The Holy Scriptures. 

We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to

be the verbally and plenary inspired Word of God. The Scriptures are inerrant, infallible and God-breathed, and therefore are the final authority for faith and life. The sixty-six books of the Old and New Testament 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 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:20-21)

Dispensationalism. 

We believe that the Scriptures interpreted in their natural, literal sense

reveal divinely determined dispensations or rules of life which 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. Three of these dispensations-the law, the church, and the kingdom - are the

subjects of detailed revelation in Scripture. (Gen. 1:28; I Cor. 9:17; 2 Cor. 3:9-18;

Gal. 3:13-25; Eph. 1:10; 3:2-10; Col. 1:24-25, 27; Rev. 20:2-6)

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, coequal in power and

glory, and having the same attributes and perfections. (Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19;

2 Cor. 13:14; John 14:10, 26)

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.

(Isa. 7:14; 9:6; Luke 1:35; John 1:1-2,14; 2 Cor. 5:19-21; Gal. 4:4-5; Phil. 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; Rom. 3:24-25; 1 Peter 2:24; Eph. 1:7; 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; Heb. 9:24; 7:25;

Rom. 8:34; 1 John 2: 1-2)

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; Rom. 8:9; 1Cor. 12:12-14; 2 Cor.

3:6; Eph. 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. (Eph. 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

assembly in order that they can do the work of the ministry. (Rom. 12:3-8; 1

Cor. 12:4-11,28; Eph. 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 and that ultimate

deliverance of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of our

salvation in the resurrection, though God frequently chooses to answer the prayers

of believers for physical healing. (l Cor. 1:22; 13:8; 14:21-22)

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. (Gen. 1:26-27; Rom. 3:22-23, 5:12, 6:23; Eph. 2:1-3, 4:17-19)

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. (John 1:12; Eph. 1:7; 2:8-10; 1Pet. 1:18-19; Matt. 12:31-32;

1 John 1:9)

The Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers.

1. We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God's power and are

thus secure in Christ forever (John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Rom 8:1, 38-39;

1 Cor. 1:4-8; 1 Pet 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. (Rom. 13:13-14;

Gal. 5:13; Titus 2:11-15)

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 persons. (1 Cor. 12:12-14; 2 Cor. 11:2;

Eph. 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 Scriptures. (Acts 14:27; 20:17, 28-32;

1 Tim. 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11)

3. We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any external authority or

control. (Acts 13:1-4, 15:19-31, 20:28; Rom. 16:1,4; 1 Cor. 3:9, 16, 54-7, 13;

1 Pet. 5:1-4)

4. We recognize water baptism and the Lord's Supper as the Scriptural ordinances of

obedience for the church in this age. (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42, 18:18;

1 Cor. 11:23-26)

Separation. 

We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring

reproach upon their Savior and Lord. 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.

(Rom. 12:1-2, 14:13; 2 Cor. 6:14-7:1; 2 Tim. 3:1-5; 1 John 2:15-17; 2 John 9-11;

Lev. 19:28; 1 Cor. 6:19-20)

The Second Advent 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.

(Ps. 89:3-4; Dan. 2:31-45; Zech. 14:4-11; 1 Thess. 1:10; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; Titus 2:13;

Rev. 3:10, 19:11-16, 20:1-6)

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. (Matt. 25:46; John 5:28-29,

11:25-26; Rev. 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 Cor. 5:8; Phil 1:23, 3:21; 1 Thess. 4:16-17; Rev. 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. (Matt 25:41-46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-26;

2 Thess.1:7-9; Jude 6-7; Rev. 20:11-15)

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; Isa. 14:12-17; Matt. 4:2-11,

25:41; Rev. 20:10)

Creation. 

We believe that God created the universe in six literal, 24-hour periods. We

reject evolution, the Gap Theory, the Day-Age Theory, and Theistic Evolution as

unscriptural theories of origin. (Gen 1-2; Ex. 20:11)

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. (Rom. 13:1-7; Eph. 5:22-24; Heb. 13:17; 1 Pet 2:13-14)

Human Sexuality.

1. We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in

outside of a marriage between a man and a 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 surgery or

appearance. (Gen 2:24; Gen. 19:5, 13; Gen. 26:8-9; Lev. 18:1-30; Rom. 1: 26-29;

1 Cor. 5:1; 6:9; 1 Thess. 4:1-8; Heb. 13:4)

2. We believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one

woman. (Gen 2:24; Rom. 7:2; 1 Cor. 7:10; Eph. 5:22-23)

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. (Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:18;

1 Tim. 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 an heritage from the Lord. Parents

are responsible for teaching their children spiritual and moral values and leading

them, through consistent lifestyle example and appropriate discipline, including

scriptural corporal correction. (Gen. 1:26-28; Ex. 20:12; Deut. 6:4-9; Ps. 127:3-5;

Prov. 19:18, 22:15, 23:13-14; Mark 10:6-12; 1 Cor. 7:1-16; Eph. 5:21-33, 6:1-4;

Col. 3:18-21; Heb. 13:4; 1 Pet. 3:1-7)

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.

(Mal. 2:14-17; Matt. 19:3-12; Rom. 7:1-3; 1 Tim. 3:2,12; Titus 1:6)

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 of pregnancies 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; Ps. 51:5, 139:14-16;

Isa. 44:24, 49:1,5; Jer. 1:5, 20:15-18; Luke 1:44)

Love. 

We believe that we should demonstrate love for others, not only toward fellow

believers, but also toward both those who are not believers and those who oppose us. 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 the 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. (Lev. 19:18; Matt. 5:44-48; Luke 6:31; John 13:34-35;

Rom. 12:9-10, 17-21, 13:8-10; Phil. 2:2-4; 2 Tim. 2:24-26; Titus 3:2; 1 John 3:17-18)

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 Cor. 6:1-8; Eph. 4:31-32)

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. (Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8;

2 Cor. 5:20)

Giving. 

We believe that every Christian, as a steward of that portion of God's wealth

entrusted to him, is obligated to support his local church financially. 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 the tithe or offering once the gift has been made. (Gen. 14:20;

Prov. 3:9-10; Acts 4:34-37; 1 Cor. 16:2; 2 Cor. 9:6-7; Gal. 6:6; Eph. 4:28; 1 Tim. 5:17-18;

1 John 3:17)