Our Statement of Faith:

 

THE APOSTLE'S CREED

"I believe in God the Father Almighty; Maker of Heaven and Earth; and in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord; Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried; He descended into hell; the third day He rose from the dead; He ascended into heaven; and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church*; the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen."

  • The holy catholc Church is defined as the universal church, the body of  Christ, as described in Ephesians 2:13-22; 1 Corinthians 12:13-14; and Ephesians 5:23-30

Concerning the scriptures:

We believe that the Bible, sixty-six books in the Old and New Testaments, is without error in its original writing;1 its author was God,2 using Spirit-guided men,3 being thereby verbally and plenarily inspired;4 it is the sole authority for faith and practice.5

Some places where taught:

  1. Proverbs 30:5,6; John 17:17; Revelation 22:18-19

  2. II Peter 1:19-21; Acts 3:21; Jude 3; Hebrews 1:1-3

  3. II Peter 1:19-21; II Samuel 23:2; Acts 1:16; 1 Corinthians 2:13-14

  4. II Timothy 3:16; Matthew 5:18; Galatians 3:16

  5. II Timothy 3:15; Romans 1:16; I Corinthians 10:6-12; Ephesians 6:17; I Timothy 5:18; II Timothy 3:17; II Peter 3:15-16; John 10:35; Acts 7:11; I John 4:1
     

Concerning the True God:

We believe that there is one, and only one, living and true God,1 and infinite, eternal, self-existing, perfect Spirit;2 He is a personal Being, the Creator and upholder of the universe;3 in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,4 equal in essence and in every divine perfection,5 but having distinct work.6

Some places where taught:

  1. Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Jeremiah 10:10;

  2. John 4:24; James 1:17; Habakkuk 1:12

  3. Hebrews 3:4; Psalm 139:1-16

  4. Matthew 28:19; Matthew 3; 16-17; II Corinthians 13:14; Psalm 2:2; Isaiah 48:16 (ASV); Isaiah 63:10

  5. John 10:30; John 17:5; Philippians 2:5-6; I Corinthians 8:6

  6. John 3:16; John 15:26
     

Concerning the Lord Jesus Christ:

We believe in the absolute deity of the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ; that He is divine as no other man can be, being very God, existing in all eternity, and is co-equal with the Father and the Holy Spirit. 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, His substitutional atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people and personal, visible return to earth.

Some places where taught:

  1. John 1:1-3 - Pre-existence, deity.

  2. John 1:14 - Incarnation.

  3. Matthew 1:18,23 - Virgin birth.

  4. Hebrews 4:15 - Sinlessness.

  5. II Corinthians 5:21 - Substitutionary death.

  6. Luke 24:36-42 - Bodily resurrection.

  7. I Corinthians 15:4 - Bodily resurrection

  8. Hebrews 4:14-16 - Ascension and present ministry.

  9. Acts 1:11 - Is coming again
     

Concerning the Holy Spirit:

We believe in the Holy Spirit to be the third person of the Trinity whose purpose in the redemption of man is to convict men of sin, regenerate the repentant believer, guide the believer into ALL truth, indwell and give gifts to believers as He wills, that they minister as Christ would to men. We believe that the manifestations of the Holy Spirit recorded in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 shall operate in present day churches which yield to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Some places where taught:

  1. Luke 11:13

  2. John 7:37-39

  3. John 14:16-17

  4. John 16:7-14

  5. Acts 2:39-48

We believe in the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, with the evidence of speaking with other tongues (languages), as the Spirit gives utterance, is available to all believers as promised by John the Baptist and Jesus and Peter, was witnessed by the early disciples of Christ and is evidence by many present day disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Some places where taught:

  1. Acts 1:4-5,8

  2. Matthew 3:11

  3. Acts 2:38-41

  4. Acts 2:4

  5. Acts 10:44-48

  6. Acts 19:1-6
     

Concerning Sanctification:

We believe that sanctification is presented in three phases in Scripture: that believers have been made partakers of Christ's holiness,1 that they are being progressively sanctified,2 and that they will be completely sanctified at His glorification,3 that there is no complete eradication of the old nature in progressive sanctification.4

Some places where taught:

  1. Hebrews 10:10; I Corinthians 6:11; I Corinthians 1:30

  2. John 17:17; Philippians 1:9-11; Ephesians 4:15; Ephesians 5:26-27; 1 Thessalonians 4:3; Romans 1:17; II Corinthians 3:18

  3. Colossians 3:4; Philippians 3:21; Proverbs 4:18; Philippians 2:12-13; Ephesians 1:4; II Peter 1:5-8; I John 3:2

  4. Philippians 3:12-16; Galatians 5:17; Romans 7:18-25
     

Concerning the Local Church:

We believe that a local, visible church1 is a congregation of baptized believers2 associated together by a common faith and fellowship in the gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ3 and governed by His Word;4 seeking to extend the Gospel to the ends of the earth, that its only Scriptural officers are Bishops (or Pastors) and Deacons, whose qualifications, claims and duties are defined in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus.5

Some places where taught:

  1. Matthew 18:17; Acts 5:11; Acts 8:1

  2. Acts 2:41-42

  3. Matthew 28:19-20; I Corinthians 11:23-24; Hebrews 10:25

  4. II Timothy 3:15-16

  5. I Timothy 3:1-16; Titus 1:5-9
     

Concerning Baptism and the Lord's Supper:

We believe that there are two church ordinances; baptism and the Lord's Supper. Baptism is the immersion of a believer in water, as revealed and commanded in the Scriptures and is properly called "Believers Baptism." This baptism sets forth in a beautiful and solemn way our faith in a crucified, buried and risen Savior. The believer's immersion in water symbolizes death, burial, and resurrection to a new life in Christ.1 The Lord's Supper symbolizes the Lord's death until He comes, and signifies the continual fellowship of baptized believers with Him and each other in Him. Each believer should exercise careful self-examination before participation in this ordinance.2

Some places where taught:

  1. II Corinthians 5:17

  2. I Corinthians 11:23-32
     

Concerning Civil Government and Religious Liberty

We believe that civil government is of divine appointment, for the interests and good order of human society;1 and that all civil authorities are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored and obeyed;2 except only in the things opposed by the Word of God which reveals the will of our Lord Jesus Christ,3 Who is the only Lord of the conscience, and the Prince of the kings of the earth.4

Some places where taught:

  1. Romans 13:1-7

  2. Matthew 22:21; Titus 3:1; I Peter 2:13-14; I Timothy 2:1-3

  3. Acts 5:29; 4:18-20

  4. Matthew 23:10; Psalm 72:11; Psalm 2; Romans 14:9-13
     

Concerning Future Events:

We believe the Scriptures teach that at death the spirit and soul of the believer pass instantly into the presence of Christ and remain in conscious joy until the resurrection of the body when Christ1 comes for his own;2 the blessed hope of the believer is the imminent, appearance of Christ.3

Some places where taught:

  1. II Corinthians 5:8

  2. I Corinthians 15:51-57

  3. Titus 2:13; I Thessalonians 4:14-17