CREATION: 

We believe that God is the only one, living and true God (Deut 6:5; Isa 44:6, 10, 45:5; Jer 10:10 and is therefore the Creator and not the created (Psa 90:2; Isa 43:10; John 1:1; Rom 9:20-21). He is intimate with his creation but is independent from it (Isa 40:25-31).  He created from nothing all things in the heavens and the earth, from the stars to the seas, from the plants to the animals, all things both visible and invisible (Gen 1; Isa 45:7, 12; John 1:3; Acts 17:24; Rom 4:17; Heb 11:3).  He created the heavens and the earth in six days and then rested on the seventh (Gen 1-2).

By an immediate, purposeful, and direct act God also created Adam and Eve, the first human beings, in his own image (Gen 1:26-27, 2:7, 21-25). On the sixth day of creation man was formed by God out of the dust of the ground and became a living creature when God breathed the breath of life into him (Gen 2:7). Eve was created by God when he caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep, took one of his ribs, and used it to fashion her (Gen 2:20-23).

God commissioned mankind to be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth as well as to subdue the earth and rule over every living thing that moves upon the earth (Gen 1:28; 9:1).  Finally, man was created to give glory to God and enjoy him forever (Psa 86; Isa 43:7, 60:21; Rom 11:36; 1 Cor 6:20, 31; Rev 4:11 / Psa 16:5-11, 144:15; Isa 12:2; Luke 12:2; John 10:10; Phil 4:4; Rev 21:3-4).

THE WORD OF GOD:

 We believe that the Bible is the thirty-nine books of the Old Testament and the twenty-seven books of the New Testament.  Although the “heavens declare the glory of God” (Psa 19:1; Rom 1:20), the special revelation of hope and salvation through Jesus Christ has only been disclosed to us in the Bible, the very Word of God (Rom 10:17; John 20:31).  Men who were supernaturally influenced by the Holy Spirit wrote the Bible.  By its very testimony it is the inspired Word of God—even to the very choice of words (2 Tim 3:16-17; 1 Thess 2:13; 2 Pet 1:20-21).   The Holy Spirit opens our hearts and minds so we can understand the Bible (John 14:26; 1 Cor 2:14). 

God’s Word has the ultimate authority over our lives.  This includes all of our thoughts, words, and deeds (Josh 1:8; Psa 119:101; Heb 4:12).  The Bible contains that which is useful for a Christian to be thoroughly equipped for every good work     (2 Tim 3:16-17) and should be studied diligently, handled accurately, and obeyed (2 Tim 2:15; James 1:22).  All that is in the Bible will be accomplished – its words will never fail or pass away (Isa 40:8; Matt 5:18). The Bible is absolutely inerrant, true, perfect, sure, right, and pure as given in the original documents (Psa 12:6, 19:7-8).   The Bible contains the full and final revelation that God has desired to give to us.  It cannot be added to or deleted from (Matt 5:19; Rev 22:18-19).

BAPTISM: 

We believe that baptism is an obedient step of faith for all disciples of Jesus Christ (Matt 28:18-20).   Believer’s baptism is a public testimony of a believer showing forth his or her faith in the crucified, buried and risen Savior, and his or her union with Him in death to sin and resurrection to a new life (Rom 6:5-8). Believer’s baptism is only for those who can show evidence of the repentance of sin, belief in Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior, and a sincere desire to live an obedient and godly life (Acts 2:38-41; Gal 3:26-27; Rom 6:3-4).  Since an infant is incapable of this type of humility, decision, and commitment, we do not advocate infant baptism (Acts 8:36-37; 1 Pet 3:21). Further, we believe that those persons who have been baptized as an infant need to follow in obedience the rite of believer’s baptism once they can show proof of a true conversion experience. 

We further believe that believer’s baptism is a symbolic expression of existing faith in Christ Jesus and does not by itself save (Mark 16:16).   Believer’s baptism is a sign of fellowship and identification with the visible body of Christ (Acts 2:41; 1 Cor 12:13-14).  Baptism by immersion best conforms to the New Testament picture of a believer’s dying and rising with Jesus Christ. By being immersed into the water we identify with Christ’s death, by being raised up from the water we identify with His resurrection (Acts 8:38; Rom 6:5; Col 2:12).  Therefore, we hold that baptism should be by immersion unless physically impractical.

CHURCH LEADERSHIP: 

We believe that Jesus Christ, the Savior of the Body, is the head of his cherished possession, the church (Eph 5:22).  As a called and gathered people the local church must bow to the authority of Jesus Christ in all matters (Eph 5:24, 29).

God has ordained two offices within the local church, the Elders and the Deacons (Phil 1:1).  The Elders are men whose primary purpose is to shepherd God’s flock (Acts 20:17-31; 1 Pet 1-4) by leading, teaching, modeling, protecting, caring, and praying for the church family individually and corporately (Acts 6:2-4, 20:28, 35; 1 Peter 5:2; James 5:13-16.) As these men oversee the church they are to be prayed for, obeyed, and held in high regard (1 Thess 5:12; Heb 13:17-18). Following in the pattern of the early church (Acts 6:1-7; 1 Cor 14:40; 1 Tim 3:7-13), the Deacons are men who are given the responsibility to deal with the practical and material matters (e.g. finances and facilities) of the church so as to allow the Elders the freedom to give attention to the spiritual work to which God has called them. 

Those men who are affirmed by the congregation to serve in the office of Elder or Deacon must meet the pertinent biblical qualifications as found in (Acts 6:3-5; 1 Tim 3:1-13, Titus 2:5-9, and 1 Pet 5:1-4.)

The pastor is an elder (“first among equals”) who is financially supported by the church (1 Cor 9:14; 1 Tim 5:17-18) so that he may give himself fully to the work of the Lord (2 Tim 4:5). 

GENDER ROLES: 

 We believe that both men and women were created in the image of God (Gen 1:27) and, in the eyes of God, are both positionally equal in regards to salvation in Christ, loved, and valued (John 3:16; Gal 3:26-28). In God’s sovereignty, wisdom and design, men and women have been given and gifted different roles and responsibilities in both the marriage relationship and the church.

In regards to marriage, men are to love, respect, care for, protect and lead, especially by providing headship to the relationship. Women are to please God by complementing their husbands by showing love, respect and submissiveness (Eph 5:22-33; Col 3:18-19; 1 Pet 3:1-7). In regards to the church, women enjoy the privilege and freedom to serve in a variety of capacities and roles such as teaching other women (Tit 2:3-5), exercising spiritual gifts in accordance with the Word of God (Joel 2:28-29;1 Cor 12:7, 27-30) and serving the overall congregation.

Men only are to be the spiritual leaders of the corporate church and hold the offices of Elder and Deacon (see CHURCH LEADERSHIP). Since God has ordained that women are not to teach men nor hold authority over men (1 Cor 14:33-37; 1 Tim 2:11-14) women are not to take on the teaching or authoritative roles in the church such as Elder or Pastor.      

COMMUNION: 

We believe that on the night Jesus was betrayed, while he and his disciples were eating a meal on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus instituted the ordinance of communion (Mark 14:12, 17-18; Luke 22:17-19).  Communion is a proclamation of the Lord’s sacrificial and atoning death until he comes (1 Cor 11:26).  The elements used in communion, are symbolic in nature and remind us of the death of Jesus Christ.  The bread reminds us that the body of Christ was sacrificed for us on the cross and the wine reminds us of the blood that He shed for our transgressions (1 Cor 11:24-26).

Communion is not a sacrifice of the body and blood of Jesus Christ nor are the elements actually transformed into the real flesh and blood of Jesus (Heb 7:26-27, 10:10).    Participation in communion does not confer salvation, special grace nor the forgiveness of sins (Rom 10:9-10; Eph 2:8-9; 1 John 1:9). Communion should always be proceeded by self-examination to ensure that one is not participating in an unworthy manner (1 Cor 11:28-31). Participation in communion is only intended for believers in Jesus Christ, and is therefore meaningless for an unbeliever (2 Cor 6:14-15). 

Currently Under Revision & Editing

LORD’S SECURITY OF THE BELIEVER: 

We believe that the true believer is secured in his relationship with God and Christ by the grace and power of God. There are many teachings in the Scriptures that support this conviction. Jesus taught that he and his Father would hold his followers securely in their grasp (Jn. 10:27-29) and that the Comforter, that is, the Holy Spirit, would be with them forever (Jn. 14:16). God promises believers that He will never abandon them (Heb. 13:5) and that the indwelling Holy Spirit is His seal of ownership on them and the guarantee of their inheritance (II Cor. 1:21-22; Eph. 1:13-14). This does not give the believer the license to sin, for God makes it clear that the believer will be held accountable for his conduct (I Cor. 3:10-15; II Cor. 5:9-10). Finally, those passages in the Scriptures that appear to imply that a believer can lose his salvation have other explanations.

FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP:

 We believe that the believer belongs to God (I Cor. 6:19- 20), that every good thing that he is and has is a gift from God (I Cor. 4:7; I Tim. 6:17; Js. 1:17), and that he is responsible to God for what he does with that which God has given him (Mt. 25:14-30; Lk. 16:1-13; I Pt. 4:10-11). As a steward of the material wealth with which God has entrusted him, he is to use it responsibly.  He is not to be self-indulgently preoccupied with accumulating money and material things but rather to use his material wealth to accomplish things that have eternal value (Mt. 6:19-34; Lk. 12:13-34; I Tim. 6:6- 10, 17-19). This includes sharing with those who are needy, using it to bring people to faith in Christ, and supporting the work of God. Although tithing (giving a tenth of one’s income) was not used by our Lord or his apostles in their teachings on giving, it was practiced by Old Testament believers andcommanded in the Law as support for the Levites, the temple servants. Since this was the case—particularly in that the tithe was only a portion of the giving that God required from Old Testament believers—an argument can be made that the tithe should be the starting point for New Testament giving.

CHURCH DISCIPLINE:

 We believe that as followers of the Lord Jesus we have the responsibility to aid one another in living lives of obedience to Christ (Heb. 3:12-13; 10:24- 25). This includes helping restore a brother or sister who has gone astray (Gal. 6:1-2). If the brother or sister  rejects one-to-one correction, other believers will need to join in the attempt at restoration (Mt. 18:15-17). If the brother or sister continues to be unrepentant, bringing dishonor on the name of Christ and his Church,  the entire congregation must join in withdrawing fellowship from him or her with the goal of encouraging repentance and restoration (I Cor. 5:1-13 cf. II Cor. 2:5-11).

SPIRITUAL GIFTS: 

We believe that the Spirit of God gives to each believer when he comes to faith in Christ one or more spiritual gifts to enable him to serve Christ and his Church (I Cor. 12:7, 11; I Pt. 4:10-11). Because of his gifting, each believer is needed to make his unique contribution to building up the body (I Cor. 12:12-27), but the use of his gift(s) must be motivated by love for his brothers and sisters in Christ (I Cor. 13) and a desire to edify (I Cor. 14:12, 26). No one believer has all the gifts nor is one gift given to all believers (I Cor. 12:28-30). We do not believe that there is clear scriptural or historical evidence to support the idea that certain gifts, such as speaking in tongues and prophesying, ceased with the founding of the Church, but we do believe that such gifts must be exercised within the guidelines given in the Scriptures (I Cor. 14:1-33) and that valid messages from God cannot conflict with the teachings of the  Scriptures.

SANCTITY OF SEX: 

We believe that only the sexual union between a woman and a man in marriage is divinely sanctioned (I Cor. 7:1-5; Heb. 13:4). All other sexual unions— whether premarital, extramarital, or homosexual—are forbidden by God (Rom.1:24-27; I Cor. 6:9-11; Gal. 5:19-21; I Th. 4:3-5; I Tim. 1:8-11).

SANCTITY OF MARRIAGE:

 We believe that God joins a man and woman in marriage (Mt. 19:3-9), condemns divorce (Mal. 2:13-16; I Cor. 7:10-14), and only permits divorce in the case of marital infidelity (Mt. 5:31-32). Nevertheless, He releases a believer from any obligation when an unbelieving partner insists on divorce (I Cor. 7:15-16).

SANCTITY OF LIFE:

  We believe that men and women are created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-27), that human life is sacred from the time of conception (Ps. 139:13-16; Jer. 1:4-5), and that God condemns the taking of innocent human life (Gen. 9:4-6). Consequently, abortion and assisted suicide are contrary to the will of God.

FUTURE THINGS:  

We believe that, while God has not chosen to give us a clear detailed account in His Scriptures concerning all the events that are yet future for His world and His children (such as the exact chronology of those events), He has given clear revelation concerning certain matters. He has made it clear that the return of His Son will be visible (Mt. 24:23-27) and that it is imminent (Mt. 24:36-25:13). His future plans include a resumption of His work with His people the Jews (Rom. 11:1-32). Death ushers believers into the presence of God (II Cor. 5:1-9; Phil. 1:20-24) whereas unbelievers enter into a place of suffering (Lk. 16:19-31). Believers will be judged and rewarded in reference to their conduct and service (1 Cor. 3:10-15; 2 Cor. 5:9-10).   There will be a resurrection of those who are good to life and those who are evil to condemnation (Jn. 5:24-29). There will be a destruction of the present heavens and earth and a creation of a new heavens and earth (II Pt. 3:10-13; Rev. 21:1-4). The final outcome for Satan, his angels, and the wicked is to be confined to a place of eternal suffering, the lake of fire  (Rev. 20:10-15; 21:8). The final outcome for the godly will be to live in the presence of God in a place free from death, sorrow, and pain, the New Jerusalem of the new heavens and earth (Rev. 21:1-22:5).