What We Believe

Our Statements

  1. Concerning the Bible:

    We believe the Bible to be the complete Word of God; that the sixty-six books, as originally written, comprising the Old and New Testaments were verbally inspired by the Spirit of God and were entirely free from error; that the Bible is the final authority in all matters of faith and practice and the true basis of Christian union.  2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:19-21

  2. Concerning God:

    We believe in one God, Creator of all, holy, sovereign, eternal, existing in three equal persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Exodus 20:2; John 14:16; Matthew 28:19; 1 Corinthians 8:6

  3. Concerning The Lord Jesus Christ:

    We believe in the absolute and essential deity of Jesus Christ, in His eternal existence with the Father in pre-incarnate glory, in His virgin birth, sinless life, substitutionary death, bodily resurrection, triumphant ascension, mediatorial ministry and personal return.  John 1:1, 14; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; 1 Peter 2:22, 3:18; Luke 24:51; Hebrews 7:25; Matthew 28:6; John 14:3; Acts 15:16

  4. Concerning the Holy Spirit:

    We believe in the absolute and essential deity and personality of the Holy Spirit who convinces us of sin, of righteousness, and of judgement; who regenerates, sanctifies, indwells, illuminates and comforts those who believe in Jesus Christ.  John 14:16-17, 26; John 7:39; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 15:16; Hebrews 9:14; 1 Corinthians 12:13.  We believe that the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus’ followers (those who had put their faith in Jesus as their Forgiver and Leader) on the day of Pentecost, fulfilling John the Baptist’s announcement of the Spirit coming, and the promise of Jesus to send His Spirit to empower His followers to witness.  The Holy Spirit baptized all of Jesus’ followers into one body, which was the formation of the church, His body.  We also believe that all who accept Jesus to be their forgiver and Leader are immediately born of the Spirit, baptized by and into the Spirit, and sealed by the Spirit into the body of Christ.  There is only one baptism of the Spirit but followers of Jesus are to be filled daily by the Spirit as they obey the Spirit’s direction in their lives.  Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; Luke 24:46-49; John 1:33; John 14:16,18,36; John 15:26-27; John 16:7-15; Acts 1:4-5,8; Acts 2:1-4,47; 1 Corinthians 12:13

  5. Concerning Satan:

    We believe that Satan exists as an evil personality, the originator of sin, the arch-enemy of God and man.  John 8:44; Ephesians 2:2; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15; Revelation 12:9; Hebrews 2:14; 2 Corinthians 4:4

  6. Concerning Man:

    We believe that man was divinely created in the image of God; that he sinned, becoming guilty before God, resulting in total depravity, thereby incurring physical and spiritual death.  Genesis 1:27; Isaiah 53:6; Romans 5:12-19; Romans 3:23

  7. Concerning Salvation:

    We believe every person needs to be restored to life with God.  Salvation is a gift from God graciously offered to humanity.  It cannot be earned by any human effort.  To receive this gift a person must repent, which involves turning from one’s own way to God’s way, and place his/her faith in the person and sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ.  By placing one’s own faith in Jesus Christ a person becomes a child of God and begins a new, eternally secure relationship with God.  Salvation will be evidenced by a changed life.  Ephesians 2:8-10; Acts 13:39; 2 Peter 1:4; 1 Peter 1:18-23; John 10:28-29; Hebrews 4:2; John 3:16; Romans 10:9-10

  8. Concerning Future Things:

    We believe in the personal, bodily return of the Lord Jesus Christ;  in the resurrection of the just and the unjust; in the eternal blessedness of the redeemed and in the judgment and conscious, eternal punishment of the wicked.  John 14:2-3; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; Acts 15:16; Psalm 16:11; Matthew 25:46; John 5:28-29

  9. Concerning the Local Church:

    We believe that a church is a company of immersed believers, called out from the world, separated unto the Lord Jesus Christ, voluntarily associated for the ministry of the Word, the mutual edification of  its members, the propagation of the faith and the observance of the ordinances.  We believe it is a sovereign, independent body, exercising its own divinely awarded gifts, precepts and privileges under the Lordship of Christ, the Great Head of the church.  We believe that its officers are elders (pastors) and deacons.  Matthew 28:19-20; Ephesians 1:22-23; 1 Timothy 3:1-15; Acts 2:41-42; Hebrews 12:23

  10. Concerning Ordinances:

    We believe that there are only two ordinances for the church regularly observed in the New Testament in the following order: 1. Baptism which is the immersion of the believer in water, whereby he obeys Christ’s command and sets forth his identification with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection.  Matthew 28:18-20.       2. The Lord’s Supper which is the memorial wherein the believer partakes of the two elements, bread and wine, which symbolize the Lord’s body and shed blood, proclaiming His death until He comes.  1 Corinthians 11:23-24

  11. Concerning Church and State:

    We believe in the entire separation of church and state.  Matthew 22:19-22

  12. Concerning Religious Liberty:

    We believe in religious liberty; that every man has the right to practice and propagate his beliefs.  Acts 10:34; Romans 14:10

  13. Concerning Civil Government:

    We believe that civil government is of divine appointment for the interest and good of society; that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honoured and obeyed, except only in the things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the only Lord of the conscience and Prince of the kings of the earth.  Romans 13:1-7; Matthew 22:19-22