1. The Holy Scriptures

  1. We believe the Bible, consisting of the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, is the verbally inspired Word of God, without error in the original writings, and therefore the final and trustworthy authority for faith and life.
    (Prov 30:5; 2 Tim 3:16-17; 2 Pet 1:20-21, 3:15-16; Matt 5:18; John 16:12-13)

  2. We believe the Holy Scriptures should be interpreted using the literal, grammatical, historical method.

2. The Godhead

  1. We believe there is one God, eternally existing in three persons ― Father, Son and Holy Spirit ― co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections.
    (Deut 6:4; 2 Cor 13:14; Matt 28:19)

  2. We believe God is the eternal Spirit who created all else and who has revealed Himself to be unchangeable in His being which is among other attributes wisdom and knowledge, power, presence, holiness, love, justice, goodness, and truth.
    (Ps 90:2; John 4:24; Heb 11:3; Jam 1:17; Exo 31:3; Acts 15:18; Rev 19:6; Ps 139:7; 1 John 1:4; 1 John 4:8; Ps 145:17; Exo 33:19; Rom 3:4)

  3. We believe the term “Father” in the Bible describes the relationship between God and His Son, Jesus Christ as well as His people Israel and those whom He has called to Himself by faith. As God’s children, we expect His discipline. There is a sense in which as Creator, all mankind is His offspring, but not all display His character. He is also described as the Father in heaven indicating both location and supremacy. It was the Father’s will that salvation be provided through the Son. The Father determines the times and seasons for the establishment of His “end time” kingdom.
    (Matt 3:17; Exo 4:22; Gal 3:26; Heb 12:9; Acts 17:28; John 8:44; Matt 6:9; Eph 1:3-6; Acts 1:7)

3. The Person and Work of Christ

  1. We believe 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 a virgin called Mary in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men.
    (John 1:1-2; Luke 1:35; John 1:14)

  2. We believe the Lord Jesus Christ, because of his sinless life, was able to accomplish our redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and, that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead.
    (2 Cor 5:21; 1 Pet 2:22,24; Rom 3:24-25; Heb 4:15; Eph 1:7; Rom 4:25; 1 Cor 15:1-8)

  3. We believe 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. He is the one mediator between God and man.
    (Acts 1:9-11; Heb 7:15; 9:24; Rom 8:34; 1 Tim 2:5; 1 John 2:1-2)

  4. We believe Christ will return for the church in an event known as the Rapture. In His subsequent return to earth with His saints, He will establish His millennial kingdom.
    (1 Thess 4:13-18; Zech 14:4-11; Rev 19:11-16; Rev 20:1-6; 1 Thess 1:10; 1 Thess 5:9)

4. The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit

  1. We believe the third person of the Triune God, the Holy Spirit, has all the elements of personality: intellect, emotion, and will.
    (Matt 3:16-17; 28:19-20; 1 Cor 2:10-11; Rom 8:27; Eph 4:30; 1 Cor 12:11)

  2. We believe the Holy Spirit presently works to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He is the regenerator who baptizes all believers into one body of Christ. He indwells and seals all believers unto the day of redemption. He intercedes for believers when we don’t know what to pray.
    (John 16:7-11; Titus 3:5; 1 Cor 12:13; 2 Cor 3:6; 1 Cor 12:12-14; Rom 8:9; Eph 1:13-14; Rom 8:27)

  3. We believe the Holy Spirit is the Divine Teacher who gives spiritual gifts to believers and guides us into all truth. It is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with and walk in the Spirit.
    (1 Cor 12:4-11; Rom 8:14; John 16:13; 1 John 2:20, 27; Eph 5:18)

5. Angelic Beings

  1. We believe God created a multitude of sinless, spiritual beings, known generally as angels, prior to the creation of our world. Their purpose was to serve God and most still exist in holiness before God’s throne where they serve as ministering spirits to believers.
    (Ps 148:2,5; Neh 9:6; Col 1:15-17; Heb 1:13-14; Job 38:4,7; Luke 2:9-14; Heb 1:6-7,14; Heb 2:6-7; Rev 5:11-14; Rev 19:9-10; Rev 22:8-9)

  2. We believe Satan is a person, also called the Devil, who was the serpent in the Garden of Eden and as such is the author of sin and the cause of the Fall of mankind into sin. He is the open and declared enemy of God and man. He will be bound during the millennial kingdom of Christ, then released for a short time to stir the nations into rebellion, and then be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire.
    (Job 1:6-7; Isa 14:12-17; Matt 4:2-11; Matt 25:41; Rev 20:10; Gen 3:1-15; Rev 12:9)

  3. We believe some angels, whom we now call demons, followed Satan in rebellion against God. Others have been reserved in darkness until the judgment day.
    (Matt 25:41; Jude 6; Rev 12:3-4, 7-9)

  4. We believe mankind and angels are distinct and different creations of God. While angels sometimes have appeared in human form, people who die remain human and do not ever become angels.
    (Gen 1:26-27; Job 38:4-7; Gen 18:2,22; 19:1; 1 Cor 6:3; Luke 24:39; 1 John 3:2)

6. The Total Depravity of Man

  • We believe mankind was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam’s sin, the human race fell from our holy position, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God. Mankind is utterly unable to remedy our lost condition.
    (Gen 1:26-27; 2:17; 3:1-7; 6:5; Ps 14:1-3; 51:5; Jer 17:9; John 3:6; Rom 3:20-23; 5:12; Eph 2:1-3, 12; 1 John 3:8; 1 Cor 15:21-22; Gal 2:16)

7. Salvation

  • We believe salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on the cross at Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins.
    (Eph 2:8-10; John 1:12; Eph 1:7; 1 Pet 1:18-19)

8. The Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers

  1. We believe all the redeemed, once saved are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever.
    (John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Rom 8:1, 38-39; 1 Cor 1:4-8; 1 Pet 1:5)

  2. We believe it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word, which however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an excuse to do anything you want.
    (1 John 5:10,13; Rom 8:16; Gal 4:6; John 5:24; Rom 13:13-14; Gal 5:13; Titus 2:11-15)

9. The Two Natures of the Believer

  1. We believe every saved person possesses two natures, our old sinful nature inherited from Adam and a new spiritual nature received at salvation.
    (Gal 5:17; Eph 4:22-24; Rom 5:12; 2 Pet 1:4)

  2. We believe the Christian lives a holy life by depending on the Spirit rather than indulging the old nature. However, all claims to the removal of the sin nature in this life are unscriptural.
    (Rom 6:13; 7:18-24; 8:12-13; Gal 5:16-25; Col 3:10; 1 John 1:5-10)

10. Spiritual Life

  1. We believe our life as saved people should exalt the Lord Jesus Christ and encourage other believers. We do this by holy living through walking in the Spirit rather than living for sinful pleasures and practices.
    (1 John 2:15-17; 2 Cor 7:1; 2 Tim 3:1-4; Rom 14:13)

  2. We believe God commands separation from churches and organizations who reject the Word of God as their authority for life and doctrine, or who reject faith in Christ as the only way of salvation.
    (2 John 9-11; 2 Cor 6:14)

11. The Ministry and Spiritual Gifts

  1. We believe God is sovereign in the bestowment of all His gifts.
    (1 Cor 12:11)

  2. We believe the gifts of evangelists, pastors and teachers are sufficient for the maturing of the saints today building upon the past work of the apostles and prophets.
    (1 Cor 9:1-2; 2 Cor 12:12; Eph 4:7-11)

  3. We believe speaking in tongues and the working of sign miracles gradually ceased as the New Testament was completed and became the established authority for faith and practice. Not every Christian spoke in tongues. The Bible teaches that tongues were languages, not gibberish, and that even the unsaved could understand them. Sign gifts were to authenticate the Apostle’s message about Christ. Now that the New Testament is complete and the Apostles have all died, that is our authority, not prophets or people who have visions or dreams, or those who speak in tongues.
    (1 Cor 12:30; Acts 2:4-13)

  4. We believe God does hear and answer the prayer of faith, in accord with His own will, for the sick and afflicted.
    (John 15:7; 1 John 5:14-15; Jam 5:14-16)

12. Missions

  • We believe it is the obligation of the saved to witness by life and by work to the truths of Holy Scripture and to seek to proclaim the Gospel to all peoples establishing local churches among them to carry on the work of discipleship.
    (Acts 11:19-21; Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8; 2 Cor 5:19-20; Matt 28:19-20)

13. The Church

  1. Universal Church
    We believe the church began on the day of Pentecost. It could not have existed until Christ died to redeem the church by His blood and the Holy Spirit came to baptize believers into Christ’s spiritual body, the church.
    (Matt 16:18; Acts 2:41; Eph 5:25-27; Acts 2:1-4; 1 Cor 12:12-14)

  2. Local Church
    We believe the New Testament teaches the establishment and continuance of local, self-governing churches.
    (Acts 14:27; 20:17; 1 Tim 3:1-13; Titus 1:4-11)

14. Ordinances

  • We believe Jesus commanded His church to observe two ordinances: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We do not believe these are sacraments which must be observed for a person to be saved.
    (Matt 28:19-20; 1 Cor 11:23-26)

15. The Eternal State

  1. We believe in the bodily resurrection of all mankind. The saved will be raised to life and the unsaved to condemnation.
    (John 5:28-29; Matt 25:46; Dan 12:2)

  2. We believe the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await resurrection, when their souls and glorified bodies are reunited to be with the Lord forever.
    (John 11:25-26; Luke 23:43; Rev 20:4-6; 2 Cor 5:8; Phil 1:23; 3:21; 1 Thess 4:16-17)

  3. We believe the souls of unbelievers remain after death, in conscious misery. When the unsaved souls and bodies are reunited, they will appear at the Great White Throne to be judged according to their works. All whose names are not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life will be condemned and cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment.
    (Luke 16:19-26; Rev 20:11-15; Matt 25:41-46; 2 Thess 1:7-9; Mark 9:43-48)