Statement of Faith

These are the central tenants of our faith that we affirm as a church body.

Statement of Faith

The Bible

We believe the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, is the inspired Word of God, without error in the original writings. It is the complete revelation of God’s will for the salvation of men and women, and the final authority for all Christian faith and life (Matthew 5: 17-18; John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12; 2 Peter 1:19-21)

Trinity

We believe in the one God, Creator and Sustainer of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Genesis 1:1; Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Hebrews 1:3)

The Father

We believe in God the Father, an infinite personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. We believe that He actively and mercifully intervenes in the affairs of humanity, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all that come to Him through Jesus Christ (Exodus 34:6-7; John 3:16; John 4:23-24; Ephesians 1:3)

Jesus Christ

We believe that Jesus Christ is true God and true man. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life. He died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins. He rose bodily from the dead. He ascended into heaven. He is now our High Priest and Advocate at the right hand of the Father. He will physically and visibly return to consummate history and rule and reign over the earth (John 1:1-18; Romans 4:25; Ephesians 1:15-23; Colossians 1:15-23; Hebrews 7:23-25)

Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit is fully God, equal with the Father and the Son. The primary ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify Jesus by convicting non-Christians of their need for Christ; giving new birth to believing sinners; and indwelling, sanctifying, leading, teaching, and empowering believers for godly living and service. We believe that all of the spiritual gifts listed in the Bible (Romans 12:6-8, Ephesians 4:11; 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, 28-30) continue to be distributed by the Spirit today; that these gifts are divine provisions central to spiritual growth and effective ministry; and that these gifts are to be eagerly desired, faithfully developed, and lovingly exercised according to biblical guidelines (John 3:3-8; 14:15-27; 16:5-15; Romans 8:9-17; 1 Corinthians 12-14; Galatians 5:16-26; Ephesians 5:18-21).

Humanity

We believe that God created humanity in the image of God. This image was marred in every part through the disobedience of our first parents, and fellowship with God was broken. Men and women are therefore sinners by nature and action and thus spiritually dead. God, in His grace, restores moral sensibility to all humankind and enables all to respond to His love and to accept His saving grace, if they will. Those who repent of sin and place their trust in Jesus Christ are spiritually born again to new life by the Holy Spirit, become children of God, and begin to live in holiness through faith in Christ and the sanctifying Holy Spirit. (Genesis 1:26-27; Genesis 3; John 12:32; Acts 2:38-39; Romans 3:9-26; Romans 5:12-21; Ephesians 2:1-9; 2 Peter 3:9;).

Salvation

We believe that salvation is a free gift of God and is received by individuals through faith in Jesus Christ apart from any human merit, works, or ritual. We believe that the shed blood of Jesus and His resurrection provide the only grounds for the forgiveness of sins for all who believe and that only those who receive Jesus Christ are born of the Spirit, become children of God, and are given eternal life (John 3:16-17; John 8:23-24; 14:6; Acts 16:29-34; Romans 3:21-31; 10:9-10; Ephesians 2:4-9; 1 Timothy 2:3-6; Titus 3:5-7).

The Church

We believe that the Church is composed of all people who through saving faith in Jesus Christ are united together in the Body of Christ of which Jesus is the head (Ephesians 1:22; 2:14-22; 4:1-5).

We believe that the sacraments of the local church are believer’s baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Believer’s baptism is a testimony of the death to sin and resurrection to a new life in Christ; and the Lord’s Supper is a memorial service, setting forth in sacred and symbolic manner the death of Jesus and our salvation through faith in Him. We believe that the Lord’s Supper and water baptism are divinely ordained to be observed by the church during this present age. Though they are not to be regarded as means of salvation, they are regarded as means of grace (Matthew 26:26-29; 28:19-20; Luke 22:19; Acts 2:38-39; Romans 6:3-4; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26).

Christ’s Return

We believe that the personal and imminent return of our Lord Jesus Christ is our future hope and has a vital bearing on the personal life and service of the believer (Matthew 24; John 14:1-4; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18; Titus 2:11-14; Revelation 19-20).

Resurrection

We believe in the bodily resurrection from the dead: of the believer to everlasting joy with the Lord; of the unbeliever to judgment and everlasting separation from God (1 Corinthians 15:35-58; 2 Corinthians 5:1-10; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10; Revelation 20-21).

Kingdom of God

We believe that the Kingdom of God has come in the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, that it continues to come in the ministry of the Holy Spirit through the Church, and that it will be consummated in the glorious, visible, and triumphant appearing of Christ when He returns to the earth as King.

We believe that after Christ returns, He will bring about the ultimate defeat of Satan, the resurrection of the dead, the final judgment, and the eternal blessings of the righteous. At that time, the Kingdom of God will be completely fulfilled in the new heavens and the new earth (Matthew 4:23; 12:28; Mark 13:26; Acts 1:1-8; 2:14-39; Romans 14:17-18; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; Revelation 19:11-16; 20:10; 21:1-5).