The Bible
The sole basis of our belief is the Bible, composed of
the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments. We
believe that Scripture in its entirety originated with
God, and that it was given through the instrumentality
of chosen men. Scripture thus at one and the same time
speaks with the authority of God and reflects the
backgrounds, styles and vocabularies of the human
authors. We hold that the Scriptures are inerrant in
the original manuscripts. They are unique, full and
final authority on all matters of faith and practice,
and there are no other writings similarly inspired by
God.
The Trinity
There is one living and true God, eternally exiting in
three persons; we believe that these are equal in every
divine perfection, and that they execute distinct but
harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence,
and redemption.
God the Father
The first person of the Trinity is God the Father, an
infinite, personal spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom,
power, and love. We believe that He concerns Himself
mercifully in the affairs of men, that He hears and
answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all
who come to Him through Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the eternal second Person of the Trinity
who was united forever with a true human nature by a
miraculous conception and virgin birth. He lived a life
of perfect obedience to the Father and voluntarily
atoned for the sins of all by dying on the cross as
their substitute, thus satisfying divine justice and
accomplishing salvation for all who trust in Him alone.
He rose from the dead in the same body, though
glorified, in which He lived and died. He ascended into
heaven, and sat down at the right hand of the Father,
where He, the only Mediator between God and human
beings, continually makes intercession for His own. He
shall come again to earth, personally and visibly, to
consummate history and the eternal plan of God.
The Holy Spirit
The essential accompaniment of a genuine saving
relationship with Jesus Christ is a life of holiness and
obedience, attained by believers as they submit to the
Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity. He was
sent into the world by the Father and the Son to apply
to humanity the saving work of Christ. He enlightens
the minds of sinners, awakens in them recognition of
their need of a Savior and regenerates them. AT the
point of salvation He permanently indwells every
believer to become the source of assurance, strength and
wisdom, and uniquely endows each believer with gifts for
the building up of the Body. The Holy Spirit guides
believers in understanding and applying the Scriptures.
His power and control are appropriated by faith, making
it possible for the believer to lead a life of Christ
like character and to bear fruit to the glory of the
Father.
Salvation
The central purpose of God’s revelation in Scripture is
to call all people into fellowship with Him. Originally
created to have fellowship with God, humans defied God,
choosing to go their independent way, and were thus
alienated from God and suffered the corruption of their
nature, rendering them unable to please God. The fall
took place at the beginning of human history, and all
individuals since have suffered these consequences and
are thus in need of the saving grace of God. The
salvation of humanity is, then, wholly a work of God’s
free grace, not the result, in whole or in part of human
works or goodness, and must be personally appropriated
by faith and repentance.
The Church
The result of union with Jesus Christ is that all
believers become members of His Body, the Church. There
is one true Church universal, comprised of all those who
acknowledge Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. The
Scripture commands believers to gather together to
devote themselves to worship, prayer, teaching of the
Word, observance of baptism and communion, fellowship,
service to the body through the development and use of
talents and gifts, accountability, and outreach to the
world. We believe that God has laid upon the members of
the local church the primary task of giving the gospel
of Jesus Christ to a lost world.
Christian Conduct
We believe that as Christians we should live for the
glory of God and the well being of other people; that
our conduct should be blameless before the world; that
we should be faithful stewards of our possessions, and
that we should seek to realize for ourselves and others
the full stature of maturity in Christ. We also believe
that we have a responsibility to restore wayward members
by the proper exercise of church discipline.
The Ordinances
The Lord Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to
the local church, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We
believe that the best representation of Christian
baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the
name of the triune God. We believe that Christ
instituted the Lord’s Supper for commemoration of His
death. We believe that these two ordinances should be
observed and administered until the return of the Lord
Jesus Christ.
Human Destiny
Death seals the eternal destiny of each person. For all
mankind, there will be a resurrection of the body, and a
time of judgment before God. Unbelievers will be
separated from God into eternal condemnation and
suffering. Believers will be received into eternal
communion with God.
Faith and Practice
Scripture is the final authority in all matters of faith
and practice. This church recognizes that it cannot
bind the conscience of individual members in areas where
scripture is silent. Rather, each believer is to be led
in those areas by the Lord, to whom he or she alone is
ultimately responsible.