Doctrinal Statement

2. The Trinity

3. The Father

4. The Person and Work of Christ

5. The Holy Spirit

6. Angels and Satan

7. Creation and Man

8. Salvation

9. The Christian's Walk

10. The Church

11. The Great Commission

1. The Scriptures-We believe that the original manuscripts of the Old and New Testaments comprise the full, word-for-word, truthful, inspired, inerrant Word of God which is the supreme and final authority in doctrine and practice (Isaiah 40:8; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12; 2 Peter 1:20-21).

2. The Trinity-We believe in one God eternally existing in three equal persons-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who have the same nature and attributes but who are distinct in office and activity (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 48:16; Jeremiah 10:10; Matthew 28:19; John 10:30; Acts 5:3-4; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Hebrews 1:8).

3. The Father-We believe that as the eternal Father, He is the Father of all men (in the non-salvation, creator-creation sense), the Father of the nation Israel, the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the spiritual Father of all who believe in Christ. He is the author of the Decree of God, the author of election, the One who sent the Son, and the disciplinarian of His children (Exodus 4:22; Psalm 2:7-9; John 5:37; Acts 17:29; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 1:3-6; Hebrews 12:9; 1 Peter 1:3).

4. The Person and Work of Christ-We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man. We believe that He accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a substitutionary sacrifice. We believe that our redemption and salvation are guaranteed by His literal physical resurrection from the dead (John 1:1, 14, 18; Luke 1:35; Romans 3:24-26; 4:25; 1 Peter 1:3-5).

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is now in heaven, exalted to the right hand of God, where as High Priest He fulfills the ministry of intercession and advocacy for His people. He is also the Head of the body (His church) for which He will personally and imminently return (Ephesians 4:11-16; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Hebrews 1:3, 23-25; 1 John 2:1-2).

5. The Holy Spirit-We believe that the eternal Holy Spirit restrains sin, and convicts of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He glorifies Christ. At the moment of salvation, He permanently regenerates, indwells, baptizes, and seals the believer. Experientially, He fills, gives gifts, teaches, leads, assures, and prays for believers (John 14:26; 16:7-15; Acts 1:5; 2:1-4; 11:1-18; Romans 8:14-16, 26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:19; 12:7-11, 13; Ephesians 1:13-14; 5:18; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-10; Titus 3:5).

6. Angels and Satan-We believe that angels are spiritual beings who were created as sinless personalities. However, because of a rebellion and fall among the angels, they presently exist in both fallen and unfallen states, the former including Satan and his demons (Luke 20:36; Hebrews 1:13-14; 2:5-8; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6).

We believe that Satan, a personal created being, by his own choice the enemy of God and the people of God, was the first creature to sin, and that he led our first parents, Adam and Eve, into sin and now rules as the god of this world. We believe that he was judged at the cross and that ultimately he will be case into the Lake of Fire (Genesis 3:1-19; Isaiah 14:12-14; John 12:31; Hebrews 2:14; Revelation 20:10).

7. Creation and Man-We believe that all things in heaven and earth were created by God and exist by His power, God the Father being the designer and God the Son being the agent of creation (Genesis 1:1; John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:16-17),

We believe that the first man, Adam, was created of dust, innocent and in the image and likeness of God, but that he sinned by acting independently of God, thereby disobeying Him, bringing both physical and spiritual death upon himself and his posterity. We believe that man has inherited a sinful nature, is alienated from God, and is in need of salvation (Genesis 1:27; 2:17; 3:17-19; John 8:44; Romans 5:12-21; Ephesians 2:1-3).

8. Salvation-We believe that all who by personal choice receive Jesus Christ as their own personal Savior are born again of the Holy Spirit. This believing in Christ imputes Christ's righteousness to the believer. Without personal merit, man is saved on the basis of Christ's death and shed blood (John 1:12; 3:5, 16; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:4-7).

We believe that anyone who has received Jesus Christ and thereby has been born again is eternally secure, has everlasting life, will not come into condemnation, has passed out of death into life, and shall never perish. We believe that there is a bodily resurrection of the believers (to everlasting blessedness) and of the unbelievers (to everlasting punishment) (Daniel 12:1-2; Matthew 25:31-46; John 3:16, 36; 5:24; 10:28-29; 11:25-26; Romans 8:28-39; Revelation 20:12-15).

9. The Christian's Walk-We believe that we are called with a holy calling, to walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit, and so to live in the power of the Spirit that we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. But the flesh with its fallen, Adamic nature, which in this life is never eradicated, being with us to the end of our earthly lives, needs to be kept by the Spirit constantly in subjection to Christ, or it will surely manifest its presence in our lives to the dishonor of our Lord. We believe that the qualities required of a spiritual leader are clearly revealed in the Scriptures (Romans 6:11-13; 8:2-13; Galatians 5:16-23; Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 2:1-10; 1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5--9; James 3:1; 1 Peter 1:14-16; 5:1-3; 1 John 1:5-2:2; 3:5-9).

10. The Church-We believe that the church, the body and bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism, made up of all born-again persons of this present age. We believe that the church began at Pentecost and that a believer is placed into the church by the baptizing work of the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation. We believe followers of Christ should stimulate one another to glorify God through love, good works, and the fulfillment of the Great Commission (Matthew 16:18; Acts 1:5; 11:15; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1:22-23; 4:11-16; 5:22-33; Colossians 1:18).

11. The Great Commission-We believe that all those whom God has saved are sent into the world by Christ as He was by the Father. We believers are ambassadors, commissioned to go make disciples of Jesus Christ in the whole world. We believe that everyone should have an opportunity to carefully examine the facts about Christ and have a chance to make an intelligent decision about Him (Matthew 28:18-20; John 15:8; 17:18; 20:21; Acts 1:8; Romans 10:14-15; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20; Colossians 4:2-6; 2 Timothy 2:14-26).

"The things which you have heard...entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also."

2 Timothy 2:2