What we believe
Our Faith Statement is intended to lay a foundation for belief and unity. There will
always be secondary doctrines that Christians disagree upon, but there are core beliefs that are non-negotiable for those who embrace historic Christianity. The church receives the scriptures as the inspired Word of God and the New Testament as its sole authority in matters of faith and practice. “In the essentials we need unity, in the non-essentials we need freedom; but in all things we need love.” – Rupertus Meldenius

THE SCRIPTURES
We believe that the Old and New Testament were written by men divinely inspired and
are the only sufficient and perfect rule of inerrancy and infallibility of the original
writings. (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21; 2 Timothy 1:13; Psalm 119:105,160;
Psalm 12:6; Proverbs 30:5)

THE TRINITY
We believe that there is one true God, and only one, who is self existent, eternal and
infinite in every excellence, and who has revealed himself as Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit, who are the same in essence, though distinct in personality. (Genesis 1:1, 26-27;
Genesis 3:22; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; 1 Peter 1:2; 1 Corinthians 13:14)

JESUS CHRIST
Jesus Christ is God the Son, the second person of the Godhead. On earth, Jesus was
100% God and 100% man. He is the only man ever to have lived a sinless life. He was
born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, performed miracles, died on the cross for humankind
and thus, atoned for our sins through the shedding of His blood. He rose from the dead
on the third day according to the Scriptures, ascended to the right hand of the Father,
and will return again in power and glory. (Matthew 1:22-23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5;
John 14:10-30; Hebrews 4:14-15; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Romans 1:3-4; Acts 1:9-11;
1Timothy 6:14-15; Titus 2:13)

THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and Son as God. He is present in the world to
make mankind aware of our need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, guidance in doing what is right, and spiritual gifts. The Christian seeks to live under His control daily. (2 Corinthians 3:17; John 16:7-13; John 14:16-17; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 2:12; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Ephesians 1:13; Galatians 5:25; Ephesians 5:1)

MANKIND
We believe that man was created innocent, but that by disobedience to the command of God, he fell into sin, thereby losing his innocence and becoming subject to death anthe eternal wrath of God. (Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6a; Romans
3:10,23, 6:23; Ephesians 2:1-3; Isaiah 59:1-2)

THE WAY OF SALVATION
We believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Son of Man, came into the world
to save men from the guilt and condemnation of sin, offering His blood as a vicarious
atonement and making it available to all who exercise faith to Him. (Romans 6:23;
Ephesians 2:8-9; John 14:6; John 1:12; Titus 3:5; Galatians 3:26; Romans 5:1)

JUSTIFICATION
We believe that the result of a genuine heart, acceptance of Jesus Christ as Savior is
justification whereby pardon from sin is secured and we are brought into a state of
peace and favor with God, and that the human response by which this state is secured
is repentance and faith whereby one turns to God in sincere contrition and accepts Jesus Christ as the only all sufficient Savior and Lord. (Isaiah 53:11; Galatians 2:16-17,
3:8,11,24; Acts 13:39; Romans 3:24-4:2, 5:1,9, 8:30, 10:10; Genesis 15:6; Titus 3:7)

THE PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS
We believe that nothing can separate true believers from the love of God because they
are kept by the power of God, through faith, unto salvation, and that consequently their
persevering attachment to Christ is the one mark which distinguishes them from
superficial professors. (Ephesians 1:13-14; Philippians 1:6; Romans 8:28-39; John
10:27-30; John 6:37-47; John 5:24; 1 John 2:19; Matthew 7:21-22; 2 Corinthians
13:5; 2 Peter 1:10; Revelation 14:9-12)

BAPTISM AND THE LORD’S SUPPER
We believe that the ordinances of the Gospel are baptism and the Lord’s Supper; that
baptism is the immersion in water of a believer in Christ “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” to show forth our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior, with its effect in our death to sin and our resurrection to a new life in
Christ; and that the Lord’s Supper is a memorial of the death to sin and our resurrection to a new life in Christ; with the elements symbolizing His body broken and His blood shed for us; and we encourage all who credibly profess faith in Jesus Christ as their own personal Savior to participate with us in our observances of the Lord’s Supper. (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16; John 3:5,22, 4:1-2; Acts 1:5; Matthew 26:17-30; Mark 14:12- 25; Luke 22:7-20; 1 Corinthians 10:21, 11:23-32)

THE CHURCH
We believe that the Church Spiritual includes the whole company of believers of
whatever age, name, or country and that it is known only to God; and that the Church
Local is a company of believers baptized in the name of the true God and observing the forms, ordinances, and principles laid down in the New Testament. (Acts 2:42-47;
Romans 12:9-13; Ephesians 4:11-16)

CIVIL GOVERNMENT
We believe that the civil government is of divine appointment for the interest and good
order of human society; and that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously
honored, and obeyed, except only in matters opposed to the will of Christ who is the
only Lord of the conscience and the Prince of the kings of the earth. (1 Timothy 2:1-2;
1 Peter 1:1, 2:13-14,17; Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 1:1; Acts 4:19-20; 5:27-32;
Philippians 3:20)

THE RETURN OF JESUS CHRIST
We believe in the personal and physical return of the Lord Jesus Christ to take all
believers to be with Him for eternity. (1 John 3:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Acts 1:10-11; Mark 13:32-37; Matthew 24:23-31,36-44, 25:1-
13,31-46)

THE RESURRECTION
We believe in the bodily resurrection of the dead; of the believer to the everlasting
blessedness and joy with the Lord, of the unbeliever to everlasting conscious
punishment; and in the reality of heaven and hell as taught by our Lord. (1 Corinthians
15:19-54; Revelation 20:13; Job 19:26; Psalm. 17:15; Philippians 3:21; 1 John
3:2; Luke 12:5; 2 Thessalonians 1:9)

THE APOSTLES’ CREED
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus
Christ, His only Son, our Lord: Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin
Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. The third day He arose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, whence He shall come to judge the Living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy universal church, the
communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life
everlasting.