Purpose
The purpose of this church is to glorify God by:
- Promoting sincere worship of the one true God
- Evangelizing the lost through personal witness and public preaching of the Word of God
- Strengthening believers through the systematic teaching of the Bible
- Establishing fundamental Baptist churches at home and abroad through a growing missionary program
- Carrying out the Scriptural responsibilities of a local New Testament church in accordance with Biblical principles
- Earnestly contending for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints
Beliefs
The Bible
We believe that every word of the Bible, consisting of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, is verbally inspired of God and inerrant in the original writings, and that they are of supreme and final authority in faith and life. (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21)
God
We believe in the one triune God and that the three Persons of the Godhead - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - are coequal and coeternal. (Deuteronomy 6:4; Exodus 20:2; Matthew 28:19; Acts 5:3-4)
Jesus Christ
We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten by the Holy Spirit, born of Mary - a virgin, and is true God and true man. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice, and that all who believe in Him are justified on the basis of His shed blood. We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord, in His bodily ascension into heaven, and in His present ministry there as High Priest and Advocate for us. (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; John 1:1; 1:14; 8:58; Philippians 2:6; Isaiah 53:4-11; Acts 13:38-39; Romans 3:24-25; 5:1; 5:8-9; 6:23; Acts 1:8-11; 1 Corinthians 15:4-9; Hebrews 4:14-16; 1 John 2:1)
The Holy Spirit
We believe that in this dispensation the Holy Spirit baptizes, seals, and indwells every believer at the moment of salvation, and that the Holy Spirit empowers every believer for holy living. We believe that the Holy Spirit today bestows service gifts upon believers and that the miraculous sign gifts ceased with the end of the Apostolic period. (Ephesians 1:13; 2:20; 4:11-12; 5:18; Romans 8:9; 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:13; 13:8-13; Hebrews 2:3-4)
Creation
We believe in the Genesis account of God’s direct creation of the universe, without the use of pre-existing material, in six consecutive 24-hour days; and that it is to be accepted literally, wholly apart from any evolutionary process. (Genesis 1, 2; Exodus 20:9-11; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 11:3)
Angels
We believe God created a vast host of spirit beings called angels that worship and serve God and minister to man. While their activity in Bible times included visual manifestations, during this present age their ministry on earth is more indirectly involved in God’s providential activity. (Matthew 18:10; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:13-14; Revelation 5:4-12, 8:1-6)
Satan and Demons
We believe that Satan was created holy and enjoyed heavenly honors, but through pride and ambition to be as the Almighty, he fell and drew after him a host of angels. We believe that he is now the corrupting prince of the power of the air and the unholy god of this world, and that he will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire. (Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:11-19; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15; Ephesians 2:2; 1 Peter 5:8)
Sin
We believe that man was created in the image of God, that he voluntarily sinned and incurred not only physical death, but also spiritual death which is separation from God. We believe that all mankind are sinners, both in nature and practice, and therefore under just condemnation without defense or excuse. (Genesis 1:26-7; 3:1-6; Romans 3:9-23; 5:12, 19; Titus 1:15-16)
Salvation
We believe that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, apart from works, is the sole condition of salvation. We believe that repentance is a change of mind and purpose toward God, prompted by the Holy Spirit, and is an integral part of saving faith. We believe that all who receive by faith the Lord Jesus Christ are regenerated, or born again, by the Holy Spirit and thereby become children of God. We believe in personal holiness of life, that we are to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ and not conformed to the world. We believe that we are to be holy because God is holy, and that we are to deny ungodliness and live godly lives. We believe in the eternal security of the believer who is kept by God the Father for Jesus Christ, and that it is impossible for one truly born again ever to be lost. (John 3:16; Acts 20:21; Romans 3:21-22; 1 Corinthians 12:3; 15:3; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:8; John 1:12-13; 3:3-16; Acts 16:31; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 8:29; 12:1-2; Titus 2:11-12; 1 Peter 1:15-16; John 10:28-29; Romans 8:35-39; Ephesians 1:13-14; Jude 1; 1 Peter 1:5)
The Church
We believe that a local church is an organized congregation of immersed believers who are associated by their covenant of faith and fellowship of the gospel who observe the ordinances of Christ, who are governed by His laws, and who exercise the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word. We believe 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 to glorify God by living in obedience to His Word and by making disciples, baptizing them and instructing them as our Lord commanded. We believe that the local church has the absolute right of self-government, free from the interference of any organizations and that the one and only superintendent is Christ through the Holy Spirit. We believe that the local church is congregational in polity and that it is Scriptural for true churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the gospel. We believe that every church is the sole and only judge of the measure and method of its cooperation. On all matters of membership, polity, government, discipline, and benevolence, the will of the local church is final. We believe that Christian baptism is one of two Scriptural ordinances to be administered by the local church, and that it is the single immersion of a believer in water, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, to symbolize faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of our Savior. We believe that in the Scriptural order, baptism precedes church membership and is the public recognition of the Lordship of Jesus Christ. We believe that the Lord’s Supper is one of two Scriptural ordinances to be administered by the local church; that it is a memorial service to symbolize the death of our Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that the emblems of the communion service are not literally the body and blood of Christ, nor do they contain His flesh and blood, and that the service is for believers only and should be preceded by solemn self-examination. We believe that the Biblical order of the ordinances is baptism followed by the Lord’s Supper, and that participants should be immersed believers. We believe the practice of restoration (frequently identified as church discipline) is a vital ministry of the local church. Our Lord taught concerning the church on two occasions. On the first occasion He said He would build His church. On the second occasion, He stated it is our responsibility to maintain proper interpersonal relationships. He then described the basic procedure of what we call church discipline/restoration. The New Testament reveals this is an essential practice of the church as well. (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; 2:41-42; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians 11:23-28; Galatians 3:26-28; 1 Timothy 3; 1 Peter 5:1-3; Acts 15:4-16:5; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13; 6:1-11; 2 Corinthians 8:1-24; Ephesians 1:22-23; 4:15-16; Colossians 1:18; Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; 8:36-39; Romans 6:3-5; Colossians 2:12; Matthew 26:26-30; 1 Corinthians 11:23-32; Matthew 16:18; Matthew 18:15-17; Romans 16:17-18; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13; Galatians 6:1-2; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15; Titus 3:9-11)
Last Things
We believe in the personal, imminent, pre-tribulational and pre-millennial return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, when the church will be gathered together unto Him. We believe that the rapture of the church saints will be followed by a seven-year period called the Tribulation, during which God's judgment will be poured out upon the earth to punish men’s sins, and to bring the nation of Israel back to God. We believe that after this, Christ will return to the earth with the armies of heaven to defeat His enemies and establish His kingdom of peace on earth for a thousand years (the Millennium). We believe in the literal fulfillment of the prophecies and promises of the Scriptures which foretell and assure the future regeneration and restoration of Israel as a nation. We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just and of the unjust, in the everlasting blessedness of the saved, and the everlasting punishment of the lost. (John 14:1-3; 1 Corinthians 15:51-58; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-13; Matthew 24:1, 5-21; Revelation 6-19; 19:11-16; 20:1-6; Genesis 13:14-17; Jeremiah 16:14-15; 30:1-11; Romans 11; Matthew 25:31-46; John 5:28-29; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 21:1-8)
