Statement of Faith

Every word in the original writings of the Old and New Testaments is inspired of God, without error, infallible, and is the final and supreme authority in all matters of faith and life.

Psa. 12:6; 19:7-11; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:20-21; Rev. 22:18-19

There is one God, existing eternally in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are the one God.

Gen. 1:26; Deut. 6:4; Mt. 28:19; Jn. 4:24; 10:30; Acts 5:3-4; 2 Cor. 13:14

The Father is fully God; His Fatherhood is perfect, eternal and personal; He is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and of all who trust Christ as Lord and Savior.

Mat. 5:48; Jn. 18; Gal. 4:4-7; 1 Cor. 1:3

Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man; born of a virgin; sinless and incapable of sinning; He died as a substitute and perfect sacrifice for sinners. He rose bodily from the dead and ascended in His glorified body to the right hand of God the Father as the only Savior, and the one mediator between God and men.

Mat. 1:21-23; Jn. 1:1,14; Acts 4:10-12; 1 Tim. 2:5; Titus 2:13; Heb. 1:8; 1 Pet. 3:18

The Holy Spirit is fully God; He glorifies Christ and does not work in contradiction to the Word of God. He regenerates, baptizes, seals, and indwells all true believers at the moment of conversion. Every Christian is commanded to be filled with the Spirit. He sovereignly gives spiritual gifts to equip every believer for service in the growing church, although some gifts — such as apostleship, prophecy, tongues, and healing — were limited in their significance to the foundational and transitional phase of the church, and such gifts are not normative today.

Jn. 16:13-15; Acts 5:3-4; 1 Cor. 12-14; 2 Cor. 12:12; Eph. 1:13, 2:20, 4:11-12, 5:18; Titus 3:5; Heb. 2:3-4

Man was created in the image of God, with a body, soul, and spirit. The first man, Adam, sinned and passed on a sinful nature to all mankind. All men are sinners by nature and practice, and apart from receiving God's salvation, man is lost and will suffer everlasting conscious punishment.

Gen. 1:26-27; Mt. 13:42, 25:46; Mk. 9:43-48; Lk. 16:19-26; Rom. 5:12; Eph. 2:1-3; 1 Thes. 5:23; Rev. 20:11-15

Salvation is initiated by the grace of God, and purchased by the blood of Christ, who died as the propitiation for the sins of the whole world. Salvation is offered to all mankind, and is appropriated through human faith apart from good works. God's sovereignty and man's responsibility are involved together in the process of salvation. All who repent of their sins and trust Christ as their Lord and Savior are born again and made eternally secure.

Lk. 5:32; Jn. 3:16, 5:24, 10:28-30; Acts 20:21; Rom. 10:9-10; Gal. 2:16; Eph. 1:13, 2:8-10; Titus 2:11; 1 Jn. 2:2, 5:11-13

The universal church is made up of all true believers in Christ from Pentecost to the rapture. Each assembly is a local expression of the universal church. The local church is central in God's plan for evangelism, disciple-making, worship, and fellowship. Each local assembly answers to Christ alone as its sole Head, and is governed by a number of godly men in the church who are recognized as elders and oversee the spiritual welfare of the assembly.

Mat. 16:18; Acts 2:42-47, 20:28; 1 Cor. 12:12,13,27; Eph. 1:22-23, 5:24,25,30; Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:18; 1 Tim. 1:1-13; 1 Pet. 5:1-5

Our sisters in Christ are equals as fellow heirs of the grace of life. We encourage them to serve the Lord to their fullest potential — personal evangelism, teaching other women and children, prayer, giving, hospitality, practical service, literature distribution, music, translation, caring for the needy, and building a Christian home. We also recognize Scriptural distinctions between the roles of men and women: the New Testament teaches that women are not to exercise authority in the church over men, nor to teach men, but are to quietly receive instruction with a submissive spirit, which is of great price in the sight of God.

Gal. 3:28; Rom. 16:1,2; 1 Cor. 11:1-16, 14:34-37; 1 Tim. 2:9-15; Titus 2:1-5; 1 Pet. 3:1-7

Two Scripturally required expressions of Christian commitment: (1) Baptism by immersion — symbolizing the believer's identification with Christ's death, burial, and resurrection, to walk in newness of life; and (2) The Lord's Supper — a central part of our worship, done in remembrance of Him through the bread and the cup which symbolize His body and blood, proclaiming His death until He returns.

Mat. 28:19-20; Lk. 22:19-20; Acts 8:36-39, 20:7; Rom. 6:1-4; 1 Cor. 11:23-32

We believe in the imminent rapture of the church, at an unknown time and date, in which the church — the body of Christ — will be caught up by Him before the Tribulation. After the Tribulation, Christ will return to reign on earth for a thousand years. Following the millennium will be the resurrection and judgment of the lost, resulting in their eternal conscious punishment. The saved will have already entered into eternal blessedness.

Mat. 24:3-44; Lk. 16:19-26; Jn. 14:1-3; 1 Thes. 4:13-5:11; 2 Thes. 1:8,9; Rev. 14:9-11, 20:1-21:8

God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supply. We look to Christ alone in faith to supply our needs through His people. Giving is to be done in love, as God prospers, as a regular part of worship. We do not believe in public solicitation of funds, nor in seeking contributions from those outside the church. As stewards we desire to seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness in the use of all that He has entrusted to us.

Mat. 6:33; 1 Cor. 4:1-2, 13:3, 16:1-4; 2 Cor. 8-9; Gal. 6:6; Phil. 4:17-19; 1 Tim. 5:17-18; 3 Jn. 7