Our Doctrinal Statement

ARTICLE III -- DECLARATION OF Faith

1. THE Scriptures:

We believe that the Holy Bible as originally written was verbally and plenarily inspired by God and is the product of Holy Spirit controlled men, and therefore is the truth without any error. We believe the Bible to be the true center of Christian union and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions shall be tried. II Timothy 3:16, 17; II Peter 1:19-21

2. THE TRUE GOD:

We believe there is one and only one living God, an infinite Spirit, the Maker and Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth; inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy of all possible honor, confidence and love; that in the unity of the God-head there are three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, equal in every divine perfection, and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption. Exodus 20:2, 3; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Revelation 4:11.

3. THE HOLY SPIRIT:

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine Person, with God the Father and God the Son, and of the same nature; that He was active in creation; that in His relation to the unbelieving world He restrains Satan until God's purpose is fulfilled; that He convicts of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; that He bears witness to the Truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony; that He is the Agent in the New Birth; and that He seals, empowers, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies, and helps the believer. John 14:16, 17; Matthew 28:19; Hebrews 9:14; John 14:26; Genesis 1:1-3; John 16:8-1l; Acts 5:3, 4; Ephesians l:13, 14; Romans 8:14, 16, 26, 27.

4. THE DEVIL, OR SATAN:

We believe in the personality of Satan; a created, fallen angel; that he is the unholy god of this age, and is destined to the judgment of an eternal torment in the lake of fire. Matthew 4:1-3; II Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 20:10.

5. CREATION:

We believe the Genesis account of creation that man came by direct creation of God and not by evolution. Genesis 1 and 2; Colossians l:16, 17; John 1:3.

6. THE FALL OF MAN:

We believe that man was created in innocence, in the image of God, but by voluntary transgression fell from his sinless and happy state; in consequence of which all mankind are now sinners; not only by nature, but of choice; and therefore under just condemnation without defense or excuse. Genesis 3:1-6; Genesis 3:24; Romans 3:10, 23; 5:12; 6:23; l:18, 32.

7. THE VIRGIN BIRTH:

We believe that Jesus was begotten of the Holy Ghost in a miraculous manner, born of Mary, a virgin, as no other man was ever born or can ever be born of woman, and that He is both the Son of God and God the Son. Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1: 18-25; Luke 1:35; John 1: 14.

8. CONCERNING SALVATION:

We believe that salvation is all of grace through the substitutionary work of Jesus Christ who paid the full redemptive price, fully satisfied God's righteous demands by suffering the death penalty for man's guilt, and imputed to man His perfect righteousness reconciling him to God, thus salvation is made effective to man only upon his exercise of personal faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Such faith is not a meritorious work but possible only by the grace of God. II Corinthians 8:9; I John 2:2; II Corinthians 5:21; John 5:24; Titus 3:5; Ephesians 2:8-10.

We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be born again, 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 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 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 and faith and newness of life. John 3:3; II Corinthians 5: 17; I John 5: 1; John 3:6-7; Acts 16:30-3 l; II Peter 1:4; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2: l; II Corinthians 5:19.

9. SANCTIFICATION:

We believe that sanctification is the divine setting apart of the believer unto God accomplished in a threefold manner; first, an eternal act of God, based upon redemption in Christ, establishing the believer in a position of holiness at the moment he trusts the Savior; second, a continuing process in the saint as the Holy Spirit applies the Word of God to the Life; third, the final accomplishment of this process at the Lord's return. Hebrews 10: 10- 14; John 17:17; II Corinthians 3:18; I Corinthians 1:30; Ephesians 5:25-27; I Thessalonians 4:3-4; 5:23-24; I John 3:2; Jude 24 -25.

10. THE LOCAL CHURCH:

We believe that a local church is a congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant of faith and fellowship of the Gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws; and exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word; that its officers are pastors and deacons whose qualifications, claims, and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures.

We believe the true mission of the church is the faithful witnessing of Christ to all men as we have opportunity. We hold that the local church has the absolute right of self government free from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations; and that the one and only superintendent is Christ through the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:41-42; I Corinthians 12:12, 13; Colossians 1: 18; Ephesians 1:22 –23; Ephesians 5:23 -27; I Timothy 3:1-13.

11. BAPTISM AND THE LORDS SUPPER:

We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water to show faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior. Being a solemn and beautiful emblem of our death to sin and resurrection to a new life, it is pre-requisite to the privileges of local church membership.

We believe that the Lord's Supper is the commemoration of His death until He comes and should be preceded always by solemn self-examination. Acts 8:26-39; John 3:23; Romans 6:3-5; Matthew 3:16; Colossians 2:12; I Corinthians 11:23-28.

12. SEPARATION:

We believe in obedience to the Biblical commands to separate ourselves unto God from worldliness and ecclesiastical apostasy.  II Corinthians 6:14-17; I Thessalonians 1:9, 10; I Timothy 6:3-5; Romans 16:17; II John 9-11.

13. THE RAPTURE AND FOLLOWING EVENTS:

We believe in the imminent, premillennial return of Christ for His Church, and that at that moment the dead in Christ shall be raised in glorified bodies, and the living in Christ shall be given glorified bodies without tasting death, and all shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air before the seven years of tribulation. I Thessalonians 4:13-18; I Corinthians 15:42-44; 51-54; Philippians 3:20, 21; Revelation 3: 10.

We believe that the Great Tribulation, which follows the Rapture of the Church, will be culminated by the revelation of Christ in power and great glory to sit upon the throne of David and to establish the millennial kingdom. Daniel 9:25-27; Matthew 24:29-31; Luke 1:30-33; Isaiah 9:6, 7; 1l:l-9; Acts 2:29, 30; Revelation 20:1-4, 6.

14. 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 our God, are truly righteous in His esteem; while all such as continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight wicked, and under the curse; and this distinction holds among men both in and after death, in the everlasting happiness and joy of the saved and the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost in the lake of fire. Genesis 18:23; Romans 6:17, 18; Romans 6:23; Proverbs 14:32; Matthew 25:34-46; John 8:21.

15. CIVIL GOVERNMENT:

We believe that civil government is of divine appointment for the interests and good order of human society; that government officials 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 the conscience, and the coming Prince of the Kings of the earth. Romans 13:1-7; Matthew 22:21; Acts 5:20: Acts 4:19, 20; Daniel 3:17, 18.

16. Baptist Distinctives:

In summary, we adhere to the following distinctives traditionally held by Baptists:

Biblical Authority – The Bible is the final authority in all matters of belief and practice (II Timothy 3:15-17).

Autonomy of the Local Church – Human governing of the local church resides within that church (II Cor 8:19, 23).

Priesthood of the Believer – A believer may directly approach God without another human mediatory agent (I Pe 2:5-9).

Two Ordinances – Baptism and Communion are the local church ordinances (Matthew 28:19-2; I Corinthians 11:23-32).

Individual Soul Liberty – Individuals are free and responsible for their spiritual beliefs (Romans 14:5, 12; Titus 1:9).

Saved Church Membership – Prerequisite to local church membership is a credible testimony of faith in Christ (Ac 9:26).

Two Offices – Scripture mandates only two offices in the local church: pastor and deacon (I Timothy 3:1-13).

Separation of Church and State – Church and civil government operate in distinct spheres without controlling each other (Matthew 22:15-22; Acts 15:17-29).