THE GODHEAD
We believe there is only one true and living God, who is an infinitely intelligent spirit, inexpressibly glorious in holiness, eternal, and omnipotent, worthy of all honor and commanding our love and confidence. We further believe that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; that they are equal in every divine perfection; and that they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption. (John 4:24; Psalms 83:18; Exodus 15:11; Revelation 4:11; Matthew 28:19, I Corinthians 12:4-6)
THE SON
We believe in the deity of Jesus Christ; that by Him all things were made; that He was virgin born; that He died an atoning death; that He arose in physical resurrection; that He ascended to God’s right hand at which place He is our great High Priest; we believe in His visible, bodily pre-tribulation and pre-millennial return in the air to receive His own unto Himself in resurrection and rapture; and that He is to return to earth to establish God’s Kingdom among men. (Hebrews 1:3; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 19:11-20; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Colossians 1:19-20; Matthew 28:6-7; Luke 24:29; I John 2:1)
THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe the Holy Spirit is a divine person, co-eternal with the Father and Son; that He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment; that He regenerates all who believe in Christ; and that He baptizes, seals, fills, teaches, and sanctifies the believer. (Matthew 28:19; John 16:8-11; John 3:5-6; I Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1:13-14; Ephesians 5:18; John 15:26-27)
We believe that the baptism by the Holy Spirit is an integral part of every believer’s salvation and not a post-salvation experience. It takes place at the moment of saving faith and brings us into union with all other believers in the body of Christ. (I Corinthians 12:12-13)
We believe that the Scriptures are a closed system of truth; complete, sufficient, not to be added to, and contain all the written truth God intended to reveal (II Timothy 3:16-17; Jude 3). We believe that the Holy Spirit leads us into God’s truth as revealed in Scripture and that since the book of Revelation was completed, no written or verbal prophecy has been given as divine truth from God (Revelation 22:18-19).
We believe that spiritual gifts are divinely given according to God the Holy Spirit’s sovereign plan. We are not to seek certain gifts; we are to discern and develop the ones given to us (I Corinthians 12:1-11). We believe that the gifts of tongues speaking, miracles, and healing ended with the apostles (This is not to deny that God still does miracles and healings today, in accordance with His will and purpose.). These were special sign gifts given to verify the authenticity of the apostles’ message and as a sign to unbelieving Israel that the church, Jews and Gentiles together in the body of Christ, was God’s plan. (Acts 14:3; I Corinthians 12-14; II Corinthians 12:12; Hebrews 2:3-4)
SATAN
We believe Satan was once one of God’s highest created beings; that through pride and selfish ambition he fell; that he is now the malignant “prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2, ESV) and the unholy god of this world; that he is the implacable enemy of God and His Christ, and the accuser of the brethren; that he is the author of all false religions; that he is destined to final defeat at the hands of Jesus Christ; and that he shall be cast into the lake of fire forever and ever. (Ezekiel 28:14-17; Isaiah 14:12-15; Ephesians 2:2; II Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 12:10, II Corinthians 11:13-15; II Thessalonians 2:8-11; Revelation 20:10)
THE BIBLE
We believe the Bible, consisting of sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, is the inspired Word of God written “but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter1:21, ESV); that it is without any admixture of error; that it is the only complete and final revelation of God’s will; and that by it alone human conduct, creeds, and opinions shall be determined. (II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:19-21; John 17:17; I Peter 1:23)
MAN
We believe that man was created by an immediate act of God and not by a process of evolution; that he was created in the image and likeness of God, possessing personality and holiness; that he was endowed with power of rational and responsible choice in view of moral ends; and that the purpose of his creation was to glorify God. (Genesis 1:27; Colossians 3:10; Acts 17:24-28)
We believe that as a result of Adam’s sin (Genesis 3), all men are born sinners by nature and thus commit deeds of sin; that God has provided a salvation which is wholly of grace through the substitutionary work of Christ on the cross; that human merit can in no wise assist in procuring forgiveness of sins; that one who believes in Christ is justified from all sin; and that all such are saved with an eternal salvation. (Roman 5:12; Romans 3:23-26; Ephesians 2:8-9; Acts 13:30; John 10:28-29)
We believe in a heaven of eternal bliss for the saved and a hell of suffering for the lost. (John 14:1-3; Revelation 21:3-4; Revelation 20:11-15)
THE CHURCH
We believe the church invisible and universal is an organism composed of all those who are called out of the world, having been redeemed by the Lord Jesus Christ. (I Peter 2:10-; Ephesians 1:22-23; 4:15-16)
We believe that the church local and visible is an organization made up of a company of professed and baptized believers in Christ voluntarily joined together for the purpose of the administration and propagation of her commission. (Acts 2:46-47; 20:7; I Corinthians 16:2)
We believe that the church has been given one COMMISSION and that is to be World Evangelization. That her activities in social and spiritual realms should be with this objective in view. (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8)
ORDINANCES
Baptism: We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion in water of a believer to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem our union by faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior; with its effect, our death to sin and a resurrection to a new life. (Acts 8:36-38; Matthew 28:19; Romans 6:4-6)
The Lord’s Supper: We believe that the Lord’s Supper is a memorial service and is the setting forth in a sacred and symbolic manner the death of the Lord Jesus Christ on our behalf. The emblems of the communion service are not literally the body and blood of Christ nor do they contain His flesh and His blood. The service is for believers only, and to partake has value as it is mingled with faith and repentance upon the heart of the communicant. (I Corinthians 11:23-30; Matthew 26:26-29)
We believe that Christian ordinances are outward rites appointed by Christ to be administered in each church, not as a mean of salvation, but as visible signs of the facts and realities of salvation.
The Church Board with the assistance of the Deacons shall administer the ordinances.
CIVIL GOVERNMENT
We believe that civil government is of divine appointment for the interests and good order of human society; that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored, and obeyed; except in things opposed to the will of God. (Roman 13:1-7; I Peter 2:13-14; Daniel 3:17-18; Acts 5:29)