ABOUT THE TRINITY
We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three Persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections (Deut. 6:4; 2 Cor. 13:14).
ABOUT THE PERSON AND WORK OF GOD THE FATHER
We believe that God the Father, the first Person of the Trinity, orders and disposes all things according to His own purpose and grace (Ps. 145:8-9; 1 Cor. 8:6). He is the Creator of all things (Gen. 1:1-31; Eph. 3:9). As the only absolute and omnipotent Ruler in the universe, He is sovereign in creation, providence, and redemption (Ps. 103:19; Rom. 11:36). His fatherhood involves both His designation within the Trinity and His relationship with mankind. As Creator, He is Father to all men (Eph. 4:6), but He is spiritual Father only to believers (Rom. 8:14; 2 Cor. 6:18). He has decreed for His own glory all things that come to pass (Eph. 1:11). He continually upholds, directs, and governs all creatures and events (1 Chron. 29:11). In His sovereignty, He is neither the author nor approver of sin (Hab. 1:13; John 8:38-47). He has chosen/elected from eternity past those whom He would save to be His people. (Eph. 1:4–6). He saves from sin all who come to Him through Jesus Christ; He adopts as His own all those who come to Him, and He becomes, upon adoption, Father to His own (John 1:12; Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:5; Heb.12:5-9).
ABOUT THE PERSON AND WORK OF CHRIST
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternally pre-existent Son, became incarnate without a human father, conceived by the Holy Spirit through the virgin Mary. Therefore, in the Lord Jesus Christ, divine and human natures were united in one Person, both natures being whole, perfect, and distinct, so that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man (John 1:1-2,14; Luke 1:35). 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 (Rom. 3:24; 1 Pet. 2:24; Eph. 1:7; 1 Pet. 1:3-5). We believe the Lord Jesus Christ 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, 20; Heb. 9:24; 7:25; Rom. 8:34; 1 John 2:1-2).
ABOUT THE PERSON AND WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Person who convicts the world of sin, of 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; 2 Cor. 3:6; 1 Cor. 12:12-14; Rom. 8:9; Eph. 1:13,14). We believe that He is the divine Teacher who guides believers into all truth, and that it is the privilege and duty of all those saved to be filled with the Spirit (John 16:13; 1 John 2:20, 27; Eph. 5:18).
ABOUT THE HOLY SCRIPTURES
We believe the holy Scripture–consisting of 66 books from Genesis to Revelation– to be the verbally inspired Word of God, written by men under God’s control, God-breathed, inerrant, and infallible in the original manuscripts, and the final authority in faith and life. (2 Tim. 3:15-17; 2 Pet. 1:20, 21; Matt. 5:18; John 16:12, 13; Ps. 19:7-9).
ABOUT CREATION
We believe that God alone is the sovereign creator. We believe that the Triune God created all things from nothing (Gen. 1:1; Col. 1:15-17; Heb. 11:3), and that all things belong to Him and depend on Him. God created each thing according to its own kind, perfect and good, creating humankind as the crown of His creation, male or female in His own image (Gen. 1:26-27), to worship Him and rule over all that He created (Eph. 4:22-24; Col. 3:9-10).
ABOUT 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 race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God; and that man is totally depraved and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition (Gen. 1:26, 27; Rom. 3:22, 23; 5:12; Eph. 2:13, 12).
ABOUT SALVATION
We believe that we who are justified - God’s gracious and full acquittal of sin - are declared righteous before God from all sin, through the satisfaction that Christ made for us through His shed blood upon the cross (John 1:12; Eph. 1:7; 1 Pet. 1:18-19), and His resurrection from the dead (Rom. 4:25). We have received this gift not for anything we have done or could do, but by grace alone through faith alone in Christ (Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:8-10). The only way to be adopted into God’s family is through this union and communion with His Son, Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:5). We believe God’s people are sanctified - declared holy and are in the process of becoming holy – and are growing in Christlikeness (Eph. 5:1-2; Rom. 12:12; John 14:15; Matt. 22:37-40). We believe salvation is by grace through faith in Christ alone. There is no other name under heaven and no other god that provides reconciliation with God and hope of eternal life. (John 14:6; I Tim. 2:5; Acts 4:12).
ABOUT PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS
We believe that all those truly saved and redeemed are kept by God’s power and thus secure in Christ forever (John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Rom. 8:1, 38, 39; 1 Cor. 1:4-8; 1 Pet. 1:5). Those whom God has saved and sanctified by His Spirit, will never totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere to the end; and, though they may fall into sin through neglect and temptation, grieving the Holy Spirit and bringing reproach upon themselves and the Church, they shall still be renewed again unto repentance, and be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. (Eph. 4:30; 1 Tim. 5:7; Rom. 13:13-14; Gal. 5:13; Tit. 2:11-15).
ABOUT THE CHURCH
We believe the church is the communion of God’s people drawn from every tribe, language, people, and nation (Eph. 2:11-22; Rev. 5:9-10). This invisible body, of which Christ Jesus is the Head, exists locally and imperfectly as the visible church (Acts 14:27; 20:17, 28-32; 1 Tim. 3:1-13; Tit. 1:5-11). Jesus Christ has given His church two ordinances: Believer’s Baptism and the Lord’s Supper (Matt. 28:19-20; 1 Cor. 11:23-26). We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowal of spiritual gifts; that each believer is divinely bestowed with one or more gifts for the edification of the body of Christ (Rom. 12:3-8; 1 Cor. 12:14; 2 Cor. 3:12; Eph. 4:7-12). We believe that the mission of the Church is one of word and deed (1 Pet. 4:11). As salt and light (Matt. 5:13-16), we seek to save the lost (1 Cor. 9:19-23), make disciples (Matt. 28:19-20), work for righteousness and justice (Amos 5:24; Tit. 2:11-14), and care for the hurting and needy (1 John 3:16-19; James 1:27).
ABOUT CONSUMMATION OF ALL THINGS
We believe Jesus Christ will return to earth personally, visibly, and bodily as King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Acts 1:11). At His appearing the dead shall be raised and the living and the dead will be judged (1 Cor. 15). The wicked and unbelieving will be consigned to Hell, a place of eternal conscious punishment (Rev. 20:10, 14-15). Those belonging to Jesus will have eternal life in the new heavens and new earth (2 Pet. 3:13; Rev. 21:1) and will live in ever-increasing joy to the glory of God (Matt. 25:21; 1 Cor. 15; Rev. 21-22).
ABOUT MARRIAGE, GENDER AND SEXUALITY
We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders reflect the image and nature of God. (Gen. 1:26-27). We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture. (Gen. 2:18-25). We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other. (Matt. 15:18-20; Rom. 1:18-32; I Cor. 6:9-10, 18; 7:2-5; Heb. 13:4). Therefore, any sexual intimacy in thought or practice outside the marital union between the man and woman in that union is sexual immorality.
ABOUT THE SANCTITY OF LIFE
We believe that God alone is the author of life and death. (Ex. 20:13; 1 Sam. 1; 1 Sam. 31; Job 14:5)
We believe that human life begins at conception. (Ps. 51:5; Ps. 139:13,16; Jer. 1:5)
We believe that human life ends when the soul leaves the body. (Lk. 23:46)
Therefore, we believe that:
We are responsible to honor and protect all human life.
Abortion and euthanasia are both contrary to God’s authority and the clear teachings of Scripture. (Ex. 20:13)
It is our understanding that modern medicine sometimes mandates that caretakers make decisions to honor and protect life that seem contradictory to these beliefs. In such cases, we entrust that decision to the individuals before God.
ABOUT CHURCH DISCIPLINE
"We believe that God has given the local church the responsibility to make disciples (Matt. 28:18-20). Making disciples includes the growth and edification of the believers (Eph. 4; 1 Tim. 6:3-16), mutual accountability to each other (Gal. 6:1-2; 2 Thess. 3:6), and discipline (Matt. 18:15-20). We believe the purpose of discipline is positive (Ps. 94:12; Prov. 12:1; Heb. 12) and is used to restore the offender to fellowship with Christ and others (2 Cor. 2:5-11; 1 Pet. 5:10). Scripture teaches that discipline must always be approached with reverence and humility (Matt. 7:1-5; Gal. 6:1). We believe the goal of discipline is correction (2 Tim. 3:16-4:4) and reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:16-21), resulting in behaviors and attitudes that accord with sound doctrine (1 Tim. 1:3-11; 6:3-16; Tit. 1:9-2:1).
ABOUT GRACE
We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. (Acts 3:19-21; Rom. 10:9-10; I Cor. 6:9-11). We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity. (Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31). Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture, nor the doctrines of this church.