Doctrinal Statement

We believe in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as verbally inspired of God and without error in the original writings. The exact meaning of the Scriptures is essentially unchanged in any important respect in the widely accepted English translations. The Scriptures are authoritative and without error in any category of knowledge, including science and history, and are of supreme and final authority in all matters about which they speak. We believe the Scriptures are to be interpreted in a normal and literal way and that they are understood as the believer is guided by the spirit of God. (John 10:35; Matt 5:18; 2 Tim 3:16; 2 Pet 1:21; 1 Cor 2:13; 1 Tim 5:18; John 16:12-15)

We believe in one God eternally existing in three equal persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (John 6:27; Heb 1:8; Acts 5:3,4; Deut 6:4; 2 Cor 13:14; Matt 28:19; Isa 48:16)

We believe God the Father, the first person of the Trinity, orders and directs all things according to His own purpose, pleasure, and grace. The Father is sovereign in creation, providence, and redemption. He has decreed all things that come to pass for His own glory. He graciously involves Himself in the affairs of men, hears and answers prayer, and saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ. (2 Chr 29:11; Ps 103:19; Matt 6:9; John 5:19-24; Eph 1:2-6)

We believe that God the Son became flesh in the person of Jesus Christ, Who was begotten by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, and Who is fully God and fully man. (John 1:14; 8:40; 11:33; Matt 1:18-25; 26:38; Heb 1:8; 2:14)

We believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins as a substitutionary sacrifice and that all who believe in Him are declared righteous on the basis of His shed blood. (2 Cor 5:14; Mark 10:45; Rom 3:24-26; 5:8,9; 1 Pet 3:18)

We believe in the bodily resurrection of Christ, in His ascension into heaven, and in His present life there for us. Jesus now serves as high priest, intercessor, and advocate in our behalf with the Father. (Rom 1:4; John 20:25-27; 1 John 2:1; Heb 7:25; Mark 16:19; Acts 1:9-11)

We believe in the personal, bodily visible and premillennial return of Jesus Christ in the glory of His Father to set up in the earth a kingdom in which He shall reign in righteousness and peace. (Acts 1:11; Matt 24:30; Rev 20:4-6; Isa 9:6,7; 11:2-5)

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person, possessing all the distinctively divine attributes. He is God. He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He regenerates, seals, and sets apart the believer to a holy life. At regeneration, He baptizes the believer into the body of Christ, comes to indwell him permanently, and distributes spiritual gifts to each believer as He wills. However, we believe that Biblical and historical evidence indicates that the gift of speaking in tongues has probably ceased. (1 Cor 2:10,11; 12:11,13; 13:8; 14:22-25; Isa 40:13,14; Ps 139:7; Titus 3:5; John 3:5-7; 14:16,17; 16:8; Eph 1:13; 2 Thess 2:13; Rom 8:9)

We believe that man was created in the image of God, and that he sinned and consequently experienced not only physical death but also spiritual death (which is separation from God). The consequences of this sin affect the entire human race. All human beings are born with a sinful nature and continue to live according to that nature. All human beings are essentially and unchangeably sinful apart from divine grace. (Gen 1:26; 2:17; 3:6; Rom 5:12-19; Eph 2:1-3; 4:18; Mark 7:20-23; John 2:24,25)

We believe that God made both man and woman in the image of God. Man and woman were distinctly made for one another in all of created order, and God designed and ordained marriage to be only between one man and one woman. There is no distinction between male and female pertaining to the possibility of salvation and heirship in Jesus Christ. There is, however, distinction between male and female pertaining to God’s prescribed order of headship and roles both in relationships and church practice. The husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church. Men are to have authority in church practice, and the roles of elder and pastor/teacher are specifically limited to males.(Genesis 1:26-27; 2:18-25; Galatians 3:26-29; Ephesians 5:21-33; 1 Corinthians 11:2-16; 14:34-35; 1 Timothy 2:8-15; 3:1-2; Titus 1:5-6).

We believe that whoever places his trust in Jesus Christ as his Savior becomes a child of God. This salvation is not the result of any human effort or merit. (John 1:12; Eph 2:8,9; Rom 3:28)

We believe that all true believers are kept eternally secure by the power of God through the new birth, the indwelling and sealing of the Holy Spirit, and the intercession of Christ. (John 10:28-30; 14:16,17; 1 Pet 1:23; Eph 4:30; 1 John 2:1; Rom 8:38,39)

We believe that all believers still possess a sinful nature in this life, but that God has made full provision for believers to overcome the sinful nature and to live for God through identification with Christ, a personal knowledge and application of the Scriptures, and by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. (Rom 6:1-11; 7:15-21; 8:11-13; Eph 2:10)

We believe that God heals with or without means in answer to prayer offered in faith and in accord with His sovereign will. Healing cannot be claimed on the same unconditional basis of faith as salvation is claimed. (James 5:14,15; I John 5:14,15)

We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men. Believers are resurrected to enjoy eternal life with God. Unbelievers are resurrected to experience judgment and then eternal suffering apart from God. (Daniel 12:2; John 5:25-29; 1 Cor 15:50-57; 1 Thess 4:13-18; Rev 14:9-13; 20:10-15; 21:1-8)

We believe in the reality and personality of Satan, and when given the opportunity, he attempts to defeat Christians. However, we believe Christians can overcome Satan’s schemes through the help of the Holy Spirit in applying Scriptural truth. (Eph 6:10-19; Luke 10:18; Job 1:6-12; John 8:44)

We believe in the imminent, pretribulational, visible return of Christ for the church. All members of the body of Christ, living or dead, will at that time be caught up to be with the Lord forever. (1 Thess 4:13-18; 1 Cor 15:51-53; Titus 2:13)

We believe that the church in its invisible form is universal, the true body of Christ. All believers from the day of Pentecost until the church is caught up to heaven are members of the universal church regardless of organizational affiliation. (Col 1:18; Eph 4:4-6; Acts 1:5; 11:15,16; 1 Cor 11:24-26; 12:13; 1 Thess 4:13-17; Matt 16:18; 28:19)

We believe that the church in its visible form is local and is comprised of a local body of believers. We believe God has ordained local churches to be God’s visible expression of Christ, and that they are exhorted to assemble together. (Heb 10:23-25)

The local church exercises its God-given authority to ordain elders, deacons, and missionaries, to carry out biblical discipline, and to properly administer the ordinances of water baptism and the Lord’s Supper until Christ returns. (Matt 18:15-20; Acts 6:1-6; Acts 13:1-3; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Cor 11:24-26)

We believe that the purposes of the local and universal church are to worship and glorify God, build up every member of the body, and make Christ known to the whole world. Every member of the body shares in this purpose. In relation to the world, believers are sent by Christ to communicate to unsaved people that God is reconciling the world to Himself in Christ. (Matt 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; 2 Cor 5:18-20; John 17:18-20; Acts 1:8; Rom 10:12-15; Isa 45:22; 49:6)

We believe that all believers are to give attention to becoming spiritually mature in order to function in the body of Christ. The clear emphasis of Scripture for individuals is that they grow in the qualities of Christian maturity for the purpose of edifying the local body of Christ and that individuals develop in the lasting attributes of faith, hope, and love. Although the Scriptures make reference to spiritual gifts, they do not emphasize searching for one’s gifts in order to function. (1 Tim 3:1-12; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Cor 13:13; Eph 1:15, 18; Col 1:3-5; 1 Thess 1:3; 2 Thess 1:3,4)