The Godhead
We believe in one God. In this divine and infinite Being there are three separate and distinct Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. All three are co-eternal in essence, co-identical in nature, and co-equal in power and glory. The Father was not brought into being by, nor did He originate from, any other being. The Son is eternally begotten of the Father. The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. All three are infinite, without beginning, and therefore only one God. God is not to be divided in nature and being, but distinguished by Their separate and distinct roles. This doctrine of the Trinity is the foundation of all our communion with God, and our comfortable dependence on Him.
(Exo 3:14; Deut 6:4; Matt 28:19; John 1:14,18; 14:10-11,26; 15:26; I Cor 8:6; II Cor 13:14; Gal 4:6; I John 5:7)
The Person and Work of Christ
1. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal and only begotten Son of God. He had no beginning, but became a man without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. As a man, He was in all points tempted as we are, yet He never sinned. He revealed the nature of God to men, and man can only know God through Jesus Christ.
(Isa 7:14; 9:6; Luke 1:35; John 1:1-2,14; II Cor 5:19-21; Gal 4:4-5; Phil 2:5-8; I Tim 2:5; Heb 4:15; I Pet 2:21-23)
2. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ completely accomplished our eternal redemption through His perfect and finished work on the cross. We believe His shed blood while on the cross has cleansed us from all sin. We believe that His death, burial, and resurrection is the only means by which all men can be saved.
(Acts 2:18-36; Rom 3:24-25; I Peter 2:24; Eph 1:7; I John 1:7; I Peter 1:3-5)
3. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven, and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate.
(Acts 1:9-10; Rom 8:34; Heb 7:25;9:24; I John 2:1-2)
The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit
1. We believe that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead 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 16:8-11; Rom 8:9; I Cor 12:12-14; II Cor 3:6; Eph 1:13-14)
2. We believe that He is the Divine Teacher who assists believers to understand and appropriate the Scriptures, and that it is the privelege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the Spirit.
(Eph 1:17-18; 5:18; I John 2:20,27)
3. We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowal of spiritual gifts to every believer. God uniquely uses evangelists, pastors, and teachers to equip believers in the assembly in order that they can do the work of the ministry.
(Rom 12:3-8; I Cor 12:4-11,28; Eph 4:7-12)
4. We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and the gift of healing, were temporary. We believe that speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit, and that ultimate deliverance of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection, though God at times chooses to answer the prayers of believers for physical healing according to His will.
(I Cor 1:22; 13:8;14:21-22)
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 human 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. Man does have the ability, however, to choose to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, or to continue on in a state of unbelief.
(Gen 1:26-27; John 3:16; Rom 3:22-23; 5:12; 6:23; 10:13; Eph 2:1-3; 4:17-19)
Salvation
1. We believe that salvation is the gift of God offered to man by the grace of God and that man receives salvation by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
(Eph 2:8-9)
1. We believe that salvation is not found in good works, religion, moral character, or by any other means except in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, Who died on the cross for all sin, Who shed His blood for the remission of sin, and Who arose from the grave in victory over sin and death.
(Isa 53:5-6; Acts 16:31; I Cor 15:1-4; II Cor 5:21; Tit 3:5; Heb 9:22-28)
1. We believe that salvation is a new birth, whereby a sinner becomes a new creature in Christ Jesus and alive unto God. The moment one receives Christ by repentance and faith, he is baptized by the Holy Spirit into Christ, is given everlasting life, and is made a child of God.
(John 1:12; 3:3-7; Rom 6:11; I Cor 12:13; II Cor 5:17; Gal 4:4-7)
The Eternal Security, Perseverence, and Assurance of Believers
1. We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God's power and are thus secure in Christ forever.
(John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Rom 8:1,38-39; I Cor 1:4-8; I Pet 1:4-5)
2. We believe that those whom God has accepted in Jesus Christ can neither totally nor finally fall from the state of grace, but they will certainly endure unto the end. These may, through various temptations, sin at times, yet this perseverence of the saints does not depend on them or their free will. It rests upon the immutability of the decree of election, which flows from the free and unchanging love of God the Father. It also rests on the efficacy of the merit and intercession of Jesus Christ, and upon the union which true saints have with Him. It rests upon the oath of God, and the abiding presence of His Holy Spirit.
(Rom 5:9-10; 8:30; 9:11-16; John 14:19; Heb 6:17-18; I John 2:19)
3. We believe that it is the privelege 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)
The Church
1. We believe the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures.
(Matt 16:16-19; Acts 14:21-23; Eph 1:22-23;2:20-22)
2. We believe that the local church body is a body of born-again, baptized (by immersion after salvation) believers in the Lord Jesus Christ who have agreed to follow the Lord as led by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God.
(Acts 2:41; I Cor 12:12-14; II Cor 11:2; Eph 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 5:25-27)
3. We believe that there are two ordinances of the local church, and they are Water Baptism and the administration of the Lord's Supper.
(Matt 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; I Cor 11:23-26)
4. We believe the local church is to be autonomous with Jesus Christ alone as the head and the Bible as it's guide. It shall use the congregational form of church government, and the final authority of the church is with the church itself.
(Acts 13:1-4; 15:19-31; 20:28; Rom 16:1,4: I Cor 3:9,16; 5:4-7,13; I Pet 5:1-4)
5. We believe there are only two biblically designated "offices" in the church, those being the office of pastor and the office of deacon. However, the church may appoint other officers to help in the work of the ministry.
(Phil 1:1; I Tim 3:1-13; Tit 1:5)
6. We believe that the church's Great Commission is to preach the gospel, baptize those who believe on Christ, and disciple the believers with the Word of God into a personal walk of faith with Jesus Christ.
(Matt 28:19-20; Luke 14:23)
7. We believe the church is to show benevolence and Christian charity at all times.
(I Cor 13:1-13; Gal 2:10)
8. We believe the church is to be the promoter of sound biblical doctrine.
(II Tim 1:13; 4:3; Tit 1:9,13; 2:1)
9. We believe the church is to be operated soley by the tithes and offerings of God's people.
(Mal 3:10; John 2:13-16; I Cor 16:1-2; II Cor 9:6-7)
Separation
1. We believe in both personal and ecclesiastical separation.
2. We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon Christ and the Church; and that separation from all religious apostasy, all worldy and sinful pleasures, practices, and associations is commanded of God.
(Rom 12:1-2; 14:13; II Cor 6:14-7:1; II Tim 3:1-5; I John 2:15-17; II John 1:9-11)
The Second Advent of Christ
We believe in that "blessed hope" of the personal, imminent return of Christ, Who will rapture His Church prior to the sever year tribulation period. At the end of the Tribulation, Christ will personally and visibly return with His saints to establish His earthly Messianic Kingdom, which was promised to the nation of Isreal.
(Ps 89:3-4; Dan 2:31-45; Zech 14:4-11; I Thess 1:10; 4:13-18; Tit 2:13; Rev 3:10; 19:11-16; 20:1-6)
The Eternal State
1. We believe in the bodily resurrection of all man - the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgement and everlasting punishment.
(Matt 25:46; John 5:28-29; 11:25-26; Rev 20:5-6,12-13)
2. 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 await the first resurrection, when spirit, soul, and body are united to be glorified forever with the Lord.
(Luke 23:43; II Cor 5:8; Phil 1:23; 3:21; I Thess 4:16-17; Rev 20:4-6)
3. We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious punishment and torment until the second resurrection, when with soul and body united they shall 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 and torment.
(Matt 25:41-46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-26; II Thess 1:7-9; Jude 1:6-7; Rev 20:11-15)
The Personality of Satan
We believe that Satan is a person, the author of sin and the contributing cause of the Fall of Man; 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 1:6-7; Isa 14:12-17; Matt 4:2-11; 25:41; Rev 20:10)
Creation
We believe that God created the universe in six literal, 24-hour periods. We reject evolution, the Gap Theory, the Day-Age Theory, and Theistic Evolution as unscriptural theories of origin.
(Gen 1-2; Ex 20:11)
Civil Government
We believe that God has ordained and created all authority, consisting of three basic institutions: the home, the church, and the state. Every person is subject to these authorities, but all (including the authorities themselves) are answerable to God and governed by His Word. God has given each institution specific Biblical responsibilities and balanced those responsibilities with the understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the other. The home, the church, and the state are equal and sovereign in their respective Biblically assigned spheres of responsibility under God.
(Rom 13:1-7; Eph 5:22-24; Heb 13:17; I Pet 2:13-14)
Human Sexuality
1. We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, and pornography are sinful perversions of God's gift of sex.
(Gen 2:24; 19:5,13; 26:8-9; Lev 18:1-30; Rom 1:26-29; I Cor 5:1; 6:9; I Thess 4:1-8; Heb 13:4)
2. We believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one woman.
(Gen 2:24; Rom 7:2; I Cor 7:10; Eph 5:22-23)
3. 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 leaders (pastors and deacons) of the church. Accordingly, only men are eligible for licensure and ordination by the church.
(Gal 3:28; Col 3:18; I Tim 2:8-15; 3:4-5,12)
Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage
1. We believe that marriage is designed to be between one man and one woman for life, and that a Christian should only marry another Christian. This holy matrimony is a covenant between the man, the woman, and God.
(Mal 2:14; Matt 19:5-6; I Cor 7:39)
2. We believe that God hates divorce, yet has allowed for divorce under certain circumstances. Those circumstances where divorce is permitted on biblical grounds include: fornication; cases that incolve an unbelieving spouse who chooses to divorce a believing spouse; cases that involve one spouse who is causing the other spouse and/or children to commit abominable acts in the eyes of God.
(Ezra 9:1-10,17; Isa 50:1; Jer 3:8; Mal 2:16; Matt 19:8-9; I Cor 7:10-15)
3. Any time a marriage is dissolved due to any of the biblical grounds for divorce, a remarriage is permitted and is not sinful.
(Matt 19:9; I Cor 7:15, 27-28; I Tim 4:1-3)
4. When a divorce is obtained for non-biblical reasons, remarriage is regarded as adultery, except when reconciliation is impossible due to the death of one spouse or the marriage to another partner by one spouse.
(Deut 24:1-4; Matt 19:9; Rom 7:2; I Cor 7:15,27-28,39)
Abortion
We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the mental well-being of the mother are acceptable.
(Job 3:16; Ps 51:5; 139:14-16; Isa 44:24; 49:1,5; Jer 1:5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:44)
Missions
We believe that God has given the church a great commission to proclaim the Gospel to all nations, so that there might be a great multitude from every nation, tribe, ethnic group, and language group who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. As ambassadors of Christ, we must use all proper and biblical means to be witnesses of Jesus Christ - in our local area, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth.
(Matt 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; II Cor 5:20)
Lawsuits Between Believers
We believe that Christians are prohibited from bringing civil lawsuits against other Christians or the Church to resolve personal disputes. We believe the church possesses all the resources necessary to resolve personal disputes between members. We do believe, however, that a Christian may seek compensation for injuries from another Christian's insurance company as long as the claim is pursued without malice or slander.
(Matt 18:15-18; I Cor 6:1-8; Eph 4:31-32)
Giving
We believe that every Christian, as a steward of that portion of God's wealth that has been entrusted to him, is obligated to support his local church financially, which is the storehouse in our age. We believe that God has established the tithe as a basis for giving, but that every Christian should also give other offerings sacrificially and cheerfully to the support of the church, the relief of those in need, and the spread of the Gospel. We believe that a Christian relinquishes all rights to direct the use of the tithe or offering once the gift has been made.
(Gen 14:20; Prov 3:9-10; Acts 4:34-37; I Cor 16:2; II Cor 9:6-7; Gal 6:6; Eph 4:28; I Tim 5:17-18; I John 3:17)
Church Covenant
Having been led, as we believe, by the Spirit of God, to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, and on profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of our Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, we do now, in the presence of God, angels, and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another, as one body in Christ.
We engage, therefore, by aid of the Holy Spirit, to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this church in knowledge, holiness, and comfort; to promote it's prosperity and spirituality; to sustain it's worship, ordinances, discipline, and doctrines; to give it a sacred preeminence over all institutions of human origin; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the Gospel through all nations.
We also engage to maintain family and private devotions; to religiously educate our children; to seek the salvation of our kindred, acquaintences, and all others; to walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful to our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment; to avoid all tattling, backbiting, and excessive anger; to abstain from worldly amusements that are sinful in nature, or would lead one into temptation to commit sin; to be free from all oath-bound secret societies and partnerships with unbelievers; to abstain from all unethical, illegal, and unscriptural practices; and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Savior.
We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember each other in prayer; to aid each other in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and courtesy of speach; to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation, and mindful of the rules of our Savior, to secure reconciliation without delay.
We moreover engage, that when we remove from this place, we will as soon as possible, unite with some other church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God's Word.
Salvation Home Hymnary Cornerstone Psalmists Supported Missionaries Links The Crucifiction of Christ