what we believe
WE BELIEVE IN ONE LIVING AND TRUE GOD eternally existing in three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit equal in power and glory. We believe that this triune God created all, upholds all, and governs all. (Genesis 1:1; Exodus 15:11; Psalm 83:18; Matthew 28:19; John 10:30, 15:26)
WE BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SCRIPTURE accepting fully the writings of the Old and New Testaments: all the word of God, verbally inspired in all parts and without error from the original manuscripts, altogether sufficient in themselves as our only infallible and authoritative rule of faith and practice. (Psalm 119:160; Proverbs 30:5-6; I Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:19-21)
WE BELIEVE IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST God’s only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit, and became man by the miracle of the virgin birth. As a man he was tempted in all points as we are, yet without sin. We believe in all His miracles and teachings, His substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into Heaven, His perpetual intercession for his people, and His second coming. We believe that in His first coming Jesus inaugurated the fulfillment of the kingdom of God. (John 1:1, 14; 3:16; Matthew 1:18-25; Galatians 4:4-5; Philippians 2:6-10; I Corinthians 15:3-7; John 2:1-2)
WE BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT who came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment. He regenerates, sanctifies, and empowers. We believe the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Jesus Christ and that He is an abiding helper, teacher, and guide. We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit and in the exercise of the Biblical gifts of the Spirit. We also believe in the laying on of hands for empowering of the Holy Spirit.(John 3:5, 14:16, 17, 26; 16:7-14; Romans 8:9; I Corinthians 12:13; II Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 1:13, 5:18)
WE BELIEVE IN SALVATION BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH, which is a free gift of God, neither merited nor secured by any virtue or work of man, but received only by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. In Him, all true believers possess the gift of eternal life, the immediate indwelling of God’s Holy Spirit, a perfect righteousness, and adoption into the family of God, deliverance, and security from all condemnation. Salvation affects the whole emotional, physical, and spiritual person, which apart from Christ there is no possible means of achieving, (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5; John 1:12, 3:14, 10:28-29; Romans 8:1,17; Philippians 1:6)
WE BELIEVE IN THE TWO ORDINANCES GIVEN TO THE CHURCH BY CHRIST, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. These ordinances in no way affect an individual’s salvation, but are carried out by Christians in obedience to Christ’s command. We believe in water baptism and the partaking of the Lord’s Supper, which is open to all believers. (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:38, 41, 8:38; Matthew 26:26-30; Mark 145:22-23; Luke 22:19-20; I Corinthians 11:23-32)
WE BELIEVE ALL MANKIND ARE BY NATURE AND CHOICE, SINFUL AND LOST and are therefore under condemnation. Mankind by personal disobedience to the revealed will of God became a sinful creature. We believe that God regenerates and the Holy Spirit indwells those who repent of their sins and confess Jesus Christ as Lord. (Genesis 1:27, 3:6; Psalm 51:5; Romans 3:23, 5:12, 19; Galatians 3:11)
WE BELIEVE IN THE DEATH, RESURRECTION, AND SECOND COMING OF CHRIST, that Jesus was crucified, died and was buried. On the third day He rose again from the dead, He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father. We believe that Jesus will return to resurrect and gather His awaiting church, which is our blessed hope and always imminent. (I Thessalonians 4:13-18; James 5:8; Hebrews 10:37; Revelation 19:11-16; 20:4-7)
WE BELIEVE IN THE PRINCIPLES OF MARRIAGE, FAMILY, CHILDREN, SEXUALITY, AND HUMAN LIFE. We believe in the permanence of marriage, and that the institution of marriage is the heart of God’s plan for the life-long relationship between a man and a woman. We believe that the family is the building block of society, and that the family exists to provide a safe and secure haven in which to nurture, teach, and love all generations. We believe in the value of children; born or unborn, these children are a heritage from God and blessing from His hand. We are therefore accountable to Him for raising, shaping, and preparing them for a life of service to His Kingdom and to humanity. We believe that marriage between a man and a woman is the only acceptable framework for sexual relationships. Scripture is clear that a sexual relation outside of marriage is a sin and a deviation from God’s design. We believe that human life is of infinite worth and significance in all its dimensions, including the unborn, the aged, the widowed, the mentally handicapped, the unattractive, the physically challenged, and every other condition in which humanness is expressed from conception to death. (Genesis 2:22, 24; I Timothy 3:4-5; Psalm 127:3-5, 78:5-6; Deuteronomy 4:9, 6:7, 11:9; Luke 18:16; Romans 1:27; I Corinthians 6:9; II Peter 2:10; Psalm 139:13-16)