What We Believe
​THE AUTHORITY OF THE BIBLE
We believe the Bible is God-inspired, and is to be the authoritative rule of life and practice for all Christians. We believe the Scriptures can be fulfilled and must not be broken. We believe that the Old Testament was the type and shadow of better things to come, and that the New Testament is the perfect expression of God’s will and Character as expressed through Jesus Christ. The Epistles are the expression of what Christ has done for us and desires to do through us. (Matt. 5:19, 19:17; John 10:35; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; Heb. 1:1-3; John; 1 John 2:3-4 )
THE ETERNAL GODHEAD
We believe God is Triune: Therefore Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are equally Divine and therefore equally deity. (Matt. 1:20-25; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 John 5:7-8)
MAN, HIS FALL & REDEMPTION
We believe man was created in the image of God and that his purpose was to have dominion over all the works of God’s hands. We believe that by voluntary disobedience man fell from perfection. (Gen. 1:26; Romans 5:12)
SALVATION
We believe that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us, signing the pardon for all who believe in Him, and that we have no righteousness (of our own) and must come to God pleading the righteousness of Christ as our only justification. (John 3:16; Rom. 5:8; Eph. 2:8)
WATER BAPTISM
Baptism in water by immersion, is a direct commandment of our Lord, and is for believers only. The ordinance is a symbol of the Christian’s identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection (Matt. 28:19; Acts 8:36-39; Rom. 6:4; Col. 2:12)
THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is a gift from God as promised by the Lord Jesus Christ to all believers and is received subsequent to the new birth. This experience is accompanied by the initial evidence of speaking in other tongues as the Holy Spirit Himself gives utterance (Matt. 3:11; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:1-4; Acts 2:38–39; Acts 19:1–7; John 14:16-17 )
SANCTIFICATION
We believe that Christ is our sanctification and we are therefore sanctified upon our receiving Him, and that we grow in grace as we grow in Christ therefore ever growing in holiness of life. (1 Co. 1:30; 1 Thess. 4:3; 2 Thess. 2:13; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Peter 3:18)
THE CHURCH – WHICH IS HIS BODY
We believe the church (on earth) is comprised of all in whom the Spirit of Christ dwells, and that the church is the body of Christ upon the earth and is to grow up into Him in all things. (Rom.8:9; Eph. 1:23; 4:12-16)
THE MINISTRY
We believe that God has designated and instituted duly called and equipped persons to function as the overseers of the Body of Christ (the church) upon the earth, and that these persons are charged with the equipping and edification of the saints until such time as the church has grown up into the image of Christ. (Acts 20:28; Eph. 4:11-15; 1 Peter 5:1-3)
HEALING IN ATONEMENT
We believe Divine Healing is the power of God to heal the sick (in mind or body), that healing for every person was included in Christ’s atoning sacrifice, and that it is God’s will for every Christian to minister healing to anyone at any time. (Psalm 103:2; Isaiah 53:4-5; Matt. 8:16-17; John 14:12; 1 Peter 2:24)
SIN
We believe that whatsoever is not of faith is sin and that our sin has been forgiven and not imputed unto us. We believe that if we sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, which will cleanse us of all unrighteousness. (Rom. 4:8, 6:14, 14:23; 1 John 1:9-2:1-2)
THE RESURRECTION OF THE JUST AND THE RETURN OF JESUS CHRIST
The angels said to Jesus’ disciples, “…This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” His coming is imminent. When He comes, “…The dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air…” (Acts 1:11, 1 Thess. 4:16–18).
MARRIAGE
We believe that marriage is defined as one (1) man and one (1) woman.
“For this reason a man will leave his parents, cling to his wife, and the
two shall become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24)
CHRISTIAN MISSION
We believe that the Christian Mission is to: Love God in thought, word, and deed & to love your neighbor as yourself, which is practiced by doing unto them as you would have done unto you. Your love for God and man will be demonstrated by reproducing disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, both domestically and in foreign lands by every Biblical method. (Matthew 7:12; Matthew 22:37-40; Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 12:30-31; Luke 6:31 )