Scripture
We believe that the Bible, the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, was spoken by God through human authors and is without error in the original manuscripts. All Scripture is a testimony to Christ, and is the supreme authority in all matters on which it speaks.
(2 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 1:1-2; 2 Peter 1:20-21)
God
We believe that there is one, and only one, living and true God: an infinite, intelligent Spirit, the Creator and Ruler of heaven and earth. He is inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy of all honor, confidence, and love. He eternally exists in three persons, who are equal in every divine perfection, and who execute distinct but harmonious roles in the work of creation, providence and redemption.
(Psalm 90:1-2; Matthew 28:19)
God the Father
We believe in God the Father, an infinite, personal spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. He infallibly determines all that comes to pass and concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of mankind. He hears and answers prayer and saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.
(1 Peter 1:3; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Colossians 1:12-14)
God the Son
We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s one and only Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of a virgin, thus fully God and fully man. We believe in His sinless life; substitutionary and atoning death; bodily resurrection; ascension into heaven; perpetual intercession for His people; and future, personal, visible return to earth.
(John 1:1; Colossians 1:15-20; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4)
God the Holy Spirit
We believe in the Holy Spirit, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. He convicts the world of its sin, of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. He regenerates, sanctifies, and empowers all who believe in Jesus Christ. We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells, helps, teaches, and guides every believer.
(John 15:26; 16:8,13-14; Galatians 5:22-26; Titus 3:5)
Humanity
We believe humanity is the special creation of God, made in His image, the crowning work of His creation. In the beginning, mankind was innocent of sin and was endowed by his Creator with freedom of choice. Adam sinned against God and brought sin into the human race, causing all people to be born with a sinful nature (or disposition). Only the grace of God can bring people into fellowship with Him and enable them to fulfill the purpose of God.
(Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 5:12; 2 Corinthians 5:17)
Salvation
We believe the Gospel: that salvation is wholly of God by grace, on the basis of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and not on the basis of human merit or works. Forgiveness and eternal life with God are granted to those who by grace turn from their sin and place their faith in Christ alone for salvation. However, eternal, conscious punishment and separation from God in the lake of fire are reserved for those who do not believe and instead reject the Gospel of Christ.
(Ephesians 2:8-9; John 3:36; Revelation 20:10-15)
Christian Living
We believe that a Christian should live for the glory of God and to serve others. Christians should aspire to be like Christ and to advance His kingdom through the faithful stewardship of their time, abilities, and possessions.
(1 Corinthians 10:31; Romans 12:1-3; Hebrews 12:1-2; John 14:15, 23-24; I John 2:3-6; 2 Corinthians 9:6-9; 1 Corinthians 4:2; Colossians 1:9-10)
Marriage / Sexuality
We believe that the term “marriage” has only one, legitimate meaning, and that is marriage sanctioned by God, which joins one man and one woman in a single, covenantal union, as delineated by Scripture. Marriage ceremonies performed in any facility owned, leased or rented by this church will be only those ceremonies sanctioned by God, joining one man with one woman as their genders were determined at birth. Whenever there is a conflict between the church’s position and any new legal standard for marriage, the church’s statement of faith, doctrines and biblical positions will govern.
We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of marriage as defined above. We believe that any other type of sexual activity, identity or expression that lies outside of this definition of marriage, including those that are becoming more accepted in the culture and the courts, are contradictory to God’s natural design and purpose for sexual activity.
(Genesis 2:24; Ephesians 5:22-23; Mark 10:6-9; I Corinthians 7:1-9; Genesis 19:5; Leviticus 18:1-30; Romans 1: 26-29; 1 Corinthians 5:1; 6:9-10; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8; Hebrews 13:4)
Family Relationships
We believe that men and women are spiritually equal in position before God but that God has ordained distinct and separate spiritual functions for men and women in the home and the church. The husband is to be the leader of the home, and men are to be the leaders (pastors and elders) of the church.
We believe that God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. The husband is to love his wife as Christ loves the church. The wife is to submit herself to the Scriptural leadership of her husband as the church submits to the headship of Christ. Children are a wonderful gift and heritage from the Lord. Parents are responsible for teaching their children spiritual and moral values through consistent lifestyle example and appropriate training and discipline.
(Galatians 3:28; Colossians 3:18; 1 Timothy 2:8-15; 3:4-5, 12; Genesis 1:26-28; Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Psalms 127:3-5; Proverbs 19:18; 22:15; 23:13-14; Mark. 10:6-12; 1 Corinthians 7:1-16; Ephesians 5:21-33; 6:1-4; Colossians 3:18-21; 1 Peter 3:1-7)
The Church
We believe in the universal church, a living spiritual body of which Christ is the head and all regenerated persons are members. We believe in the local church, consisting of a community of believers in Jesus Christ, who have been baptized as an expression of their faith, and are united for worship, work, and fellowship. God has commissioned the local church with the essential tasks of proclaiming the Gospel to all peoples and developing fully devoted followers of Christ.
(Ephesians 4:11-16; Hebrews 10:23-25; Matthew 28:18-20)
The Ordinances
We believe that the scriptural ordinances of the local church are baptism and the Lord’s Supper; that baptism, by immersion, should be administered to believers only, as an identifying symbol of their belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Baptism also symbolizes our death to sin and resurrection to a new walk in life. It is a prerequisite to local church membership. We believe that the Lord’s Supper is a commemoration of His death and should be preceded by salvation and solemn self-examination.
The Eternal State
We believe that God will raise the dead bodily and judge the world, assigning the unbeliever to condemnation and eternal conscious punishment and the believer to eternal blessedness and joy with the Lord in the new heaven and the new earth, to the praise of His glorious grace.