What We Believe

Scripture

We believe in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as verbally inspired of God, and inerrant in the original writings, and that they are of supreme and final authority in faith and life (II Pet. 1:21; II Tim. 3:16-17).

The Godhead

We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Gen. 1:1; John 10:30; Matt. 28:19; Acts 5:3-4).

The Person and Work of Christ

We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten by the Holy Spirit, was born of the virgin Mary, and is true God and true man (Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:18-25; Col. 2:9).

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, as a substitutionary sacrifice, and that all who believe in Him are justified on the basis of His shed blood (I Cor. 15:1-4; II Cor. 5:21; I Pet. 2:24; Rom. 5:8-9; I Pet. 1:18-19).

We believe in the bodily resurrection of our Lord, His bodily ascension into heaven and His bodily presence there for us as High Priest and Advocate (I Cor. 15:1-4, 20-25; Acts 1:9-11; Heb. 7:25).

We believe in the "blessed hope," the personal, bodily, pretribulational, premillenial, and imminent return of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (II Thess. 2; John 14:1-3; Matt. 24:44).

The Condition of Man

We believe that man was created in the image of God, that he sinned and thereby incurred not only physical death but also the spiritual death which is separation from God, and that all human beings are born with a sinful nature and are now sinners by birth and by choice, positively inclined to evil, and therefore under just condemnation to eternal ruin without defense or excuse (Gen. 2:17; Rom. 5:12-21; Psalm 58:3; I Cor. 2:14; Rom. 1:20; Gen. 1:26-27).

Salvation

We believe that all who receive the Lord Jesus Christ by faith are born again of the Holy Spirit and are thereby children of God and are eternally saved (John 1:12; Gal. 3:24-26; I John 5:13).

Satan

We believe that Satan is literal and personal, the agent of the fall, the prince and power of this world and that he shall be judged and eternally punished (Rev. 20:1-10; Eph. 2:1-4).

The Resurrection

We believe in the bodily resurrection of the dead; both of the just and unjust. We believe in a literal heaven and a literal hell; that the spirits of the unsaved at death descend immediately into Hades where they are kept under punishment until the final day of judgment (Luke 16:19-31; II Pet. 2:9), at which time their bodies shall be raised from the grave, they shall be judged according to their works, and cast into the place of final and everlasting punishment (Mark 9:43-48; I Thess. 4:16-18; Jude 13; Rev. 20:11-15, 21:8).

Ordinances

Baptism

We believe that immersion is the only form of baptism revealed and commanded in the Scriptures, that it has no saving power but is only for those who are already saved; and that the new birth, which comes through repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, is the Scriptural prerequisite for baptism; therefore, only those who are old enough to believe for themselves should be baptized (Acts 2:38; Rom. 6:3-5).

Lord's Supper

We believe the Lord's Supper is a memorial of the death of Christ and that only those who have been saved through faith in His atoning blood and are walking in obedient fellowship with Him ought to partake of it. We do not believe in closed communion (I Cor. 11:23-32).

Church Offices

We believe that the Bible teaches that the following offices of the church should be held only by men: pastor, assistant pastor, deacon (I Tim. 3:1-13; Acts 15).

Separation

We believe that all saved people are called to a life of separation. This separation is in at least two areas: personal and ecclesiastical.

Personal

Every believer should live a life that is holy, showing a difference between God's children and the world. This includes obedience to the plain commands of Scripture and obedience in areas of conscience as dictated by biblical principles.

Ecclesiastical

While recognizing the unity of all true believers, it is also evident that unbelief and error in many organized fellowships have developed to the point that recognized and indisputable apostasy exists. We, therefore, disavow the position of the World Council of Churches, the National Council of Churches, and any other association or fellowship that would follow their principles of compromise with apostasy. We stand in opposition to the Ecumenical Movement, Neo-orthodoxy, New Evangelicalism, and cooperative evangelistic programs between churches and organizations not of like faith (II Cor. 6:14-18; Eph. 5:11-12; Luke 12:51).

Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality

We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a monogamous marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, polygamy, and pornography are sinful perversions of God's gift of sex. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one's gender by surgery or appearance (Gen. 2:24; 19:5; 26:8-9; Lev. 18:1-30; Rom. 1:26-29; I Cor. 5:1; 6-9; I Thess. 4:1-8; Heb. 13:4).

We believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one woman (Gen. 2:24; Rom. 7:2; I Cor. 7:10; Eph. 5:22-23).

Charismatic and Masonic Movements

We believe that the modern healing and tongues movements are not in accordance with Scripture and are contrary to sound doctrine (I Cor. 13:8-11, 14:33, 40).

We believe that it is sin against God for a Christian to be a member of any secret society or lodge such as the Masons (II Cor. 6:14-17).