul should declare his faith publicly through the act of baptism in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.(Mat 28:18-20, Act 8:37-39)
b. We believe that baptism is done by total immersion in water and is a picture of the Lord’s death, burial and resurrection. (Rom 6:4, Col 2:12)
(ii) Lord’s Supper/Communion
a. We believe that communion is partaken as a way of remembering Christ’s suffering and sacrifice for the redemption of our sins. (Mark 14:22-25, Mat 26:26-29, Luke 22:14-23)
b. We believe that the ordinance of communion is given to the local church and its members and as such only members of the local church who are in good standing may partake of it. (1 Co 11:17-34)
(5) We believe the Great Commission is the mission of the church given by God in the person of Jesus Christ and as such we will seek to spread the Gospel to all those around us in this country and around the world, baptize all who make a new profession of their faith, and teach everyone how to serve God in the way laid out in His inspired Word. (Mat 28:18-20, Mar 16:4-18, Luk 22:44-49, Act 1:4-8, Joh 20:19-23)
(6) We believe that the church as a body is to both corporately and individually worship God. (Rom 12:1, Heb 10:25, Heb 13:15, Col 3:16)
(7) We believe that a scriptural mandate has been given to the church to pray for the needs of its members as well as others. (1 Tim 21:1-8, Act 12:5)
(8) We believe that the church is made for the purpose of edifying one another. (Col 3:16, Heb 10:24-25, 1 Co 14:26, Eph 2:11-12)
(9) We believe that the church referred to in scripture has several key attributes; such as a location in which it meets, an under-shepherd (pastor), and meets together to fulfill the commands of Christ. Therefore, this church must be understood to be a local, visible church. We reject the belief that the church of today is an invisible “Universal Church” made up of all people who have been born-again; chiefly because such a church cannot have these attributes. We believe that the universal church will exist one day but is reserved for that time when all saved people will be together in Heaven after the rapture of the Saints. The Universal Church will have one pastor which is Christ and will, together, spend eternity in worship of its head, Jesus Christ. We believe, therefore, that the church referred to in scripture is a local church, the commands given by Christ to the church are given to each individual congregation, and that each local church is responsible for fulfilling the Lord’s commands. (Mat 18:21, Act 14:23, 1 Co 1:2)
(J) Separation. We believe that believers should maintain a godly testimony and live in such a way that their lives do not bring reproach upon their Savior. God commands His people to separate from all religious apostasy and all sinful pleasures, practices, and associations. We stand against any and all worldly philosophies that seek to destroy or undermine the truth of Biblical Christianity. (Lev. 19:28; Rom. 12:1-2; 14:13; 1 Cor. 6:19-20; 2 Cor. 6:14-7:1; 2 Tim. 3:1-5; 1 John 2:15-17; 2 John 9-11)
(K) The Second Coming of Christ. We believe in that blessed hope, the personal, imminent return of Christ, Who will rapture His church prior to the seven-year tribulation period. At the end of the Tribulation, Christ will personally and visibly return with His saints to establish His earthly Messianic Kingdom, which was promised to the nation of Israel. (Ps. 89:3-4; Dan. 2:31-45; Zech. 14:4-11; 1 Thess. 1:10; 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; Rev. 3:10; 19:11-16; 20:1-6)
(L) The Eternal State.
(1) We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment. (Matt. 25:46; John 5:28-29; 11:25-26; Rev. 20:5-6, 12-13)
(2) We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection, when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord. (Luke 23:43; 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23; 3:21; 1 Thess. 4:16-17; Rev. 20:4-6)
(3) We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious punishment and torment until the second resurrection, when with soul and body reunited, they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment, and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment and torment. (Matt. 25:41-46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-26; 2 Thess. 1:7-9; Jude 6-7; Rev. 20:11-15)
(M) The Personality of Satan. We believe that Satan is a real being, the author of sin, and the tempter of man causing his fall; that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man; and that he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire. (Job 1:6-7; Isa. 14:12-17; Matt. 4:2-11; 25:41; Rev. 20:10)
(N) Creation. We believe that the Genesis account of creation is neither allegory nor myth, but a literal, historical account of God’s creation of the universe in six literal, 24-hour periods. We reject evolution, the Gap Theory, the Day-Age Theory, and Theistic Evolution as unscriptural theories of origin. (Gen. 1-2; Ex. 20:11)
(O) God Ordained Authority. 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 and has balanced those 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. We believe that we must obey the state unless it requires us to act contrary to our faith; at which time we must obey God rather than the state. While other institutions (such as Bible colleges, camps, or missions boards) can be good and supported by the local church, they are not equal to the church, which Jesus died for, or the family. (Matt. 22:15-22; Acts 5:29; Rom. 13:1-7; Eph. 5:22-24; Titus 3:1-2; Heb. 13:17; 1 Pet. 2:13-14, Eph 5:25, Mat 16:18, Gen 1:27-28, 2:18, 21-24, Eph 5:31)
(P) Human Sexuality.
(1) We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between one naturally-born man and one naturally-born woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one’s gender by surgery or appearance. (Gen. 2:24; Gen. 19:5, 13; Gen. 26:8-9; Lev. 18:1-30; Rom. 1: 26-29; 1 Cor. 5:1; 6:9; 1 Thess. 4:1-8; Heb. 13:4)
(2) We believe that the only Scriptural marriage is the joining of one naturally-born man and one naturally-born woman for life. (Gen. 2:24; Rom. 7:2; 1 Cor. 7:10; Eph. 5:22-23)
(Q) Family Relationships.
(1) We believe that men and women are spiritually equal in position before God but that God has ordained distinct and separate spiritual functions for men and women in the home and the church. The husband is to be the leader of the home, and men are to be the leaders (pastors and deacons) of the church. Accordingly, only men are eligible for licensure and ordination by the church. (Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:18; 1 Tim. 2:8-15; 3:4-5, 12)
(2) We believe that God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. The husband is to love his wife as Christ loves the church. The wife is to submit herself to the Scriptural leadership of her husband as the church submits to the headship of Christ. Children are a heritage from the Lord. Parents are responsible for teaching their children spiritual and moral values through consistent lifestyle example and appropriate discipline, including Scriptural corporal correction. (Gen. 1:26-28; Ex. 20:12; Deut. 6:4-9; Ps. 127:3-5; Prov. 19:18; 22:15; 23:13-14; Mk. 10:6-12; 1 Cor. 7:1-16; Eph. 5:21-33; 6:1-4, Col. 3:18-21; Heb. 13:4; 1 Pet. 3:1-7)
(R) Divorce and Remarriage. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids divorce, except on the grounds of fornication, and intends marriage to last until one of the spouses dies. Divorce and remarriage is regarded as adultery. Although divorced and remarried persons may hold positions of service in the church and be greatly used of God for Christian service, they may not be considered for the offices of pastor or deacon. (Mal. 2:14-17; Matt. 19:3-12; Rom. 7:1-3; 1 Tim. 3:2, 12; Titus 1:6)
(S) 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 are acceptable due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the physical or mental well-being of the mother, or for any other reason. (Job 3:16; Ps. 51:5; 139:14-16; Isa. 44:24; 49:1, 5; Jer. 1:5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:44)
(T) Euthanasia and Suicide. We believe that the direct taking of an innocent human life is a moral evil, regardless of the intention. Life is a gift of God and must be respected from conception until natural death. Thus, we believe that an act or omission which, of itself or by intention, causes death in order to eliminate suffering constitutes a murder; which is contrary to the will of God. Discontinuing medical procedures that are extraordinary or disproportionate to the expected outcome can be a legitimate refusal of over-zealous treatment. (Ex. 20:13, 23:7; Matt. 5:21; Acts 17:28)
(U) Love. We believe that we should love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength first and foremost. We also should demonstrate love for others, not only toward fellow believers, but also toward those who are not believers, those who oppose us, and those who engage in sinful actions. We are to deal with those who oppose us graciously, gently, patiently, and humbly. God forbids the stirring up of strife, the taking of revenge, or the threat or use of violence as a means of resolving personal conflict or obtaining personal justice. Although God commands us to abhor sinful actions, we are to love and pray for any person who engages in such sinful actions. (Lev. 19:18; Due 6:5; Matt. 5:44-48; Mat 22:37; Mark 12:30; Luke 6:31; John 13:34-35; Rom. 12:9-10; 17-21; 13:8-10; Phil. 2:2-4; 2 Tim. 2:24-26; Titus 3:2; 1 John 3:17-18)
(V) 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. (1 Cor. 6:1-8; Eph. 4:31-32; Matt. 18:15-17)
(W) Missions. We believe that God has given the church a great commission to proclaim the Gospel to all people and all nations so that there might be a great multitude from every nation, tribe, ethnic group, and language group who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. As ambassadors of Christ, we must use all available means to go to all people and not wait for them to come to us. (Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; 2 Cor. 5:20)
(X) Giving. We believe that every Christian, as a steward of that portion of God’s wealth entrusted to him, is obligated to financially support his local church. 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 as lead by the Holy Spirit. We believe that a Christian relinquishes all rights to direct the use of his tithe or offering once the gift has been made. (Gen. 14:20; Prov. 3:9-10; Acts 4:34-37; 1 Cor. 16:2; 2 Cor. 9:6-7; Gal. 6:6; Eph. 4:28; 1 Tim. 5:17-18; 1 John 3:17)