We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the verbally and plenary inspired Word of God. By inspiration we mean that all books of the Bible were written down by holy men of God as they were supernaturally moved by the Holy Ghost, in a definite yet inexplicable way so as to record the very words and sense of God though conveyed within their own literary styles; that such writings are free from all error and from all omission as no other writings have been or ever will be; that the Bible does not merely contain the Word of God, but is the very Word of God. The Scriptures are inerrant, infallible, and God-breathed and, therefore, are the final authority for faith and practice. The sixty-six books of the Old and New Testament are the complete and divine revelation of God to man. The Scriptures shall be interpreted according to their normal grammatical-historical meaning. (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:19-21)
We believe that God preserved the Hebrew text called the Masoretic text and the Greek manuscripts called the Textus Receptus from which the King James Version of the Bible was translated as the Word of God for English speaking peoples without error and therefore trustworthy. As such we reject the modern paraphrased versions, the common language versions, and all others as they delete the pure meaning of redemption and do injustice to the deity of Christ. The King James Version of the Bible shall be the official and only translation used by the church for all English speaking ministries. (Ps. 12:6-7; 119:89; Matt. 24:35)
We believe the Scriptures teach that there is one, and only one, living and true God, an infinite, intelligent Spirit, the Maker and supreme Ruler of Heaven and earth; inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy of all possible honor, confidence, and love; that in the unity of the Godhead there are three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; equal in every divine perfection, and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption. (Deut. 6:4; Matt. 3:16-17; 28:19; Jn. 4:24; 2 Cor. 13:14; Jn. 14:10, 26; 1 Jn. 5:7)
We believe the Scriptures teach that God the Father reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, and the events of human history according to the purposes of His grace; that He is unchangeable in holiness, love and truth; that He is Father in truth to those who are the children of God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and fatherly in His attitude toward all men, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and receive His gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. (Gen. 1:1; 17:1; 1 Cor. 8:6; Eph. 2:18; 4:6; 1 Pt. 1:15; Rev. 4:11)
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men. (Is. 7:14; 9:6; Lk. 1:35; Jn. 1:1-2, 14; 2 Cor. 5:19-21; Gal. 4:4-5; Phil. 2:5-8)
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice, and that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead. (Acts 2:18-36; Rom. 3:24-25; Eph. 1:7; 1 Pet. 2:24; 1 Peter 1:3-5)
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate. (Acts 1:9-10; Rom. 8:34; Heb. 9:24; 7:25; 1 Jn. 2:1-2)
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and, that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption. (Jn. 16:8-11; Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 12:12-14; 2 Cor. 3:6; Eph. 1:13-14)
We believe that He is the divine Teacher who assists believers to understand and appropriate the Scriptures and that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the Spirit. (Eph. 1:17-18; 5:18; 1 Jn. 2:20, 27)
We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowal of spiritual gifts to every believer. God uniquely uses evangelists, pastors, and teachers to equip believers in the church to do the work of the ministry. (Rom. 12:3-8; 1 Cor. 12:4-11, 28; Eph. 4:7-12)
We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and the gift of healing, were temporary. Speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the filling of the Holy Spirit. We believe that God, in accord with His own will, does hear and answer prayer for the sick and afflicted. Ultimate deliverance of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection. (1 Cor. 1:22; 13:8; 14:21-22)
We believe that the Genesis account of creation is neither allegory nor myth, but a literal, historical account of God’s creation of the universe in six literal, 24-hour periods. We reject evolution, the Gap Theory, the Day-Age Theory, and Theistic Evolution as unscriptural theories of origin. We further believe that the Genesis Flood in the days of Noah was universal. (Gen. 1-2; 7:11-24; Ex. 20:11)
We believe that Satan was once holy, and enjoyed heavenly honor; but through pride and ambition to be as the Almighty, fell and drew after him a host of angels; that he is now the malignant prince of the power of the air, and the unholy god of this world. We hold him to be man’s great tempter, the enemy of God and His Christ, the accuser of the saints, the author of all false religions, the chief power back of the present apostasy; the lord of the Antichrist, and the author of all the powers of darkness – destined however to final defeat at the hands of God’s own Son, and to the judgment of an eternal justice in hell, a place prepared for him and his angels. He can be resisted and overcome. (Job 1:6-7; Is. 14:12-17; Matt. 4:2-11; 25:41; Rev. 20:10)
We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God; but that in Adam’s sin the human race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God. Man is totally depraved and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition. (Gen. 1:26-27; Rom. 3:22-23; 5:12; 6:23; Eph. 2:1-3; 4:17-19)
Salvation is by the grace of God alone, which means that it is a free gift that is neither merited nor secured in whole or in part by any virtue or work of man or by any religious duty or sacrament. The gift of God’s grace was purchased by Jesus Christ alone, by His blood and death on Calvary. The sinner receives God’s salvation by repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Though salvation is by God’s grace alone through faith, it results in a changed life; salvation is not by works but it is unto works. The faith for salvation comes by hearing God’s Word. (Jn. 1:11-13; 3:16-18, 36; 5:24; 14:6; Acts 4:12; 15:11; 20:21; Rom. 10:9-10, 13, 17; 1 Cor. 15:1-4; Eph. 1:7; 1:12-14; 2:8-10; Tit. 3:3-8; Heb. 1:3; 1 Pt. 1:18-19; 1 Jn. 4:10)
We believe the Scriptures teach that the blessings of salvation are made free to all by the Gospel; that it is the immediate duty of all to accept them by a penitent and obedient faith; and that nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner on earth except his own inherent depravity and voluntary refusal to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, which refusal will subject him to an aggravated condemnation. (Is. 55:1, 6-7; Matt. 11:28; Jn. 3:15-16, 18, 36; 6:37; 15:4; Acts 2:38; Rom. 10:13; 1 Cor. 15:10; Eph. 2:4-5; Col. 3:12; 1 Thess. 1:4; 1 Tim. 1:15; Tit. 1:1; 1 Pt. 1:2; Rev. 22:17)
We believe the Scriptures teach that repentance is a personal act, prompted by the Spirit of God; and consists in a godly sorrow over sin, as offensive to God and ruinous to the soul; that it is accompanied with great humiliation in view of one’s sin and guilt, together with prayer for pardon for one’s sins. (Is. 55:7; Ps. 51:1-4, 7; Matt. 3:1-2; 4:17; Mk. 1:15; Lk. 18:13; 24:47; Acts 3:19; 5:31; 17:30; 20:21; Rom. 2:5; 2 Cor. 7:2)
We believe the Scriptures teach that faith, inseparably united with repentance, is a solemn obligation and a grace wrought in our soul by the quickening Spirit of God; that it is an assent of the mind and a consent of the heart, consisting of belief and trust, wherein the testimony of God is accepted and believed as true, while Christ is unreservedly received for salvation; that through it the believer is brought into vital relations with God, as seeing Him Who is invisible, freely justified; that it reveals Christ to the soul as a willing and sufficient Saviour, and commits the heart and life to Him. (Jer. 17:7; Ps. 34:22; 125:1; Acts 16:31; Rom. 1:17; 3:22; 5:1; 10:3, 9-13; 2 Cor. 5:7; Heb. 11:1, 6; Ja. 2:23)
We believe that once a person is saved, he is kept by God’s power and remains secure in Christ forever. (Jn. 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Rom. 8:1; 38-39; 1 Cor. 1:4-8; 1 Pet. 1:4-5)
We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word; which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh. (Rom. 10:17; 13:13-14; Gal. 5:13; Tit. 2:11-15; 1 Pt. 1:3-6)
We believe that the local New Testament church was founded by Jesus Christ during His own personal ministry and that entrance into His church is by way of salvation and Scriptural baptism. (Matt. 16:18; Acts 2:41-47)
We believe that the local, visible assembly of called out believers into a public place of worship and service is the church Jesus said He would build. We do not believe in an invisible or universal invisible church. (Rev. 2:1, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, 14)
We believe that the local church is the body and the espoused bride of Christ. (1 Cor. 12:12-14; 2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 1:22-23; 5:25-27)
We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament. (Acts 14:27; 20:17, 28-32; 1 Tim. 3:1-13, 15; Tit. 1:5-11)
We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any external authority or controls, and any affiliations, societies, organizations, associations, or agencies this church affiliates with to further the objectives stated in the Purpose Statement are not authoritative in matters of church practice or belief. (Acts 13:1-4; 15:19-31; 20:28; Rom. 16:1, 4; 1 Cor. 3:9, 16; 5:4-7, 13; 1 Pet. 5:1-4)
We recognize baptism and the Lord’s Supper as the Scriptural ordinances of obedience for the church in this age. We believe that baptism is a scriptural ordinance requiring immersion of believers only, to be administered by a New Testament church. We believe that the Lord’s Supper is for the membership of the church by the partaking of unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine, as symbols of Christ’s body and blood, commemorating His suffering and death for us and our continual benefit from. (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; 8:36-38; 1 Cor. 11:23-26)