STATEMENT OF FAITH 

God

God is a Spirit who has revealed himself as a Trinity in unity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit-three Persons and yet one God. He is the Maker and Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth, inexpressibly glorious in holiness and worthy of all possible honor, confidence and love. (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Exodus 20:2; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Revelation 4:11 )

Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God, which is to say, He is Himself very God; He took upon Himself our nature, being conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, is fully God and fully man possessing both deity and humanity united in one person, without division of the person or confusion of the two natures. He died upon the cross as a substitutionary sacrifice for the sin of the world. An individual receives the benefit of Christ’s substitutionary death by faith as the result of responding to the message of the gospel. Salvation is the free gift of God’s grace through faith alone, in Christ alone, therefore not dependent upon church membership, intermediaries, sacraments or works of righteousness to attain or sustain it. He arose from the dead in the body in which He was crucified; He ascended into heaven in that body glorified, where He is now our interceding High Priest; He will come again personally and visibly to set up his Kingdom and to judge the quick and the dead. This refers to the premillennial return of Christ at which time He will set up His millennial reign, during which time He will fulfill His promises to Israel. (Colossians 1:5; Philippians 2:5-8; Matthew 1:18-25; 1 Peter 2:24-25; Luke 24; Hebrews 4:14-16; Matthew 25: 31-46; Revelation 11:15-17; 20:4-6, 11-15)

Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is a divine person, equal with God the Father and God the Son and of the same nature; He was active in the creation; In His relation to the unbelieving world He restrains the evil one until God’s purpose is fulfilled. He convicts of sin, of righteousness and of judgment; He bears witness to the truth of the gospel in preaching and testimony; He is the agent in the new birth; He seals, bestows gifts, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies and helps the believer. (Genesis 1:1-3; Matthew 28:19; John 14:16, 17, 26; 16:8-11; Hebrews 9:14)

The Bible

The Bible, including both the Old and the new Testaments, is a divine revelation, the original autographs of which were verbally inspired by the Holy Spirit. The Bible is without error in all it affirms in the original autographs and is the only authoritative guide for faith and practice and as such must not be supplanted by any other fields of human learning. (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21)

Man

Man was created by God. This affirms that the first human beings were a special and unique creation by God as contrasted to being derived from any pre-existing life forms. Further, God created everything “after its kind”, which excludes any position that allows for any evolutionary process between kinds. We believe the Genesis account of creation as being neither allegory nor myth but a literal, historical account of the direct, immediate, creative acts of God over six literal days. Man was created in the image of God but chose to sin, and, in that sense, is lost; this is true of all men, and except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God; salvation is by grace through faith in Christ who His own self bore our sins in His own body on the tree; the retribution of the wicked and unbelieving and the rewards of the righteous are everlasting, and as the reward is conscious, so is the retribution. This statement excludes any position which asserts a temporary or complete cessation of consciousness, or merging with eternal oneness, or annihilation of the damned, or a “second chance” or a period of suffering or purification in preparation for entrance into the presence of God. (Genesis 1-2; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16,17; Romans 3:10, 23; John 3:3; Acts 2:38-39)

Church

The Church of Jesus Christ is a people distinct in God’s redemptive plan, composed of all who have saving faith in Christ’s death and resurrection—from Pentecost until His return. This universal Body, made up of believers from every tribe, tongue, and nation, is united by the Holy Spirit and called to proclaim the gospel to all nations.

Christ will return to receive His Church before establishing His Kingdom, though faithful believers may differ in their understanding of the timing of these events. During the future period of tribulation, God will bring salvation to Israel and the nations and judge unbelief. (Acts 2:41; 15:13-17; Eph. 1:3–6; 1 Cor. 12:12–13; Matt. 28:19–20; Acts 1:6–8; 1 Thess. 4:16–18)

The Church is expressed locally through congregations of baptized believers in covenant fellowship. These local churches observe two ordinances: baptism by immersion, symbolizing union with Christ’s death and resurrection (Rom. 6:3–6), and the Lord’s Supper, a remembrance of Christ’s death to be observed with reverence and self-examination. The elements are symbolic and do not convey grace. (Matt. 28:19–20; 1 Cor. 11:23–28; Col. 2:12)

Each church is led by Pastors and Deacons, whose roles and qualifications are defined in Scripture. (1 Tim. 3:1–7; Acts 2:41–42)