The Word of God. We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the inspired Word of God, without error in the original writings, complete as the revelation of God’s will for salvation and for Christian living and are the supreme and final authority in all matters to which they speak. (Jn. 10:35; Jn. 17:17; II Tim. 3:16-17; II Pet. 1:19-21)
The Godhead. We believe in one God, Creator and Sustainer of all things, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit; that these are equal in their divinity and that they execute distinct and harmonious functions. (Deut. 6:4; Ps. 90:1-2; Matt. 28:19; Jn. 1:1-4)
God the Father. We believe in God the Father, an infinite, personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men and women, hears and answers prayer, and saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ. (Jn. 3:16-17; Jn. 4:24; Eph. 2:4-5; Rev. 3:20)
God the Son. We believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, God the Son. We believe that He was preexistent and is eternal; that He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, and is fully God and fully man. We believe that His death on the cross was substitutionary on our behalf and the only payment for sin that meets the demands of divine justice. We believe that He arose bodily from the dead and ascended to the right hand of the Father, where he now carries on a ministry as advocate and intercessor for the saints. (Matt. 1:20; Lk 24:39; Jn. 1:1-14; Acts 1:11; Phil. 2:5-11; Col. 2:9; Heb. 4:14-16; 1 Jn. 1:7; 1 Cor. 15:17)
God the Holy Spirit. We believe in the deity and personality of God the Holy Spirit. We believe that the Holy Spirit was the agent in the revelation and inspiration of the Scriptures and is the One who bears witness to the Scriptures, assuring believers of the truthfulness of God’s written Word. We believe that it is the Holy Spirit who performs the work of salvation in the hearts of individual believers — baptizing them into the body of Christ, sealing, indwelling, filling and teaching them. He intercedes for believers. He also bestows spiritual gifts upon them, empowering them for the works of service. (Jn. 14:26; Jn. 16:7-8, 13-14; Rom. 8:14-17, 26; I Cor. 2:10-16; I Cor. 6; 1 Cor. 12:13; I Cor. 12:1-31; II Cor. 1:21-22; Eph. 1:13-14; Eph. 4:30; Eph. 5:18; Tit. 3:5-6; II Pet. 1:20-21; 1 Jn. 2:27)
Humanity. We believe God created human beings, male and female, in His own image and free from sin. Man chose to disobey God in the Garden of Eden and, as a result, all men are sinners and separated from God for all eternity. Being spiritually dead due to sin, man can only be made alive through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. (Gen. 1:26-27; Rom. 1:18-23; Rom. 3:23; Rom. 6:23; Rom. 5:12; Eph. 2:1-5)
Salvation. Salvation is a gift from God to man. Man can never make up for his sin by self-improvement, religious routines, or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God’s offer of forgiveness can man be saved from sin’s penalty. Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into his life by faith. We believe that the Holy Spirit comes to live in those who are “reborn” as God’s children. As Christians live in obedience to God, the Holy Spirit empowers them to continually overcome sin and become more like Christ. We believe that those who are truly born again will be protected by God’s power and steadfastly continue in their Christian life until the end. (Romans 6:23, Ephesians 2:8-9, John 14:6; 1:12, Titus 3:5, John 3:16; Galatians 5:16; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Thessalonians 3:13; 5:23-24)
The Church. The Church is the body of Christ of which Jesus is the Head. We believe the Church is universal and is made up of all who have trusted Christ across time. We also believe in the local church, which is an autonomous, geographically local congregation of baptized believers who gather for worship, spiritual growth, service, fellowship and observance of the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The local church operates under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and is governed by pastors/elders who are assisted by deacons. God has commissioned the local church to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all nations. (Matthew 16:16-19; 28:18-20; Acts 2:41-47; 20:28; Ephesians 1:22-23; 3:20-21; 4:11-13; Acts 2:41-42)
Baptism & The Lord Supper. The church is charged by Scripture to celebrate two ordinances: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. All who have received Christ as Savior should be baptized by immersion as a symbolic testimony to their participation in the death and resurrection of Christ. In the same way, believers should regularly participate in the Lord’s Supper as a symbolic remembrance of Christ’s death and as a testimony of our fellowship with Him and our unity as the body of Christ.
Last Things. We believe in the personal, visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth and the establishment of His kingdom. We believe in the bodily resurrection of the saved and unsaved, the final judgment, the eternal happiness of the righteous, and the endless suffering of the wicked. (Matt. 25:31-36; Jn. 5:28-29; Acts 1:11; II Cor. 5:10; I Thes. 4:16-18; Rev. 20:1-15)
Marriage. We believe that marriage is a picture of Christ’s relationship with the Church and that the relationship between husband and wife should reflect the covenant relationship of Christ and the Church. We believe the word “marriage” means only a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife, and the word “spouse” refers only to a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or wife. (Matthew 5; Colossians 3; Song of Solomon; Ephesians 5)
