We are a non-affiliated congregation of Christians who most closely identify with the historical distinctive of Baptists. We are governed as an independent congregational church and we desire to partner with other churches and organizations of similar faith, practice, and goals, for the kingdom of God.
We believe that the Bible, consisting of a total of sixty-six books in the Old and New Testaments, is without error in the original manuscripts1.
The author of the Bible was God the Holy Spirit2who guided the human authors without distorting their person or character3 so that the writings they produced were verbally and plenarily inspired4. We believe that the Bible is the sole authority for faith and practice5.
Since the Bible does not indicate how it is to be preserved through the transmission process at the hands of men, we believe that all available manuscripts through diligent comparison do provide a faithful copy of the original Word of God. All translations that seek to provide a literal interpretation of the original manuscripts without dynamic equivalency except where required for proper interpretation (while revealing minor variations of interpretation), are equally authoritative and the very Word of God.
1Prov. 30:5-6; John 17:17.
2II Pet. 1:19-21; Heb. 1:1-2;
3II Sam. 23:2 with Acts 1:16; II Thess. 3:17.
4Matt. 5:18; Jn. 10:35; II Tim. 3:16.
5Acts 17:11; I Cor. 10:6-12; Eph. 6:17; II Tim. 3:15-17; I Jn. 4:1.
We believe that there is only one living and true God1who is an eternal, self-existing, perfect Spirit2. He is a personal Being and the Creator and Upholder of the universe3. Though one God He exists in three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit4. These Persons are equal in essence and in divine perfection5, but each has His own distinct work to perform6.
1Deut. 6:4-5; Jer. 10:10.
2Hab. 1:12; Jn. 4:24; James 1:17.
3Gen. 1:1-25; Heb. 1:10; Col. 1:15-17
4Matt. 3:16; 28:10; II Cor. 13:14.
5John 10:30; 14:10; 17:5; I Cor 8:6; Phil. 2:5-6.
6Jn. 14:26; 15:26; Eph 1:3-4, 6-7, 13-14.
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God1who is today both truly God and truly man2. His literal human body was miraculously conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, and He was born of a human mother who was a virgin3. At conception He became the God-Man with two natures, divine and human4. After His birth He lived a sinless life on earth, died on the cross as a substitute for sinners and bearing the judgment of their sins, and was raised bodily from the tomb as a testimony to the sufficiency of His sacrifice and as a guarantee of His people's future resurrection5. He now is in heaven as the great High Priest of His people6. He will return for His people at the Rapture of the church, and later to the earth to reign following the tribulation period7.
1Heb. 1:1-2; Ps 2;
2Phil. 2:5-8.
3Is. 7:14; Lk. 1:26-38.
4Jn. 1:1-2; Jn. 8:58; Phil. 2:7-8.
5Lk. 24:1-6; I Pet. 2:21-24; Lk. 24:1-6; I Cor. 15:1-7, 23-26.
6Heb. 4:14.
7Matt. 24:30-31; I Cor. 15:51-52.
We believe that the Holy Spirit is an eternal and divine Person, co-equal with God the Father and God the Son1. He was active in creation2. He convicts men of sin3. He indwells each believer4. He performs various ministries such as regenerating, sealing, guiding, teaching, sanctifying and strengthening5.
Each believer has been sanctified in Christ, is being sanctified by the continuing work of the Spirit, and ultimately at Christ's coming will be completely sanctified6. While the believer can have victory over sin through the power of the Spirit, his sin nature will not be eradicated in this life7.
The Holy Spirit bestows a spiritual gift(s) upon every believer; this gift(s) is a special ability for service. Some gifts, such as tongues, prophecy and healing, were temporary sign or revelatory gifts and have ceased8.
It is the believer's privilege to be filled with the Spirit and thus to produce fruit unto God and to live a joyous and productive Christian life9.
1II Cor. 13:14.
2Gen. 1:1-2.
3Jn. 16:8-11.
4I Cor. 6:19-20.
5Jn. 3:3; Rom. 8:14; Eph.1:13, 17; 3:16.
6I Cor. 1:2; 12:4-7, 11; II Cor. 3:18;
7I Jn. 1:8,
8II Cor. 12:12; Heb. 2:4; I Cor. 13:8.
9Eph. 5:18; Gal. 5:22,23.
We believe that the Genesis account of creation is to be accepted literally and not figuratively1. We believe that the six days of creation mentioned in Genesis chapter one were solar hour days2. We believe that all animal and vegetable life was made directly and that they follow God's law in multiplying "after their kind"3.
We believe that the entire human race sprang from one man, Adam, and one woman, Eve, literal people, who were created directly in God's image and after His likeness and did not evolve from any lower form of life4.
1Gen. 1:1-2:25; Neh. 9:6; Ps. 33:6-9; John 1:3; Heb. 11:3; Col. 1:16-17.
2Ex. 20:11; 31:17.
3Gen. 1:11, 12, 21, 24, 25.
4Gen. 1:26-27; 5:2
We believe that man was originally created a sinless being1. By voluntary transgression he fell from that sinless state2, and, as a result, all human beings are now sinners by nature and by conduct3and are justly under divine condemnation4.
1Gen. 1:27, 31; 2:16-17; Eccles. 7:29.
2Gen. 3:6-7; Rom. 5:12, 19;
3Ps. 51:5; Is. 53:6; Rom. 3:9-18, 23; 5:15-19; James 2:10
4Jn. 3:36; Rom. 1:20
We believe in the existence of angels who are mighty spiritual beings that were created by God. They serve Him in various ways and are specially appointed to watch over and minister to God's people1.
We believe that at some time in the past a large number of angels, under the leadership of him who is called Satan, rebelled against God and were removed from His presence2. They now roam the universe and are especially active on earth, opposing God and His purposes and ruling over the spiritual darkness of this world3. Satan, also called the Devil, is a real person who has tremendous power and is the enemy of God's people. He is destined to be judged by Christ at His return, and finally to be eternally incarcerated in the lake of fire4.
1Heb. 1:6, 14.
2Matt. 25:41.
3Eph. 6:12.
4Rev. 20:1-3, 10.
Salvation is made free to all by the Gospel1. It is initiated by God, and is accomplished by grace apart from any human works2. It is the duty of all persons to accept it by personal faith3. All who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ are forgiven, regenerated, and justified4. The perfect righteousness of Christ is imputed to them5. They are given spiritual life, which is manifested in their growth in grace6. True believers are saved forever and can never be lost7.
There is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked. Those who are righteous will enter into eternal bliss with Christ and those who are wicked will be lost forever in a concious, living Hell8.
1Rom 3:24; I Tim. 2:4; 4:10;
2Eph. 2:8-9;
3John 3:16; Acts 16:31.
4Rom. 5:1; Eph. 1:7; I Pet. 1:23.
5II Cor. 5:21.
6II Pet. 3:18.
7John 10:27-30.
8Luke 16:19-26; Matt. 25:34-41.
We believe that the Church, the Body of Christ, is composed of all true believers who are placed into that Body by the baptizing work of the Holy Spirit1. The Church is distinct from Israel2and taken from the earth before the tribulation begins3.
1Matt. 16:18; I Cor. 12:13; Eph. 1:22-23.
2Eph. 3:3-6.
31Thess. 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; Rev. 3:10.
We believe that a local, visible church is an organized congregation of immersed believers1, associated together by a common faith and fellowship in the Gospel. Such a church is to be governed by the Word of God2, and to observe the ordinances of baptism (the immersion of true believers only) and the Lord's Table3. Its Scriptural officers are male believers referred to in Scripture as pastors (used interchangeably with bishops & elders) and deacons. The qualifications of the church officers are defined in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus4.
A local church is autonomous, is not to be subject to the control of any outside persons or organizations, and has the power and right to confess its own faith and conduct its own affairs in accordance with the teachings of the New Testament. On all matters of membership, polity, government, discipline, ordination, and benevolence the will of the local church is final5.
We believe that both Christian baptism and the Lord's Supper are each a symbolic memorial and a prophecy6.. We believe that Christian baptism is the single immersion in water of a believer7, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit8. It shows forth, in solemn and beautiful figure, our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior, and our death to sin and resurrection to a new life9(9). Baptism is prerequisite to the privileges of church membership and participation in the Lord's Supper10.
At the Lord's Supper, which is not optional for the church member, the members of the Church, by the use of bread and the fruit of the vine, commemorate together the death of Christ11. This commemoration should always be preceded by careful self-examination12.
1Acts 2:41-42.
2II Tim. 3:16-17.
3Matt. 28:19-20; I Cor. 11:23-24.
4I Tim. 3:1-16; Titus 1:5-9.
5Matt. 18:15-18; Acts 6:3-5; I Cor. 5:4-5, 13; I Tim. 3:15.
6Rom. 6:3-4; I Cor. 11:26.
7Acts 8:36-39.
8Matt. 28:19.
9Rom. 6:3-4.
10Acts 2:41-42.
11I Cor. 11:26; Matt. 26:29.
12I Cor. 11:28
The church and its members should have as primary goals the evangelization of their own community, the extension of the gospel to the ends of the earth through Biblical missionary methods1,2,3.
1Acts 1:8; 8:4;
211:19-26;
313:1-14:28
We believe that the Word of God predicts widespread departure from the revealed Word of God as the time of Christ's coming draws nearer1, and that obedient believers and local churches are to practice complete separation from these who deny the faith. The Scripture teaches that we are not to seek to win them back to the faith by fellowshipping with them, but rather we are to identify them, rebuke them, and withdraw ourselves from any spiritual communion with them2.
We also believe that we are to refuse ecclesiastical fellowship and organizational cooperation with those who are truly born again, but who espouse doctrines that are contrary to Scripture or are engaged in practices that are not consistent with the Word of God3.
1II Tim. 4:1-3; II Pet. 2:1-3; I Jn. 4:1.
2Ps. 1:1; Rom. 16:17; II Cor. 6:17; Tit. 1:13.
3Gal. 2:11-21; II Thes. 3:6-12.