OUR BELIEFS

We believe that God exists eternally in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three are one God. We believe God created the universe by His Power and Word. We believe that God is all knowing, all powerful and ever present.

Bible References: Genesis 1:1, Isaiah 55:9, Matthew 3:13-17, Romans 11:33-34, Revelation 1:8

Jesus Christ– We believe Jesus Christ is the one and only Son of God and was sent by God the Father into the world to save sinners. We believe that Jesus Christ was virgin born, sinless in life and mighty in words and deeds. We believe Jesus was both God and man, that He was crucified for our sins, and was bodily raised from the dead. He then ascended to His Father’s side where He is head of the church and intercedes for believers. We believe Jesus Christ is coming again personally, visibly and bodily to reign as Lord.

Bible References: Luke 1:34-38, John 1:1,3:16, Acts 1:10-11, I Corinthians 15, Ephesians 5:23, Colossians 2:9, Hebrews 4:14-15, 2 Peter 3:10

The Holy Spirit – We believe The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, fully divine. He inspired holy men of old to write the Scriptures. Through illumination, He enables men to understand the truth. He seals the believer unto the day of final redemption. He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service.

Bible References: John 4:22-24, 16:13, Acts 1:8, 5:3-4, 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, Ephesians 4:30, 2 Peter 1:19-21, I John 2:27

Humanity – We believe humanity is the special creation of God, made in His own image. He created them male and female as the crowning work of His creation. In the beginning, humanity was innocent of sin and was endowed by God with freedom of choice. By free choice, humanity sinned against God and we all inherited nature and an environment inclined toward sin. Jesus Christ died for all humanity and therefore, every person of every race possesses full dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love.

Bible References: Genesis 1:26-27, Genesis 2:16, Romans 3:22-26, I Corinthians 15:21-22

The Church – We believe the church is an autonomous congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the two ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, and seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth. Each congregation operates under the Lordship of Christ. In such a congregation each member is responsible and accountable to Christ as Lord as well as to one another.

Bible References: Matthew 16:15-19, Acts 1:8, 2:41-42, 6:1-7, 20:28, I Corinthians 12, Colossians 1:17-18, Hebrews 10:25, I Peter 5:2

The Kingdom of God – We believe the Kingdom of God (also described as the “Kingdom of Heaven” in the New Testament) is the sovereign rule of God over all creation. When a person receives Christ as their Lord and Savior, they enter into the Kingdom of God and become subject to Him in all things. The Bible says that the Kingdom of God will exist for all of eternity while the rest of creation will be destroyed.

Bible References: Matthew 19:16-24, John 3:5-7, Revelation 21:1-2, Matthew 4:19, I Peter 2:2-3, Philippians 2:3-4

The Bible – We believe The Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God’s revelation of Himself to humanity. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. All Scripture is true and trustworthy and will remain until the end of the world. It is the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried. All Scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation.

Bible References: Psalm 119:10-11, John 5:39, Ephesians 6:17, 2 Timothy 3:15, Revelation 22:18-19

Salvation – We believe that Jesus, through His death on the cross and resurrection from the dead, provided salvation for all. However, to receive salvation one must repent of sin and trust Jesus Christ alone. The true believer is eternally secure and cannot lose his salvation. He may, however, lose his joy by sin and bring the loving discipline of the Father upon himself. All who have received Christ will at death depart to be with Christ in their spirits and at Christ’s return receive a new body which will be like His glorious body.

Bible References: John 3:3, 3:16, 10:27-30, Romans 6:23, 10:9-13, I John 1:9, II Corinthians 5:8, I Corinthians 15:42-44, Hebrews 2:3, 12:5-6

Baptism and the Lord’s Supper – We believe baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer’s faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Savior, the believer’s death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. It is to be a public testimony of faith in the final resurrection of the dead. Believer’s baptism by immersion is a prerequisite to the privileges of church membership. Baptism, however, can be provided for individuals profess their faith in Jesus Christ but are not requesting church membership.

Bible References: Matthew 3:11, Mark 1:9, Acts 8:26-27, Romans 6:4, 10:9-10, Colossians 2:12

The Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby believers, through partaking of the bread and the cup, memorialize the death of the Jesus Christ and anticipate His second coming.

Bible References: I Corinthians 11:23-29

Evangelism and Missions – We believe every follower of Jesus is commanded to work with other followers of Jesus. The Bible teaches that those who love God are called to love others. We are also called to serve with other followers of Jesus to meet the needs of non-believers as Christ modeled for us.

Bible References: Matthew 28:19-20, I John 4:7-12, Mark 10:42-45

Partnership – We believe that we cannot reach the world alone. While we are an autonomous body, we choose to partner with Baptist and other kingdom-focused organizations in order to pool our resources to more effectively take the Gospel of Jesus to our community and around the world.

Bible References: Mark 9:38-40, John 17:20-23, I Corinthians 12:12-13