Who We Are

The Scriptures. We believe the Bible was written by men divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit and is God’s revelation of Himself to mankind. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter.

God. We believe there is one true God who is all powerful and all knowing. He has revealed Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without any division of nature, essence, or being.

The Father. God the Father reigns with providential care over the universe. He is all powerful, all knowing, all loving, and all wise. He is Father in truth to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ and fatherly in attitude toward all humanity.

The Son. Jesus is the eternal Son of God. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He fulfilled the divine law by His perfect obedience and made the provision for the redemption from sin by His substitutionary death on the cross. He was raised from the dead, ascended into heaven, and is the One Mediator being fully God and fully man. He will return to judge the world and consummate His redemptive mission.

The Holy Spirit. The Spirit is fully divine. He inspired holy men to write the Scriptures. He exalts Christ. He convicts men of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He calls individuals to Christ and effects regeneration. He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and gives spiritual gifts by which they serve God through His church.

Mankind. We believe God created man in His image and made them male and female as the crowning work of His creation. Man was originally innocent of sin and was endowed by God with freedom of choice. By his free choice man sinned against God and brought the curse of sin upon all creation; nevertheless, being created in the image of God, all persons are worthy of dignity, respect, and love.

Salvation. We believe salvation involves the redemption of the whole man and is offered freely to everyone who accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, who by His shed blood obtained eternal redemption for those who repent from sin and believe in Him. Salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

The Church. We believe the church is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel, observing the two ordinances of Christ, governed by God’s Word, and seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth. Its two scriptural offices are pastor/elder and deacon. While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor and deacon is limited to men as qualified by Scripture. The New Testament also speaks of the church as the Body of Christ which includes all the redeemed of all the ages and every nation.

Baptism. We believe baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing and announcing the believer’s faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Savior, the believer’s death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. Baptism is a prerequisite for church membership and the Lord’s Supper.

Communion. We believe the Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby members of the church memorialize the redemptive death of Christ and anticipate His second coming.

The Lord’s Day. We believe Sunday is a day to commemorate the resurrection of Christ from the dead by public worship and private spiritual devotion. Activities on the Lord’s Day should be commensurate with the Christian’s conscience under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Last Things. We believe God will bring the world to its appropriate end. According to His promise, Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth; the dead will be raised; and Christ will judge all men in righteousness. The unrighteous will be consigned to Hell, the place of everlasting punishment. The righteous will dwell forever in Heaven with the Lord.

Evangelism and Missions. We believe it is the duty and privilege of every Christian and church to make disciples of all nations. Consequently, every Christian should seek opportunities to win unbelievers to Christ by verbal witness undergirded by godly conduct and support international missions.

Stewardship. We believe God is the source of all blessings both temporal and spiritual. We are to serve God with our time, talents, and treasures. Consequently, Christians should tithe from their income cheerfully, regularly, systematically, proportionately, and liberally to advance the kingdom of God on earth.

The Christian and the Social Order. We believe we are obligated to make the will of Christ supreme in our own homes, communities, and world. Christians should oppose racism, greed, selfishness, and all forms of sexual immorality, including adultery, homosexuality, and pornography. They should also seek to help the needy, the abused, the aged, the helpless, and the sick. They should speak on behalf of the unborn and contend for the sanctity of all human life.

The Family. We believe God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in a lifetime commitment. It reveals the union between Christ and His church, and it provides for the man and woman in marriage the framework for intimate companionship, the channel of sexual expression, and the means for the procreation of humanity.