Our Church is an evangelical, Christian church which stands firmly on a rich heritage of many excellent historical confessions. Our statement here is not intended to be an exhaustive teaching tool for those seeking to know Christian doctrine in its fullest detail. It is a simple expression of our faith.
The Bible
We believe the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, to be the inspired Word of God, without error in the original writings, the infallible and complete revelation of His will, and the final authority for life and faith for all men.
Exodus 24:4; Deuteronomy 4:1-2; 17:19; Joshua 8:34; Psalm 19:7-10; 119:11,89,105,140; Isaiah 34:16; 40:8; Jeremiah 15:16; 36:1-32; Matthew 5:17-18; 22:29; Luke 21:33; 24:44-46; John 5:39; 16:13-15; 17:17; Acts 2:16ff.; 17:11; Romans 15:4; 16:25-26; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 1:1-2; 4:12; 1 Peter 1:25; 2 Peter 1:19-21.
God
We believe in one God, Creator of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is spirit, eternal, omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient, immutable, sovereign, holy, just, righteous, faithful, merciful, loving, good, and actively at work in the world and lives of men today.
Genesis 1:1; 2:7; Exodus 3:14; 6:2-3; 15:11ff.; 20:1ff.; Leviticus 22:2; Deuteronomy 6:4; 32:6; 1 Chronicles 29:10; Psalm 19:1-3; Isaiah 43:3,15; 64:8; Jeremiah 10:10; 17:13; Matthew 6:9ff.; 7:11; 23:9; 28:19; Mark 1:9-11; John 4:24; 5:26; 14:6-13; 17:1-8; Acts 1:7; Romans 8:14-15; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 4:6; Colossians 1:15; 1 Timothy 1:17; Hebrews 11:6; 12:9; 1 Peter 1:17; 1 John 5:7.
God the Father:
God the Father is the first Person of the Trinity who orders all things according to His purposes. He is the Heavenly Father who proclaimed Christ His "beloved Son", and to whom Christ prayed while here on this earth. His glory is so exceedingly bright that mortal man cannot look upon His face, but His heart was so filled with love and mercy for His children that He freely gave His only begotten Son to redeem and reconcile them unto Himself.
Exodus 33:20; Isaiah 44:8; John 3:16; John 1:1-3; Matthew 1:23; Isaiah 43:11.
Jesus Christ
We believe that Jesus Christ is God the Son, eternally existing, who lived on earth as a real individual in history. He is true God and true man. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. He was tempted in every way, but yet was without sin. He died on the cross for the sins of all mankind. He rose bodily from the grave on the third day, ascended into heaven, where at the right hand of God the Father, He is now our High Priest, and Advocate. He is the One Mediator between God and man and the head of the church universal and this local body.
Genesis 18:1ff.; Psalm 2:7ff.; 110:1ff.; Isaiah 7:14; 53; Matthew 1:18-23; 3:17; 8:29; 11:27; 14:33; 16:16,27; 17:5; 27; 28:1-6,19; Mark 1:1; 3:11; Luke 1:35; 4:41; 22:70; 24:46; John 1:1-18,29; 10:30,38; 11:25-27; 12:44-50; 14:7-11; 16:15-16,28; 17:1-5, 21-22; 20:1-20,28; Acts 1:9; 2:22-24; 7:55-56; 9:4-5,20; Romans 1:3-4; 3:23-26; 5:6-21; 8:1-3,34; 10:4; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2:2; 8:6; 15:1-8,24-28; 2 Corinthians 5:19-21; 8:9; Galatians 4:4-5; Ephesians 1:20; 3:11; 4:7-10; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:13-22; 2:9; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; 3:16; Titus 2:13-14; Hebrews 1:1-3; 4:14-15; 7:14-28; 9:12-15,24-28; 12:2; 13:8; 1 Peter 2:21-25; 3:22; 1 John 1:7-9; 3:2; 4:14-15; 5:9; 2 John 7-9; Revelation 1:13-16; 5:9-14; 12:10-11; 13:8; 19:16.
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, fully divine. He inspired holy men of old to write the Scriptures. He enables men to understand truth. He exalts Christ. He convicts men of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He calls men to the Savior, and regenerates the believer. At the moment of regeneration He baptizes every believer into the Body of Christ. He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts by which they serve God through His church. He seals the believer unto the day of final redemption. He empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service.
Genesis 1:2; Judges 14:6; Job 26:13; Psalm 51:11; 139:7ff.; Isaiah 61:1-3; Joel 2:28-32; Matthew 1:18; 3:16; 4:1; 12:28-32; 28:19; Mark 1:10,12; Luke 1:35; 4:1,18-19; 11:13; 12:12; 24:49; John 4:24; 14:16-17,26; 15:26; 16:7-14; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4,38; 4:31; 5:3; 6:3; 7:55; 8:17,39; 10:44; 13:2; 15:28; 16:6; 19:1-6; Romans 8:9-11,14-16,26-27; 1 Corinthians 2:10-14; 3:16; 12:3-11,13; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30; 5:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:19; 1 Timothy 3:16; 4:1; 2 Timothy 1:14; 3:16; Hebrews 9:8,14; 2 Peter 1:21; 1 John 4:13; 5:6-7; Revelation 1:10; 22:17.
Man
Man is the special creation of God, made in His own image. He created them male and female as the crowning work of His creation. The gift of gender is thus part of the goodness of God's creation. In the beginning man was innocent of sin and was endowed by his Creator with freedom of choice. By his free choice man sinned against God and brought sin into the human race. Through the temptation of Satan man transgressed the command of God, and fell from his original innocence whereby his posterity inherited a nature and an environment inclined toward sin. Therefore, as soon as they are capable of moral action, they become transgressors and are under condemnation. Only the grace of God can bring man into His holy fellowship and enable man to fulfill the creative purpose of God. The sacredness of human personality is evident in that God created man in His own image, and in that Christ died for man; therefore, every person possesses full dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love.
Genesis 1:26-30; 2:5,7,18-22; 3; 9:6; Psalm 1; 8:3-6; 32:1-5; 51:5; Isaiah 6:5; Jeremiah 17:5; Matthew 16:26; Acts 17:26-31; Romans 1:19-32; 3:10-18,23; 5:6,12,19; 6:6; 7:14-25; 8:14-18,29; 1 Corinthians 1:21-31; 15:19,21-22; Ephesians 2:1-22; Colossians 1:21-22; 3:9-11.
Sin
Sin, which originated with Satan, entered into the human race through Adam. The penalty of sin is physical and spiritual death. Every man who has ever lived, except Jesus Christ, has personally committed sin. There are several types of sin including: a transgression or violation of God's law; iniquity, that is an act which is inherently evil; failing to do what is right; missing the mark; acting in accordance with self will rather than the will of God; rebellion against God; unbelief or a denial of the truth of God. The only cure for sin is salvation through Jesus Christ.
Romans 3:23; Romans 5:12; Titus 1:15; Genesis 6:5; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3:10-19.
Salvation
Salvation from the penalty and power of sin is obtainable exclusively though Jesus Christ, who gave Himself a ransom for all and desires all men to be saved. Salvation is bound up in the Gospel (Good News) of Jesus Christ, that is His death, burial, and resurrection, which paid the penalty for our sins. The shed blood of Jesus Christ was necessary for the forgiveness of our sin. Salvation is a free gift of God and can never be earned by any amount of good works. Man is saved by faith in Jesus Christ which includes repentance of his sin and acceptance of the work of Christ on the cross for forgiveness of sin. Saving faith must include an understanding of who Jesus is and what He has done for us, belief of these facts, and trust in the Person and work of Christ.
Genesis 3:15; Exodus 3:14-17; 6:2-8; Matthew 1:21; 4:17; 16:21-26; 27:22-28:6; Luke 1:68-69; 2:28-32; John 1:11-14,29; 3:3-21,36; 5:24; 10:9,28-29; 15:1-16; 17:17; Acts 2:21; 4:12; 15:11; 16:30-31; 17:30-31; 20:32; Romans 1:16-18; 2:4; 3:23-25; 4:3ff.; 5:8-10; 6:1-23; 8:1-18,29-39; 10:9-10,13; 13:11-14; 1 Corinthians 1:18,30; 6:19-20; 15:10; 2 Corinthians 5:17-20; Galatians 2:20; 3:13; 5:22-25; 6:15; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-22; 4:11-16; Philippians 2:12-13; Colossians 1:9-22; 3:1ff.; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; I Timothy 2:4,6; 2 Timothy 1:12; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 2:1-3; 5:8-9; 6:4-6; 9:24-28; 11:1-12:8,14; James 2:14-26; 1 Peter 1:2-23; 1 John 1:6-2:11; 5:16; Revelation 3:20; 21:1-22:5.
Divine Healing
We believe in the biblical doctrine of divine healing and urge believers to seek and to offer the prayer of faith for the healing of the sick. We encourage members to “call for the elders of the church” as taught in James 5:13-16 so they may anoint and pray for those who are sick.
Matthew 8:17; 9:5; Mark 16:17,18; Acts 4:29,30; James 5:14-16.
The Gifts and Fruit of the Holy Spirit
We believe that, according to I Corinthians chapters 12–14, the Holy Spirit bestows gifts upon the believing church. We believe all these gifts are still bestowed today as they were in the days of the early church. All gifts are to be used “decently and in order” as prescribed in I Corinthians 12-14 and other biblical passages and should be used for the edification of the body of Christ. All words and deeds which are true expressions of the Holy Spirit will be in agreement with the doctrines and practice of the perfect, infallible Word of God which is revealed only in the Bible. The Holy Spirit also bestows the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance, which should be put forth, cultivated, and diligently guarded as the resultant adornment, the constant, eloquent, and irrefutable evidence of a Spirit-filled life.
1 Corinthians 12:1, 12:11, 12:31; 14:12; Romans 11:29; 12:6-8; John 15:8; Luke 3:9; Galatians 5:22,23.
Ordinances
We believe that the church is to observe two ordinances: believer's baptism and the Lord's Supper. There is no redemptive power in either of these ordinances but we observe baptism and communion as signs of identification with and obedience to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We believe in baptism by immersion after a person has experienced personal saving faith in Jesus Christ.
Family
Of the three human institutions ordained by God, the church, the family, and human government, the family was God's first and most fundamental institution. Beginning with the first family, God gives families the ability and responsibility to bear and raise children. God's pattern for families is for a man and wife to be united in a monogamous marriage for life to raise such children as the Lord gives. Husbands are to love their wives, express gentleness to them and give them honor. Wives are to love their husbands and to be submissive, which we do not understand to mean subservient, to their husbands. Children are to obey and honor their parents. Fathers are not to embitter their children. Parents, particularly fathers, are commanded by Scripture to bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
The Nobility of Motherhood
Motherhood is a high and honorable calling. While not every woman is called to be a wife and mother, those who are have an incredible responsibility; a noble calling.
Psalm 113:9; 127:3; 128:3; Proverbs 31:27-31; Titus 2:3-5.
The Mandate of Fatherhood
Fatherhood is God’s high calling to spiritually disciple, train, and provide for all those who are in his family.
Deuteronomy 6:6-8; Proverbs 22:6; I Timothy 5:8; Ephesians 6:4.
The Blessing of Children
We believe that children are a blessing from the Lord. God has called us to be fruitful and multiply. We reject our culture’s view of children as financial burdens that should be received sparingly. Instead, we rejoice with those who receive children in abundance, and mourn with those whose prayerful plea for the blessing of children has gone unanswered.
Psalm 127:3-5; 128; Genesis 1:28; Proverbs 17:6; Job 42:12-16.
Family Discipleship
While the church is called to make disciples, it is clear that God has given the family as the primary discipling agent. Children are entrusted to parents for their spiritual nurture.
Genesis 12:8; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Psalm 78:5-8; 113:3; Ephesians 6:1-4; II Timothy 3:14-15.
The Church
Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church universal and this local body. The church universal is the body of true believers throughout the earth. No single human organization comprises the church universal. This is a local church and is not subject to any higher human authority, but we remain the willing bondsmen and servants of Jesus Christ. A local church is to be governed by elders meeting biblical qualifications, who are to be accountable to the body of believers as they are also accountable to Jesus Christ.
I Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9.
Evangelism and Missions
It is the duty and privilege of every follower of Christ and of every church of the Lord Jesus Christ to endeavor to make disciples of all nations. The new birth of man's spirit by God's Holy Spirit means the birth of love for others. Missionary effort on the part of all rests thus upon a spiritual necessity of the regenerate life, and is expressly and repeatedly commanded in the teachings of Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ has commanded the preaching of the gospel to all nations. It is the duty of every child of God to seek constantly to win the lost to Christ by verbal witness undergirded by a Christian lifestyle in harmony with the gospel of Christ.
Genesis 12:1-3; Exodus 19:5-6; Isaiah 6:1-8; Matthew 9:37-38; 10:5-15; 13:18-30, 37-43; 16:19; 22:9-10; 24:14; 28:18-20; Luke 10:1-18; 24:46-53; John 14:11-12; 15:7-8,16; 17:15; 20:21; Acts 1:8; 2; 8:26-40; 10:42-48; 13:2-3; Romans 10:13-15; Ephesians 3:1-11; 1 Thessalonians 1:8; 2 Timothy 4:5; Hebrews 2:1-3; 11:39-12:2; 1 Peter 2:4-10; Revelation 22:17.
Human Government
Human government is ordained by God. Human government's purpose is to bear the sword against evil, to punish the doer of evil and to reward the doer of good. We do not believe that it is the purpose of human government to coerce men to express faith in God. We do believe that it is God's will, however, that human government should operate in accordance with God's principles and moral absolutes. The church is not to control human government, but to act as an encouragement to human government to establish laws which uphold righteous standards and execute the laws with justice. We believe that one of the highest purposes of human government is the protection of human life from conception until natural death. Human government should punish those who exploit the poor, widows, and orphans. Human government should allow and protect the freedom to worship God and to carry one's faith into action including the training of one's children and public expressions of one's faith. Human government should not attempt to take the place of God by acting as a sovereign or savior. Neither should human government take the place of the church or the family in the roles designated by God. Christians should pray for our rulers, honor them, and obey them, except where to do so would cause us to sin against God. Christians have the duty, as the salt of the earth, to oppose moral corruption and to rebuke evil wherever it occurs, including within human government.