Holy Scripture
We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the verbally inspired Word of God, the final authority for faith and life, inerrant in the original writings, infallible and God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16, 17; 2 Pet. 1:20, 21; Matt. 5:18; John 16:12,13).
Godhead
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).
The Person and Work of Christ
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men (John 1:1,2,14; Luke 1:35).
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross for all mankind as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice, and that the sufficiency of this atoning sacrifice to accomplish the redemption and justification of all who trust in Him is assured by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead (Rom. 3:24,25; 4:25; Eph. 1:7; 1 Tim. 4:10; Heb. 2:9; 1 Peter 1:3-5; 2:24; 2 Peter 2:1).
We believe that 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 1:9,10; Heb. 9:24; 7:25; Rom. 8:34; 1 John 2:1,2).
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 the saved to be filled with the Spirit (John 16:13; 1 John 2:20,27; Eph. 5:18).
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. 2:1-3,12).
Gospel and Salvation
We believe the gospel—the good news that Christ died for sins and rose from the dead--to be a matter of first importance to the church (1 Cor. 2:2, 15:3-4).
We believe that the gospel is sometimes distorted by false teachers and that it is important to exercise great care in both the understanding and proclamation of the true gospel of grace (Acts 20:24; Gal. 1:6-9; 2 Cor. 11:4; Col. 4:3-4).
We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of sins (Eph. 2:8-10; John 1:12; Eph. 1:7; 1 Peter 1:18,19; 3:18).
The Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers
We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever (John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Rom. 8:1,38,39; 1 Cor. 1:4-8; 1 Peter 1:5).
We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word; which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh (Rom. 13:13,14; Gal. 5:13; Titus 2:11-15).
The Believer and the Flesh
We believe that every saved person is involved in a daily conflict--the new man in Christ battling against the flesh--but provision for victory is made through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. This struggle continues for the believer through his earthly life. All claims to the complete eradication of sin in this life are unscriptural (Rom. 6:13; 8:12-13; Gal. 5:16-25; Eph. 4:22-24; Phil. 3:12; Col. 3:9-10; 1 Pet. 1:14-16; 1 John 3:5-9).
Sanctification
We believe that as a result of being identified with Christ in salvation the believer is progressively sanctified unto holiness. The means of sanctification is the application of the Word of God by the Spirit of God to the heart and in the life of the believer, that he or she might be perfected in Christ-like maturity through the ministry of the fellowship of believers and trials (Cf. Rom. 6:1-7; 2 Thess. 2:13; 1 Pet. 2:2; Eph. 4:11-16; Jam. 1:2-5; Rom. 5:3-5, 8:28-29).
Separation
We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord; and, that separation from all religious apostasy, and all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices, and associations is commanded of God (2 Tim. 3:1-5; Rom. 12:1,2; 14:13; 1 John 2:15-17; 2 John 9-11; 2 Cor. 6:14-7:1).
Missions
We believe that it is the obligation and privilege of the saved to witness by life and by word to the truths of Holy Scripture and to seek to proclaim the Gospel to all mankind (Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8; 2 Cor. 5:19,20).
The Ministry and Spiritual Gifts
We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowment of all His gifts; and, that the gifts of evangelists, pastors, and teachers are sufficient for the perfecting of the saints today; and, that speaking in tongues and the working of sign miracles gradually ceased as the New Testament Scriptures were completed and their authority became established (1 Cor. 12:4-11; 2 Cor. 12:12; Eph. 4:7-12).
We believe that God does hear and answer the prayer of faith, in accord with His own will, for the sick and afflicted (John 15:7; 1 John 5:14,15).
We believe that it is the privilege and responsibility of every believer to minister according to the gift and grace of God that is given to him (Rom. 12:1-8; 1 Cor. 13; 1 Peter 4:10-11).
The Church
We believe that the Church, which is the body and the espoused bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born again persons of this present age (Eph. 1:22,23; 5:25-27; 1 Cor. 12:12-14; 2 Cor. 11:2).
We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any external authority or control (Acts 13:1-4; 15:19-31; 20:28; Rom. 16:1,4; 1 Cor. 3:9,16; 5:4-7,13; 1 Peter 5:1-4).
We believe in the ordinances of believer’s water baptism and the Lord’s supper as scriptural means of testimony for the church age (Matt. 28:19,20; Acts 2:41,42; 18:8; 1 Cor. 11:23-26).
Dispensationalism
We believe the Scriptures interpreted in the natural, literal sense reveal divinely determined dispensations which define man’s responsibility in successive ages. A dispensation is not a way of salvation, but a divinely ordered stewardship by which God directs man according to His purpose (John 1:17; 1 Cor. 9:17; 2 Cor. 3:9-18; Gal. 3:13-25; Eph. 1:10; 3:2-10; Col. 1:24-25; Heb. 7:19; Rev. 20:2-6).
We believe salvation is always by grace through faith regardless of the dispensation in which the believer may have lived. God’s purpose of salvation by grace through faith alone has always been based upon the substitutionary atonement of our Lord Jesus Christ upon the cross (Eph. 2:8-10; Heb. 11:6, 1 Pet. 1:10-12).
Satan
We believe that Satan is a person, the author of sin and the cause of the fall; that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man; and, that he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire (Job 1:6,7; Isa. 14:12-17; Matt. 4:2-11; 25:41; Rev. 20:10).
Second Advent of Christ
We believe in the personal, bodily return of our Lord Jesus Christ before the seven-year tribulation (1 Thess. 4:16; Tit. 2:13) to "rapture" His church from this earth (John 14:1-3; 1 Cor. 15:51-53; 1 Thess. 4:15-5:11) and that He will subsequently reward believers according to their works (1 Cor. 3:11-15; 2 Cor. 5:10).
We believe in the pre-millennial return of Christ in which He will come and establish His Millennial kingdom (Acts 1:10-11; Rev. 19:11-16; 20:1-7).
The Eternal State
We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment (Matt. 25:46; John 5:28, 29; 11:25,26; Rev. 20:5,6,12,13).
We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection, when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord (Luke 23:43; Rev. 20:4-6; 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23; 3:21; 1 Thess. 4:16, 17).
We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious misery until the second resurrection, when with soul and body reunited they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment, and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment (Luke 16:19-26; Matt. 25:41-46; 2 Thess. 1:7-9; Jude 6,7; Mark 9:43-48; Rev. 20:11-15).
Sanctity of Human Life
We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life (Exod. 20:13; Psa. 22:10-11, 139:15-16; Jer. 1:5).
Marriage and Sexuality
We believe that marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in a covenant commitment for life. It is God’s unique gift which mirrors the union between Christ and His church. It provides for intimate companionship, procreation, and sexual expression per God’s design.
We believe that sexual intimacy is a wonderful gift of God designed by Him to be expressed exclusively within the love and bonds of marriage (Gen. 2:24-25; Matt. 19:4-6; Eph. 5:21-33; 1 Cor. 7:3-5; Heb. 13:4).
We believe that any form of sexual intimacy outside of marriage is both immoral and a perversion of God’s gift (Lev. 18:1-30; Prov. 6:32; 1 Cor. 6:18; Rom. 1:26-27; 1 Thess. 4:3-8).
Furthermore, we believe that any form of sexual intimacy such as adultery, fornication, homosexuality, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, pornography, cohabitation (regardless of the age of the individuals involved), and any attempt to change one’s gender, to be sinful and offensive to God (Lev. 18-20; Rom. 1).
We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 6:9-11). And we believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness and dignity.