STATEMENT OF FAITH

(A) The Holy Scriptures. We believe the Old and New Testament Scriptures

are the verbally and plenarily inspired Word of God. The Scriptures are

inerrant, infallible, and God-breathed and are, therefore, the final authority

for faith and life. The sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments are

the complete and divine revelation of God to Man. The Scriptures shall be

interpreted according to their normal grammatical-historical meaning, and

all issues of interpretation and meaning shall be determined by the pastor.

The King James Version of the Bible shall be the official and only

translation used by the church. (2 Timothy 3:16–17; 2 Peter 1:20–21)

(B) Dispensationalism. We believe that the Scriptures interpreted in their

natural, literal sense reveal divinely determined dispensations or rules of

life that define man’s responsibilities in successive ages. These

dispensations are not ways of salvation, but rather are divinely ordered

stewardships by which God directs man according to His purpose. These

dispensations—Innocence, Conscience, Human Government, Promise,

Law, Grace/Church, Kingdom, and Judgement —are the subjects of

detailed revelation in Scripture. (Genesis 1:28; 1 Corinthians 9:17; 2

Corinthians 3:9–18; Galatians 3:13–25; Ephesians 1:10; 3:2–10;

Colossians 1:24–25, 27; Revelation 20:2–6)

(C) The Godhead. We believe in one triune God, eternally existing in three

persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—each co-eternal in being, co-

identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same

attributes and perfections. (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; John 14:10,

26; 2 Corinthians 13:14)

(D) The Person and Work of Christ.

(1) We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God,

became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived

by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, in order that He might

reveal God and redeem sinful men. (Isaiah 7:14; 9:6; Luke 1:35;

John 1:1–2, 14; 2 Corinthians 5:19–21; Galatians 4:4–5; Philippians

2:5–8)

(2) We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our

redemption through His death on the cross as a representative,

vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice, and that our justification is made

sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead. (Acts

2:18–36; Romans 3:24–25; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Peter

1:3–5)

(3) We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven and is

now exalted at the right hand of God where, as our High Priest, He

fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate.

(Acts 1:9–10; Romans 8:34; Hebrews 9:24; 7:25; 1 John 2:1–2)

(E) The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit.

(1) We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world

of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and, that He is the

Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the

body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of

redemption. (John 16:8–11; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 12:12– 14;

2 Corinthians 3:6; Ephesians 1:13–14)

(2) We believe that He is the divine Teacher who assists believers to

understand and appropriate the Scriptures and that it is the

privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the Spirit.

(Ephesians 1:17–18; 5:18; 1 John 2:20, 27)

(3) We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowal of spiritual gifts to

every believer. God uniquely uses evangelists, pastors, and

teachers to equip believers in the church to do the work of the

ministry. (Romans 12:3–8; 1 Corinthians 12:4–11, 28; Ephesians

4:7–12)

(4) We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in

tongues and the gift of healing, were temporary. Speaking in

tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the baptism

or filling of the Holy Spirit. Ultimate deliverance of the body from

sickness or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the

resurrection, although God frequently chooses to answer the

prayers of believers for physical healing. (1 Corinthians 1:22; 13:8;

14:21–22)

(F) The Total Depravity of Man. We believe that man was created in the

image and likeness of God; but that in Adam’s sin the human race fell,

inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God. Man is totally

depraved and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition.

(Genesis 1:26–27; Romans 3:22–23; 5:12; 6:23; Ephesians 2:1–3;

4:17–19)

(G) Salvation. We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by

grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Whose

precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins. We

believe that all sins, except blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, are forgivable.

(Matthew 12:31–32; John 1:12; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8–10; 1 Peter 1:18–19; 1

John 1:9)

(H) The Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers.

(1) We believe that once a person is saved, he is kept by God’s power

and remains secure in Christ forever. (John 6:37–40; 10:27–30;

Romans 8:1, 38–39; 1 Corinthians 1:4–8; 1 Peter 1:4–5)

(2) We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the

assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word,

which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an

occasion to the flesh. (Romans 13:13–14; Galatians 5:13; Titus

2:11–15)

(I) The Church.

(1) We believe that the local church, which is the body and the

espoused bride of Christ, is solely made up of born-again believers.

(1 Corinthians 12:12–14; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 1:22–23;

5:25–27)

(2) We believe that the establishment and continuance of local

churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament. (Acts

14:27; 20:17, 28–32; 1 Timothy 3:1–13; Titus 1:5–11)

(3) We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any external

authority or controls, and any affiliations, societies, organizations,

associations, or agencies this church affiliates with to further the

objectives stated in the Purpose Statement are not authoritative in

matters of church practice or belief. (Acts 13:1–4; 15:19–31; 20:28;

Romans 16:1, 4; 1 Corinthians 3:9, 16; 5:4–7, 13; 1 Peter 5:1–4)

(4) We recognize water baptism by immersion and the Lord’s Supper

as the Scriptural ordinances of obedience for the church in this age.

(Matthew 28:19–20; Acts 2:41–42; 8:36–38; 1 Corinthians

11:23–26)

(J) Separation. We believe that believers should maintain a godly testimony

and live in such a way that their lives do not bring reproach upon their

Savior. 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, piercings, and bodily

markings. We stand against any and all worldly philosophies that seek to

destroy or undermine the truth of Biblical Christianity. (Leviticus 19:28;

Romans 12:1–2; 14:13; 1 Corinthians 6:19–20; 2 Corinthians 6:14–7:1; 2

Timothy 3:1–5; 1 John 2:15–17; 2 John 9–11)

(K) The Second Coming of Christ. We believe in that blessed hope, the

personal, imminent return of Christ, Who will rapture His church prior to

the seven-year tribulation period. At the end of the Tribulation, Christ will

personally and visibly return with His saints, to establish His earthly

Messianic Kingdom, which was promised to the nation of Israel. (Psalm

89:3–4; Daniel 2:31–45; Zechariah 14:4–11; 1 Thessalonians 1:10;

4:13–18; Titus 2:13; Revelation 3:10; 19:11–16; 20:1–6)

(L) The Eternal State.

(1) We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to

eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting

punishment. (Matthew 25:46; John 5:28–29; 11:25–26; Revelation

20:5–6, 12–13)

(2) 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, when spirit, soul, and body are

reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord. (Luke 23:43; 2

Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23; 3:21; 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17;

Revelation 20:4–6)

(3) We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in

conscious punishment and torment until the second resurrection,

when with soul and body reunited, they shall appear at the Great

White Throne Judgment, and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not

to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment

and torment. (Matthew 25:41–46; Mark 9:43–48; Luke 16:19–26; 2

Thessalonians 1:7–9; Jude 6–7; Revelation 20:11–15)

(M) The Personality of Satan. We believe that Satan is a person, the author

of sin and the cause of the Fall of Man; that he is the open and declared

enemy of God and man; and that he shall be eternally punished in the

Lake of Fire. (Job 1:6–7; Isaiah 14:12–17; Matthew 4:2–11; 25:41;

Revelation 20:10)

(N) Creation. We believe that the Genesis account of creation is neither

allegory nor myth, but a literal, historical account of God’s creation of the

universe in six literal, twenty-four-hour periods. We reject evolution, the

Gap Theory, the Day-Age Theory, and Theistic Evolution as unscriptural

theories of origin. (Genesis 1–2; Exodus 20:11)

(O) Civil Government. 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. We believe that we must

obey the state unless it requires us to act contrary to our faith at which

time we must obey God rather than the state. (Matthew 22:15–22; Acts

5:29; Romans 13:1–7; Ephesians 5:22–24; Titus 3:1–2; Hebrews 13:17; 1

Peter 2:13–14)

(P) Human Sexuality.

(1) We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual

activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between one naturally

born man and one naturally born 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. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids

any attempt to alter one’s gender by the use of pharmaceutical

drugs, surgery, or appearance. (Genesis 2:24; Genesis 19:5, 13;

Genesis 26:8–9; Leviticus 18:1–30; Romans 1: 26–29; 1

Corinthians 5:1; 6:9; 1 Thessalonians 4:1–8; Hebrews 13:4)

(2) We believe that the only Scriptural marriage is the joining of one

naturally born man and one naturally born woman for life. (Genesis

2:24; Romans 7:2; 1 Corinthians 7:10; Ephesians 5:22–23)

(Q) Family Relationships.

(1) We believe that men and women are spiritually equal in position

before God but that God has ordained distinct and separate

spiritual functions for men and women in the home and the church.

The husband is to be the leader of the home, and men are to be the

leaders (pastors and deacons) of the church. Accordingly, only men

are eligible for licensure and ordination by the church. (Galatians

3:28; Colossians 3:18; 1 Timothy 2:8–15; 3:4–5, 12)

(2) We believe that God has ordained the family as the foundational

institution of human society. The husband is to love his wife as

Christ loves the church. The wife is to submit herself to the

Scriptural leadership of her husband as the church submits to the

headship of Christ. Children are a heritage from the Lord. Parents

are responsible for teaching their children spiritual and moral values

through consistent lifestyle example and appropriate discipline,

including Scriptural corporal correction. (Genesis 1:26–28; Exodus

20:12; Deuteronomy 6:4–9; Psalm 127:3–5; Proverbs 19:18; 22:15;

23:13–14; Mark 10:6–12; 1 Corinthians 7:1–16; Ephesians

5:21–33; 6:1–4, Colossians 3:18–21; Hebrews 13:4; 1 Peter 3:1–7)

(R) Divorce and Remarriage. We believe that God disapproves of and

forbids divorce and intends marriage to last until one of the spouses dies.

Divorce and remarriage is regarded as adultery except on the grounds of

fornication. Although divorced and remarried persons or divorced persons

may hold positions of service in the church and be greatly used of God for

Christian service, they may not be considered for the offices of pastor or

deacon. (Malachi 2:14–17; Matthew 19:3–12; Romans 7:1–3; 1 Timothy

3:2, 12; Titus 1:6)

In cases of divorce, couples should seek Biblical and spiritual counsel with

hope of reconciliation, but if reconciliation is not possible, follow I Cor.

7:10,11.

(S) Abortion. We believe that human life begins at conception and that the

unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified,

unexcused taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any

teaching that abortions 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)

(T) Euthanasia. We believe that the direct taking of an innocent human life is

a moral evil, regardless of the intention. Life is a gift of God and must be

respected from conception until natural death. Thus, we believe that an

act or omission which, of itself or by intention, causes death in order to

eliminate suffering constitutes a murder contrary to the will of God.

Discontinuing medical procedures that are extraordinary or

disproportionate to the expected outcome can be a legitimate refusal of

over-zealous treatment. (Exodus 20:13, 23:7; Matthew 5:21; Acts 17:28)

(U) Love. We believe that we should demonstrate love for others, not only

toward fellow believers, but also toward those who are not believers, those

who oppose us, and those who engage in sinful actions. We are to deal

with those who oppose us graciously, gently, patiently, and humbly. God

forbids the stirring up of strife, the taking of revenge, or the threat or use of

violence as a means of resolving personal conflict or obtaining personal

justice. Although God commands us to abhor sinful actions, we are to love

and pray for any person who engages in such sinful actions. (Leviticus

19:18; Matthew 5:44–48; Luke 6:31; John 13:34–35; Romans 12:9–10;

17–21; 13:8–10; Philippians 2:2–4; 2 Timothy 2:24–26; Titus 3:2; 1 John

3:17–18)

(V) Lawsuits Between Believers. 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. (1 Corinthians 6:1–8; Ephesians

4:31–32; Matthew 18:15–17)

(W) Missions. We believe that God has given the 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; 2 Corinthians 5:20)

(X) Giving. We believe that every Christian, as a steward of that portion of

God’s wealth entrusted to him, is obligated to financially support his local

church. We believe that God has established the tithe as a basis for

giving, but that every Christian should also give other 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 his tithe or offering once the gift has been made.

(Genesis 14:20; Proverbs 3:9–10; Acts 4:34–37; 1 Corinthians 16:2; 2

Corinthians 9:6–7; Galatians 6:6; Ephesians 4:28; 1 Timothy 5:17–18; 1

John 3:17)

AUTHORITY OF STATEMENT OF FAITH

The Statement of Faith does not exhaust the extent of our faith. The Bible itself is

the sole and final source of all that we believe. We do believe, however, that the

foregoing Statement of Faith accurately represents the teachings of the Bible

and, therefore, is binding upon all members. All literature, whether print or

electronic, used in the church shall be in complete agreement with the Statement

of Faith.