Our Beliefs

We believe in the absolute authority of the Holy Scriptures. We believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, and infallible rule of both faith and conduct; that in its original writing, is the final court appeal in all matters of faith and conduct; that it was written by holy men of old as they were moved by the Holy Spirit; that it contains the words of satan and men, as well as of God, and contains the record of sin as well as righteousness.References: II Timothy 3:15­17; II Peter 1:19­21; Matt. 5:18; John 5:39; 10:35

We believe that God exists (Heb. 11:6), that He is a Spirit, infinite, eternal and unchangeable in His being, and His perfect attributes of wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth. That there is one true and living God; that God manifests Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.References: Gen. 1:1; Is. 43:10; John 15:26; Deut. 6:4; I John 5:7; I Tim. 2:5

We believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh, both Son of God and Son of Man, in whom dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; in His essential Deity, His conception by the Holy Spirit, virgin birth, sinless life, miraculous works, vicarious death, physical and bodily resurrection from the grave, and His ascension into heaven to the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens for His high priestly work from whence He shall return personally to judge men in righteousness. He is the Head of His Body, the Church.References: John 1:1­14; I Tim. 3:16; Col. 2:9; Is. 7:14; Matt. 1:23; Heb. 7:26; I Cor. 15:3; Rev. 21:1­6

We believe that man was created from the hand of God by special creation (Gen. 1:26­27); that man was created in God’s own image and after His own likeness (Gen. 1:26­27; 2:7). We believe that by a voluntary act of man’s will, he transgressed against God’s will and fell from God’s likeness, innocence, and holiness (Gen. 3). We believe that as a result of Adam’s (man’s) fall came the curse of spiritual and physical death; that man became a sinner and, as a result, entered into judgement and condemnation which includes the whole human race.References: Romans 3:23, 5:12­19, 6:23; I Cor. 15:22

We believe that man can only be saved and have eternal life by repenting of sins, placing his faith in and receiving personally Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, receiving forgiveness through the shed blood of Jesus and His sacrificial death on the cross. All who have been born again according to John 3:3­8, we accept as members of the Body of Christ, sharing fellowship with them based on our common salvation, not a doctrine, as important as it is.References: Romans 6:23; Romans 10:9­10; Luke 13:3; John 1:12; I Cor. 12:12; Heb. 9:20­22

We believe that water baptism is by immersion and was practiced by Jesus and His disciples (John 3:22; 4:1­2), by the early church (Acts 2:41; 8:12; 8:38; 10:47­48; 16:33; 19:5), and is essential today for Christian discipleship. We believe that water baptism is an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace. Baptism by faith identified the believer with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. (Romans 6:1­11). We believe that water baptism is to be administered only after one has truly repented of sin and indicates true faith in Jesus Christ. (Luke 3:8) We believe in administering water baptism in the Scriptural manner as recorded in Matthew 28:19 and Acts 2:38.

We believe that the infilling of the Holy Spirit is a genuine and definite experience which is subsequent to the new birth; that this infilling of baptism in the Holy Spirit gives the believer the ability to speak in languages he has never learned; and that the promise of the gift of the Holy Spirit Baptism is for every believer, and that those believers who experience this infilling are endued with power after the same manner as those in the upper room on the day of Pentecost.References: Mark 16:17; Acts 10:44­47; Matt. 3:11; John 7:37­39; Acts 2:1­4; Luke 24:49

We believe that the Holy Spirit possesses definite spiritual gifts to bestow upon the believing church of Jesus Christ; that these spiritual gifts are for this present church age; that they are divided to every man severally as the Holy Spirit wills; that spiritual gifts should be desired by every believer in the order and proportion whereby they will best edify and benefit the church;that the nine gifts as listed in I Cor. 12 are desired to function in every local church for the edification of its individual members.References: 1 Cor. 12:1­11; 1 Cor. 14; Romans 12:6­8

We believe that as a result of the new birth and the individual’s walk in the Spirit, that the believer will manifest the nine­fold fruit of the Spirit. These Christ­like graces give evidence that the Holy Spirit is controlling the believer’s life.References: Gal. 5:22­23

We believe that when Jesus ascended, He gave gifted ministries to the Church as recorded in Ephesians 4:11; that they are given to the whole church for the whole church age; that in this present church age there are Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers ministering to the Body of Christ; and that the primary function of these gifted ministries is to perfect the saints, to bring them into the unity of the faith, to establish them in maturity and stability, and to help believers grow up into the fullness of Christ.References: Ps. 68:18; Eph. 4:8­16

We believe that the atonement provides deliverance from sickness as well as sin, and that the ministry of divine healing has continued from the time of Christ, through His apostles, through the Church, and through individual believers. Divine healing may be administered in various manners: by the laying on of hands, by speaking a word of deliverance, by anointing with oil, by personal prayer, or by a sovereign act of God. We believe divine healing to be the privilege of every believer, but that God has, by the Holy Spirit, endowed individual members in the Church with special gifts of healing to edify the Body of Christ.References: Ex. 15:26; Acts 4:29­30; Is. 53:4­5; James 5:14­16; Matt. 8:17; I Cor. 12:9; Mark 16:18

We believe that the Lord’s Supper as recorded in the Bible, is to be observed in remembrance of Jesus Christ in His suffering and death. The partaking of the bread and wine was commanded by our Lord in Matthew 26:26­29; Mark 14:22­25; Luke 22:14­20; and again mentioned in I Corinthians 11:23­26. The bread represents the broken body of the Lord. The wine represents the shed blood of Christ, the Lamb of God. This ordinance spans the years from Calvary until the second coming of Jesus Christ. Insincere and hypocritical observance of this ordinance brings God’s displeasure and discipline (I Corinthians 11:28­32). Observance of this ordinance should be taken seriously and with much heart searching.

We believe that the Church is the Body of Christ, and that every believer born of the Spirit is a member of that Body, whose names are written in heaven; that the word “ekklesia” is translated Church, and literally means “called out ones” and that all who have been called out of the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of God’s dear Son are members of that Church. Other terms used to denote the Church are: Body of Christ (Eph. 1:23; Col. 1:18)Temple of the Holy Spirit (I Cor. 3:16; Eph. 21:22)Bride of Christ (II Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:25­27) The invisible Church spans the centuries and includes both militant and triumphant saints. The Church invisible is the living organism of all the elect (Heb. 12:23). The visible Churches are local counterparts of the invisible entity. Each local congregation is called a Church. (Rev. 1:20)

We believe that the second advent of Christ is in two stages:A. The RAPTURE of the living saints and the resurrection of the sleeping saints are translated together (I Thes. 4:16­17). This is the return of the Bridegroom for His Bride, and the blessed hope of the Church (Titus 2:13). B. The REVELATION of Christ with His glorified saints to set up His 1,000 year Millennial Reign of world government in which He shall rule in Holy justice and bliss.References: II Thes. 1:7; Jude 14; Rev. 20:1­7; Zech. 14:4

We believe that both Heaven and Hell are eternal; that Heaven is a place prepared for those who believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ, and have washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb; that Hell is a place prepared for those who have rejected the mercy of the crucified Savior; they shall be cast into outer darkness where there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. We believe that God never intended for Hell to be inhabited by man, but especially prepared for the Devil and his angels. (Matthew 25:41)References: John 14:2; Luke 16:23; Rev. 20:10­15; Rev. 21:4; Matt. 13:41­42