WHAT WE BELIeVE



The Scriptures

We believe the Bible is the inspired word of God, written by man without error. It is God’s revelation, a true testimony of Jesus Christ and the redemption that He brings.


God

We believe there is only one living and true God who is the Creator, Ruler, Sustainer, and Redeemer of the universe. He is perfect and all powerful and reveals Himself through a triune relationship of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

God the Father- God as father, cares for all of the Universe and oversees the flow of history for all time. God is father to those who become His Children through putting their faith in Jesus Christ.

His attitude is that of a perfect father to all men.

God the Son - We believe God the Son was human in very nature, without sin and fully divine. Conceived of the Holy Spirit, he was born of the Virgin Mary, and perfectly revealed and did the will of God. He obeyed God the Father fully by providing a substitutionary death on the cross. Through Him is the provision for redemption from sin for all mankind. He was raised from the dead and ascended into heaven and now sits at the right hand of God as Mediator, fully God and fully Man, in whom the reconciliation between God and man is realized. One day He will return to complete His redemptive mission. He now dwells within all believers as the ever present Lord.

God the Holy Spirit- The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, also fully divine. He is the key agent of inspiration and clarification for men to understand God’s truth. In exalting Christ, he convicts and calls men to the Savior, and effects their regeneration and is central to the development of Christian character.

He is the key agent of the church fulfilling its call.


Man

Man is created in the image of God and is the crowning act of creation. God created male and female as part of the goodness of creation. In the beginning, man was innocent and given choice. Man sinned against God and brought sin upon the whole human race. All of man’s descendants inherit a nature inclined toward sin, and are therefore born as condemned transgressors. Only by God’s grace can man be reconciled back to God and fulfill his creative purpose. Also, as image bearers, men and women of every race possess full dignity and a life worthy of respect.


Salvation

Salvation involves the redemption of the whole man, and is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer. In its broadest sense salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord. Salvation is God’s work in redeeming man and is offered freely to anyone who accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. There is no other salvation apart from a person placing their faith in Jesus Christ.


The Church

We believe the Church is a local, self-autonomous, body of believers who have professed faith in Jesus Christ and have been baptized. Each local church operates under the Lordship of Christ, understanding each member as accountable to the Lord. Her purpose is to fulfill the Great Commission and the Great commandment.


Baptism and the Lord's Supper

We believe that there are only two ordinances that are to be observed by the local Church. Baptism is by immersion for all believers, symbolizing their death to sin, and being raised by Christ to obediently walk in new life. It also echoes Christ’s own death, burial, and resurrection. The Lord’s supper is a symbolic act where believers memorialize the death of Christ and look forward to the day that He returns.


Last Things

God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring the world to its appropriate end. According to His promise, Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth; the dead will be raised; and Christ will judge all men in righteousness. The unrighteous will be consigned to Hell, the place of everlasting punishment. The righteous in their resurrected and glorified bodies will receive their reward and will dwell forever in Heaven with the Lord.


Evangelism and Missions

We believe that it is a privilege and responsibility of all believers to carry out the Great Commission and make disciples of all nations. Missionary effort, both next door and across the globe,

comes as a spiritual necessity of the new life in Christ.


The Family

The family is a God ordained institution composed of persons related to one another by marriage, blood or adoption. Marriage is the union of one man and one woman under God’s framework. Marriage models the way in which God relates to His people. Also, children are a blessing from the moment of conception.


Gender

Gender Roles- We believe in the pattern and principle of male leadership and responsibility in both the home and the church. We believe this limits the roles of pastoral leadership and doctrinal authority to qualified men (1 Corinthians 11:1-12, 1 Timothy 2:1-15). Gender Differentiation- We believe that God created mankind male and female. Men and women are both created in the image of God, and as such, they are equal in value, dignity, and worth, but different in function so as to complement and complete each other. God instituted monogamous marriage between male and female as the foundation of the family and the basic structure of human society. Therefore, we perform marriages in accordance with the Bible consistent with the Old and New Testament precepts (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-6; John 4:16-18; Romans 1:18-32; 1 Corinthians 5:11, 6:9-11, 6:18-20, 7:1-3 and 7:8-9; Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 5:3-7; 1 Timothy 1:9-11).