Our Beliefs & Doctrinal Statement

We believe that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons; that these are equal in every divine perfection; and that they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence, and redemption (Matthew 28:18-19; Mark 1:10-12; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 Peter 1:2).

We believe in God, the Father, an infinite, personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power, and love. We believe that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ (John 3:16-17, 4:23-24; Revelation 4:8-11).

We believe in Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, and teachings. We believe in His substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people, and personal, visible return for His church (Matthew 1:22-23; Luke 1:35; John 1:14, 8:58; Acts 1:9-11; 10:37-43; 1 Corinthians 15:1-6; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 4:13-18; Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 1:7; 2:1-2; Revelation 3:10, 19:11-20b).

We believe in the Holy Spirit who came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and to regenerate, sanctify, and empower all who believe in Jesus Christ. We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells all believers in Christ and that He is their abiding helper, guide, teacher, seal, and interpreter of the Word (John 14:26, 16:8-11, 13-15; Acts 5:3-4; Romans 8:14-17; 1 Corinthians 2:10-16; Ephesians 1:13-14).

We believe humanity, male and female, was created in the image of God. By Adam's willful sin, the human race incurred not only physical death but also spiritual death, which is separation from God. Consequently, all people are sinners by nature and by choice and are therefore under condemnation and eternally lost. (Genesis 1:26-27, 2:17, 3:6; Romans 3:10-23, 5:12-19; Ephesians 2:1-3).

We believe that all who repent of their sins and by faith receive the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior are no longer eternally lost but are born again of the Holy Spirit and thereby, forever become the children of God. (John 1:12-13, 3:3, 16-17; Acts 20:21; Romans 5:12-21; Ephesians 2:4-10; Titus 3:5-7).

We believe in the universal church, a living, spiritual body of which Christ is the Head and all regenerated people are members. We believe in the local church, consisting of a congregation of believers in Jesus Christ, baptized on a credible confession of faith and associated for worship, work, and fellowship. We believe that God has laid upon the members of the local church the primary task of giving the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world (Ephesians 5:22-32; Matthew 16:16-18, 28:18-20; Acts 2:38-47; James 1:27, 2:14-17).

We believe that Christians should live for the glory of God and the well-being of others; that their conduct should be blameless before the world; that they should be faithful stewards of their possessions; and that they should seek to realize for themselves and others the full stature of maturity in Christ (Romans 14:1-15; Colossians 3:17; Philippians 2:14-16; 2 Corinthians 9:6-8; Ephesians 4:11-16).

We believe the Lord Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to the local church: Baptism and the Lord's Supper. We believe Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water into the name of the triune God, symbolic of our union with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. We believe the Lord's Supper was instituted by Christ for believers in commemoration of His death on their behalf. We believe that these two ordinances should be observed and administered until Christ's return (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:41-42; Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12; 1 Corinthians 11:23-32).

We believe that every individual has direct access to God and is responsible to God alone in all matters of faith and that each church is independent and autonomous and must be free from interference by any ecclesiastical or political authority. Therefore, Church and State must be kept separate as having different functions, each fulfilling its duties free from dictation or patronage of the other (Acts 4:19; 5:29; Romans 13:1-7, 14:5-12; 1 Peter 2:13-17).

We believe one way that local churches can promote the cause of Jesus Christ is by cooperating with one another in a denominational organization. Such an organization exists and functions by the will of the churches. Cooperation by each church is voluntary and may be terminated at any time. Churches may likewise cooperate with interdenominational fellowships on a voluntary basis (1 Corinthians 1:2; 2 Corinthians 8:18-19, 23).

We believe in the personal, premillennial and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth and the establishment of His kingdom. We believe in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, the everlasting joy of the saved and the endless suffering of the lost. (John 5:28-29; 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 4:13-18; 2 Thessalonians 1:8-10; Revelation 1:7, 20-1-15, Acts 1:10-11, Matthew 24:30, Revelation 20:4-6, Isaiah 9:6-7).

We believe that Christian marriage is a sacred institution ordained by God for the happiness of humankind and the propagation of the race. We believe that God's marriage ideal is a spiritual and physical union in which one man and one woman enter into a covenant with God till death separates them. We affirm the scriptural and historical definition of marriage as a heterosexual monogamy, which has been inviolable over the centuries and has been recognized worldwide. We do not believe that marriage is an arbitrary relationship created by the state or a natural outcome of social systems but rather reflects realities as fundamental as human nature and human anatomy. We believe as part of created order as found in Genesis, marriage is not open to reinterpretation (Genesis 2:20-25, Matthew 19:4-6, Malachi 2:15).

We believe that heterosexuality is God's revealed will for humankind and that a chaste and faithful expression of this orientation (whether singleness or marriage) is the ideal to which God calls all people. We believe that legitimate sexual relations are solely within marriage. Therefore, sexual activities, such as, but not limited to, adultery, fornication, incest, homosexuality, and pedophilia are inconsistent with the teaching of the Bible and the Church. We also believe that lascivious behavior, transgender behavior, and the creation and/or distribution and/or viewing of pornography are incompatible with the biblical witness to purity and holiness. We believe that from the biblical perspective we are all to control our sexual desires and bring them into submission through the power and grace of Christ and embrace a moral sexual lifestyle. We believe that everyone is created in the "Image of God" and has great value to the creator. Therefore we are to extend the same grace Christ gave to us and share, with everyone, the Good News that Christ has conquered sin and death (Romans 1:20-27, I Corinthians 6:15-20, Leviticus 18:1-28).