A. The Bible
We believe that the Bible is the Word of God; holy men of God wrote the Scriptures as they were inspired by the Holy Spirit. The entire Bible in each original manuscript was without error, and God has Divinely preserved His Word for us. The Bible is God’s standard and authority to all men and to the church in all matters pertaining to faith and conduct. 2 Pet. 1:21; 2 Tim. 3:16; John 17:17.
B. The Trinity
We believe in one living and true God. God is Spirit. He is without beginning and without ending. He eternally exists in three Persons—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. These Divine Persons of the Godhead execute distinct but harmonious offices in the works of creation, providence, and redemption. John 4:24; 14-26; 2 Cor. 13:15; Matt. 3:16; Gen. 1:27
C. God the Father
We believe in God the Father, an infinite and personal spirit. He is perfect in all holiness, wisdom, power and love. He is concerned with the affairs of men. He hears and answers prayer. He saves from sin and death, and He gives new life to all who come to Him through Jesus Christ. Matt. 7:11; 6:9f; Rom. 3:23-26; Gen.1:1
D. Jesus Christ
We believe in Jesus Christ, the eternal and only begotten Son of God. He was supernaturally born of a virgin. He lived a sinless life, perfectly fulfilling the Divine law. He is truly God and truly man. In His teaching and miracles He manifested His Divine nature. While He walked here on earth, He suffered and was tempted like all men, but He did not sin.
We believe in His substitutionary atoning death on the cross, a Divine act that made possible the reconciliation of the sinner to God. He arose bodily from the dead on the third day, and subsequently ascended bodily into heaven where He is making intercession for the saints. He will return again to earth in His Divine glory and power, as He promised. Matt.1:18-21; John 1:14; 3:16; Heb. 2:18; 1Pet. 3:18; 1 Cor. 15:3f; Acts 1:11; Heb. 7:25.
E. The Holy Spirit
We believe in the Spirit who came from the Father and the Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He is a Divine Person. He imparts Divine life to all who have faith in Christ. He guides, empowers, indwells, and enlightens every true believer in Jesus Christ. He is the aiding helper, comforter and teacher of every Christian. Acts 1:8; John 16:7-11; 14:16f; 3:5.
F. Man
We believe that man was created in the image of God—holy and without sin. However, he willfully transgressed the commandment of God and became a sinner. Because of this, the Scriptures teach that all men are sinners in Adam, and are thus under the righteous condemnation of God. Man is not only a sinner by nature, but also by choice. Because of his sinful and corrupt nature, man has no power or ability to save himself from the wrath of God. Gen. 1:27; Rom. 5:12-19; 3:19f; Isa. 64:6; Ps. 51:5.
G. Regeneration
We believe that a sinner can be saved only because of and through the mercy, grace, and love of God who provided a Savior for the world—His Divine Son, Jesus Christ. In order to be saved, a sinner must repent of his sin, and believe, and trust in Christ as his personal Savior and Lord. A sinner who has exercised this faith is counted by God as righteous in Christ, and regeneration is accomplished by the Holy Spirit. 2 Tim. 1:9f; 1:15; Rom. 10:9f; Eph. 2:8f; John 1:12; 3:16; Titus 3:4-7; 2 Cor. 5:21.
H. The Church
We believe in the Church, a living spiritual body of which Christ is the Head and of which all regenerated persons in every place and all ages are members. We believe that the local churches are the visible representation and agencies of the Body of Christ. The local church is a company of believers in Christ in a given place who have been baptized by immersion upon credible profession of their faith, and who have united together in the fulfillment of the commands of Christ for worship, fellowship, and the preaching of the Gospel. To the local church has been given the responsibility of reaching the lost for Christ, the nurturing of believers in their Christian life and faith, and the administration of the ordinances. The Scriptures provide for two offices in the local Church: the pastors (also called bishops, elders, or presbyters) and the deacons. Every Church is an independent body and responsible only to its head, Jesus Christ. Local Churches conduct their administrative affairs in a democratic manner, the voice of the majority ruling. Eph. 1:22f; Acts 11:22; 13:1-3; 2:41-47; Eph. 4:11-13; Phil.1:1; Matt. 28:10f.
I. Christian Conduct
We believe that every Christian should live for the glory of God. The Christian life begins at the moment an individual receives Christ as Savior. As the Christian grows from studying God’s Word, as he prays, and as he allows the Holy Spirit to guide and empower him, his Christian life is strengthened in holiness and knowledge of God’s will. 1 Cor. 6:19f; 10:32; 2 Pet. 3:18; 2 Tim. 2:15; Phil. 1:6; 2 Cor. 6:14-18; 2 Thes. 5:22; 1 Cor. 16:2; Matt. 3:10.
J. The Ordinances
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to the local churches; namely, baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We believe that baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Baptism is an act of obedience to Christ, symbolizing the death of a believer to sin, his burial with Christ, and his resurrection with Christ into a new life. We believe that the local churches are commanded to commemorate the Lord’s Supper by God’s people. These two ordinances are symbolic in their meaning, and have no power in themselves to confer grace or eternal life. Matt. 20:19; 1 Cor. 11:23-26; Rom. 6:3f.
K. Last Things
We believe in the bodily and visible return of Christ to the earth. The time of His return has not been released. It is the responsibility of every believer to live in a state of readiness for His coming. We believe that all judgement is committed to the Son of God who shall judge the living and the dead after His return. We believe in the resurrection of the body. All who have not accepted the salvation of God in Christ shall be condemned to eternal separation from God in hell together with Satan and his angels. Believers shall be judged and rewarded according to their works. All true believers shall enjoy eternal and personal fellowship with God Himself throughout all eternity. I Thes. 4:14-18; 2 Thes. 1:7-9; 2 Cor. 5:1-10; Matt. 25:46; I Thes. 1:10
L. Satan
We believe in the existence of Satan. He is a created angel. Before the creation of man, Satan sinned by opposing God. Scripture calls him the Evil One, the Tempter and the Adversary. He tempted our first parents to sin, and he continues until now by God’s permission as the “god of this world.” He is the leader of all earthly and heavenly opposition to God. God has already condemned him and his angels to hell. The victory of Christ over sin and death is sure evidence of the coming final defeat of Satan. Isa. 14:12-15; Eph. 2:2; I Pet. 5: 8; Rev. 20:10
M. Christian Citizenship
We believe that all constituted authority is from God, given for the purpose of promoting orderliness and the common good of mankind. These authorities are to be respected and obeyed, except in matters which are plainly contrary to those places of authority. We believe that the Christian citizen must be an example among men, showing forth at all times the true Christian life. Rom. 13:1-7; Acts 5:29; I Pet. 2:3f.
N. Religious Liberty
We believe that, ultimately, every human being is personally responsible only to God in all matters of faith. Because of this, the local churches, as independent and autonomous bodies, must be free from all outside rules or interference of man, organizations or authorities of any kind. The churches and the state must remain separate, each having their own function, and each fulfilling their own responsibilities without interference from each other.
O. Church Cooperation
We believe that local churches of like faith and practice can promote the spread of the Gospel by mutual cooperation in an association of churches. Such associations exist and function by the will of the churches, and membership and cooperation in such associations by any church is voluntary and may be terminated at any time.
A. The Bible