Statement of Faith

Section 1. “The One True Godhead”

We affirm that there is one living and true God, the creator of the universe (Exod. 15:11; Isa. 45:11; Jer. 27:5). He is revealed in the unity of the Godhead as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, who are equal in every divine perfection (Exod. 15:11; Matt. 28:19; II Cor. 13:14).

  • God the Father is the supreme ruler of the universe. He providentially directs the affairs of history according to the purposes of His grace (Gen. 1; Ps. 19:1; Ps. 104; Heb. 1:1-3).
  • God the Son is the Savior of the world. Born of a virgin (Matt.1:18; Luke 1:26-35), Jesus Christ declared His deity among men (John 1:14, 18; Matt. 9:6), died on the cross as our blood atonement for sin (Phil. 2:6-11), arose bodily from the grave (Luke 24:6, 7, 24-26; I Cor. 15:3-6), and ascended back to the Father (Acts 1:9-11; Mark 16:19). He is at the right hand of the Father, interceding for believers (Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25) until He returns to rapture them from the world (Acts 1:11; I Thess. 4:16-18).
  • God the Holy Spirit is the manifest presence of deity. He convicts of sin (John 16:8-11) teaches spiritual truths according to the written Word (John 16:12-15), permanently indwells believers (Acts 5:32; John 14:16, 17, 20, 23), and guides every believer at salvation the ability to produce “good works” through spiritual service (I Peter 4:10, 11).

Section 2. “Man, His Fall and Redemption”

We affirm that although man was created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26: 2:17) he fell through sin and that image was marred (Rom. 5:12; James 3:9). In his unregenerate state, he is void of spiritual life, is under the influence of the devil, and lacks any power to save himself (Eph. 2:1-3; John 1:13). The sin nature has been transmitted to every member of the human race; the man Jesus Christ alone being excepted (Rom. 3:23; I Peter 2:22). Because of his sin nature, man possesses no possibility for eternal life than to accept, by faith, the gift of Salvation (Eph. 2: 8-9) through the blood atonement made by Christ on the Cross of Calvary (Rom. 3:10-19; Jer. 17:9).

  • Salvation is the gracious work of God whereby He delivers undeserving sinners from sin and its results (Matt. 1:21; Eph. 2:8, 9). In justification He declares righteous [to] all who by faith accept Christ as Savior (Rom. 3:20-22), giving them freedom from condemnation, peace with God, and full assurance of eternal life (Rom. 3:24-26).
  • Salvation is based wholly on the grace of God apart from works (Titus 3:5; Eph. 2:9). Anyone who will exercise repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved (Acts 16:30-32; Luke 24:47; Rom. 10:17).
  • Christ’s Blood Atonement–Christ died for the sins of the whole world (John 1:29; 3:16; I John 2:1, 2). Through His blood atonement on the Cross of Calvary, salvation is made possible without respect of persons (I Tim. 2:4-6). All sinners can be saved by this gracious provision (Heb. 2:9; John 3:18).

Section 3. The Salvation of Man

We affirm that Salvation is the gracious work of God whereby He delivers undeserving sinners from sin and its results (Matt. 1:21; Eph. 2:8, 9). In justification He declares righteous all who put faith in Christ as Savior (Rom. 3:20-22), giving them freedom from condemnation, peace with God, and full assurance of eternal life (Rom. 3:24-26). In addition, we affirm that Salvation is based wholly on the grace of God apart from works (Titus 3:5; Eph. 2:9). Anyone who will exercise repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved (Acts 16:30-32; Luke 24:47; Rom. 10:17).

Section 4. Baptism in Water and The Lord’s Supper

We affirm the Church’s two ordinances are baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Baptism is the immersion in water of a believer as a physical sign of faith in Jesus Christ (Matt. 28:19; Rom. 6:4). The Lord’s Supper is the taking of the symbolic bread and blood of communion by the assembled members (Acts 20:7) as a remembrance of the crucified body and shed blood of Jesus Christ (Luke 22:19, 20; I Cor.11:23-26). Both ordinances must be administered by the authority of a New Testament church (Matt. 28:18-20; I Cor. 11:23-26).

Section 5. The Sacrament of Marriage

We affirm that marriage is a sacred, lifelong covenant instituted by God, reflecting His design for human flourishing and a profound mystery of Christ and His Church (Ephesians 5:31-32).

  1. Divine Origin and Purpose: Marriage was established by God at creation as the union of one man and one woman (Genesis 2:18-24; Matthew 19:4-6). Its primary purposes are:
    • Companionship and mutual help (Genesis 2:18).
    • Procreation and stewardship of family (Genesis 1:28).
    • Sanctification through Christ-like love and submission (Ephesians 5:21-33).
  1. Biblical Definition: Marriage is exclusively the lifelong union of one biological man and one biological woman, entered voluntarily, publicly witnessed, and consummated (Malachi 2:14-15; Hebrews 13:4). It is indissoluble except by death (Matthew 19:6; Romans 7:2-3) or, in cases of marital unfaithfulness, by biblical divorce with opportunity for repentance and reconciliation (Matthew 5:31-32; 1 Corinthians 7:10-16).
  1. Roles and Responsibilities
    • Husbands are called to sacrificial, servant-leadership, loving their wives as Christ loves the Church—nourishing, cherishing, and giving themselves up for her (Ephesians 5:25-30; Colossians 3:19).
    • Wives are called to joyful submission and respect, as the Church submits to Christ (Ephesians 5:22-24; 1 Peter 3:1-6; Titus 2:4-5). Both spouses are equals in value and dignity before God (Galatians 3:28), jointly responsible for fidelity, forgiveness, and raising children in the fear of the Lord (Deuteronomy 6:6-7; Ephesians 6:4).
  1. Sexual Purity and Fidelity Sexual intimacy is a gift from God reserved exclusively for marriage (1 Corinthians 7:2-5; Hebrews 13:4). All sexual activity outside of this covenant—adultery, fornication, homosexuality, or any form of sexual immorality—is sin and contrary to God’s design (Leviticus 18:22; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11).
  1. Church Affirmation and Practice We celebrate and perform marriages only in accordance with this doctrine. We support marriages through premarital counseling, ongoing discipleship, and grace-filled restoration for those who repent of sin (John 8:1-11; Galatians 6:1). Remarriage is permissible biblically for the innocent party in cases of adultery or abandonment by an unbeliever (Matthew 19:9; 1 Corinthians 7:15), or for widows/widowers (1 Corinthians 7:39; 1 Timothy 5:14).

Section 6. Sanctification

We affirm that all believers are set apart unto God (Heb. 10:12-14) at the time of their salvation (I Cor. 6:11). They should grow in grace (II Peter 1:5-8) by allowing the Holy Spirit to apply God’s Word to their lives (I Peter 2:2), conforming them to obedience (Rom. 12:1, 2; I Thess. 4:3-7) and making them partakers of the holiness of God (II Cor. 7:1; I Peter 1:15, 16).

Section 7. The Church

We affirm that the New Testament church is a local congregation (Acts 16:5; I Cor. 4:17) of believers in Jesus Christ (Acts 2:41) who are united by covenant in belief of what God has revealed and in obedience to what He has commanded (Acts 2:41, 42).

  • The Autonomy of the New Testament Church–We affirm Jesus as her only Head (Eph. 5:23; Col. 1:18) and the Holy Bible as her only rule of faith and practice (Isa. 8:20; II Tim. 3:16, 17), governing herself under the oversight of her pastors (Acts 20:28; Heb. 13:7, 17, 24).
  • The Perpetuity of the New Testament Church–Instituted by Jesus during His personal ministry on earth (Matt. 16:18; Mark 3:13-19; John 1:35-51), New Testament churches have continued to the present and will continue until Jesus returns (Matt. 16:18; 28:20).
  • The Ordinances of the Church–The Church’s two ordinances are baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Baptism is the immersion in water of a believer as a physical sign of faith in Jesus Christ (Matt. 28:19; Rom. 6:4). The Lord’s Supper is the taking of the symbolic bread and blood of communion by the assembled members (Acts 20:7) as remembrance of the crucified body and shed blood of Jesus Christ (Luke 22:19, 20; I Cor.11:23-26). Both ordinances must be administered by the authority of a New Testament church (Matt. 28:18-20; I Cor. 11:23-26).
  • Pastors are the permanent officers ordained in a New Testament church (Phil.1:1). Each church may select men to fill those offices under the leading of the Holy Spirit (Acts 6:1-6; 20:17, 18) according to the divinely given qualifications (I Tim. 3:1-13).
  • The Ministry of the Church–The Church’s mission is evangelism by preaching the gospel (Matt. 28:19; Luke 24:45-47), baptizing those who believe (Acts 2:41; 8:12, 35-38), and maturing them by instruction (Matt. 28:20; Acts 2:42) and discipline (Matt. 18:17, 18; I Cor. 5:1-5).
  • The Fellowship of the Church–Through Pastoral oversight, the church is free to associate with other churches in furthering the faith (II Cor. 11:8; Phil 4:10, 15, 16) but is also responsible to identify and denounce those who hold doctrines or practices contrary to Scripture (Gal. 1:8, 9; I John 2:19.

Section 8. Creation

We affirmthat God created all things for His own pleasure and glory, as revealed in the biblical account of creation (Gen. 1; Rev. 4:11; John 1:2, 3; Col. 1:16).

  1. God created Angels. Holy angels worship God and execute His will; while fallen angels serve Satan, seeking to hinder God’s purposes (Col. 1:16; Luke 20:35, 36; Matt. 22:29, 30: Ps. 103:20; Jude 6).
  2. God created Man in His own image (Ps. 8; Gen. 1:27; 2:7). Every person from conception is of inherent dignity and worth and merits the respect of all other persons (Ps. 51:5; 139:13-16; Gen. 9:6; Matt. 10:28-31; Jam. 3:9).
  3. God created marriage (Gen. 1:27-28; 2:23-24). Jesus Christ declared the Creator’s intention for marriage to be the inseparable and exclusive union between a male and female (a natural man and a natural woman) (Matt. 19:4-6; Mark 10:6-9; Rom. 1:25-27). Marriage testifies of the union between Christ and the church (Eph. 5:31-32).

Section 9: Eternal Separation

We affirm that anyone who has not accepted Christ as their Savior (born again), will suffer eternal separation (Hell) from the Godhead. This is the second death (Rev. 19:20; 20:10-15).

Section 10: The Millennial Reign of Jesus

We affirm that our risen Savior will return personally in bodily form to receive His redeemed unto Himself. His return is imminent (I Thess. 4:13-17; Rev. 22:20).

  1. Resurrections: After Jesus returns, all of the dead will be raised bodily, each in his own order: the righteous dead in “the resurrection of life” and the wicked dead in “the resurrection of damnation” (John 5:24-29; I Cor. 15:20-28).
  2. Judgment–Prior to the eternal state, God will judge everyone to confer rewards or to consign to punishment (Matt. 25:31-46; II Cor. 5:10; Rev. 20:11-15).
  3. Eternal State–Heaven is the eternal home of the redeemed (John 14:1-3) who, in their glorified bodies (I Cor. 15:51-58), will live in the presence of God forever (I Thess. 4:17) in ultimate blessing (Rev. 21, 22). Hell is the place of eternal punishment and suffering (Luke 16:19-31) for the devil, his angels (Matt. 25:41), and the unredeemed (Rev. 20:10-15).
  4. We affirm the premillennial return of Christ to earth, after which He shall reign in peace upon the earth for a thousand years (Rev. 20:4-6).
  5. We affirm the Scriptures teach two resurrections: the first of the righteous at Christ’s coming; the second of the wicked at the close of the thousand-year reign (I Thess. 4:13-17; Rev. 20:6, 12-15).