Beliefs

We believe the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testament to be verbally inspired by God and inerrant in the original writings. We believe therefore that Scripture is fully reliable as the final authority in faith and life. (1 Corinthians 2:13, 10-11; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21)

We believe in one living and true God who eternally exists in three distinct Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal yet one God.

We believe God the Father is the creator of heaven and earth and upholds all things by the Word of His power, sovereignly ruling over all creation. As a spiritual Father to all those who believe in His Son for salvation, He adopts into His family. (Genesis 1:1-31; Psalm 145:8-9; Ephesians 1:11; Revelation 4:11; Hebrews 1:3)

We believe Jesus is the one and only Son of God. He is coequal with the Father and Holy Spirit. We believe God became flesh in the person of Jesus Christ, born of virgin Mary, and is fully God and fully man. In the incarnation, Jesus completely possessed God’s very nature, attributes, and power, yet while on earth some of His divine attributes were veiled by His humanity. We believe Jesus lived a sinless life, in complete obedience to the Father. (Luke 1:32, 35; John 1:34; John 3:16; Hebrews 4:15; John 6:38; Matthew 1:22, 23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5, 14:10-30; Hebrews 4:14,15; Philippians 2:5-8; 1 Corinthians 15:3,4; Romans 1:3, 4; Acts 1:9- 11; 1 Timothy 6:14,15; Titus 2:13)

We believe in the deity of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit does the work of regeneration in the sinner, bringing the believer into the body of Christ, the Church. The Holy Spirit indwells, guides, instructs, fills, comforts and empowers the believer for godly living. The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, of God’s righteousness and of coming judgment. (Mark 13:11; John 14:26; John 16:13; Romans 5:5; 1 Corinthians 3:16; John 16:8-11)

We believe mankind was created perfectly in the image of God to enjoy relationship with Him, but through Adam’s disobedience and sin, all of mankind was separated from God. As a result, people are incapable of regaining right relationship with God through their own effort. (Romans 2:2-5; Ephesians 2:8-9; Genesis 1:27, 9:6; Psalms 51:5, 58:3; Romans 5:12, 3:23; Ephesians 2:1)

We believe salvation is a redemptive process that is solely a work of God’s grace for all who repent of their sins and place their faith in Jesus’ substitutionary death on the cross and His bodily resurrection. (Ephesians 2:8-9, Acts 3:19; 2 Peter 3:9)

We believe when someone repents of their sin and places their trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior, the believer becomes part of the Body of Christ, which is the Church, of which Jesus Christ is the Head. Scripture commands followers of Jesus to make disciples of all nations, gather locally to devote themselves to worship, prayer, teaching of the Word, fellowship, observing the ordinances of baptism and communion, service to the local body using their talents and spiritual gifts. (Ephesians 1:22-23; Acts 2:42-46; 1 Corinthians 14:26; Matthew 28:18-20)

We believe in the bodily resurrection of both the saved and the lost. The saved are raised to eternal, conscious life in heaven with God, and the lost are raised to eternal torment in hell in conscious separation from God. (Matthew 25:34; John 14:2; 2 Corinthians 5:1; Revelation 2:7; Matthew 8:11; Matthew 10:28; Matthew 13:49-50; Mark 9:47-48; Luke 12:5; Revelation 21:8)

We believe that Jesus instituted the ordinances of water baptism and the Lord’s Supper for the Church to observe until Christ returns. We believe baptism by immersion is a public display of faith and new life in Jesus Christ. It is an outward expression of an inward transformation.

We believe the Lord’s Supper (communion) is a memorial to reflect and remember Christ’s death on the cross. We believe that the elements are symbols of Christ’s body and blood. (Matt. 26:26–29; Matt. 28:19–20; Luke 22:19–20; Acts 2:41–42; Acts 8:36–39; Rom. 6:3–5; 1 Cor. 11:23–34)

We believe Scripture clearly teaches that God designed marriage to be between one man and one woman in an exclusive and permanent covenant relationship. All men and women are created equal in essence, dignity, and worth, yet each are distinct by God’s design. God has given men and women different yet complementary roles and responsibilities in the home and the church. (Genesis 1:26-27, 2:18-24; Ephesians 5:21-33; 1 Timothy 2:11-3:7; Titus 2:2-6)

Though divorce and remarriage were not a part of God’s original design, we believe that the only grounds for divorce permitted in Scripture are unrepentant sexual sin or abandonment by an unbeliever. We believe that remarriage is only permitted when a divorce was on biblical grounds. (Mal. 2:14–16; Matt. 5:32, 19:9; 1 Corinthians 7:12-15)

We affirm the 2017 Nashville Statement from the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood.

We believe all followers of Jesus are called to a holy life of service and testimony through the power of the Holy Spirit. Service includes making Jesus known through word and lifestyle. (1 Peter 1:15-16; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 3:12-17; John 14:1-3; Matthew 28:18-20)