The Holy Scriptures

We believe that the Bible, the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments consisting of sixty-six books, is the infallible and inerrant Word of God. It is divine revelation; the original writings were verbally inspired by the Holy Spirit as He inbreathed holy men of old. The Scriptures are the supreme and final authority in all matters of faith and practice. We use the King James Version for all teaching and preaching.

II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:20-21; Psalms 119:89; Isaiah 40:8; Matthew 24:35

The Godhead

We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons: The Father, The Son, The Holy Spirit. They are co eternal in being, co-identical in nature, and co-equal in power and glory, each having the same attributes and perfections.

Genesis 1:26; Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19; John 10:30; 14:16-17; II Corinthians 13:14; 1 Peter 1:2

The Person and Work of God the Father:

We believe that God the Father is the first person of the Trinity and is the eternal, unchanging, all-powerful, all-knowing, all-wise, all-loving, completely just and perfectly holy, sovereign Ruler and Sustainer of the universe. He is the Father of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and the Father of all true believers. Isaiah 40:21-28, 43:10-13, 46:8-11; John 1:12-13, 5:19-21, 17:1-5; Romans 8:14-16

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. John 1:1, 14; Galatians 4:4; Philippians 2:5-8; Matthew 1:23; Colossians 2:9; John 1:18; Luke 1:35
2. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as the substitutionary sacrifice, and that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead. Hebrews 2:9; 9:26-28; I Peter 2:21-24; 3:18; Matthew 28:1-7; Romans 4:25; I Corinthians 15:1-4; Acts 2:22-24; 17:31; Colossians 1:14
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 1:9-11; Hebrews 1:3-2, 17-18; 4:14-16; 5:9-10; 6:19-20; 7:25; 9:24; 10:21-22; I John 2:1-2

The Person and Work of The Holy Spirit:

1. We believe 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 at the moment of salvation, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption. I Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1:13; Romans 8:9-12; Ephesians 4:30; Acts 1:8
2. We believe that He is the divine teacher who guides believers into all truth; and that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be led by the Holy Spirit. John 14:16-17, 26; 16:12-15; I Corinthians 2:9-12; Galatians 5:16-25; Romans 8:13-14, 26-27

The Creation:

We believe in God’s direct creation of the universe, without the use of pre-existent material and apart from any process of evolution whatsoever, according to the Genesis account. Genesis 1:1-31; Psalm 33:6-9; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16-17; Exodus 20:11

The Total Depravity of Man:

We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam’s sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God; and, that man is totally depraved, and of himself, utterly unable to save himself.

Genesis 1:26-29; 2:17; 3:6-10; Romans 3:23; 5:12; Ephesians 2:1

Salvation:

We believe salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace, apart from any works of righteousness that we might do, and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins.

Ephesians 2:8-9; Acts 16:30-31; Romans 3:10-11, 24-25; 10:9-10, 13, 15; Romans 10:17; Romans 3:24-25; Acts 4:12; Romans 9:10; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; John 1:12; 3:4-7, 16;14:6

We further believe in the scriptural teaching regarding the predestination and election of man. Predestination as defined in Scripture is an act of God, through His foreknowledge, whereby He knew beforehand certain things, one of which is an individual’s salvation. God knows from the foundation of the world who will accept Him as Savior and who will not. Romans 8:29; Ephesians. 1:5,11; II Thessalonians. 2:13; James 2:5; 1 Pet. 2:9

Election is the act of God whereby He knows who will elect (or choose) to believe the Gospel–Christ’s virgin birth, rejection by man, crucifixion, and resurrection. He has ordained to redeem a remnant of humanity to salvation; these elect individuals were chosen before the foundation of the world, and their salvation is complete in Christ, according to His will that none should perish. Election to eternal life is conditional on a person’s confession of faith and realization of the need of a Savior due to sin. Romans 8:33; Colossians 3:12; II Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Peter 1:2; John. 6:44; 15:16, 19; Matthew 20:16; Mark. 13:20; Acts 13:48; Ephesians 1:4; II Peter 3:9

The Eternal Security of The Believer and Assurance:

We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ Jesus forever, having assurance of eternal salvation. II Timothy 2:16-19; John 6:39; 10:28; Romans 8:16, 28-38; I Peter 1:4-5; Jude 1; John 5:13; Hebrews 10:22; I Thessalonians 4:17; II Timothy 1:12

The Two Natures:

We believe that every saved person possesses two natures, with provision made for victory of the new nature over the old nature through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. The old nature is not eradicated upon our conversion.

Romans 6:12-13; 7:18-25; Galatians 5:16-17; Ephesians 4:22-24

Separation:

We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord; and that separation from all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices, and associations is commanded of God.

I Corinthians 6:19-20; II Corinthians 6:11-18; John 17:15-19; Romans 12:1-2; 14:13; I John 2:15-17; II Timothy 3:1-5

Missions:

We believe the Great Commission is the responsibility of all the saved of this age. First of all, it is the individual responsibility of every Christian to seek to carry out the great commission. Secondly, the great commission is our corporate responsibility as we assemble together in local churches. Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; Acts 1:8, 8:4; II Corinthians 5:20

Spiritual Gifts:

1. We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowment of all gifts; and that He gives gifts sufficient for the perfecting of the saints today; and that speaking in tongues and the working of sign miracles ceased as the New Testament Scriptures were completed. Romans 12:3-8; Ephesians 4:7-16; I Corinthians 13:8; I Corinthians 14:21-22
2. We believe that God does hear and answer the prayer in behalf of the sick, according to His own will. James 5:13-18

The Church:

A. We believe that the Church, which is the body and the espoused bride of Christ, is the spiritual organism consisting of all born-again believers from Pentecost to the Rapture.
I Corinthians 1:2; 12:12-13; Ephesians 2:19-22; 3:3-6, 5:25; Romans 12:4-5;
Colossians 1:18; Acts 2:24
B. We believe that believers should assemble themselves together locally. These local assemblies (or churches) should consist of regenerated believers who have been Scripturally baptized and are banded together for worship, work, and spiritual fellowship, spreading the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
Hebrews 10:24-25; Ephesians 4:3; Acts 2:41-47; 4:23-33; Ephesians 4:8-16

Local Church Government:

We believe that the local church has two offices (pastor and deacon), should be congregational in polity, and autonomous in nature. Each church is to be under the headship of Christ and free from any external hierarchy. Each church is free to cooperate with other churches

in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the Gospel. Each church is the sole and only judge of the measure and method of its cooperation.
Acts 20:28-32; I Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:1-9; Acts 14:23, 26-28; 15:22-23; Ephesians 1 :22-23; I Corinthians 12:12-27; I Timothy 5:17; Hebrews 13:7, 17

Baptism:

Baptism
We believe that baptism is to be by immersion only, administered to believers only, as a symbol of their belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and as a testimony to the world of that belief.
Matthew 28:19; Acts 8:36-39; John 3:23; Romans 6:1-5; Acts 2:41; 8:12

The Lord’s Supper:

We believe that the Lord’s Supper is observed with unleavened bread and unfermented fruit of the vine, and that they are mere symbols of His body and of His blood that were broken and poured out on the cross for our sins. Observance of the Lord’s Supper is for the purpose of looking back to the Lord’s death, looking around at our common bond of unity with other believers, looking within in solemn self-examination, and looking ahead to His return.
Matthew 26:26-30; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:17-20; I Corinthians 10:16-17;
I Corinthians 11:17-34

Satan:

We believe that Satan is an actual being, the author of sin, and the cause of man’s fall; that he is the enemy of God and man; and that he will be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire.
Isaiah 14:12-17; Genesis 3:1-19; I Peter 5:8; Revelation 20:10; Job 1:6-7; Matthew 4:2-4; Matthew 25:41

The Second Coming of Christ:

We believe in the personal, imminent, pre-tribulation, and pre-millennial coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for His Church and in His subsequent return to earth with His saints to establish His millennial kingdom.
John 14:1-3; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; I Thessalonians 1:10; 2:19-20; 3:13; 5:9-11; Daniel 9:24-27; Acts 1:11; Revelation 3:3, 4:1

The Eternal State:

A. We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment.
John 5:28-29
B. 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 the spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord.
Philippians 1:21-23; II Corinthians 5:1-8; Romans 8:18; I John 3:2;
I Corinthians 15:20-58
C. We believe that the souls of the unbelievers remain after death in conscious misery in hell until the second resurrection, when with the soul and body reunited, they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire and suffer everlasting, eternal, conscious punishment.
Matthew 25:41; Luke 16:19-26; Revelation 20:11-15; 21:8

Individual Administrative Gifts:

We believe in the uniqueness and value of the individual. This uniqueness was known of God from the beginning of time. The value of the individual promotes respect and equal opportunity before God; therefore, we are not to be a “respecter of persons.”
We recognize that God has given each believer a primary spiritual gift to share with the church and the brethren, and that these gifts, when used through the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit, are not in conflict with each other and, in actuality, promote harmony, good will, and effectiveness within the church congregation.
Psalm 139:14; Ephesians 1:4; Matthew 10:31; Acts 10:34; Ephesians 4:7

Civil Government:

We believe that God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: the home, the church, and 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 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.
Romans 13:1-7; Ephesians. 5:22-24; Hebrews. 13:17; I Peter 2:13-14

Human Sexuality:

1. We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between one man and one 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’s Word condemns and forbids any attempt to alter one’s gender by surgery or appearance and/or belief or identity.
Genesis 2:24; 19:5, 13; 26:8-9; Leviticus 18:1-30; Romans 1:26-29; I Corinthians 5:1;
I Corinthians. 6:9; I Thessalonians 4:1-8; Hebrews 13:4
2. We believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one woman.
Genesis 2:24; Romans 7:2; I Corinthians 7:10; Ephesians 5:22-23

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 ordination by the church.
Galatians. 3:28; Colossians. 3:18; I Timothy. 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 and leading them, through consistent lifestyle example and appropriate Scriptural discipline.
Genesis 1:26-28; Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Psalms 127:3-5; Proverbs 19:18; Proverbs 22:15; 23:13-14; Mark 10:6-12; I Corinthians 7:1-16; Ephesians 5:21-33; Ephesians 6:1-4; Colossians 3:18-21; Hebrews 13:4; I Peter 3:1-7

Divorce and Remarriage:

We believe that God disapproves of divorce and intends for marriage to last until one of the spouses dies. Divorce and remarriage is permitted in the case of fornication. Although divorced and remarried persons or divorced 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.
Malachi 2:14-17; Matthew 19:3-12; Romans 7:1-3; I Timothy. 3:2, 12; Titus 1:6

Abortion:

We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Any abortion, regardless of cause or circumstance, constitutes the taking of unborn human life and is murder.
Job 3:16; Psalms. 51:5; 139:14-16; Isaiah. 44:24; 49:1,5; Jeremiah 1:5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:44

Love:

We believe that we should demonstrate love for others, not only toward fellow believers, but also toward both those who are not believers and those who oppose us. 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.
Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 5:44-46; Luke 6:31; John 13:34-35; Romans 12:9-10, 17-20;
Romans 13:8-10; Philippians 2:2-4; Colossians 3:12-15; II Timothy 2:24-26; Titus 3:2;
I John 3:17-18

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

Great Commission:

We believe that God has given the church a great commission to proclaim the Gospel to 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. That commission begins in our community, extends throughout our country, and reaches to the ends of the earth.
Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48, John 20:21, Acts 1:8, II Corinthians 5:20

Giving:

We believe that every Christian, as a steward of that portion of God’s wealth entrusted to him, is obligated to support his local church financially. We believe that God has established the tithe as a basis for giving, but that every Christian, as the Lord leads, 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 personal 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; I Corinthians 9:11-14; 16:2; Galatians 6:6; II Corinthians 9:6-7; Ephesians 4:28; I Timothy 5:17-18; I John 3:17; II Corinthians 8:1-3, 7- 15

Sign Gifts:

We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues, prophecy, knowledge, and gifts of healing, were temporarily used by God during a transitional period of the conception and empowering of the early church. We believe that speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit. We believe that God does miraculously heal individuals in answer to prayer but deny special apostolic power that was given primarily to the early church disciples.
I Corinthians 1:22; 13:8; 14:21-22; Hebrews 2:3-4