Our Statement of Faith

The Scriptures

(2 Tim. 3:15-17; 2 Pet. 1:20-21, 3:15-16; 1 Cor. 2:13; John 14:26, 16:13, 17:17)

Gretchen and I believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God and is inerrant in original writings.

We believe that this divine inspiration extends equally to each word and all parts.

We believe that all the Scriptures center on the Lord Jesus Christ, both the Old and New Testament, and are the believer’s sole authority.

We believe that Scripture is to be taken in its natural and literal sense, recognizing the interpreter must not appeal to literary forms, which cast doubt on the reliability or the morality of the Divine Author of Scripture.

We believe that all Scriptures were designed for our practical instruction and application.

The True God

(John 4:24; Deut. 6:4; Gen. 1:1; Col. 2:9; Heb 1:1-2; John 1:1, 14, 18, 8:58; Phil. 2:5-8; 1 Peter 2:24, 3:18; Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14; Matt. 1:18-25; John 14:26, 15:26, 16:6-14)

We believe there is only one living and true God existing in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

We believe that the members of the Godhead have the same nature and attributes and are worthy of the same worship and honor.

We believe that the Father is the source of all things and the one who sent the Son as His gift into the world.

We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, eternal and equal with the Father, born of the virgin Mary, and that He is both true God and true Man.

We believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins according to Scriptures as a voluntary and substitutionary sacrifice.

We believe that Jesus Christ rose physically from the dead and ascended to the right hand of the Father, where He is now ministering as our advocate and High Priest.

We believe that Jesus Christ will receive us unto Himself at His coming and will return to establish His millennium kingdom on earth.

We believe the Holy Spirit is a divine person who is co-equal with the Father and Son, and that He was active in creation, convicts the world of sin, reveals Christ, and baptizes all believers into the body of Christ at conversion along with His work of indwelling, sealing, regenerating, empowering, and gifting.

We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit were given only to the early church for the primary purpose of authenticating its ministry.

Man/Sin

(Gen 1:26-27, 2:7; Romans 3:1-24; 5:12-14)

We believe that man is the product of the direct creative act of God, made in the image and likeness of God.

We believe in the sanctity of human life, which begins at the point of conception.

We believe that all sexual relationships must pattern themselves after a faithful heterosexual within marriage.

We believe that man fell through sin, and, as a consequence, became dead in trespasses and sins and became subject to the power of Satan.

We believe that sin has been transmitted to the entire human race, so that every child of Adam is born into the world with a fallen nature devoid of spiritual life and no power to recover oneself from this condition.

Salvation

(Eph. 2:1-8; Titus 3:5-6; Acts 16:31; John 3:3-7; 2 Cor. 5:17; 1 Pet. 1:23; 2 Peter 1:4)

We believe that salvation is entirely of God, by grace, through personal faith in the blood of Christ, wholly apart from any human merit, works, or foreseen faith.

We believe that believers were chosen sovereignly by God before the foundation of the world for salvation and are enabled by the spirit to believe.

We believe that the divine nature and divine life are communicated to believers by a supernatural work of the Spirit.

We believe that believers are justified before God in that their sins were imputed to Christ and His righteousness was reckoned to them.

We believe that all believers were sanctified at the point of salvation and the believer is progressively brought closer to conformity to the holiness of God, a process culminating at the return of Christ.

We believe that all who are truly born again will be kept by Christ and will persevere in faith unto the day of redemption.

The Church

(2 Cor. 6:14; Matt. 7:15-16; Eph. 1:22-23, 4:11-12; 1 Cor. 11:23-28; Acts 2:41-42)

We believe that all who are united to the risen and ascended Son of God are members of the church which began at Pentacost.

We believe that the local church is a congregation of immersed believers, associated in the faith, stewardship of the gospel, and worship of God.

We believe that the local church has the absolute right of self-government free from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations.

We believe that the ordinances of the church are baptism by immersion as the identifying symbol of one’s belief in Christ’s death and resurrection and communion, which is a commemoration of Christ’s death until He comes.

We believe the church has the responsibility to take the gospel message to all nations of the earth and to be a voice for justice and truth in the world.

We believe in separation from all sinful practices and spiritual apostasy.

Angels

(Hebrew 1:6; Rev. 5:11; Gen. 3:1-5; Matt. 4:1-11; Rev. 20:10)

We believe that angels are spirit beings created to serve and worship God.

We believe Satan was created holy but rebelled against the Creator, involving numerous angels in his fall and introducing sin to the human race by the temptation of our first parents.

We believe Satan was defeated in the death of Christ and will be tormented eternally in the lake of fire.

We believe that Satan’s control over Christians is limited to external influences which may be resisted by the believer.

Future Events

(1 Thess. 4:13-18; 1 Cor. 15:22-24; Rev. 1:5-7, 19:11-16; 20:1-7; John 5:22; Romans 14:10-13; Rev. 21-22; John 14:1-3)

We believe in the imminent coming of Jesus Christ for His church prior to the tribulation period at which time all church saints will be raised, glorified and rewarded.

We believe that Christ will return at the end of the tribulation to set up the millennial kingdom, to overthrow Satan, and to re-gather Israel to their promised land according to Old Testament promises.

We believe in the physical resurrection of all the dead: the saved to life eternal, the unsaved to eternal judgment and separation from God in the lake of fire.

We believe the eternal state will begin following the judgment of the lost with believers of all time enjoying God forever.