Statement Of Faith

The Holy Scriptures

We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the verbally inspired Word of God, the final authority for faith and life, inerrant in the original writings, infallible and God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:20-21, Matt. 5:18, John 16:12-13).

The Godhead

The Person and Work of Christ

Virgin Birth – We believe that 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 the virgin Mary, in order that he might reveal God and redeem sinful men (John 1:1-2, 14, Luke 1:35)
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished 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 (Rom 3:24-25, 1 Peter 2:24, Eph 1:17, 1 Peter 1:3-5)
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to heaven, and is now exalted at the right band of God, where, as our High Priest, he fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate (Acts 1:9-10, Heb 9:24, 7:25, Rom 8:34, 1 John 2:1-2).

The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgement; and, that he is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption (John 16:8-1l, 2 Cor 3:6, 1 Cor 12:12-14, Rom 8-9, Eph 1:13-14.).
We believe that he is the Divine Teacher who guides believers into all truths; and, that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to he filled with the Spirit (John 16:13, 1 John 2:20, Eph 5:18).

The Total Depravity of Man

We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam’s sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God; and, that man is totally depraved, and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition (Gen 1:26-27, Rom 3:22-23, Eph 2:1-3,12).

Salvation

We believe that 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 Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins (Eph 2:8-10, John 1:12, Eph 1:7, 1 Peter 1:18-19).

The Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers

We believe that 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 occasion to the flesh (Rom 13:13-14, Gal 5:13, Titus 2:11-15).
We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, ore 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 Peter 1:5).

Separation

We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord; and, that separation from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices, and associations is commanded by God (2 Tim 3:1-5, Rom 12:1-2, 14:13, 1 John 2:15-17, 2 John 9-11, 2 Cor 6:14-7:1).

Missions

We believe that it is the obligation of the saved to witness by life and by word to the truths of the Holy Scriptures and to seek to proclaim the gospel to all mankind (Mark 16:15, Acts 1:8, 2 Cor 5:19-20).

The Ministry and Spiritual Gifts

We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowment of all his gifts; and, that the gifts of evangelists, pastors, and teachers, are sufficient for the perfecting of the saints today; and, that speaking in tongues and the working of sign miracles gradually ceased as the New Testament Scriptures were completed and their authority became established. (I Cor 12:4-11, 2 Cor 12:12, Eph 4:7-12).
We believe that 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).

The Church

We believe that the Church, which is the body and espoused bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born-again persons of this present age (Eph 1:22-23, 5:25-27, 1 Cor 12:12-14, 2 Cor 11:2).
We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures (Acts 14:27, 20:17, 28-32, 1 Tim 3:1-13, Titus 1:5-11)
We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any external authority or control (Acts 13:1-4, 15:19-31, 20:28, Rom 16:1,4, 1 Cor 3:9, 16, 5:4-7, 13,1 Peter 5: 1-4).
We recognize the two ordinances as a scriptural means of testimony for the church in this age:
1. Water Baptism – We believe that baptism by immersion identifies the believer with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ (Matt 28:19-20, Rom 6:4.)
2. Lord’s Supper – . We believe that the Lord’s Supper was instituted by our Lord as a means for the church to commemorate his death until he comes (1 Cor 11:23-26, Matt 26:26-29).

Dispensationalism

We believe that the Scriptures interpreted in their natural, literal sense reveal divinely determined dispensations or rules of life which define mans responsibilities in successive ages. These dispensations are not ways of savation, but rather divinely ordered stewardships by which God directs man according to his purpose. (Each of the dispensations are seen in the scriptures, for example: the dispensation of Law – John 1:17; the dispensation of the church – Heb 7:9; the dispensation of the millennium – Rev. 20:2-6).

The Personality of Satan

We believe that Satan is a person, the author of sin; that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man; and that he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire (Job l:6-7; Isa. 14:12-17; Matt. 4:2-11; 25:41; Rev. 20:10).

The Second Advent of Christ

We believe in that “Blessed Hope,” the personal, imminent, pre-tribulational and pre-millennial coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for his redeemed ones; and in his subsequent return to earth, with his saints, to establish his millennial kingdom (1 Thess. 4:13-18; Zech. 14:4-11; Rev. 19:11-16; 20:1-6; 1 Thess. 1:10; 5:9; Rev 3:10).

The Eternal State

We believe in the resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life and to appear before the Judgement Seat of Christ for judgment of their works done in the body, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment (Mat. 25:46; 2 Cor. 5:10; John 5:28-29; 11:25-26; Rev. 20:5-6 12-13)
We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they wait the first resurrection, when the spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord (Luke 23:43; Rev. 20:4-6; 2 Cor. 5:8; Phi1 1:23; 1 Thess. 4:16-17)
We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious misery until the second resurrection, when the spirit, soul, and body are reunited and appear at the Great White Throne Judgement, and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment (Luke 18:19-26; Matt. 25:41-16; 2 Thess. 1:7-9; Jude; Mark 9:43-48; Rev. 20:11-15)

Positions on Issues

Bible believing, rather than liberal.
Independent, rather than denominationally controlled in church government.
Fundamental, rather than New Evangelical, which has emphasis upon the social application of the gospel, and has weak or unclear doctrines of the inspiration of the Scriptures, and salvation as well as other fundamental doctrines.
Local-church-centered, rather than ecumenical, as advocated by the World Council of Churches and the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.
Pre-tribulational, rather than post-tribulational or mid-tribulational; pre-millenial, rather than post-millennial or amillennial.
Creationist, rather than evolutionist or theistic evolutionist in regard to The Beginning.