The Bible

We believe the Bible to be the fully and verbally inspired, living Word of God. We believe that the original 66 books of the Old and New Testament are inerrant, infallible, and complete. We believe that these 66 books have been preserved for all generations, and therefore we believe that the Bible is man’s final authority for both faith and practice. We hold to the Masoretic Text and the TR family of manuscripts and recognize only translations done from these through a formal equivalency translation. For the English language, we hold to the King James Version. We believe in the literal interpretation of the Scriptures in their historical and grammatical context.

(2 Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 4:12; 2 Peter 1:19-21; Matthew 5:18; Ephesians 2:20 & Acts 1:21-22 & 1 Timothy 1:1; Psalm 12:6–7; Psalm 47:2 & 1 Thessalonians 2:13)

The Godhead

We believe in one God, Who is a personal, intelligent, eternal, and self-existent Spirit. This God is perfect and immutable in all His attributes, sovereign over His creation, and infinite in His being. We believe that while this God is one in nature, essence, and being, He has eternally existed in three indivisible yet distinct Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three Persons have precisely the same nature and attributes, yet each have a distinct ministry in relation to His creation.

(Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 7:14; 1 John 3:20; 1 Timothy 1:17; John 5:26; John 4:24; Malachi 3:6 & James 1:17; Proverbs 21:1 & Revelation 13:8; Genesis 1:1; Isaiah 40:12 & Psalm 139:7-12; Matthew 3:16-17)

Christ

We believe Jesus Christ, the eternal second Person of the Triune God, became a man through virgin birth in order to reveal God, to redeem mankind, and to rule over God’s kingdom. We believe His incarnation never relinquished any attributes of His Deity, but merely veiled them. We believe that even though He was tempted in all points as we are, He lived an absolutely sinless life and became the sinner’s voluntary substitute on the Cross of Calvary. This sacrifice was a just payment to God for the forgiveness of sin, and it was activated by His death through the shedding of His blood on the cross. We believe that He bodily ascended into Heaven and that He will come to rapture His saints to be with Himself. We believe that Jesus is currently in Heaven, preparing a place for believers as well as being an Advocate and Intercessor for them.

(John 1:1, 14 & Micah 5:2; Isaiah 7:14 & Matthew 1:25; John 1:18, 29 & Hebrews 1:1-10; Luke 19:10; Revelation 20:4; Philippians 2:5-11; Hebrews 4:15 & 1 Peter 2:22; Romans 3:19-25 & Romans 5:6-15 & 2 Corinthians 5:19-21 & 1 Peter 1:18-19 & Hebrews 9:24-28; Romans 4:24-25; Mark 16:19; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; John 14:2-3; Hebrews 7:25 & 1 John 2:1-2)

The Holy Spirit

We believe the Holy Spirit is the eternal third Person of the Triune God, possessing all attributes of Deity. We believe that although the Holy Spirit has always been involved in the affairs of mankind, He has a special ministry that began at Pentecost and will continue until the rapture. We believe that His current ministry is: that He convicts the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment; that He regenerates, baptizes, and indwells all believers at the moment of their salvation; and that He further empowers, teaches, and fills believers who daily surrender to Him. We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Commander-in-Chief of missions and that His testimony is not of Himself but of Jesus Christ.

(Acts 5:3-4; Genesis 1:2 & Judges 3:10 & Numbers 27:18; Acts 1:5 & Acts 2:1-4; 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8; John 16:7-8; Titus 3:5; 1 Corinthians 12:13; John 14:16-17 & 1 Corinthians 3:16; Ephesians 1:13-14; Galatians 5:16; John 16:13a; Ephesians 5:18; Acts 13:2-4; John 16:13b)

Man / Sin / Salvation

We believe that all men were born with an inherited sin nature received from our common ancestor, Adam. We believe that because of this inherited nature, man is a sinner by choice, and that he is totally incapable of ceasing from his sin through his own power. We believe that the only remedy to man’s sin is in God’s free gift of salvation. We believe that this salvation is given by grace and is neither merited nor secured in part or in whole by any virtue or work of man. We believe that this salvation is received only by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and that this salvation is offered to every living human. We believe that all those who reject Jesus Christ as their Saviour are already condemned to an eternity in the lake of fire. We believe that those who accept this free gift of salvation are eternally secure and will immediately be in Christ’s presence after death.

(Genesis 5:1-3 & 1 Corinthians 15:22 & Romans 3:10-19 & Romans 5:12-19; Isaiah 64:6 & Romans 7:18 & Romans 8:8; Romans 5:18 & Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 4:2 & Romans 5:1-2; Titus 2:11; John 3:17-20 & Revelation 20:11-15 & Matthew 7:21-23; John 3:16 & Ephesians 1:13-14 & 2 Corinthians 5:8)

The Church / Ordinances

We believe that Jesus Christ, the Head and Chief Corner Stone of the Church, founded the Church and commissioned it. We believe that this Church was empowered on the day of Pentecost. We believe that all believers should assemble and identify themselves in local churches and that a local church is comprised of baptized believers who have united in organization. We believe that the purpose of the local church is: worship, fellowship, the carrying out of the Great Commission, and the observance of the ordinances of baptism and communion. We believe that the church is to be congregational in government; that the local church’s only authority is Christ and the Word of God; and that the church only has two offices: pastor and deacon. We believe the Biblical mode of baptism is immersion, and that baptism publicly identifies the believer: as a member of God’s family; with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ; and with the doctrine of the church that is performing the ordinance. We believe that the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper is to be a memorial of the death of Christ. The bread symbolizes his broken body, and the cup symbolizes his shed blood.

(Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 2:20; Matthew 16:16-18; Acts 1:4, 8, 15 & Acts 2:1, 4, 41-43; Hebrews 10:20-25; Acts 2:41; Philippians 3:1-3; Acts 2:42; Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:41; 1 Corinthians 11:22-26; Acts 6:1-6 & Acts 15; Acts 20:17, 28 & 1 Peter 5:1-3; 1 Timothy 3:10-13; Romans 6:2-8; 1 Corinthians 11:23-32)

Angels / Satan

We believe that angels are spirit beings that were created in a perfect state before the creation of the Earth. We believe that angels are higher in creation than man, that the third of angels that rebelled with Satan cannot be redeemed, and that the two thirds of angels that chose not to rebel have been confirmed in their state of holiness. We believe that Satan began as a perfect covering cherub in Heaven, but being lifted up with pride, he led a rebellion of angels against God. We believe that there is no truth in Lucifer, and that he was defeated at the cross of Christ. We believe that he is currently the god of this world and that he blinds people who have chosen not to believe in the gospel. We believe that Satan’s eternal home is in the Lake of Fire; that he cannot prevail against the Church; and that the Christian is protected from him through the armor of God and the Holy Spirit.

(Genesis 1:31; Job 38:4-7; Hebrews 2:7-9; 2 Peter 2:4; Ezekiel 28:12-15; Isaiah 14:12-14; John 8:44; Colossians 2:14-15; 2 Corinthians 4:4 & 1 Peter 5:8; Revelation 20:10 & Matthew 25:41; Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 6:11-12; 1 John 4:4)

The End Times

We believe in the imminent, pre-tribulational rapture: that the dead that are in Christ will rise first, and then the living believers will join them in the air with Christ. We believe that this event will be followed first by a seven year tribulation and then by a pre-millennial return of Christ to the earth for a literal 1,000 year reign. We believe that all who are raptured will be judged at the Judgment Seat of Christ for the determination of rewards and that all unbelievers will be judged at the Great White Throne Judgment after the millennial reign for the just sentence of eternity in the Lake of Fire. We believe that after the Great White Throne Judgment, eternity will be ushered in with the new heaven and new earth.

(Daniel 9:24 & 1 Thessalonians 5:9 & 1 Corinthians 15:51-54; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; Matthew 24:4-41 & Daniel 9:27 & Revelation 6; Zechariah 14:4 & Revelation 19 & Matthew 24:29-30 & Revelation 20:5-7; 2 Corinthians 5:10 & 1 Corinthians 3:11-15; Revelation 20:11-15; Revelation 21:1-4)

Creation

We believe that God created the universe in six literal, 24-hour periods. We reject evolution, the gap theory, the day-age theory, theistic evolution, and intelligent design not attributed to God as unscriptural theories of origin.

(Genesis 1-2; Exodus 20:11)

Civil Government

We believe that God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: 1) the home, 2) the church, and 3) the state. Every person is subject to these authorities, but all (including the authorities themselves) are answerable to God and governed by His Word. God has given each institution specific Biblical responsibilities and balanced these responsibilities with the understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the other. The home, the church, and the state are equal and sovereign in their respective Biblically-assigned spheres of responsibility under God.

(Ephesians 5:22-24; Hebrews 13:7, 17; Genesis 9:6 & Romans 13:1-7 & 1 Peter 2:13-14; Acts 5:27-29)

Marriage / Divorce / Remarriage

We believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one woman. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids divorce and intends marriage to last until one of the spouses dies. Although divorced and remarried persons or 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 or those administrative positions within the church that would consist of pastoral duties.

(Genesis 2:24 & Romans 7:2 & 1 Corinthians 7:10; Malachi 2:14-17 & Matthew 19:3-12 & Romans 7:1-3; 1 Timothy 3:2, 12 & Titus 1:6)

Abortion

We believe 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. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the physical or mental well being of the mother are acceptable.

(Job 3:16; Psalm 51:5; Psalm 139:14-16; Isaiah 44:24; Isaiah 49:1, 5; Jeremiah 1:5; Jeremiah 20:15-18; Luke 1:44)

Separation

We believe in Biblical separation: to be set apart from the world, sin, self, and Satan and to be separated to Christ, the praise of His glory, and the furtherance of the gospel. We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Saviour and Lord.

(Romans 12:1-2; 1 John 2:15-17 & Galatians 5:24 & 2 Corinthians 4:4; Galatians 2:20 & Galatians 6:14 & Philippians 1:20-21; Ephesians 1:5-6; Philippians 1:12 & 1 Corinthians 11:1; 2 Corinthians 5:20)