I. THE SCRIPTURES

            We believe the Bible to be inspired by God and absolutely inerrant and infallible in the original writings and supernaturally preserved for us today. By the Bible we mean that collection of 66 books, from Genesis to Revelation (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21; Psalm 12:6-7; Psalm 19:7-11.)

 II. THE TRUE GOD

            We believe there is one and only one true and living God, an infinite, intelligent Spirit, the Maker and Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth, inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy of all possible honor, confidence, and love; that there is one triune God, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – each co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections. (Deut 6:4; Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14; John 14:10,26)

 III. THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

            We believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal existing Son of God, begotten by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He took upon Himself a human body and a human nature, yet without sin. We believe in His substitutionary death on the cross making atonement for the sins of the world, His bodily resurrection and ascension into Heaven where He intercedes for believers. (Luke 1:35; Romans 3:25; John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4)

IV. THE HOLY SPIRIT

            We believe in the deity and personality of the Holy Spirit; that He convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment; that He restrains Satan until God’s purpose is fulfilled; that He is the Agent of the new birth; and that He baptizes all believers at the time of conversion, placing them into the Body of Christ, which is the Church; indwelling and sanctifying them, sealing and securing them unto the day of redemption; that He endures with power, guides, teaches, and helps believers; that it is commanded to all the saved to be filled with the Spirit. (John 16:7-11; Romans 8; Ephesians 1:13-14; 5:18; 1 Corinthians 12:13; 2 Thessalonians 2:7,13)

V. SATAN

            We believe in the personality of Satan, that he is the unholy god of this age, the originator of sin, the ruler of the powers of darkness, has one goal, to steal God’s glory, and is destined for eternal justice in the Lake of Fire. (Matt. 4:1-3; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Isaiah 14:12-14; Rev 20:10)

VI. CREATION

            We believe in the Genesis account of creation, and that it is to be accepted literally, not allegorically or figuratively; that man was created directly in God’s own image and after His own likeness; that man’s creation was not a matter of evolution, or development through interminable periods of time from lower to higher forms; that all animal and vegetable life was created directly, and God’s established law was that they should bring forth only after their own kind. (Genesis 1:1, 24,26-27; 2:21-23; Exodus 20:11; Nehemiah 9:6; Jeremiah 10:12; John 1:3; Acts 4:24; 17:23-26; Romans 1:20; Col. 1:16-17; Hebrews 11:3; Revelation 10:6)

VII. THE FALL OF MAN

            We believe that man was created in the image of God; that he sinned and thereby incurred not only physical death, but also spiritual death which is separation from God. We believe that all human beings are born with a sinful nature and in the case of those who reach moral responsibility, become sinners in thought and deed by choice. (Romans 3:10-12; 5:10-19; Eph. 2:1-3)

VIII. SALVATION

            We believe that salvation is by grace through faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. We believe that He died for our sins as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice. All who by faith receive Him as their personal Savior are justified on the grounds of His shed blood and his resurrection from the dead and are born again by the Holy Spirit and kept eternally secure. The reality of this experience will be evidenced by a genuine love for Christ, His Word, and His people, and by a life characterized by Christ, His Word, and His people, and by a life characterized by Christ-like motives and standards. (John 3:16-18; 10:27-30; Romans 1:16-17; 3:24-26; 10:9; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Ephesians 2:8-10; Hebrews 9:11-15)

IX. THE CHURCH

            We believe that all true believers, upon trusting Christ as Savior are baptized by the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ which is the Church. We believe that theNew Testament Local Church is a body of born again, baptized believers banded together for edification, worship and to carry out the Great Commission. The two scriptural ordinances of the Church are Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We believe that participation in these two ordinances is an act of obedience to Christ. (Acts 2:41-47; Romans 12:4-5; I Corinthians 12:13; Colossians 1:18)

            We further believe that baptism is by bodily immersion in water, done in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Baptism is performed under the authority of the Local Church to show forth as an emblem of faith being buried in the likeness of His death and being raised in the likeness of His resurrection.

            We also believe that the Lord’s Supper commemorates the death of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the bread representing His body that was broken for us, and the fruit of the vine representing His blood that was shed for us. (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; 18:18; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26).

X. SANCTIFICATION

            We believe that sanctification is a three-fold work. God sets us apart at the moment of salvation and we are positionally seated with Christ in Heaven. Sanctification is also a progressive work in the life of the believer as he daily becomes conformed to the image of Christ. This will be brought to completion when all believers receive their glorified bodies. (Ephesians 2:6; Roman8:17; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4; 1 John 3:2)

XI. SEPARATION

            We believe that all believers are called to a life of separation from all worldly and sinful practices, and religious apostasy so as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord. (Romans 12:1-2; 14:13; 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; 1 John 2:15-17; 2 John 9-11; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

XII. LAST THINGS

            We believe in the pre-tribulational rapture of the Church. We believe in the pre-millennial return of Christ to the earth. We believe in the bodily resurrection of all the dead, the saved to eternal life and the unsaved to eternal conscious suffering in Hell. (John 5:28-29; Zech. 14:3-5; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

XIII. DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGE

          We believe marriage is ordained of God and is to be taken seriously. Although divorce has become common in our society, we hold the words of Jesus in Mark 10:9 “What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put asunder.” We believe that reconciliation is always the goal in marital problems. We acknowledge that divorce is not commanded by God, but is permitted. Divorce and remarriage is regarded as adultery except on the grounds of fornication, death of spouse, and desertion of an unsaved partner (Matt. 19:3-9; Romans 7:2,3; 1 Corinthians 7:10-15).

            We also take into consideration that sinful practices before salvation were done in ignorance and unbelief. (1 Timothy 1:12, 13; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

XIV. HUMAN SEXUALITY

            We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one’s gender by surgery or appearance. (Gen. 2:24; 19:5,13; 26:8-9; Lev. 18:1-30; Rom. 1:26-29; 1 Cor. 5:1; 6:9; 1 Thess. 4:1-8; Heb. 13:4)

            We believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one woman. (Gen 2:24; Rom. 7:2; 1 Cor 7:10; Eph. 5:22-23)     

XV. ABORTION

            We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the physical or mental well being of the mother are acceptable. (Job 3:16; Ps. 51:5; 139:14-16; Isa. 44:24; 49:1,5; Jer. 1:5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:44)

XVI. LAWSUITS BETWEEN BELIEVERS

            We believe that Christians are prohibited from bringing civil lawsuits against other Christians or the church to resolve personal disputes. We believe the church possesses all the resources necessary to resolve personal disputes between members. We do believe, however, that a Christian may seek compensation for injuries from another Christian’s insurance company as long as the claim is pursued without malice or slander. (1 Cor. 6:1-8; Eph. 4:31-32)