What we believe…

THE BIBLE
We believe that the Bible as originally written was completely verbally inspired and is the product of Spirit-controlled men. We believe that the Bible is without error, and that it is the true center of Christian unity and the supreme standard by which all practices, beliefs, and opinions should be tried.

THE TRUE GOD
We believe there is one, and only one, living and true God, an infinite, intelligent Spirit.  We believe He is the Maker and Supreme ruler of heaven and earth, inexpressively glorious in holiness, and worthy of all possible worship, confidence, and love. We believe that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost— equal in every divine perfection and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption.

JESUS CHRIST
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God, having been miraculously conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin, Mary.  We believe He lived an absolutely sinless life, and His death on the cross as the Lamb of God was a voluntary, substitutionary sacrifice to pay the full penalty of our sins and thus provide for the redemption of fallen and sinful men.  We believe He arose bodily from the dead, and ascended into Heaven where He now sits exalted at the right hand of the Father as our High Priest, ever interceding for us.

THE HOLY SPIRIT 
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, equal with God the Father and God the Son and of the same nature.  We believe that that He was active in the creation and that He restrains the evil one until God’s purpose is fulfilled.  We believe that He convicts unbelievers of sin, drawing them to God and bearing witness to the truth of the gospel in preaching and personal testimony.  We believe that at the moment of salvation, He seals and gives spiritual gifts, and after guides, teaches, convicts, sanctifies, and helps the believer.  We further believe that the sign/revelatory gifts of the Holy Spirit have fulfilled their purpose and have ceased, and therefore are not applicable to the work of the Holy Spirit in today's church during the church age.

THE FALL OF HUMANITY
We believe that man was created in innocence under the law of his Maker, but by voluntary transgression fell from his sinless and happy state, resulting in all mankind being born sinners, not only by constraint, but by choice. We believe therefore, that all mankind is under just condemnation and is without defense or excuse.

GRACE IN THE NEW CREATION 
We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be born again and that the new birth is a new creation in Christ Jesus. We believe that salvation is instantaneous and not a process; that in the new birth, the one dead in trespasses and 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; and that its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance and faith and newness of life.

SALVATION 
We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be born again, and that faith in Jesus is the only condition of salvation; salvation is not bestowed because of any righteous works which we have done, but according to His mercy.  We believe that at the moment of salvation the new believer is a new creation in Christ Jesus; salvation is instantaneous and not a process.  We believe that at salvation, the one dead in trespasses and sins is made a partaker of the divine nature and receives eternal life, the free gift of God; that salvation is brought about solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with divine truth, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the gospel; and that the evidence of salvation is seen through the fruit of the Spirit. We believe that those who are saved are eternally secure in their salvation.

THE LOCAL CHURCH
We believe that a local church is a congregation of immersed believers associated by a covenant of faith and fellowship in the gospel.  We believe that the local church will observe the ordinances of baptism and communion; will be governed by God’s Word, exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word; and will be led by pastors and deacons whose qualifications, claims, and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures. We believe the true mission of the church is the evangelism of the unsaved and the discipleship of the saved.  We hold that the local church should be self-governing, free from a hierarchy of individuals or organization, because Christ is the ultimate Head of the Church, leading through the Holy Spirit.  We believe that true churches should cooperate with each other in contending for the faith, fellowship, and for the furtherance of the gospel.

BAPTISM AND COMMUNION
We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water, symbolizing the believer’s faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior, and that Christ has spiritually buried their sins and resurrected them to a new life.  We believe that baptism is a prerequisite to the privileges of a church membership.
We also believe that communion is the commemoration of Christ’s death and a reminder of the hope of His second coming, and should be preceded always by solemn self-examination.

FUTURE EVENTS
We believe that there is an eternal difference between those who are saved and those who are unbelievers; while believers are justified through Jesus’ death and will spend eternity in heaven, unbelievers are sinful in God’s sight and destined for eternal conscious suffering apart from God in hell.  We believe that the Church will be raptured and that Jesus will return to set up a physical, eternal kingdom on earth, returning the world to a perfect sinless state.