ARTICLES OF FAITH
Learn more about our biblical beliefs.
1. We believe in one living and true God, who is three persons of one essential nature and power - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Genesis 2:1-3; Deuteronomy 33:27; Psalms 90:2, 102:27; 1 Timothy 1:17; John 1:1-2, 8:58; Hebrews 1:8; 1 John 1:2; Micah 5:2; Revelations 1:8; Hebrews 9:14; Romans 1:20
2. We believe in Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, fully God and fully human.
John 1:1-2, 14; 1 Timothy 3:16; Acts 7:37-38; Hebrews 1:1-5; Philippians 2:9-10
3. We believe Jesus Christ died on the cross and was buried, to be the sacrifice for sin to reconcile us to God. There is no other way to salvation but that of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection.
Luke 22:20; Romans 3:21-26, 28, 5:1-9
1. We believe in one living and true God, who is three persons of one essential nature and power - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Genesis 2:1-3; Deuteronomy 33:27; Psalms 90:2, 102:27; 1 Timothy 1:17; John 1:1-2, 8:58; Hebrews 1:8; 1 John 1:2; Micah 5:2; Revelations 1:8; Hebrews 9:14; Romans 1:20
2. We believe in Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, fully God and fully human.
John 1:1-2, 14; 1 Timothy 3:16; Acts 7:37-38; Hebrews 1:1-5; Philippians 2:9-10
3. We believe Jesus Christ died on the cross and was buried, to be the sacrifice for sin to reconcile us to God. There is no other way to salvation but that of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection.
Luke 22:20; Romans 3:21-26, 28, 5:1-9
4. We believe Christ rose bodily from the dead, and ascended into heaven, where he now intercedes for us at the Father’s right hand until he returns to judge all humanity at the last day.
Acts 1:11, 3:19-21; Daniel 7:14; Revelation 20:4, 14:6, 21:3-8, 22:1-5, 17
5. We believe in the Holy Spirit who imparts grace and guides into all truth, convicts us of sin, and enables believers to grow into spiritual maturity.
John 4:24; 15:26, 16:7-14; Galatians 4:6; 5:22-23; Ephesians 5:18-21; 1 Corinthians 12:8-11; Acts 2:4, 10:44-46, 19:6; 2 Corinthians 3:17-18; 7:8-12; Romans 8:5-9
6. We believe in the sufficiency and authority of the Holy Scriptures for finding the Way to salvation. That Way, is Jesus Christ. (John 14:6) We believe that the books of the Old and New Testaments constitute the Holy Bible. They are the inspired and infallibly written Word of God, inerrant in their original autographs and superior to all human authority.
2 Timothy 3:16-17; 1 Peter 1:23-25; Hebrews 4:12
7. We believe the Bible calls for loving obedience to God made possible by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
2 Timothy 1:14; 1 Corinthians 6:19; Romans 8:9-11
8. We believe that for men and women to realize salvation, they must respond in repentance and faith. The ability to respond comes from grace, but the choice is up to the individual.
Acts 3:19; Acts 2:38; John 6:44; John 3:16
9. We believe at creation God instituted marriage for the well being of humanity and procreation. Marriage is an institution of God described singularly as the lifelong and exclusive union of one man and one woman in a faithful relationship that the Scriptures call "one flesh." Marriage between a man and a woman is the only proper setting for sexual intimacy. Scriptures require purity before and faithfulness within marriage. A healthy marriage should provide a loving, life giving context for raising children in the fear and instruction of the Lord. It is the foundation of the family, that is the basic structure of human society.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Romans 1:26-27, 1 Timothy 1:9-11
10. We believe in a regenerated church membership: that is, people old enough to understand their need for Jesus Christ and, of their own free will, accept Him as their personal Lord and Savior.
11. We believe Christians are called to the regular practice of public worship first for glorifying God, and for the edification and salvation of people. Worship that honors God calls those participating to draw near to God with their whole being, and guards against centering upon personality, performance, or object.
Ephesians 5:18-19; Psalms 150; Acts 24:14; Hebrews 11:25
12. We believe it is the biblical responsibility of all believers to support the local church through tithing. Special offerings should be given as one is able and prompted by the Holy Spirit to do so. Giving tithes and offerings are outward expressions of the unity of the church as it joins together in supporting God’s work in the world and should be given with a cheerful heart of thanksgiving.
Genesis 14:18-20, 28:20-22; Proverbs 11:24-25; Malachi 3:8-10; Matthew 23:23; Luke 11:42; 2 Corinthians 8:7, 9:6-13
13. We believe in two sacraments, baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Baptism signifies the believer’s death to self and resurrection to new life in Christ, and therefore preferable mode for baptism is by immersion of the believer as soon after repentance and belief as is possible. The Lord’s Supper is a memorial to his suffering and death on the cross, and a celebration of his imminent return. These sacraments are to be observed by the church in its present age. While the sacraments impart to us a measure of God’s grace, they are not to be regarded as the means of salvation.
Acts 2:41; Acts 2:38; Colossians 2:12; Matthew 26:26-28; Luke 22:19-20; 1 Corinthians 11:24-25; Matthew 28:19
14. We believe in the personal, imminent, and glorious return of the Lord Jesus Christ and that His Second Coming inspires believers toward a dynamic and zealous life in service for Him while waiting for His return.
Matthew 24:1-51; 25; 26:64; Mark 13:1-37; Luke 17:22-37; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:6-11; 1 Corinthians 1:7-8; 1 John 3:2-3; Revelation 1:7; 19:11-16; 22:6-7, 12, 20
15. We believe in the bodily resurrection of the dead, those who have accepted Christ as their Savior and Lord, to everlasting life, those who have rejected salvation to eternal separation from God in hell.
Matthew 22:30-32; 28:1-20; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 14:14; 24:1-53; John 5:28-29; Acts 1:3; Romans 8:11; 1 Corinthians 6:14; 15:35-54; 2 Corinthians 4:14; Revelation 20:4-6, 11-13
16. We believe Christ is the only Head of the church, and the Word of God is the only rule of faith and conduct.
Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 4:15; 5:23
17. We believe there needs to be a balance between local church autonomy and biblical accountability in the larger body of Christ. While the church therefore, will manage its own affairs and is not subject to any other religious body or organization, it is intentional in its support of local and foreign missions.
1 Peter 5:1-3; Acts 14:23; Acts 20:28