Statement of Faith

We believe in God the Father, an infinite, personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power, and love. He is Creator and sovereign over all that exists (Genesis 1:1-31; Psalm 103:19; 145:8-9; Romans 11:36; Ephesians 3:9) and the First Person of the Trinity (1 Corinthians 8:6). He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men and women, hears prayer, and saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ (John 1:12; Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:5; Hebrews 12:5-9).

We believe that Jesus Christ is God and the Second Person of the Trinity. He is God the Father’s eternal Son and has the exact nature, attributes, abilities, and perfections as God the Father and God the Holy Spirit (John 10:30; 14:9) precisely. He is not only true God but also true man conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23, 25; Luke 1:26-35; Philippians 2:5-8; Colossians 2:9). We believe in His sinless life, His substitutionary atonement (John 10:15; Romans 3:24-25; 5:8; 1 Peter 2:24), His bodily resurrection from the dead, His ascension into heaven, His priestly intercession on behalf of His people, and His personal, visible, return to earth from heaven (Matthew 28:6; Luke 24:38-39; Acts 1:9-11; 2:30-31; Romans 8:34; Hebrews 4:15-16, 7:25; 9:24; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 John 2:1).

We believe in the deity of the Holy Spirit and that He is the Third Person of the Trinity possessing precisely the exact nature, attributes, abilities, and perfections as God the Father and God the Son (Matthew 28:19; Acts 5:3-4; 28:25-26; 1 Corinthians 12:4-6; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Hebrews 10:15-17). We believe that the Holy Spirit is the divine agent in regenerating and baptizing all believers into the Church (1 Corinthians 12:13). The Spirit’s ministry is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit seals all believers for the day of redemption, indwells at conversion, sanctifies, empowers the believer for godly living and service, convicts of sin, righteousness, and judgment gives spiritual gifts to the saints and ensures the preservation of all believers (Romans 8:9; 2 Corinthians 3:6; Ephesians 1:13).

We believe the Scriptures of the Old Testament (39 books) and New Testament (27 books) are the inspired Word of God, inerrant in the original writings, complete as the revelation of God’s will for salvation, and the supreme and final authority in all matters to which they speak (1 Corinthians 2:7-14; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21).

We believe God created humanity, male and female, in the image of God and free from sin (Genesis 2:7, 15-25; James 3:9) to love, worship, serve and glorify Him (Isaiah 43:7; Colossians 1:16; Revelation 4:11). Even though equal in worth and value, God appointed men and women with different but complementary roles in the home (Ephesians 5:22-33) and His church (1 Timothy 2:11-14). We further believe all persons are sinners by nature and choice and are, therefore, spiritually dead and unable in any way to save themselves apart from the redemptive work of Jesus Christ on the cross and his resurrection from the dead (Genesis 2:16-17; 3:1-19; John 3:36; Romans 3:23; 6:23; 1 Corinthians 2:14; Ephesians 2:1-3; 1 Timothy 2:13-14; 1 John 1:8).

We believe in salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. This salvation is based upon the sovereign election of God before the foundation of the world (Romans 8:28-30; Ephesians 1:4-11; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 2:10; 1 Peter 1:1-2). Through God’s mercy (Titus 3:5) and grace (Ephesians 2:8-9), salvation was purchased by Christ on the cross and is received through faith apart from any human merit, works, or ritual (Ephesians 2:8-9). This salvation is only possible by the power of the Holy Spirit (John 3:3-7; Titus 3:5) through the Word of God (John 5:24) when the repentant sinner being enabled by the Holy Spirit responds in faith to God’s gift of salvation. This genuine faith will result in spiritual transformation, the fruit of the Spirit, good works, and loving obedience as an expression of gratitude toward God. We further believe that every believer stands justified (Romans 8:33) by faith alone in the courtroom of God due to the righteousness of Christ. This occurred instantaneously at the moment of salvation when Jesus’ righteousness was imputed to the believer (1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 5:21) and the believer’s sins were imputed to Christ (Colossians 2:14; 1 Peter 2:24). Because of this, God is both just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus (Romans 3:26). This act of God results in the eternal security of each believer (John 5:24; 6:37-40, 44; 10:27-30; Acts 13:48; 1 John 5:11-13) having been sealed by the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption (John 5:24; 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Romans 5:9-10; 8:1, 31- 39; 1 Corinthians 1:4-8; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-10, 4:30; Hebrews 7:25; 13:5; 1 Peter 1:5,18-19; Jude 24).

We believe that the Church is the spiritual body of which Christ is the head (Ephesians 1:22; 2:11; 3:6; 4:15; Colossians 1:18) and is composed of all persons who have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit and responded in faith to God’s gift of salvation in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:11-13, 3:6; 1 Corinthians 12:12-13). This body expresses itself in local assemblies (1 Corinthians 11:18-20; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:1; Hebrews 10:25) whose members have an authentic confession of faith and have fellowship for worship, discipleship, and service (Matthew 28:18-20;). We also believe in the mutual submission of Christians to each other in love (Hebrews 3:12-13). The ordinances of the local church are Believers’ Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

Jesus Christ is the Head and Chief Shepherd of the Church (1 Corinthians 11:3; Ephesians 1:22; Colossians 1:18). He intends His rule to be understood through the teaching of the Scriptures and the obedience of all His followers (Luke 6:46; John 13:17; James 1:22). The Undershepherds are the elders and deacons (Acts 14:23), all of whom must meet the qualifications and adhere to the responsibilities of their given offices (John 21:15-17; Acts 6:1-4; 20:17-32; 1 Timothy 3:1-13; 5:17; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Peter 5:1-5). Elders are responsible for overseeing the people and activities of the church as servant-leaders (Acts 15:19-31; 20:28; 1 Corinthians 5:4-7, 13; 1 Peter 5:1-4; 1 Timothy 5:17-22). Furthermore, the believers of each local assembly are to honor and submit to the elders (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13; 1 Timothy 5:17; Hebrews 13:7, 17).

We believe that each local church is self-governing in function and must be free from interference by any ecclesiastical or political authority (Titus 1:5; Acts 15:19-31; 20:28; 1 Corinthians 5:4-7, 13; 1 Peter 5:1-4). We also believe all men and women are directly responsible to God in matters of faith and life, and they should be free to worship God according to the principles of Scripture and the dictates of their consciences.

We believe that the supreme command of every believer is to love the LORD their GOD with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength in all they think, say, and do. Furthermore, every follower of Jesus is to love their neighbor as themselves (Matthew 22:36-40). Christians are to live Holy lives (1 Peter 1:16) and be faithful stewards of all possessions while seeking to demonstrate in all areas of life maturity in Christ (Colossians 1:28).

Death of Unsaved – We believe that when the unsaved physically die, their souls depart from their bodies and are kept in punishment until the second resurrection when their souls and resurrected bodies are united. All the unsaved will then appear before the Great White Throne judgment of God and will be sentenced to the lake of fire eternally separated from the presence of God (Daniel 12:2; Matthew 25:41-46; John 5:29; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9; Revelation 20:11-15).

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Death of the Saved – We believe that when Christians physically die, their souls are separated from their bodies (Philippians 1:21-24), and their souls immediately pass into the joyful presence of Jesus (Luke 23:43; Philippians 1:23; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Revelation 6:9-11). This separation continues until the Rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18), which unites the souls of believers to their glorified bodies (1 Corinthians 15:51-53; Hebrews 11:35, 39-40).

We believe that Jesus will physically appear in the air before the beginning of the seven years of tribulation (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) to transport His church from earth to heaven (John 14:1-3; 1 Corinthians 15:51-53; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-5:11) where the believer’s judgment takes place (1 Corinthians 3:11-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10) and after they will return to earth with Jesus at His Second Coming.

We believe that immediately after the Rapture, God will perfectly judge the unbelieving world (Jeremiah 30:7; Daniel 9:27; 12:1; 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12; Revelation 16:1-21). God’s righteous judgment will conclude with Jesus’ Second Coming to earth (Matthew 24:27-31; 25:31-46).

At the end of the Tribulation, Jesus will return to earth with his angels (Matthew 25:31) and all the Christians (1 Thessalonians 3:13; Jude 14-15; Revelation 17:14; 19:11-16) who died during the Church Age and who were Raptured before the tribulation. Jesus then defeats the anti-Christ and his army (Revelation 19:19-21). After throwing the devil into the bottomless pit for 1,000 years, Jesus begins establishing His millennial kingdom on earth by resurrecting all the bodies of the Old Testament and Tribulation Saints (the first resurrection) (Daniel 12:1-3; John 5:29; Revelation 20:4-6).

We believe that after Jesus’ millennial reign (Revelation 20:4-6), He will release the devil (Revelation 20:7), who will deceive all the nations of the earth and unite them to fight against the Saints and Jerusalem. Satan and his entire army will be consumed by fire from heaven (Revelation 20:9), and Satan will be thrown into the lake of fire for eternity (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10). Jesus will then resurrect all non-Christians and sentence them at the Great White Throne Judgment to eternal punishment in the lake of fire (the second resurrection) (John 5:22, 29; Revelation 20:11-14).

After Jesus’ millennial reign and the judgment of Satan and the lost, the earth will dissolve (2 Peter 3:10) and be replaced with a new earth where righteousness dwells (Ephesians 5:5). After this, a heavenly city will come down out of heaven (Revelation 21:2) which will be the eternal home of God and the Saints (John 17:3; Revelation 21:1-27; Revelation 22:1-21). All believers will eternally live in perfect harmony, communion, worship, and service to our Loving Father and King of the Universe (John 17:3; Revelation 21:1-27; Revelation 22:1-21).