THE HOLY SCRIPTURES 

We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, fully inspired, God breathed and without error in the original manuscripts, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and it has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.  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, and all issues of interpretation shall be determined by the pastor and deacon board.

(Matthew 5:17-18; 1 Timothy 3:1-3; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Hebrews 4:12-13)

DISPENSATIONALISM

We believe that the scriptures interpreted in their natural, literal sense reveal divinely determined dispensations or rules of life which define man’s responsibilities in successive ages.  These dispensations are not ways of salvation, but rather are divinely ordered stewardships by which God directs man according to His purpose.

(Genesis 1:28; 1 Corinthians 9:17; 2 Corinthians 3:9-18; Galatians 3:13-25; Ephesians 1:10; 3:2-10; Colossians 1:24-25, 27; Revelation 20:2-6)

THE TRINITY

We believe that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – that these are equal in every divine perfection, and that they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence and redemption.

(Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; John 14:10, 26; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 John 5:7)

1)     God The Father –                                                                                                                                                         

We believe in God, the Father, an infinite, personal spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love.  We believe that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ. (Genesis 1; Psalm 103:8; 2 Peter 3:9)

2)     The Person and Work of Jesus Christ –                                                                                                                    

We believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, that He became man without ceasing to be God, His sinless life, miracles and teachings.  And we believe He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men. (Isaiah 7:14; 9:6; Luke 1:35; John 1:1-2; 14:2; 2 Corinthians 5:19-21; Galatians 4:4-5; Philippians 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; Romans 3:24-25; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:3-5; 2:24)

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ bodily 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; Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25; 9:24; 1 John 2:1-2)

3)     The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit –                                                                                                                   We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world of sin, or 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.  (John 16:8-11; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 12:12-13; 2 Corinthians 3:6: Ephesians 1:13-14)

We believe that the Holy Spirit 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.  (Ephesians 1:17-18; 5:18; 1 John 2:20, 27)

We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowal of spiritual gifts to every believer and the Holy Spirit uniquely uses these gifts such as evangelists, pastors, and teachers to equip believers in the assembly in order that they can do the work of the ministry.  (Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 28; Ephesians 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 baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit, and that ultimate deliverance of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection, though God frequently chooses to answer the prayers of believers for physical healing.  (Acts 2:1-12; 1 Corinthians 1:22; 13:8; 14:19-22)

THE TOTAL DEPRAVITY OF MAN

We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God; but that in Adam’s sin the human race fell, was imputed sinful nature, and became separated from God.  Man is totally depraved and unable to save himself from sin's penalty of death.  (Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 3:22-23; 5:12; 6:23; Ephesians 2:1-3; 4:17-19)

SALVATION

We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins.  (John 1:12; 3:16; Corinthians 1:15; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-10; 1 Peter 1:18-19; 1 John 1:9)

THE ETERNAL SECURITY AND ASSURANCE OF BELIEVERS

We believe that all those who have trusted Christ Jesus for their individual salvation from sin's penalty are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever.  (John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Romans 8:1, 38-39; 1 Corinthians 1:4-8; 1 Peter 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 discourages the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh.  (Romans 13:13-14; Galatians 5:13; Titus 2:11-15)

THE CHURCH

We believe that the universal church, which is the living spiritual body and espoused bride of Christ, is solely made up of born-again persons.  (1 Corinthians 12:12-14; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 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 Scriptures.  (Acts 2; 14:27; 20:17, 28-32; 1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11)

We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any external authority or control.  (Acts 13:1-4; 15:19-31; 20:28; Romans 16:1, 4; 1 Corinthians 3:9, 16; 5:4-7, 13; 1 Peter 5:1-4)

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to the local church; baptism and the Lord’s Supper.  We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in the name of the triune God.  We believe that the Lord’s Supper was instituted by Christ for commemoration of His death.  We believe that these two ordinances should be observed and administered until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.  (Mark 16:16; Acts 10:47-48; 1 Corinthians 11:23-28)

CHRISTIAN CONDUCT AND SEPARATION

We believe that a Christian should live for the glory of God and the well being of his fellow men; that his conduct should be blameless before the world; that he should be a faithful steward of his possessions; and that he should seek to realize for himself and others the full stature of maturity in Christ.  (1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 7:23; 1 Thessalonians 5:22)

We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord.  God commands His people to separate themselves from all false teachings, conformity to the world’s system, sinful pleasures, practices and associations.  (Romans 12:1-2; 14:13; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; 1 John 2:15-17; 2 John 9-11)

CHRISTIAN RESPONSIBILITY AND INDEPENDENCE

We believe that every child of God has direct relations with God, and is responsible to God alone in all matters of the faith; that this church is independent and must be free from interference by any ecclesiastical or political authority, that, therefore, Church and state must be kept separate as having different functions, each fulfilling its duties free from dictation or patronage of the other.  (Acts 4:16; Matthew 22:21)

THE LAST THINGS

1)     The Second Coming of Jesus Christ – We believe in the blessed hope, the personal, imminent return of Christ Who will rapture His church prior to the seven-year tribulation period.  At the end of the tribulation, Christ will personally and visibly return with His bride, to establish His earthly Messianic Kingdom which was promised to the nation of Israel.  (Psalm 89:3-4; Daniel 2:31-45; Zechariah 14:4-11; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; Revelation 3:10; 19:11-16; 20:1-6)

2)     The Eternal State – We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved

to judgment and everlasting punishment.  (Matthew 25:36; John 5:28-29; 11:25-26; Revelation 20:5-6, 12-13)

We believe that the redeemed, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection, when spirit, soul and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord.  (Luke 23:43; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23; 3:21; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; Revelation 20:4-6)

We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious punishment and torment until the second resurrection, when with spirit, soul and body reunited, they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment, and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment and torment.  (Matthew 25:41-46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-26; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9; Jude 6-7; Revelation 20:11-15)