Authority for Doctrine
The King James 1611 Bible, the Word of God, shall be the Doctrinal authority of this local Church. The Statement of Faith does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs but does, we believe, accurately represent the teaching of the Bible, and is therefore, binding upon all members. All literature used or distributed by this church shall be in agreement with the Statement of Faith.
Statement of Faith
A. The Holy Scriptures. We believe the scriptures of the Old and the New Testaments to be verbally and plenary inspired by God and without error, and preserved in the King James bible which is the scriptural authority of this church; that the Bible is reliable in science, history, and every other matter it discusses; and that the Bible is of supreme and final authority in faith and life. The King James Bible shall be used at all times both in the pulpit and in classes. II Timothy 3:16,17; II Peter 1:19-21
B. The Godhead. We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three Persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections. Exodus 20:2,3; I Corinthians 8:6; I John 5:7; Matthew 28:19,20; II Corinthians 13:14
1. The Father - We believe in God, the Father, perfect in holiness, infinite in wisdom, measureless in power; that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from eternal death and from hell all who come to Him through Jesus Christ. Psalm 23:3; John 17:11; Psalm 147:5; I John 3:20; Matthew 19:26; John 3:16; I Timothy 2:5; John 14:6
2. The Son - We believe in the absolute Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ; His eternal existence as God, co-equal with the Father and the Holy Spirit; His incarnation by means of the virgin birth; His sinlessness; His vicarious death through the shedding of His blood as an atonement for the remission of our sins; His literal bodily resurrection from the dead; His ascension; His present high priestly ministry in heaven for believers; and His personal return to earth. I John 5:20; John 1:18; John 14:9; Hebrews 1:8; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-35; I Peter 2:22; Romans 3:25; Hebrews 9:14; Luke 24:36-43; Acts 10:40,41; Acts 1:9; Luke 24:51; Hebrews 8:1,2; I John 2:1; Acts 1:11; I Thessalonians 4:16
3. The Holy Spirit - We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person, equal with the Father and the Son and of the same substance and nature; that He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment; that He bears witness to the truth; that He is the Agent of the new birth; that He baptizes all true believers, indwelling and sanctifying all of them, sealing and thus securing them unto the day of redemption; that He endues, guides, teaches, and helps believers; and that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the Spirit, the evidence being the fruit of the Spirit and soul winning power and not speaking in tongues. Matthew 28:19; II Corinthians 13:14; Acts 5:3,4; Galatians 5:22-25
C. Creation - We believe that God created the heavens and the earth, including all life, each after its own species, by direct act and not by the process of evolution. Genesis 1 and 2; Colossians 1:16,17; John 1:3
D. Total Depravity - We believe that man, in the person of the first Adam, was created in the image of God, in innocence under the law of his Maker, but by reason of his voluntary sin, fell from his high and holy state so that now all human beings are born with a sinful nature. Therefore man inheriting a sinful nature and being alienated from God is thus totally depraved and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition, and that all who reach the age of moral responsibility become willful sinners in thought, word, and deed, and so are without excuse before God. Genesis 1:26; Genesis 3; Romans 5:10-19; Psalm 51:5; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 3:10-23; Ephesians 2:1-3; 4:17-19
E. Salvation - We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace through faith in the blood sacrifice, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ; that all who receive Him are regenerated by the Holy Spirit and become children of God; that no rite, ceremony, or work can avail one whit for the sinner's salvation or make the believer's salvation more secure; that Christ is the only and all sufficient Savior; and that all who are truly saved are kept forever. Ephesians 2:8,9; Titus 3:5-7; John 5:24; John 1:12; Romans 10:9-13; Acts 16:31; Acts 4:12; II Timothy 1:12; John 10:28,29; Romans 8:35-39; Philippians 1:6
F. New Nature - We believe that every saved person possesses two natures; that he has the old nature for the duration of his earthly life; but that provision is made for victory of the new nature over the old nature through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Romans 7:15-25; Romans 6:11-14; Philippians 4:7-14; II Corinthians 12:7-10; Philippians 3:7-14
G. Sanctification - We believe that sanctification for the believer is immediate, upon acceptance of Christ as savior, and progressive, continuing to the end of earthly life; and that the progressive phase of sanctification is carried on in the hearts of believers by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in the continual use of the appointed means, especially study of God's Word, self-examination, self-denial, faithfulness in and through a fundamental local church, prayer, and soul-winning. I Corinthians 1:2;
I Corinthians 6:11; Hebrews 10:10,14; I Thessalonians 3:12,13; I Thessalonians 4:1-12; II Peter 3:18; Ephesians 4:11-16; Hebrews 10:25
H. Separation - We believe that the saved are called into a life of separation. We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord or upon his Church. God commands His people to separate from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices, and associations, and to refrain from all immodest and immoderate appearances, piercing, and bodily markings. Romans 12:1-2; 14:13; II Corinthians 6:14-7:1; II Tim. 3:1-5; I John 2:15-17; II John 9-11; Lev. 19:28; I Corinthians 6:19-20; Deuteronomy 22:5
I. The Church - We believe that the local New Testament church is composed of regenerated baptized believers, voluntarily united together for the purpose of worship, edification, observing the ordinances, fellowship, and service; that the officers of the local church are pastors and deacons, whose qualifications, claims, and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures; that the true mission of the church is the faithful witnessing of Christ to all men as we have opportunity in the community and unto the uttermost parts of the earth and the glorifying of the Father through a life lived in holiness; that the local church has absolute right to self government, free from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations, religious or political; that the one and only superintendent is Christ, through the Holy Spirit; that it is Scriptural for true churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the Gospel, with each local church as the sole judge of the measure and method of its cooperation; and that on all matters of membership, policy of government, discipline, benevolence, the will of the local church is final. Acts 2:41-47; Romans 1:7; Colossians 1:2; I Corinthians 1:2; Acts 4:4; Hebrews 10:25; Acts 20:7; Acts 11:26; Philippians 1:1; I Timothy 3:1-16; Titus 1:5-8; Hebrews 13:7,17; I Peter 5:1-5; Acts 6:1-8; Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Ephesians 1:22,23; Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 5:23-26; Acts 15:1-27; Acts 11:29,30; Acts 13:1-4; Philippians 4:14-16; Acts 20:28,31; I Corinthians 5:1-6,11
J. Baptism - We believe that baptism is by immersion only and must be administered under the authority of a local Baptist Church. We believe that Bible baptism is the burial of a believer in water, thus setting forth in symbol his union with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection; that every believer should be baptized because of the example of our Lord and because of the command given by our Lord; and that while there is no saving power in water baptism, it is an act of obedience by those who are already saved to picture that they are dead, buried and raised spiritually with Jesus Christ by faith in Him. We reject infant baptism. Romans 6:3-5; Matthew 3:13-17; Matthew 28-:9,20; Acts 8:36-39; Ephesians 2:8,9; Titus 3:5; John 5:24
K. The Lord’s Supper - We believe that the Lord's Supper is to be administered under the authority of a local Baptist Church; that it is a commemoration of the Lord's death until He comes again; that only those who have been saved and scripturally baptized should participate in this ordinance and only after careful and complete examination of themselves. We believe that each local church has the authority to determine whom they will or will not allow to participate in the Lord’s supper. We reject the unscriptural practice of open communion . I Corinthians 11:23-32; Luke 22:14-20; Acts 20:7-11
L. The Second Advent of Christ - We believe in the literal, bodily, personal, premillennial, and imminent coming of our Lord into the air to catch away all believers unto Himself before the tribulation period; also, in the personal, visible and glorious return of Christ to the earth, with believers, at the close of the tribulation period to judge the living nations and to set up His millennial kingdom on earth. Acts 1:11; John 14:3: I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 4:1; Matthew 24:42-44; II Thessalonians 2:7,8; Matthew 24:29-31; Revelation 19:11-21; Matthew 25:31-46; Revelation 20:1-6; Hebrews 12:22-24
M. The Resurrection of the Dead - We believe in the bodily resurrection of the dead, the saved to everlasting blessedness at the coming of Christ, and after the one thousand year reign of Christ the resurrection of the lost to the Great White Throne judgment and then to everlasting, conscious punishment in the Lake of Fire. John 5:21-30;
I Thessalonians 4:13-18; I Corinthians 15:42-52; Philippians 3:20,21; Revelation 20:5,6,11-15
N. Death - 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; and that the souls of the lost raise up their eyes in hell, after death, in conscious misery until the second resurrection.
II Corinthians 5:6-8; Philippians 1:23,24; Luke 16:19-31
O. Civil Governments - We believe that God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: 1) the home, 2) the church, and 3) the state. 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; I Peter 2:13-14
P. The Lord’s Day - We believe that in this age of Grace, the Lord's Day, which is the first day of the week, the day of or Lord's resurrection, is the proper day for Christian worship and service; and that it ought to be kept sacred for spiritual purposes, by abstinence from all unnecessary secular labor and other activities unbecoming to such a day. Acts 20:7; I Corinthians 16:1,2; Colossians 2:13-17; Hebrews 10:25; John 20:1,19,.26
Q. Israel - We believe that God's covenant people, Israel, shall be redeemed and regathered to Israel from their world wide dispersion and under the personal and millennial reign of Christ upon David's throne and that Jerusalem shall become the head of nations. Genesis 12:2,3; Genesis 13:~4,15; Jeremiah 7:7; Deuteronomy 28:63-66; Deuteronomy 30:1-6; Ezekiel 36:22-28; 37:11-28; Romans 11:25-27; Luke 1:30-33; Jeremiah 23:3-6; Revelation 20:4-
R. Satan - We believe that Satan, a fallen angel, is a distinct and real personality, the god of this age, the adversary of God, Christ the church and all believers. His eternal destination is punishment in the lake of fire. Ezekiel 28:1-19; Job 1:6-9; I Peter 5:8; Matthew 4:1-11; I Timothy 3:7; James 4:7; II Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 20:10
S. Human Sexuality
1. We believe that God commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex and are abominations before him. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one’s gender by surgery or appearance. Those who engage in homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, and bestiality are not the children of God and stand in need of redemption. Genesis 2:24, Genesis 19:5, 13, Genesis 26:8-9, Leviticus 18:1-30, Romans 1:26-29,
I Corinthians 5:1; 6:9; I Thessalonians 4:1-8, Hebrews 13:4
2. We believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one woman. Genesis 2:24, Romans 7:2, I Corinthians 7:10, Ephesians 5:22-23
T. Abortion - We believe that life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. That the taking of life before birth is murder, and that God will judge all who perform abortions, the killing of unborn life, or who consent to abortions as murderers. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the physical or mental well being of the mother are acceptable. Job 3:16; Psalm 51:5, 139:14-16; Isaiah 44:24, 49:1, 5; Jeremiah 1:5, 20:15-18; Luke 1:44
U. Christians and the Law - We believe that Christians are prohibited from bringing civil lawsuits against other Christians or the church to resolve personal disputes. We believe the church possesses all the resources necessary to resolve personal disputes between members. We do believe, however, that a Christian may seek compensation for injuries from another Christian’s insurance company as long as the claim is pursued without malice or slander.
I Corinthians 6:1-8; Ephesians 4:31-32
V. Missions - We believe that God has given every local 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. Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; II Corinthians 5:20
W. Giving - We believe that every Christian, as a steward of that portions of God’s wealth entrusted to him, is obligated to support his local church financially. We believe that the tithe belongs to God and that scriptural giving begins after the payment of the tithe. We believe that every Christian should also give 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. Genesis 14:20; Proverbs 3:9-10; Acts 4:34-37; I Corinthians 16:2;
II Corinthians 9:6-7; Galatians 6:6, Ephesians 4:28; I Tim. 5: 17-18; I John 3:17
Church Covenant
Having been led, as we believe, by the Holy Spirit of God, to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior and on the profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we do now, in the presence of God, angels, and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another, as one body in Christ.
We engage, therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit to walk together in Christian love, to strive for the advancement of this church, in knowledge, holiness and comfort; to promote its prosperity and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline and doctrines; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the gospel through all nations.
We also engage to maintain family and secret devotions; to religiously educate our children; to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances; to walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment; to avoid all tattling, backbiting and excessive anger; to abstain from the sale and use of all intoxicating drinks as a beverage, and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Savior
We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember each other in prayer; to aid each other in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offence, but always ready for reconciliation, and mindful of the rules of our Savior, to secure it without delay.
We moreover engage, that when we remove from this place, we will as soon as possible unite with some other church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God's Holy Word.
The King James 1611 Bible, the Word of God, shall be the Doctrinal authority of this local Church. The Statement of Faith does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs but does, we believe, accurately represent the teaching of the Bible, and is therefore, binding upon all members. All literature used or distributed by this church shall be in agreement with the Statement of Faith.
Statement of Faith
A. The Holy Scriptures. We believe the scriptures of the Old and the New Testaments to be verbally and plenary inspired by God and without error, and preserved in the King James bible which is the scriptural authority of this church; that the Bible is reliable in science, history, and every other matter it discusses; and that the Bible is of supreme and final authority in faith and life. The King James Bible shall be used at all times both in the pulpit and in classes. II Timothy 3:16,17; II Peter 1:19-21
B. The Godhead. We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three Persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections. Exodus 20:2,3; I Corinthians 8:6; I John 5:7; Matthew 28:19,20; II Corinthians 13:14
1. The Father - We believe in God, the Father, perfect in holiness, infinite in wisdom, measureless in power; that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from eternal death and from hell all who come to Him through Jesus Christ. Psalm 23:3; John 17:11; Psalm 147:5; I John 3:20; Matthew 19:26; John 3:16; I Timothy 2:5; John 14:6
2. The Son - We believe in the absolute Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ; His eternal existence as God, co-equal with the Father and the Holy Spirit; His incarnation by means of the virgin birth; His sinlessness; His vicarious death through the shedding of His blood as an atonement for the remission of our sins; His literal bodily resurrection from the dead; His ascension; His present high priestly ministry in heaven for believers; and His personal return to earth. I John 5:20; John 1:18; John 14:9; Hebrews 1:8; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-35; I Peter 2:22; Romans 3:25; Hebrews 9:14; Luke 24:36-43; Acts 10:40,41; Acts 1:9; Luke 24:51; Hebrews 8:1,2; I John 2:1; Acts 1:11; I Thessalonians 4:16
3. The Holy Spirit - We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person, equal with the Father and the Son and of the same substance and nature; that He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment; that He bears witness to the truth; that He is the Agent of the new birth; that He baptizes all true believers, indwelling and sanctifying all of them, sealing and thus securing them unto the day of redemption; that He endues, guides, teaches, and helps believers; and that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the Spirit, the evidence being the fruit of the Spirit and soul winning power and not speaking in tongues. Matthew 28:19; II Corinthians 13:14; Acts 5:3,4; Galatians 5:22-25
C. Creation - We believe that God created the heavens and the earth, including all life, each after its own species, by direct act and not by the process of evolution. Genesis 1 and 2; Colossians 1:16,17; John 1:3
D. Total Depravity - We believe that man, in the person of the first Adam, was created in the image of God, in innocence under the law of his Maker, but by reason of his voluntary sin, fell from his high and holy state so that now all human beings are born with a sinful nature. Therefore man inheriting a sinful nature and being alienated from God is thus totally depraved and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition, and that all who reach the age of moral responsibility become willful sinners in thought, word, and deed, and so are without excuse before God. Genesis 1:26; Genesis 3; Romans 5:10-19; Psalm 51:5; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 3:10-23; Ephesians 2:1-3; 4:17-19
E. Salvation - We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace through faith in the blood sacrifice, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ; that all who receive Him are regenerated by the Holy Spirit and become children of God; that no rite, ceremony, or work can avail one whit for the sinner's salvation or make the believer's salvation more secure; that Christ is the only and all sufficient Savior; and that all who are truly saved are kept forever. Ephesians 2:8,9; Titus 3:5-7; John 5:24; John 1:12; Romans 10:9-13; Acts 16:31; Acts 4:12; II Timothy 1:12; John 10:28,29; Romans 8:35-39; Philippians 1:6
F. New Nature - We believe that every saved person possesses two natures; that he has the old nature for the duration of his earthly life; but that provision is made for victory of the new nature over the old nature through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Romans 7:15-25; Romans 6:11-14; Philippians 4:7-14; II Corinthians 12:7-10; Philippians 3:7-14
G. Sanctification - We believe that sanctification for the believer is immediate, upon acceptance of Christ as savior, and progressive, continuing to the end of earthly life; and that the progressive phase of sanctification is carried on in the hearts of believers by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in the continual use of the appointed means, especially study of God's Word, self-examination, self-denial, faithfulness in and through a fundamental local church, prayer, and soul-winning. I Corinthians 1:2;
I Corinthians 6:11; Hebrews 10:10,14; I Thessalonians 3:12,13; I Thessalonians 4:1-12; II Peter 3:18; Ephesians 4:11-16; Hebrews 10:25
H. Separation - We believe that the saved are called into a life of separation. We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord or upon his Church. God commands His people to separate from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices, and associations, and to refrain from all immodest and immoderate appearances, piercing, and bodily markings. Romans 12:1-2; 14:13; II Corinthians 6:14-7:1; II Tim. 3:1-5; I John 2:15-17; II John 9-11; Lev. 19:28; I Corinthians 6:19-20; Deuteronomy 22:5
I. The Church - We believe that the local New Testament church is composed of regenerated baptized believers, voluntarily united together for the purpose of worship, edification, observing the ordinances, fellowship, and service; that the officers of the local church are pastors and deacons, whose qualifications, claims, and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures; that the true mission of the church is the faithful witnessing of Christ to all men as we have opportunity in the community and unto the uttermost parts of the earth and the glorifying of the Father through a life lived in holiness; that the local church has absolute right to self government, free from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations, religious or political; that the one and only superintendent is Christ, through the Holy Spirit; that it is Scriptural for true churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the Gospel, with each local church as the sole judge of the measure and method of its cooperation; and that on all matters of membership, policy of government, discipline, benevolence, the will of the local church is final. Acts 2:41-47; Romans 1:7; Colossians 1:2; I Corinthians 1:2; Acts 4:4; Hebrews 10:25; Acts 20:7; Acts 11:26; Philippians 1:1; I Timothy 3:1-16; Titus 1:5-8; Hebrews 13:7,17; I Peter 5:1-5; Acts 6:1-8; Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Ephesians 1:22,23; Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 5:23-26; Acts 15:1-27; Acts 11:29,30; Acts 13:1-4; Philippians 4:14-16; Acts 20:28,31; I Corinthians 5:1-6,11
J. Baptism - We believe that baptism is by immersion only and must be administered under the authority of a local Baptist Church. We believe that Bible baptism is the burial of a believer in water, thus setting forth in symbol his union with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection; that every believer should be baptized because of the example of our Lord and because of the command given by our Lord; and that while there is no saving power in water baptism, it is an act of obedience by those who are already saved to picture that they are dead, buried and raised spiritually with Jesus Christ by faith in Him. We reject infant baptism. Romans 6:3-5; Matthew 3:13-17; Matthew 28-:9,20; Acts 8:36-39; Ephesians 2:8,9; Titus 3:5; John 5:24
K. The Lord’s Supper - We believe that the Lord's Supper is to be administered under the authority of a local Baptist Church; that it is a commemoration of the Lord's death until He comes again; that only those who have been saved and scripturally baptized should participate in this ordinance and only after careful and complete examination of themselves. We believe that each local church has the authority to determine whom they will or will not allow to participate in the Lord’s supper. We reject the unscriptural practice of open communion . I Corinthians 11:23-32; Luke 22:14-20; Acts 20:7-11
L. The Second Advent of Christ - We believe in the literal, bodily, personal, premillennial, and imminent coming of our Lord into the air to catch away all believers unto Himself before the tribulation period; also, in the personal, visible and glorious return of Christ to the earth, with believers, at the close of the tribulation period to judge the living nations and to set up His millennial kingdom on earth. Acts 1:11; John 14:3: I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 4:1; Matthew 24:42-44; II Thessalonians 2:7,8; Matthew 24:29-31; Revelation 19:11-21; Matthew 25:31-46; Revelation 20:1-6; Hebrews 12:22-24
M. The Resurrection of the Dead - We believe in the bodily resurrection of the dead, the saved to everlasting blessedness at the coming of Christ, and after the one thousand year reign of Christ the resurrection of the lost to the Great White Throne judgment and then to everlasting, conscious punishment in the Lake of Fire. John 5:21-30;
I Thessalonians 4:13-18; I Corinthians 15:42-52; Philippians 3:20,21; Revelation 20:5,6,11-15
N. Death - 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; and that the souls of the lost raise up their eyes in hell, after death, in conscious misery until the second resurrection.
II Corinthians 5:6-8; Philippians 1:23,24; Luke 16:19-31
O. Civil Governments - We believe that God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: 1) the home, 2) the church, and 3) the state. 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; I Peter 2:13-14
P. The Lord’s Day - We believe that in this age of Grace, the Lord's Day, which is the first day of the week, the day of or Lord's resurrection, is the proper day for Christian worship and service; and that it ought to be kept sacred for spiritual purposes, by abstinence from all unnecessary secular labor and other activities unbecoming to such a day. Acts 20:7; I Corinthians 16:1,2; Colossians 2:13-17; Hebrews 10:25; John 20:1,19,.26
Q. Israel - We believe that God's covenant people, Israel, shall be redeemed and regathered to Israel from their world wide dispersion and under the personal and millennial reign of Christ upon David's throne and that Jerusalem shall become the head of nations. Genesis 12:2,3; Genesis 13:~4,15; Jeremiah 7:7; Deuteronomy 28:63-66; Deuteronomy 30:1-6; Ezekiel 36:22-28; 37:11-28; Romans 11:25-27; Luke 1:30-33; Jeremiah 23:3-6; Revelation 20:4-
R. Satan - We believe that Satan, a fallen angel, is a distinct and real personality, the god of this age, the adversary of God, Christ the church and all believers. His eternal destination is punishment in the lake of fire. Ezekiel 28:1-19; Job 1:6-9; I Peter 5:8; Matthew 4:1-11; I Timothy 3:7; James 4:7; II Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 20:10
S. Human Sexuality
1. We believe that God commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex and are abominations before him. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one’s gender by surgery or appearance. Those who engage in homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, and bestiality are not the children of God and stand in need of redemption. Genesis 2:24, Genesis 19:5, 13, Genesis 26:8-9, Leviticus 18:1-30, Romans 1:26-29,
I Corinthians 5:1; 6:9; I Thessalonians 4:1-8, Hebrews 13:4
2. We believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one woman. Genesis 2:24, Romans 7:2, I Corinthians 7:10, Ephesians 5:22-23
T. Abortion - We believe that life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. That the taking of life before birth is murder, and that God will judge all who perform abortions, the killing of unborn life, or who consent to abortions as murderers. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the physical or mental well being of the mother are acceptable. Job 3:16; Psalm 51:5, 139:14-16; Isaiah 44:24, 49:1, 5; Jeremiah 1:5, 20:15-18; Luke 1:44
U. Christians and the Law - We believe that Christians are prohibited from bringing civil lawsuits against other Christians or the church to resolve personal disputes. We believe the church possesses all the resources necessary to resolve personal disputes between members. We do believe, however, that a Christian may seek compensation for injuries from another Christian’s insurance company as long as the claim is pursued without malice or slander.
I Corinthians 6:1-8; Ephesians 4:31-32
V. Missions - We believe that God has given every local 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. Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; II Corinthians 5:20
W. Giving - We believe that every Christian, as a steward of that portions of God’s wealth entrusted to him, is obligated to support his local church financially. We believe that the tithe belongs to God and that scriptural giving begins after the payment of the tithe. We believe that every Christian should also give 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. Genesis 14:20; Proverbs 3:9-10; Acts 4:34-37; I Corinthians 16:2;
II Corinthians 9:6-7; Galatians 6:6, Ephesians 4:28; I Tim. 5: 17-18; I John 3:17
Church Covenant
Having been led, as we believe, by the Holy Spirit of God, to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior and on the profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we do now, in the presence of God, angels, and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another, as one body in Christ.
We engage, therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit to walk together in Christian love, to strive for the advancement of this church, in knowledge, holiness and comfort; to promote its prosperity and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline and doctrines; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the gospel through all nations.
We also engage to maintain family and secret devotions; to religiously educate our children; to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances; to walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment; to avoid all tattling, backbiting and excessive anger; to abstain from the sale and use of all intoxicating drinks as a beverage, and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Savior
We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember each other in prayer; to aid each other in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offence, but always ready for reconciliation, and mindful of the rules of our Savior, to secure it without delay.
We moreover engage, that when we remove from this place, we will as soon as possible unite with some other church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God's Holy Word.