The Holy Scriptures
We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be verbally and the plenary inspired Word of God.
The sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments are the complete and divine revelation of God to Man. We further believe God has preserved His inspired, inerrant, infallible Word for English speaking people in the King James Version. The King James Version is the only English language version we accep
t and use. The Bible is our sole and final authority for faith, practice, and personal behavior (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21).
Dispensationalism
We believe that the Scriptures interpreted in their natural, literal sense reveal divinely determined dispensations which define man’s responsibilities in successive ages. These dispensations are divinely ordered stewardships by which God directs man according to His purpose. Three of these dispensations – the law, the church, and the kingdom —are the subjects of detailed revelation in Scripture (Gen. 1:28; 1 Cor. 9:17; 2 Cor. 3:9-18; Gal. 3:13-25; Eph. 1:10, 3:2-10; Col. 1:24-25, 27; Rev. 20:2-6).
The Godhead
We believe in the Triune God, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections (Deut. 6:4; Mt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14; Jn 14:10, 26).
God the Father
We believe that God becomes our Heavenly Father, immediately placing us as adopted children into his family, upon our acceptance of the vicarious redemptive work of Christ. God is now our Everlasting Father and we are called the children of God. We then receive rights and privileges as His children and He loves us as His very own, because we now are. Our Heavenly Father will provide for our needs and protect us according to His good and perfect will. As our Father He will also administer discipline in our lives to chasten us when correction is needed, not out of wrath, but out of love. (Proverbs 3:12; Matthew 6:9, 14, 26; 23:9; John 1:12, 13, 18; 14:7-10; Romans 8:14; Ephesians 3:14-16; Colossians 1:13; 1 John 3:1; Hebrews 12:6)
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, “to be sin for us who knew no sin.” He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men. (Joh
n 1:1-2, 14; Luke 1:35; Isaiah 9:6; 7:14; Philippians 2:5-8; Galatians 4:4-5; II Corinthians 5:21).
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His finished work on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead (Romans 3:24-25; I Peter 2:24; Ephesians 1:7; I Peter 1:3-5).
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ was raised bodily and that He 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; Hebrews 9:24, 7:25; Romans 8:34; I John 2:1-2)
The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Person who reproves the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, indwelling all believers and sealing them unto the day of redemption (John 16:8-11; II Corinthians 3:6; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 1:13-14).
We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and the gift of healing, were temporary. We believe that speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit and that ultimate deliverance of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection, though God frequently chooses to answer the prayer of believers for physical healing. (I Corinthians 12:12; I Corinthians 13:8; Hebrews 2:3-4; Mark 16:17-20; I Corinthians 1:22, 14:21-22).
The Depravity of Man
We believe that God created man in His own image and likeness in a state of perfect purity and innocence. God formed woman from the rib of the man and thus created the perfect and only suitable mate for him. Although created in perfect purity and innocence, when tested, man willingly chose to transgress the law of God. In Adam’s sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God; and therefore man is totally depraved, and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition (Genesis 1:26-27; 2:15-23; Romans 3:22-23; Ephesians 2:1-3, 12). The sacredness of hum
n personality is evident in that God created man in His own image and is mindful of him, and in that Christ died for man; therefore every individual possesses dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love. (Psalm 8:4-9; Colossians 3:9-11).
The Way of Salvation
We believe that the clear message of salvation is “repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21). We believe that salvation is “by grace” plus nothing minus nothing. We believe that Jesus Christ died for every man, and that each individual chooses to accept or reject the grace of God (Hebrews 2:9; I John 2:2). We believe that men are justified by faith alone and are accounted righteous before God only through the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:12; I Peter 1:18-19).
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 our sins (Jn 1:12; Eph. 1:7; 2:8-10; 1 Pet. 1:18-19).
We believe that all the redeemed, once saved are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever. We believe that eternal life is the present possession of every believer (John 6:37-40, 10:27-30; Romans 8:1, 38-39; I Corinthians 1:4-8; I Peter 1:4-5; Jude 1, 2).
The Church
We believe that the church begin with Christ and His disciples. We believe that the New Testament church is a local assembly of baptized believers who have voluntarily joined themselves together to carry out the Great Commission.
We believe that the command of the Great Commission is threefold:
1) Bring the Gospel to a lost world and win them to Christ.
2) Have the new converts submit to believer’s baptism.
3) Train the new converts to be faithful to the Bible, to the local church and obedient to the teachings and commandments of Christ, resulting in these converts bringing the Gospel to a lost world and winning other converts to Christ. We believe that neglecting any one of the three points constitutes a failure to carry out the whole Great Commission. (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8)
The Lord has elected to do His work in this world through local churches in this dispensation. The establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures (Acts 14:27; 20:17, 28-32; I Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11).
We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any external authority or control. Christ is the only head of the church (Acts 13:1-4, 15:19-31, 20:28; Romans 16:1, 4; I Corinthians 3:9,16; 5:4-7,13; I Peter 5:1-4).
We recognize the ordinances of baptism by immersion in water and the Lord’s Supper as a Scriptural means of testimony for local churches in this age (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42, 18:18; I Corinthians 11:23-26).
We believe that the only Scriptural offices to be held in the local church are pastors (bishops, elders, or overseers) and deacons, both having specific qualifications and responsibilities according to the Word of God (I Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:6-11).
Biblical Separation
We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Saviour and Lord; and, that separation from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices and associations is commanded of God (II Timothy 3:1-5; Romans 12:1, 2, 14:13; I John 2:15-17; II John 9-11; II Corinthians 6:14-7:1).
The Rapture of the Church and the Return of Christ
We believe the “Blessed Hope” of our Lord’s return is literal, personal, visible, imminent, premillennial, and pre-tribulational. Believers will be caught up to be with the Lord prior to the seven years of tribulation, and at the end of the tribulation Christ will return with His saints to establish His thousand-year reign on the earth (I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; I Thessalonians 1:10; Revelation 3:10; Zechariah 14:4-11; Revelation 19:11-16, 20:1-6; Psalm 89:3-4).
Separation
We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Saviour and Lord; and, that separation from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices and associations is commanded of God (Rom. 12:1-2, 14:13; 2 Cor. 6:14, 7:1; 2 Tim. 3:1-5; 1 Jn 2:15-17; 2 Jn 9-11).
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 (Mt. 25:46; Jn. 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 (Lk. 23:43; 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23, 3:21; 1 Thess. 4:16-17; Rev. 20:4-6).
We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious punishment and torment 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 and torment (Mt. 25:41-46; Mk. 9:43-48; Lk. 16:19-26; 2 Thess. 1:7-9; Jude 6-7; Rev. 20:11-15).
The Personality of Satan
We believe that Satan is a person, the author of sin and the cause of the Fall of Man, 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).
Creation
We believe that God created the universe in six literal, 24-hour periods. We reject evolution, the Day-Age Theory, and Theistic Evolution as unscriptural theories of man (Gen. 1-2; Ex. 20:11).
Civil Government
We believe that God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: 1) the home; 2) the church; and 3) the government. Every person is subject to these authorities, but all (including the authorities themselves) are answerable to God and governed by His Word. God has given each institution specific Biblical responsibilities and balanced those responsibilities with the understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the other. The home, the church, and the state are equal and sovereign in their respective, Biblically assigned spheres of responsibility under God (Rom. 13:1-7; Eph. 5:22-24; Heb. 13:17; 1 Pet. 2:13-14).
Divorce and Remarriage
We believe that God hates divorce and intends marriage to last until one of the spouses dies. Divorce and remarriage is regarded as adultery except on the grounds of fornication. We believe that when a person comes to Christ, all sin is forgiven, including the sin of divorce.
Abortion
We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the mental well being of the mother are acceptable (Job 3:16; Ps. 51:5, 139:14-16; Isa. 44:24, 49:1, 5; Jer. 1:5, 20:15-18; Lk. 1:44).
Missions
We believe that God has given the church a Great Commission to proclaim the Gospel to all nations so that there might be a great multitude from every nation, tribe, ethnic group, and language group who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. As ambassadors of Christ we must use all available means to go to the foreign nations and not wait for them to come to us (Mt. 28:19-20; Mk 16:15; Lk. 24:46-48; Jn 20:21; Acts 1:8; 2 Cor. 5:20).
Giving
We believe that every Christian, as a steward of that portion of God’s wealth entrusted to him, is obligated to support his local church financially. We believe that God has established the tithe as a basis for giving but that every Christian should also give other offerings sacrificially and cheerfully to the support of the church, the relief of those in need, and the spread of the Gospel. We believe that a Christian relinquishes all rights to direct the use of the tithe or offering once the gift has been made (Gen. 14:20; Prov. 3:9-10; Acts 4:34-37; 1 Cor. 16:2; 2 Cor. 9:6-7; Gal. 6:6; Eph. 4:28; 1 Tim. 5:17-18; 1 Jn 3:17).