What We Believe

That the Bible is the infallible Word of God, fully inspired by the Holy Spirit, and authoritative in all that it affirms.

That the Lord our God is one, existing eternally in three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

That the Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God who became man through the virgin birth, yet without ceasing to be God; He died voluntarily on the cross to make an atoning payment for the sins of His people; He then rose bodily, ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father, the center of praise and worship.

That the Church is the Body of Christ, composed of those who have been joined to Christ by faith; members of the Church are drawn by the Holy Spirit into local congregations of believers who worship together regularly because they love their Lord, and serve and pray for one another because they love one another.

We believe that the Bible, consisting of the 66 books of the Old and New Testament, is the infallible Word of God, fully inspired by the Holy Spirit, without error in the original manuscripts, and authoritative in all that it affirms. As such it is the final and supreme authority in matters of godliness and faith: it defines the content of our faith, it reveals the nature and character of God, it contains the instructions and desires of our Creator for life and conduct. (II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:19-21; Matthew 5:15; I Thessalonians 2:13) 

We believe that the Lord our God is one, existing eternally in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. All three share equally in the attributes and perfections of deity and participate fully in the essence of the God-head. God is a Spirit, who is above and beyond all His creation, yet His presence is near to all, so that in Him we live and move and have our being. (Deuteronomy 6:4; II Corinthians 13:14; Matthew 28:19; John 14:15-16; Ephesians 2:18; John 4:24; I Chronicles 24:11; II Chronicles 6:18; Isaiah 40:12-26; Acts 17:27-28) 

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God who became man, through the virgin birth, yet without ceasing to be God. He lived a sinless life and voluntarily died on the cross as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of humanity. He then rose bodily and ascended into heaven where He sits at the right hand of the Father. He now acts as the Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate for all who believe and trust in Him. (John 1:1-2, 14; Luke 1:35; Matthew 1:18-25; Hebrews 2:14, 4:15, 9:11-12, 2:9; Matthew 20:28; I Corinthians 15:3-8; I Timothy 2:5-6; Acts 1:9; Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25, 9:24; I John 2:1-2) 

We believe that the Holy Spirit is God and is in the world to reveal and glorify Jesus Christ. He works among mankind convicting and drawing sinners to faith in Christ. We believe that at the moment of spiritual birth the Lord Jesus baptizes believers in the Holy Spirit, and by the Spirit’s presence sanctifies, empowers, and enlightens them, sealing them for the day of His return. We believe that the evidence of the baptism of the Spirit is the demonstration of the fruit of the Spirit in a believer’s life. We believe in gifts of the Spirit, distributed by Him as He wills for the perfecting of believers for the work of the ministry, and the building up of those who believe in Christ. (John 15:26, 16:8-11, 3:3-8; Romans 8:9; I Corinthians 12:13; II Thessalonians 2:13; Romans 8:2; Philippians 4:19; I Corinthians 2:9-12; Ephesians 1:13-14; Galatians 5:22-24; I Corinthians 12:7,11; Ephesians 4:11-12) 

We believe that all human beings are created in the image of God. The sin of disobedience brought about an alienation from God which is irreconcilable by any human effort since the corruption of sin touches all aspects of human nature. Salvation, life eternal in the fellowship of God, is the free gift of God, given by grace, and received through faith in the Lord Jesus whose blood was shed for the forgiveness of our sins. Believers can be assured of their salvation and eternal destiny, not by living lives of exemplary merit or effort, but by the witness of the Holy Spirit within, confirming to each believer the promises of God’s Word. (Genesis 1:26-27, 3:6-24; Psalm 14:1-3; Romans 3:22-24, 5:12: Ephesians 2:8-9: John 6:33-40, 10:27-30: I John 5:10-13) 

We believe that the Church, the body and espoused bride of Christ, is composed of the living and the dead who have been joined to Christ by faith. The Church is manifested locally through congregations of believers who assemble regularly for worship, instruction, fellowship, and prayer. The Church is not the company of the perfected, but the congregation of those who, regenerated and empowered by the Holy Spirit, seek to live lives pleasing to the Lord, in accordance with God’s standards of holiness and purity. They are given grace to live lives of obedience, but if they fall they are called back to fellowship with God by His love and mercy operating through the conviction of the Holy Spirit, the chastisement of God, or the discipline of the Church body. (Ephesians 1:22-23, 5:25-27; I Corinthians 12:12-14; II Corinthians 11:2; Hebrews 10:24-25; Acts 2:42-46; I Corinthians 10:13; Hebrews 12:3-11; John 16:8; I Corinthians 5:6-13) 

We believe the Sacraments are the visible and public signs, instituted by Christ, which represent the realities and facts of salvation. Baptism is the believer’s confession of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, and identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection to a new life. The Lord’s Supper is the partaking of bread and wine, symbols of Christ’s broken body and shed blood, in remembrance of the death of Christ for the remission of our sins, and an acknowledgement of our continual dependence upon Him for our spiritual nourishment. (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38-41; Romans 6:3- 5; Colossians 2:11-12; Matthew 26:26-30; I Corinthians 10:14-22, 11:23-26) 

We believe that one who trusts in Jesus Christ enters immediately, upon physical death, into eternal, conscious fellowship with the Lord and awaits the resurrection of the body to judgement and everlasting glory. The unbeliever enters immediately into eternal conscious separation from the Lord and awaits the resurrection of the body to judgement and eternal condemnation. (II Corinthians 5:8; I Corinthians 3:10-17; Revelation 20:11-15; Acts 24:14-15; Matthew 25:31-46; Hebrews 9:27-28, 10:26-31; I Peter 4:17) 

We believe that Jesus Christ is the Lord of all creation who will return bodily and gloriously to earth, at which time believers in Christ, both the living and the dead, will be caught up together to meet Him in the air. Christ will judge the living and the dead and grant all those who trusted in Him for salvation the privilege of life in His eternal kingdom in fellowship with Him. Those who denied Him will suffer the torment of eternal separation from God. (Acts 1:11; II Thessalonians 1:7-10; I Thessalonians 4:13-19; Revelation 20:11-15, 21:8; Matthew 25:46)