Statement of Faith

Of the Scriptures - We believe that the Bible as originally written is the infallible Word of God, verbally inspired, that it has truth without any admixture of error for its matter; and therefore is, and shall remain to the end of the world, the only complete and final revelation of the will of God to man; that it should be our sole guide in faith and practice.  By inspiration we mean that the books of the Bible were written by Holy men of old as they were moved by the Holy Spirit, in such a definite way that their writings were supernaturally and verbally inspired.  II Peter 1:21; II Timothy 3:16, 17.

Of the True God - We believe there is one, and only one, living and true God; an infinite, intelligent Spirit, the Maker and Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth; that truth descends from Him and that He alone has the authority to establish what is right, and that as Creator and Designer He has established the purpose and boundaries of all His creation; that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons; the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, equal in ever Divine perfection, and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption.  Exodus 20:2, 3; I John 5:7; John 4:24; Revelation 4:11, Isaiah 46:9-11.

                We believe that Jesus is both the Son of God, and God the Son, one with the Father and the Holy Spirit; that He was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, lived without sin, died on the cross for our transgressions, arose bodily from the grave and ascended bodily into Heaven where He sits at the right hand of the Father as our High Priest.  Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25.

                We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Divine person; equal with the Father and the Son, and that His mission is to restrain the evil one until God's purpose is fulfilled; convict of sin, of righteousness, and of judgement; bear witness to the truth of the gospel in preaching and testimony; regenerate the lost; seal, teach, guide, intercede, baptize, endue, fill, and comfort the saved.  John 14:16, 17; John 16:7-11; Matthew 28:19; Hebrews 9:14; John 3:5, 6; Ephesians 1:13; John 1:33.

Of Salvation by Grace - We believe that faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ is the only condition of salvation from sin and that this salvation is wholly by grace; that no works, however good, make that salvation more secure.  Acts 16:31; Ephesians 2:8, 9; Titus 3:5-7; Romans 10:9-13.

Of the New Birth -We believe that the new birth is a new creation in Christ Jesus; that it is instantaneous and not a process; that in the new birth the one dead in trespasses and sins is made a partaker of the Divine nature and receives eternal life, the gift of God, and is brought about by receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord.  John 1:12; 3:3-5; II Corinthians 5:17; Luke 23:42, 43.

Of the Creation - We believe that God created the heavens and the earth, including all life, "each after its own," by direct act and not by the process of evolution.  Genesis 1:2; Colossians 1:16, 17; John 1:3.

Of 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, not by constraint, but by choice and so are without excuse before God.  Genesis 3; Romans 5:10-19.

Of the Devil, or Satan - We believe that the Devil is a person, and was once glorious and in a holy state, and by disobedience fell and drew after him a host of angels; that he is now the prince and power of the air, and the unholy god of this world system.  He is the enemy of God, the accuser of the Saints, author of false religions, the power back of the present apostasy, the lord of the anti-Christ.  That he will be chained in the bottomless pit for a thousand years, loosed for a little season, and then be cast into the lake of fire forever.  Isaiah 14:12-17; Ezekiel 29:13-19; Matthew 4:1-3; II Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 20:2, 3, 10.

Of the Atonement for Sin - We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of Grace through the mediatorial office of the Son of God, by the shedding and offering of His blood; who by the appointment of the Father, freely took upon Himself our sin, honored the Divine law by personal obedience, and by His death made a full and vicarious atonement.  Ephesians 2:8, 9; Romans 3:24; John 3:16; Hebrews 2:14; 9:12.

Of the Security of the Saints -  We believe that all who are born again are kept by God the Father for Jesus Christ, therefore, they cannot lose their salvation.  Philippians 1:6; John 10:28 ,29; I Peter 1:5; Romans 8:35-39.

Of the Church -  We believe that the Church universal is a New Testament Organism; unknown to the Old Testament prophets; established by Jesus Christ, Who is its sole Head; revealed through the holy Apostles; empowered and perpetuated by the Holy Spirit; composed of believers in Jesus Christ as Saviour, both Jew and Gentile, called out from the world and indwelt by the Holy Spirit; His "body" for service and His "bride" for glory.  It began with the New Testament saints and will be consummated at the coming of Christ in the Rapture.  Matthew 16:18; Acts 1:8; 2:1-13, 41-47; 15:14; Romans 16:26; I Corinthians 12:12-18; Ephesians 1:22, 23; 5:23-33; I Thessalonians 4:13-18.

                We believe that the local church is God’s ordained institution in the Church age, and is made up of a congregation of immersed believers, associated by the 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 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; I Corinthians 1:2; 6:4,5; 7:17; 11:16; I Timothy 3:1-15

Of the Institution of Marriage and Human Sexuality - We believe that the only Scriptural marriage is the joining of one man and one woman.  (Gen. 2:24; Rom. 7:2; 1 Cor. 7:10; Eph. 5:22-23)

           We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of marriage between one man and one woman.  We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of marital, sexual intimacy.  We believe that God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one’s gender by surgery or appearance.  (Gen. 2:24; Gen. 19:5,13; Gen. 26:8-9; Lev. 18:1-30; Rom. 1:26-29; 1 Cor. 5:1; 6:9; 1 Thess. 4:1-8; Heb. 13:4).

           Any person practicing any of the above sins, (life style choices, or behaviors) whose present or past behaviors may allow compromise or danger in the opinion of the Church Board or Deacons, shall not be involved in church, youth or Sunday School leadership.  (Ps. 51:1-4,10-13; Col. 3:5-10)

           We believe that Christ died for all sin, including these named above, and that the Church is called to a ministry of compassion in the likeness of our saviour.  Such compassion does not over look the seriousness of said sin, but seeks to lead the sinner to salvation from sin in accordance with Paragraphs VI & VII, and deliverance from sin’s bonds through a repentant change of life style. (1 Tim. 1:15; Rom. 3:9-12; 1 John 1:6-9; 5:3-5; Col. 3:12-16; 1 Cor. 6:9-11). 

Of the Ordinances - We believe that there are two church ordinances:  Baptism and the Lord's Supper.  Baptism is the immersion of a 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 Saviour, with its effects in our lives of death to sin and resurrection to new life.  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 salvation and always by careful self-examination.  Acts 8:36-39; Romans 6:3-5; I Corinthians 11:23-32; Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 22:19, 20.

Of the Righteous and 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; Luke 6:25; John 8:21; Revelation 20:11-15.

Of the Return of Christ - We believe in the bodily, personal, premillennial return of Christ; that the dead in Christ shall rise first and that the living saints shall be changed in a moment and taken up to be with the Lord before the tribulation here on earth; after which the saints will return with Him to this earth; that he will conquer and judge All Nations; that He will reign on this earth for one thousand years, during which time the Devil will be locked in the bottomless pit; after that the unsaved dead will be raised from their graves bodily, will have judgement meted out to them according to their records and then be cast into the lake of fire; a new heaven and earth will be made upon which God will dwell with the redeemed for all eternity.  That there will be two advents to His second coming; Christ will come in the air for His own in the first advent as stated in I Thessalonians 4, then at His second advent He will come to earth with His own.  I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Acts 1:10-11; II Peter 3:10-13; Zachariah 14:4;  Revelation 19, 20, 21 (Chapters); Matthew 25:31-46.

Of the Resurrection - We believe in the 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 judgement to receive their final doom.  John 5:21-30; I Thessalonians 4:16; Revelation 7:9-17; 20:11-15; I Corinthians 15:1-58.

Of the Civil Government - We believe that civil government is the divine appointment, for the interests and good order of human society; that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored, and obeyed; except in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ who is the only Lord of conscience, and the coming Prince of the kings of the earth.  Romans 13:1-7; Daniel 4:17; Daniel 1:8; Exodus 1:17; Acts 5:29.