THE SCRIPTURES

We believe that the Holy Bible as originally written was verbally inspired and the product of Spirit-controlled men, and therefore has truth without admixture of error for its matter.  We believe that it is the true center of Christian union and the only infallible rule for all human conduct, creeds and opinions.

2 Timothy 3:16,17; 2 Peter 1:19-21

THE TRUE GOD

We believe that there is only one living and true God, infinite in every excellence; that in the unity of the Godhead there are three personal distinctions - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit - one in substance and equal in every divine perfection.

Exodus 20:2,3; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 1 John 5:7

THE DEITY OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

We believe in the absolute Deity of the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ; that He was divine as no other man can be, being very God of very God, existing from all eternity co-equal with the Father and the Spirit; that He never ceased to be God for one instant and that His humiliation did not consist in laying aside His deity; that as a man He was miraculously begotten of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.

John 1:1,2; 1 John 5:20; Matthew 1:20; Luke 1:26-28

THE HOLY SPIRIT

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine Person, equal with the Father and Son and of the same substance and nature; that He convicts of sin, righteousness and judgment, bears witness to the truth, is the Agent of the New Birth and that He seals, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses to, sanctifies and helps the believer indwelling every true child of God.

2 Corinthians 13:14; John 14:16,17; Romans 8:14-27

THE DEVIL, OR SATAN

We believe that Satan is a distinct personality, that he is the god of this age, author of all the powers of darkness and sin, and is destined to the judgment of an eternal justice in the lake of fire.

Matthew 4:1-3; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 20:10

THE CREATION

We believe that God created the heavens and the earth, including all life, "each after its own kind," by direct act and not by the process of evolution.

Genesis 1:2; Colossians 1:16,17; John 1:3

THE FALL OF MAN

We believe that man, in the person of the first Adam, was created in innocence but by voluntary transgression fell into sin thus plunging the whole race into condemnation and death, so that now all mankind is born in sin and shaped in iniquity and become practical sinners with the first expression of personal choice and so are without excuse before God.

Genesis 3; Romans 5:10-19

THE ATONEMENT FOR SIN

We believe that the only escape from the condemnation of sin is through the atonement wrought by Jesus Christ, when He voluntarily took upon Him a human body and nature, yet without sin, and by His suffering, death and resurrection made full satisfaction to the justice of God for the sin of man; that the blessings of this salvation are given on the grounds of grace to al who believe and confess and that it is the immediate duty of all to accept these offers of mercy.

John 1:1-3,14; 3:1-7; Hebrews 10:4-14; Acts 16:30-33

SALVATION BY GRACE

We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be born again; that the new birth is a new creation in Jesus Christ; that it is instantaneous and not a process; that in the new birth the one dead in trespass and in sins is made a partaker of the divine nature and receives eternal life, the free gift of God; that the new creation is brought about by our sovereign God in a manner above our comprehension, solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with divine truth, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the gospel; that its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance, faith and newness of life.

John 3:3; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 John 5:1; John 3:6,7; Acts 16:30-33; 2 Peter 1:4; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:1,5; 2 Corinthians 5:19; Colossians 2:13; John 3:8

THE SECURITY OF THE SAINT

We believe that all who take Christ as their Savior are born from above and are eternally secure in Christ.

John 10:28,29; Romans 8:35-39; Philippians 1:6

THE CHURCH

We believe that the Church, the Body of Christ, is a New Testament institution, established by Jesus Christ, Who is the sole Head; revealed through the holy Apostles; empowered and perpetuated by the Holy Spirit; composed of believers in Jesus Christ as Savior, both Jew and Gentile, called out from the word and indwelt by the Holy Spirit; His "body" for service and His "bride" for glory.  It began with he New Testament saints and will be consummated at the coming of Christ in the Rapture.

Matthew 12:12-28; Acts 1:8; 2:1-13, 41-47; 15:14; Romans 16:26; 1 Corinthians 12:12-28; Ephesians 1:22,23; 3:21; 5:23-33; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

We believe that the Church is manifest through the local Church which is a congregation of immersed believers, associated by covenant of faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws; exercising the gifts, rights and privileges invested in it by His work; that its officers are bishops (pastors) and deacons; that it has the absolute right of self-government directed by the Holy Spirit and it is answerable only to Christ, and that in all matters of membership, policy, government, discipline and benevolence the will of the local church is final.

Matthew 18:15-17; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 5:4,5; 7:17; 11:16; 1 Timothy 3:1-15

THE ORDINANCES

We believe that there are two church ordinances: Baptism and the Lord's Supper.  Baptism is the immersion of the believer in water and is properly called "Believer's Baptism".  It sets forth in a beautiful and solemn way our faith in a crucified, buried and risen Savior, with its effect in our lives of death to sin and resurrection to a new life.  Baptism is a prerequisite to the privileges of church relation.  The Lord's Supper is the commemoration of our Lord's death until He comes, and our continual fellowship with Him; should be preceded by baptism and always by careful self-examination.

Acts 8:36-39; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians 11:23-32

THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE WICKED

We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that such only as through faith are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and sanctified by the Spirit of God, are truly righteous in God's esteem; while all such who continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight wicked, and under the curse; and that this distinction holds among men both in and after death, in the everlasting felicity of the saved and the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost.

Malachi 3:18; Romans 6:17-23; Matthew 25:34-41; Luke 6:25; John 8:21

THE RETURN OF CHRIST

We believe in the bodily, personal, pre-millennial return of Jesus Christ; that He will come before the seven year tribulation period to catch away His church, coming only into the air, and that He will come with His church at the close of the tribulation to judge the living nations and to set up His kingdom.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Matthew 25:31-46; Revelation 19:11-21

THE RESURRECTION

We believe in resurrection of the bodies of the dead; that believers who sleep in Jesus will be raised at the coming of Christ for His Church and caught up with transformed, living saints to meet the Lord in the air, and that the wicked dead will be raised at the close of the Millennial Kingdom and stand in their bodies at the Great White Throne judgment to receive their final doom.

John 5:21-30; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; Revelation 7:9-17; 20:11-15

AMENDMENT TO CHURCH CONSTITUTION - APRIL 13, 1983

We believe that the current experience-centered charismatic movement is contrary to the Biblical teaching concerning spiritual gifts and the gift of tongues was temporarily bestowed as a sign to Israel and as an authentication of the Apostolic message to the early church.

Acts 2:4; 10:46; 1 Corinthians 13:10; 14:21,22