We believe that there is one, and only one, living and true God, an infinite, intelligent, perfect Spirit and personal Being, the Creator, Preserver, and Supreme Ruler of the universe; inexpressibly glorious in holiness; and all other perfections, and worthy of all possible honor, confidence and love. We believe that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; equal in every Divine perfection; and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption. (Gen. 1:1; John 4:24; Ps. 8:1-9; Ex 15:11; Mark 12:30; Matt. 28:19 John 20:28; Heb. 1:1-8; John 10:30; Phil. 2:5-9; Eph. 2:18)

We accept the Genesis account of Creation affirmed throughout the biblical record and that this record unequivocally teaches that man and all things came by the direct and special creation of God within a literal seven (7) day week and not by gradual evolution. (Gen. 1:2; Col. 1:16-17; John 1:3; Acts 4:24; 17:23-26; Heb. 11:3; Rev. 10:6; Rom. 1:20)

We believe that man was created in the image of God; that he sinned and thereby incurred not only physical death, but also spiritual death which is separation from God; that all human beings are born with a sinful nature and are sinners in thought, word, and deed. (Gen. 3:6, 24; Eph. 2:1, 3; Rom. 1:18, 20, 28, 32; 3:10-19; 5:12, 19; Gal. 3:22)

We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace, through the office of the Son of God as mediator, who by the appointment of the Father, freely took upon Himself our nature (yet without sin), honored the divine law by His personal obedience and by His death made a full and vicarious atonement for our sins; that His atonement consisted not in setting us an example by His death as a martyr, but was a voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner’s place, the just dying for the unjust. Christ the Lord, bearing our sins in His own body on the tree, having risen from the dead, is now enthroned in heaven.  He is in every way qualified to be a suitable, compassionate and an all-sufficient Savior. (John 3:16; Eph. 2:8-9; Phil 2:6, 7; Heb. 5:8, 9; Isa.53:4, 5; Heb. 7:25; Acts 15:11; Rom. 3:24-25; Matt. 18:11; Heb. 2:14;  1 John 4:10; 1 Cor. 15:3; 2 Cor. 5:21)

We believe that Jesus was begotten of the Holy Ghost in a miraculous manner; born of Mary, a virgin, as no other man was ever born and that He is both the Son of God and God the Son. (Gen. 3:15; Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:18-25; Luke 1:35; John 1:1-3, 14; Heb. 1:8; Ps. 2:7; Gal. 4:4; 1 John 5:20)

We believe the Scriptures clearly teach that Jesus rose from the dead bodily; that He appeared to the disciples after His resurrection in many convincing manifestations; that He now exists in His glorified body at God’s right hand; that Christ’s bodily resurrection is integral to the gospel message. (Matt. 28:1-8; 1Pet. 3:22; John 5:28; Phil. 3:21;Rom. 10:9)

We believe in the personal, imminent coming of Christ for His Church and His return with His saints to this earth, where He will sit on the throne of David, and will subdue all enemies and reign in righteousness for a thousand years. After this shall be the Judgment of the Great White Throne when the unrighteous shall be raised and condemned to eternal punishment in the lake of fire which is the second death. The righteous shall then enjoy eternal glory with God.

There are two distinct groups of passages in the Bible which describe the Second Coming. They are very different. One group speaks of a secret coming of Christ to take His Church; another group speaks of a public coming of Christ to the earth to judge the world and to set up His Kingdom. (1 Thess. 4:16-18; John 5:28, 29; Rev. 20:5-7; Matt. 13:49; 25:31-46)

We believe that justification is the means by which sinners are made just – legally acceptable in the sight of God. We believe that (a) justification includes the pardon of sin and the bestowment of the righteousness of Jesus Christ; (b) that this righteousness is imputed to believers, not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done, but solely through faith in the Redeemer’s blood. (Acts 13:39; Is. 53:11; Titus 3:5-7; Rom. 1:17, 4:1-8, 5:1, 5:9, 8:1, Gal. 3:11)

We believe that Christ, in the fullness of the blessings He has secured by His obedience unto death, is received by faith alone. The moment we trust in Him as our Savior, we pass out of death into everlasting life, being justified from all things, accepted before the Father according to the measure of His acceptance, loved as He is loved, and having His place and portion, as linked to Him, and one with Him forever. We believe that biblical faith has within it the element of repentance which is a change of mind and attitude toward God, that being deeply convinced of our guilt, danger and helplessness, and of the way of salvation by Christ, we turn to God with sincere contrition, and confession of sin at the same time heartily receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as the only and all-sufficient Savior resulting in a distinctive change in the course of life. (John 5:24; 17:23; Acts 13:39; Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:4-6; 1 John 4:17; 5:11-12;  John 16:8; Luke 18:13; 1 Thess. 1:9; Acts 20:21; Heb. 6:1; Rom. 10:9-11;  Acts 26:20; Eph. 2:8-10)

We believe that, in order to be saved, sinners must be regenerated or born again; that it is effected, in a manner above our comprehension, by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with Divine truth and that it constitutes the bestowment of spiritual life to those who believe. (John 3:3,8; Eph. 2:1-5; 2 Pet. 1:4, Titus 3:4-6)

We believe that sanctification is both a state and a process. A believer is sanctified (set apart unto God) positionally at the moment of salvation as being separated and belonging to God. The believer is also progressively sanctified (made separate and holy) by God’s continued working through the indwelling Holy Spirit; that it is a progressive work; and that it is carried on in the hearts of believers through their earthly life by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 26:18; 1 Cor. 6:11; Heb. 10:14; 1 Thess. 4:3-8; Phil. 1:6; 2 Tim. 2:21-22; Gal. 5:16-26)

We believe that all real believers remain believers unto the end; that their persevering attachment to Christ is that which distinguishes them from superficial professors  and that they are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. (John 8:31; 1 John 2:19; John 10:28-29; Phil 1:6; 1 Peter 1:5)

We believe that the term “church” is used in both a universal and local sense.

A. The Universal Church

We believe that the universal Church is composed of all who are united by the Holy Spirit to the risen and ascended Son of God in history past and currently; that by the same Spirit we are all baptized into the Body of Christ regardless of race, gender or social standing and are thus members one of another. (Rom. 12:5; 1 Cor. 12:12-27; Eph. 1:20-23; Col. 3:14-15)

B. The Local Church

We believe that the local church is the visible expression of the universal church in the New Testament. We believe that a local church is a congregation of immersed believers, associated by covenant in faith and fellowship of the Gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws; and exercising the gifts, rights and privileges invested in them by His Word; that its officers, their qualifications, claims and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures. We believe that the true mission of the Church is the faithful witnessing of Christ to all men as we have the opportunity. We hold that the local church has the absolute right of self-government, free from the domination of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations; and that the one and only superintendent is Christ, through the Holy Spirit; that it is Scriptural for true churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the Gospel; that each local church is the sole judge of the measure and method of its cooperation. (Acts 6:1-6; 1 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 4:11-12; 1 Tim. 3:1-13,15; 2 Cor. 8:1-5)

We believe that the regular gathering of believers for worship, prayer, instruction and fellowship is endemic to being identified as followers of Christ; that it is a serious deviation from God’s expressed will to neglect fellowship in and involvement with the organized biblical community of believers called the local church; that collective witness, ministry service, mutual admonition, and maturing as believers is directly dependent upon involvement within the local body of believers – the local church. (Acts 2:41-42; 11:26; 20:7; Eph.4:11-16; Heb. 10:24-25)

We believe that the Scripture explicitly and implicitly teaches churches to practice separation from unbelief and from disobedient brethren that practice compromise with unbelief.   (Rom. 16:17-18; Phil. 3:17-18;  Jude 1:3; 2 Cor. 6:14-18; Gal. 1:8-9; 2 Thess. 3:14-15)

A. Baptism

We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water to show forth our faith in the crucified, buried and risen Savior; that it is a primary outward act that identifies a believer with Jesus Christ and is requisite to being a member of a local church, the local manifestation of the universal body of Christ. (Acts 2:41-42; 8:35-39; John 3:23; Matt. 3:6; 3:16; 28:19)

B. The Lord’s Supper

We believe that the Lord’s Supper is the emblem of the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ’s and is the commemoration of the saving event of the cross till He comes. It should be preceded always by solemn self-examination. (Matt 26:26-29; 1 Cor. 11:23-28)

We believe that throughout history, God in His sovereignty has periodically demonstrated His power in conjunction with His purposes. We further believe that God may on occasion demonstrate His power in miraculous ways as He so chooses. However, it is evident that miraculous displays have never been normative in the biblical record and have always been associated with particular purposes. The New Testament biblical record indicates that the demonstration of God’s power through the manifestation of the baptism of the Holy Spirit implemented by and through the Twelve Apostles was a uniquely apostolic occurrence and ceased when the last of the foundational Twelve Apostles died. (Acts 8:14-19; 2 Cor. 12:12) The resulting miraculous activity commonly associated with the Apostolic age (tongues, healings, prophecy, etc.) ceased as well as the last of the recipients of the apostolic gift died. As such, we reject the so-called charismatic/Pentecostal movement as not only being heretical, but dangerous to the integrity of the faith once delivered unto the saints. (Jude 1:3)

We believe that civil government is of divine appointment for the interests and good order of society and that secular authorities over us are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored and submitted to. We believe, however, that all secular authority is limited and that we are ultimately subservient to God alone Who is the only Lord of the conscience and Jesus Christ who is our only Master. As such, we believe that the individual conscience in spiritual matters is inviolable and that church and state should be separated; that no ecclesiastical group or denomination should be supported by or preferred above another by the government; a free church in a free state being the Christian ideal. (Matt. 22:21; 23:10; Acts 5:29; Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Tim. 2:1-2)

We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of heterosexual marriage. We believe that marriage is the covenant union of one naturally-born man (born male) and one naturally-born woman (born female). We believe that this relationship is to be lifelong and exclusive and that the nuclear family is defined ideally as consisting of a father, a mother and children. Children, when added to a family are to be considered a blessing. We believe that divorce disrupts the family and is something that God has declared that he hates and thus, to be avoided. Although divorced persons may hold positions of service in the church and be greatly used of God for Christian service, they may not be considered for the offices of pastor or deacon. (Gen. 1:27; 2:24; Ps. 127:5; Mal. 2:14-17; Matt. 19:3-12; Rom. 7:1-3; 1 Tim. 3:2, 12; Titus 1:6)

We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, transvestitism, fornication, adultery, and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex and an attack on the family as God has established it. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one’s gender by surgery or appearance. (Gen. 1:27; 2:24; Lev. 18:22-24, Rom. 1: 26-29; 1 Cor. 5:1; 6:9-11; 7:2; 1 Thess. 4:1-8; Heb. 13:4)

We believe that the direct taking of an innocent human life is a moral evil, regardless of the intention.  Life is a gift of God and must be respected from conception until natural death.  Thus we believe that an act or omission which, of itself or by intention, causes death in order to eliminate suffering constitutes a murder contrary to the will of God.  Discontinuing medical procedures that are extraordinary or disproportionate to the expected outcome can be a legitimate refusal of over-zealous treatment.  (Ex. 20:13, 23:7; Matt. 5:21)

We believe that human life is precious; that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn human life and is thus murder. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the mental well-being of the mother are acceptable. (Job 3:16; 139:14-16; Isa. 44:24; 49:1; Jer. 1:5; Luke 1:44)