STATEMENT OF FAITH
OF THE SCRIPTURES
We believe that the Holy Bible as originally written was plenarily and verbally inspired – every word is given to us by God (verbal), is authoritative (plenary) and divinely directed (inspired). The Bible is also the product of Spirit-controlled men and, therefore, has truth without the addition of error for its matter. WE believe that it is the true center of Christian union and the only infallible rule for all human conduct, creeds and opinions (II Timothy 3:16, 17; II Peter 1:19-21). WE use the King James version as a reliable translation and to maintain uniformity throughout the church body.
OF THE 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 distinctions, 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).
OF JESUS CHRIST
We believe in the absolute deity of the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ; that He was divine as no other man can be, being very God of very God, existing from all eternity co-equal with the Father and the Spirit; that He never ceased to be God for one instant and that His humiliation did not consist in laying aside His deity; that as a man He was miraculously conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary (Matthew 1:20; Luke 1:26-38; John 1:1,2,14; I John 5:20).
OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
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, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses to, sanctifies and helps the believer, indwelling every true child of God (John 14:16, 17; Romans 8:14-27; II Corinthians 13:14).
OF THE DEVIL OR SATAN
We believe that Satan is a person, the author of sin and the cause of the Fall of Man; that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man; and that he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire. (John 1:6,7; Isaiah 14:12-17; Matthew 4:2-11, 25:41; Revelation 20:10).
THE CREATION
We believe that God created 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. (Genesis 1, 2; Exodus 20:11).
OF THE FALL 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 shaped in iniquity and become practical sinners with the first expression of personal choice and so are without excuse before God (Genesis 3; Romans 5:10-19).
OF THE ATONEMENT FOR SIN
We believe that the only escape from the condemnation of sin is through the atonement wrought by Jesus Christ, when He voluntarily took upon Him 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 sin of man; that the blessings of this salvation are given on the grounds of grace to all who believe and confess (John 1:1-3, 14:3, 16-18; Acts 16:30-33; Hebrews 10:4-14).
OF SALVATION BY GRACE
We believe that faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ is the only condition of salvation from sin and that this salvation is wholly by grace; that no works, however good, make that salvation more secure (Acts 16:31; Romans 10:9-13; Ephesians 2:8-10; Titus 3:5-7).
We believe that all who take Christ as their Savior are born from above and are eternally secure in Christ (John 10:28-29; Romas 8:35-39; Philippians 1:6).
OF THE CHURCH
We believe that the church, the Body of Christ, is a New Testament institution, established by Jesus Christ who is its sole Head; revealed through the holy apostles; empowered and perpetuated by the Holy Spirit; composed of born-again believers in Jesus Christ as Savior, both Jew and Gentile, called out from the world and indwell by the Holy Spirit; His “body” for service and His “bride”. It began with the New Testament saints and will be consummated at the coming of Christ in the Rapture (Matthew 16:18; Acts 1:8, 2:1-13, 41-47, 15:14; Romans 16:26; I Corinthians 12:12-28; Ephesians 1:22,23, 3:21, 5:23-33; I Thessalonians 4:13-18).
We believe that the church is manifest through the local church which is a congregation of immersed believers, associated by covenant of faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the ordinances of believer’s baptism and the Lord’s Supper; governed by His laws: exercising the gifts, rights and privileges invested in it by His work; that its officers are bishops (pastors) and deacons; that it has the absolute right of self-government directed by the Holy Spirit and it 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 Matthew 18:15-17; I Corinthians 1:2, 5:4,5, 7:17, 11:16; I Timothy 3:1-15).
OF THE ETERNAL STATE
We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment (Matthew 25:46; John 5:28,29, 11:25,26; Revelation 20:5,6,12,13).
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 and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord (Luke 23:43; II Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23, 3:21; I Thessalonians 4:16,17; Revelation 20:4-6).
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 (Matthew 25:41-46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-26; II Thessalonians 1:7-9; Jude 6,7: Revelation 20:11-15).
OF THE RETURN OF CHRIST
We believe in the bodily, personal, pre-millennial return of Jesus Christ; that He will come before the seven-year tribulation period to catch away His church, coming only into the air and that He will come with His church at the close of the tribulation to judge the living nations and to set up His kingdom (Matthew 25:31-30; I Thessalonians 4:16; Revelation 7:9-17, 20:11-15).
We believe that the Holy Bible as originally written was plenarily and verbally inspired – every word is given to us by God (verbal), is authoritative (plenary) and divinely directed (inspired). The Bible is also the product of Spirit-controlled men and, therefore, has truth without the addition of error for its matter. WE believe that it is the true center of Christian union and the only infallible rule for all human conduct, creeds and opinions (II Timothy 3:16, 17; II Peter 1:19-21). WE use the King James version as a reliable translation and to maintain uniformity throughout the church body.
OF THE 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 distinctions, 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).
OF JESUS CHRIST
We believe in the absolute deity of the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ; that He was divine as no other man can be, being very God of very God, existing from all eternity co-equal with the Father and the Spirit; that He never ceased to be God for one instant and that His humiliation did not consist in laying aside His deity; that as a man He was miraculously conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary (Matthew 1:20; Luke 1:26-38; John 1:1,2,14; I John 5:20).
OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
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, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses to, sanctifies and helps the believer, indwelling every true child of God (John 14:16, 17; Romans 8:14-27; II Corinthians 13:14).
OF THE DEVIL OR SATAN
We believe that Satan is a person, the author of sin and the cause of the Fall of Man; that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man; and that he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire. (John 1:6,7; Isaiah 14:12-17; Matthew 4:2-11, 25:41; Revelation 20:10).
THE CREATION
We believe that God created 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. (Genesis 1, 2; Exodus 20:11).
OF THE FALL 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 shaped in iniquity and become practical sinners with the first expression of personal choice and so are without excuse before God (Genesis 3; Romans 5:10-19).
OF THE ATONEMENT FOR SIN
We believe that the only escape from the condemnation of sin is through the atonement wrought by Jesus Christ, when He voluntarily took upon Him 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 sin of man; that the blessings of this salvation are given on the grounds of grace to all who believe and confess (John 1:1-3, 14:3, 16-18; Acts 16:30-33; Hebrews 10:4-14).
OF SALVATION BY GRACE
We believe that faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ is the only condition of salvation from sin and that this salvation is wholly by grace; that no works, however good, make that salvation more secure (Acts 16:31; Romans 10:9-13; Ephesians 2:8-10; Titus 3:5-7).
We believe that all who take Christ as their Savior are born from above and are eternally secure in Christ (John 10:28-29; Romas 8:35-39; Philippians 1:6).
OF THE CHURCH
We believe that the church, the Body of Christ, is a New Testament institution, established by Jesus Christ who is its sole Head; revealed through the holy apostles; empowered and perpetuated by the Holy Spirit; composed of born-again believers in Jesus Christ as Savior, both Jew and Gentile, called out from the world and indwell by the Holy Spirit; His “body” for service and His “bride”. It began with the New Testament saints and will be consummated at the coming of Christ in the Rapture (Matthew 16:18; Acts 1:8, 2:1-13, 41-47, 15:14; Romans 16:26; I Corinthians 12:12-28; Ephesians 1:22,23, 3:21, 5:23-33; I Thessalonians 4:13-18).
We believe that the church is manifest through the local church which is a congregation of immersed believers, associated by covenant of faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the ordinances of believer’s baptism and the Lord’s Supper; governed by His laws: exercising the gifts, rights and privileges invested in it by His work; that its officers are bishops (pastors) and deacons; that it has the absolute right of self-government directed by the Holy Spirit and it 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 Matthew 18:15-17; I Corinthians 1:2, 5:4,5, 7:17, 11:16; I Timothy 3:1-15).
OF THE ETERNAL STATE
We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment (Matthew 25:46; John 5:28,29, 11:25,26; Revelation 20:5,6,12,13).
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 and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord (Luke 23:43; II Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23, 3:21; I Thessalonians 4:16,17; Revelation 20:4-6).
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 (Matthew 25:41-46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-26; II Thessalonians 1:7-9; Jude 6,7: Revelation 20:11-15).
OF THE RETURN OF CHRIST
We believe in the bodily, personal, pre-millennial return of Jesus Christ; that He will come before the seven-year tribulation period to catch away His church, coming only into the air and that He will come with His church at the close of the tribulation to judge the living nations and to set up His kingdom (Matthew 25:31-30; I Thessalonians 4:16; Revelation 7:9-17, 20:11-15).
PURPOSE STATEMENT
EXALTING THE SAVIOR. EQUIPPING THE SAINTS. EVANGELIZING THE LOST.