STATEMENT OF FAITH

THE HOLY BIBLE:

We believe in the fully authoritative, verbal inspiration of the accepted canon of the Scriptures as originally given and that they are infallibly and uniquely authoritative and free from error of any sort in all matters with which they deal, including scientific and historical as well as moral and theological (II Timothy 3:16; 1 Corinthians 2:13).

THE TRINITY:

We believe in the Eternal Godhead who has revealed Himself as ONE God existing in THREE persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; distinguishable but indivisible. These three are coequal and co-eternal. (Isaiah 9:6; Genesis 1:26; Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19; Luke 1:35; II Corinthians 13:14; Hebrews 3:7-11; 1 John 5:7).

CREATION & FALL:

We believe in the literal, creation of the existing space-time universe and all of its basic systems as indicated in Genesis. We believe in the creation, test, and fall of man as recorded in Genesis; his total spiritual depravity and inability to attain to divine righteousness (Romans 5:12, 18).

BIBLICAL HISTORY:

We believe in the full historicity and clarity of the Biblical record of primeval history, including the literal existence of Adam and Eve as the progenitors of all people, the literal fall and resultant divine curse on the creation, the worldwide cataclysmic deluge, and the origin of nations and languages at the tower of Babel (Genesis 1-11).

VIRGIN BIRTH:

Jesus Christ was conceived by God the Father, through the Holy Spirit (the third person of the Trinity) in the virgin Mary's womb; therefore, He is the Son of God. (Matthew 1:18, 23-25; Luke 1:27-35; Isaiah 7:14)

JESUS CHRIST:

We believe in Jesus Christ is God the Son, the second person of the Trinity. On earth, Jesus was 100% God and 100% man. He is the only man ever to have lived a sinless life. He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, performed miracles, died on the cross for mankind and thus, atoned for our sins through the shedding of His blood. He rose from the dead on the third day according to the Scriptures, ascended to the right hand of the Father, and will return again in power and glory. (Isaiah 7:14, 9:6; Luke 1:26-35; John 1:1,14-18, 20:28; I Timothy 3:16; Isaiah 9:6; Philippians 2:5-6; I Timothy 2:5)

RESURRECTION & ASCENSION:

We believe Christ died for our sins, was buried and was physically resurrected again the third day in a glorified body, and personally appeared to His disciples (1 Corinthians 15:1-8; Romans 4:25). We believe in the bodily ascension of Jesus to heaven, His exaltation and personal, literal and bodily coming again the second time for the Church (John 14:2-3; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

REDEMPTION:

Man was created good and upright, but by voluntary transgression he fell; his only hope of redemption is in Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Gen. 1:26-31, 3:1-7; Romans 5:12-21). We believe that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us, took our place, and with His life’s blood purchased the pardon for all who believe in Him. (John 3:16; Titus 2:14)

JESUS’ BLOOD:

The Blood that Jesus Christ shed on the Cross of Calvary was sinless and is 100% sufficient to cleanse mankind of all sin. Jesus allowed Himself to be punished for both our sinfulness and our sins, enabling all those who believe to be free from the penalty of sin, which is death. (I John 1:7; Revelation 1:5, 5:9; Colossians 1:20; Romans 3:23, 5:9; John 1:29)

SALVATION:

We believe in salvation and the remission of sins through the cross. We are saved by grace through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, His death, burial, and resurrection. Salvation is a gift from God, not a result of our good works or of any human efforts. (Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 2:16, 3:8; Titus 3:5; Romans 10:9-10; Acts 16:31; Hebrews 9:22)

REGENERATION:

We believe that the change that takes place in people at conversion is a very real one; that having received righteousness in Christ and having received of His Spirit, people will have new desires, interests, and pursuits in life (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 2:20).

SANCTIFICATION:

Sanctification is the ongoing process of yielding to God’s Word and His Spirit in order to complete the development of Christ's character in us. It is through GRACE that this present ministry of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God takes place, and the Christian is enabled to live a godly life. (I Thessalonians 4:3, 5:23; II Corinthians 3:18, 6:14-18; Romans 8:29, 12:1-2; Hebrews 2:11)

WATER BAPTISM:

We believe in the necessity of water baptism by immersion in the name of the Eternal Godhead in order to fulfill the command of Christ. Following faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the new convert is commanded by the Word of God to be baptized in water in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38, 8:12, 36-38, 10:47-48)

BAPTISM OF HOLY SPIRIT:

We believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit as an experience subsequent to salvation and a distinct aspect of the Christian foundational experience. Given at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit is the promise of the Father, sent by Jesus after His Ascension, to empower the Church to preach the Gospel throughout the whole earth. We are born of the spirit at salvation and in a secondary work are baptized in the Holy Spirit, with the Scriptural evidence; namely, speaking in other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance. (Joel 2:28-29; Matthew 3:11; Acts 1:5,2:1-4, 17, 38-39, 8:14-17, 10:38, 44-47, 11:15-17, 19:1-6)

FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT:

As evidence of a Spirit-filled life, believers should walk in the Spirit and show spiritual “fruit” such as love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. (Ephesians 4:30-32; Galatians 5:22-25)

GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT:

We believe in the operation of the gifts of the Spirit as enumerated in 1 Corinthians 12-14, as manifested in the Early Church. The Holy Spirit is manifested through a variety of spiritual gifts to build and sanctify the church, demonstrate the validity of the resurrection, and confirm the power of the Gospel. The Bible lists of these gifts are not necessarily exhaustive, and the gifts may occur in various combinations. All believers are commanded to earnestly desire the manifestation of the gifts in their lives. These gifts always operate in harmony with the Scriptures and should never be used in violation of biblical parameters. (Hebrews 2:4; Romans 1:11,12:4-8; Ephesians 4:16; II Timothy 1:5-16; I Corinthians 12:1-31, 14:1-40; I Peter 4:10)

SPIRIT-FILLED LIFE:

We believe in the Spirit-filled life, a life of separation from the world and perfecting of holiness in the fear of God as an expression of Christian faith. Christians are people who have invited the Lord Jesus Christ to come and live inside them by His Holy Spirit. They relinquish the authority of their lives over to him thus making Jesus the Lord of their life as well as Savior. They put their trust in what Jesus accomplished for them when He died, was buried, and rose again from the dead. (John 1:12; John 14:17, 23, 15:4; Romans 8:11; Revelation 3:20; Ephesians 5:16-18; 2 Corinthians 6:14, 7:1)

DIVINE HEALING:

We believe in the healing of the Body by Divine power, or Divine healing in its varied aspects as practiced in the Early Church Healing of the sick is illustrated in the life and ministry of Jesus and included in the commission of Jesus to His disciples. It is given as a sign, which is to follow believers. It is also a part of Jesus' work on the Cross and one of the gifts of the Spirit. (Psalm 103:2-3; Isaiah 53:5; Matthew 8:16-17; Mark 16:17-18; Acts 4:30, 8:6-7; Romans 8:11; James 5:14-16; I Corinthians 12:9, 28)

THE FIVE-FOLD MINISTRY:

We believe that the ministries listed in Ephesians 4:11 are to be fully functioning right up to the return of Christ. This includes the ministries of apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers and evangelists. All of these ministries are needed if the Body of Christ is to be properly equipped and the church is to be properly built up.

SECOND COMING:

Jesus Christ will physically and visibly return to earth for the second time to establish His Kingdom. This will occur at a date undisclosed by the Scriptures. (Matthew 24:30, 26:63-64; Acts 1:9-11; I Thessalonians 4:15-17; II Thessalonians 1:7-8; Revelation 1:7)

SACRAMENTS:

We believe that a sacrament is a life-imparting act of obedience to scriptural imperatives, such as: matrimony (the marriage of one man with one woman), dedication of children, water baptism (by total immersion), communion (The Lord’s Supper), the laying on of hands, prayer/fasting/worship, giving, and preaching the Word of God. Genesis 2:24; Matthew 28:19 – 20; John 6:53 – 58; Mark 13:10; Acts 2:38; 1Corinthians 11:23-26; Mark 10:16.

ETERNAL LIFE & JUDGEMENT:

We believe in eternal life for believers (John 5:24, 3:16) and eternal punishment for unbelievers We believe that all shall stand before the judgment seat of Christ: the redeemed to be delivered unto everlasting life, and the unrepentant unto everlasting punishment. As believers we will also be judged for our works and given rewards in Heaven accordingly. (Mark 9:43-48; II Thessalonians 1:9; Revelation 20:11-12; 1 Corinthians 9:24-25; 2 Corinthians 5:10)

SATAN:

We believe in the reality and personality of Satan and eternal judgment of Satan and his angels (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10-15).

ECCLESIOLOGY (THE CHURCH):

We believe in the church and that the universal church is made up of all born-again believers around the world. The church is Gods primary vehicle for fulfilling the great commission and the fellowship and discipleship of believers. God has given the church Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry. We believe that each Christian is called to take part in the gathering together and that we are all to be a part and under submission to the church body God has placed each believer in. (Matthew 3:11, 8:16-17,16:17-19, 28:18-20; Mark 16:17-18; John 1:12-13; Acts 1:5, 2:1-4,17, 8-39, 4:29-30, 8: 6-7,14-17, 10:38,44-47, 11:15-17; 20:28-31; Romans 8:9; 11:29, 12:3-8, 16:17; I Corinthians 5:1-13, 12:9,12-13,28; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22; I Timothy 1:20; 2:11-15; 3:1-5; 6:5; II Thessalonians 3:6-15; Titus 3:10-11; Ephesians 1:13-14, 3:14-21; 4:11-16; Galatians 2:10,3:1-5; Hebrews 10:23-25; James 5:14-16; 1 Peter 2:4-5, 9-10; 3:1-15; II Peter 2:1-3; II John 9-11;

HEAVEN:

Heaven is the eternal dwelling place for all believers in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and after Christ returns believers will live with Him for an eternity in the Presence of God on the New Earth, Heaven. The New Earth will be a place of cultures, people, activities, food, celebration, productivity, and many other exciting things. (Matthew 5:3, 12, 20, 6:20, 19:21, 25:34; John 17:24; II Corinthians 5:1; Hebrews 11:16; I Peter 1:4; Revelation 22:1-2)

HELL:

After living one life on earth, the unbelievers will be judged by God and sent to Hell. We believe that hell is a place of darkness, deepest sorrow, and unquenchable fire, which was not prepared for man but for the devil and his angels; yet it will become the place of eternal separation from God for all who reject Christ as Savior. (Matthew 13: 41-42, 25:41; Revelation 20:10-15)

EVANGELISM:

We believe that soul winning is the commission of every believer and the church and that every hindrance to worldwide evangelism should be removed. (James 5:20; Mark 16:15)

TITHES AND OFFERINGS:

We believe that tithes and offerings are ordained of God to sustain His ministry, spread the Gospel, and release personal blessing. As we are faithful to return the tithe as an act of worship, we redeem our income of financial curses enabling us to live a life of fullness and blessing. (Malachi 3:10; 1 Corinthians 16: 1-2; Hebrews 7:2; Romans 11:16)

INJUSTICE:

We believe racism, or racial injustice —whether systemic, individual, implicit, or explicit — is wrong. We believe and affirm that each person, regardless of race, is created in the image of God and deserving of equal dignity, value, and treatment. We believe that racism, racial injustice, violence, and the unlawful use of force stand in direct violation of that image. We, as members of the ethnically diverse body of Christ, have the responsibility and are accountable to be like Christ, pursue justice and righteousness, and participate in the mission of God.

CIVIL GOVERNMENT:

We believe that God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: 1) the home, 2) the church, and 3) 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 with 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. We believe that we must obey the state unless it requires us to act contrary to our faith at which time we must obey God rather than the state. (Matt 22:15-22; Acts 5:29; Rom 13:1-7; Eph 5:22-24; Titus 3:1-2; Heb 13:17; 1 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 one naturally born man and one naturally born woman. We believe any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one’s gender by surgery or appearance. (Gen. 2:24; 19:5, 13; 26:8-9; Lev 18:1 – 30; Rom 1:26-29; 1 Cor 5:1; 6:9; 1 Thess 4:1 – 8; Heb 13:4)

(2) We believe that the only Scriptural marriage is the joining of one naturally born man and one naturally born woman for life. (Gen 2:24; Rom 7:2; 1 Cor 7:10; Eph 5:22-23)

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 abortion due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the physical or mental well-being of the mother are acceptable. (Job 3:16; Psa 51:5; 139:14-16; Isa 44:24; Is 49:1,5; Jer 1:5; 20:15-18; Lu 1:44)

EUTHENASIA:

We believe that the direct taking of an innocent human life is a moral evil, regardless of the intention. Life is a gift of God and must be respected from conception until natural death. Thus, we believe that an act or omission which, of itself or by intention, causes death in order to eliminate suffering constitutes a murder contrary to the will of God. Discontinuing medical procedures that are extraordinary or disproportionate to the expected outcome can be a legitimate refusal of over-zealous treatment. (Ex 20:13; 23:7; Matt 5:21; Acts 17:28)

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. (1 Cor 6:1-8; Eph 4:31-32; Matt 18:15-17)

DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGE:

We believe that God disapproves of and forbids divorce and intends marriage to last until one of the spouses dies. Divorce and remarriage are regarded as adultery except on the grounds of fornication, or an unbelieving spouse departing. Divorced and remarried persons or divorced persons, who have repented and come under God’s grace and under church authority, may hold positions of service in the church and be greatly used of God for Christian service, they may be considered for the offices of pastor, elder or deacon if they qualify. (Mal. 2:14-17; Matt. 19:3-12; Rom. 7:1-3; 1 Cor. 7:15-16).

ROLE OF WOMEN IN THE CHURCH:

We believe that men and women are spiritually equal in position before God. Men and women are eligible for licensure and ordination by the church according to the gifting and calling God has placed on their lives. (Gal. 3:28; Acts 16:9-15; 2 John 1:1-13)

FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS:

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 heritage from the Lord. Parents are responsible for teaching their children spiritual and moral values through consistent lifestyle example and appropriate discipline, including Scriptural corporal correction. (Gen. 1:26-28; Ex. 20:12; Deut. 6:4-9; Ps. 127:3-5; Prov. 19:18; 22:15; 23:13-14; Eph. 5:21-33; 6:1-4; Col. 3:18-21)

LOVE:

We believe that we should demonstrate love for others, not only toward fellow believers, but also toward those who are not believers, those who oppose us, and those who engage in sinful actions. We are to deal with those who oppose us graciously, gently, patiently, and humbly. God forbids the stirring up of strife, the taking of revenge, or the threat or use of violence as a means of resolving personal conflict or obtaining personal justice. Although God commands us to abhor sinful actions, we are to love and pray for any person who engages in such sinful actions. (Lev. 19:18; Matt. 5:44-48; Luke 6:31; John 13:34-35; Rom. 12:9-10; 17-21; 13:8-10; Phil. 2:2-4; 2 Tim. 2:24-26; Titus 3:2; 1 John 3:17-18)

ABOUT OUR STATEMENT OF FAITH:

The Statement of Faith does not exhaust the extent of our faith. The Bible is the sole and final source of all that we believe. We do believe, however, that the foregoing Statement of Faith accurately represents the teachings of the Bible and, therefore, is binding upon members. All literature, whether print or electronic, used in the church shall be in agreement with our statement of Faith.