What We Believe

About God:

God is the infinite, unchanging Creator and Ruler of the universe. God is all powerful, all-knowing, all-loving, and all wise.  He eternally exists in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  These three are equal and are one God.

(Genesis 1:1, 26-27; 3:22; Exodus 3:14; 34:6-7; Deuteronomy 6:4; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14; James 1:17; 1 Peter 1:2)

About Jesus Christ:

Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is equal with the Father.  Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven’s glory and will return again someday to earth to reign as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. 

(Matthew 1:22, 23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5; John 14:10-30; Colossians 1:16; Luke 1:35; Hebrews 4:14, 15; 1 Corinthians 15:3, 4; Romans 1:3,4; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Timothy 6:14, 15; Titus 2:13)

About the Holy Spirit: 

The Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and the Son of God. He is present in the world to make men and women aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. He gives all believers spiritual gifts.  As Christians, we seek to live under His control daily.

(2 Corinthians 3:17; John 16:7-13; John 14:16,17; Titus 3:4-7; Acts 1:8; Romans 8:9-11; 1 Corinthians 2:12; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Ephesians 1:13; 5:18; Galatians 5:22-25)

About the Bible: 

The Bible is God’s Word to us written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living.  Because the Bible is inspired by God, it is truth without any error. 

(2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21; 2 Timothy 1:13; Psalm 119:105,160; Psalm 12:6; Proverbs 30:5)

About Human Beings: 

People are made in the spiritual image of God, to be like Him in character. People are the supreme object of God’s creation. Although humankind was created with tremendous potential for good, all of us fall short of God’s perfect standard and are marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called “sin”. Sin separates people from God, causes many problems in life and leads to eternal judgment. Since all people are created in God’s image, we believe that each person, from conception, has great intrinsic value. We uphold the sanctity of all human life. We also believe that each person should be treated with love even though their choices or lifestyle may not agree with Scripture. We believe God calls every believer to respond to others in grace and truth. We are committed to love everyone, but are also bound to uphold the unchanging truth of God’s Word. We believe that the Bible teaches God created the human race male and female and that all conduct with the intent to assume a gender other than one’s biological sex at birth is outside of God’s design. We also believe that the Bible teaches God created marriage as an exclusive relationship between one man and one woman and that all intimate sexual activity outside the marriage relationship between one man and one woman is not in God’s design.

(Genesis 1:27; 2:24-25; Exodus 20:14, 17, 22:19; Leviticus 18:22-23, 20:13, 15-16; Deuteronomy 22:5; Psalm 8:3-6; 139:14-16; Isaiah 53:6a; Isaiah 59:1, 2; Matthew 19:4-6, 9; Romans 1:18-31; Romans 3:23; 6:23a; I Corinthians 6:9-10, 15-20; I Timothy 1:8-11; Jude 7; Revelation 21:8)

About Salvation: 

Salvation is God’s free gift to us, but we must accept it. We can never make up for our sin by self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting Jesus Christ as God’s offer of forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin’s penalty. When we turn from our self-ruled life and turn to Jesus in faith we are saved. Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into his life by faith.

(Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8, 9; Mark 1:16; John 14:6; John 1:12; Titus 3:5; Galatians 3:26; Romans 5:1)

About Eternal Security: 

Because God gives us eternal life through Jesus Christ, the true believer is secure in that salvation for eternity. If one has been genuinely saved, he cannot lose that salvation. Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the Christian. It is the grace and keeping power of God that gives us this security.

 (John 10:29; 2 Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 10:10, 14; 1 Peter 1:3-5)

About Eternity: 

People were created to exist forever. We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is Hell. To be eternally in union with Him is eternal life. Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal existence. 

(John 3:16; John 14:17; Romans 6:23; Romans 8:17-18; Revelation 20:15; 1 Corinthians 2:7-9)

About the Autonomy of the Local Church: 

We believe that a New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is a local body of baptized believers associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel. The Head of the church is Jesus Christ. The spiritual leaders of the church are pastors, elders and deacons. The purpose of the church is to make disciples. The responsibility of every church member is to exercise spiritual gifts for the growth of God’s kingdom and the health of the body. Members are committed to the study of God’s Word, fellowship, worship, evangelism, ministry and prayer.

(Ephesians 1:22-23; Ephesians 4:11-12, 15-16; 1 Timothy 3:1-15; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Acts 6:3-6; 1 Timothy 2:8—3:15; Matthew 28:19-20; 1 Corinthians 12; Acts 2:41-47)​

About the Priesthood of the Believers:​

We believe that all Christians are ministers or servants of God. As believers, we have direct access to God through His Son, Jesus Christ. We may go directly to God through Jesus for forgiveness of sin. All believers are priests belonging to God.

(1Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 4:14-16; 1 John 1:9; 2:27; 1 Peter 2:5, 9)

About Baptism and the Lord’s Supper: 

We believe Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are ordinances instituted by Jesus for the believer. Baptism is an outward symbol of inner faith given after one personally trusts in Jesus Christ. Baptism pictures our death, burial and resurrection with Christ. We only baptize believers by immersion. The Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act of devotion to Christ whereby members of the church, through partaking of the bread and the fruit of the vine, memorialize His death and anticipate His second coming. Since salvation is by grace through faith, we receive the Lord’s Supper as a symbol of our personal relationship with Jesus and as an act of obedience to His will.​

(Acts 2:41; Romans 6:4; 1 Peter 3:21; 1 Corinthians 10:16; 1 Corinthians 11; 11:23-29; Ephesians 2:8-9)​

About Last Things: 

God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring this world to its appropriate end. According to His promise, Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth; the dead will be raised; and Christ will judge all people in righteousness. The unrighteous will be sent to Hell, the place of everlasting punishment. The righteous in their resurrected and glorified bodies will receive their reward and will dwell forever in Heaven with the Lord. 

(Isaiah 2:4; 11:9; Matthew 24:1-25:46; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:11; 1 Corinthians 15:35-58; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18; Hebrews 9:27-28; 2 Peter 3:7ff; Revelation 20:1-22:13)