Our Beliefs
- Statement of Faith -
1. We believe that the Bible is the verbally inspired and infallible, authoritative Word of God – that it is our final authority in all matters of faith and practice. We further believe that God has wonderfully preserved His Word in its smallest detail so that we might have His standard to live by (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:20-21; Matt. 24:35).
2. We believe there is one God eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Deut. 6:4, 4:35; Matt. 3:16-17; Ps. 9:7; Jn. 10:30; Jn. 14:26; 1 Jn. 5:7).
3. We believe in the Deity of Christ; His virgin birth; His shed blood for atonement of sin; His bodily resur- rection; His ascension into Heaven, there to be our Intercessor; His Lordship over all creation (Jn. 1: 1-3; 1 Jn. 1:7; Heb. 9:11, 12; 1 Pet. 1:18-19; 1 Cor. 15:3-4; Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25; Matt. 28:18, Phil. 2:9-11).
4. We believe that the Holy Spirit convicts of sin, makes believers children of God through the new birth, assuring them of Heaven, and by His indwelling en- ables Christians to live a Godly life (Jn. 16:8-11; Titus 3:5; 1 Cor. 12:13; 1 Cor. 6:19-20; Rom. 8: 14, 16; Rom. 8: 1-4; Gal. 5:16; Eph. 5:9,18).
5. We believe that all men are sinners by nature and choice, sinful and lost, and have within themselves no possible means of salvation without Christ (Rom. 3:10, 23; Rom. 5:12; Eph. 2:8-9; Eph. 2:1-3, 12; Titus 3:5).
6. We believe in Salvation by grace through faith; that Salvation is the free gift of God, not by any virtue or works of man, but received only by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; and that all true believers pos- sess the gift of eternal life, a perfect righteousness, sonship in the family of God, and the divine guarantee that they shall never perish (Jn. 3:16; Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5; Jn. 1:12; Jn. 10:28; Jn. 3:18).
7. We believe in the existence of Satan the deceiver and god of this present world; that he was defeated and judged at the cross, and therefore his final doom is certain (Jn. 8:44; Job 1:6-12; Job 2:1-8; 2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:2; 1 Jn. 3:8; 1 Jn. 5:18; 1 Jn. 4:4; Rev. 20:10).
8. We believe in the second coming of Christ; the time being unrevealed but always imminent; that when He comes He will first by resurrection of the dead and the translation (rapture) of the living remove from the earth His waiting Church; then pour out the righteous judgements of God upon the unbelieving world, after- wards descend with His Church and establish His glorious and literal kingdom over all nations for a thousand years (Jn. 14:1-3; Acts 1: 11; 1 Thess. 4:13-1 8; 1 Cor. 15:51-57; Rev. 6-9; Rev. 19:11-20:6).
9. We believe that the spirits of the saved, at death, go immediately to be with Christ in Heaven; that at His second coming their works will be judged and rewards determined; that the spirits of the unsaved at death descend immediately into Hell until the final day of judgement, at which time their bodies shall be raised from the grave, judged, and cast into the lake of fire, the place of final and everlasting punishment (2 Cor. 5:6-1 0; Luke 16:19-3 1; Rev. 20:11-15).
10. We believe in the priesthood of all believers, that Christ is our High Priest and through Him every born-again person has direct access into God's presence without the need of a human priest; that the believer has the right and responsibility to personally study and interpret the Scriptures, guided by the Holy Spirit (1 Pet. 2:9; 1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 7:17-28; Heb. 6:20; Heb. 4:14-16; Jn. 14:26; Jn. 16:13; 2 Pet. 1:19-21; 1 Pet. 2:2; 2 Tim. 2:15).
11. We believe that a New Testament Church is an organized body of born-again baptized believers practicing the scriptural ordinances and actively en- gaged in fulfilling the Great Commission. (Matt. 28:18-20; 1 Cor. 11:23-34)
We believe the officers of the church are pastors and deacons. In Scripture the pastor is also referred to as an elder. The two terms describe the same office (1 Tim. 3:1-13; Phil. 1:4).
12. We believe in the Separation of Church and State; that God has ordained both, and has delegated authority to each; the authority of one must not interfere with the other; however, this does not mean that the State is to be non-religious nor does it mean that the church and its members may not be involved in the political processes of this nation (Matt. 16:18; Matt. 18:15-20; Rom. 13:1-7; Acts 2: 1-11, 41-47; Eph. 2:1-6).
- Church Covenant -
Having been led, as we believe, by the Spirit of God, to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour and on the profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we do now in the presence of God, angels, and this assembly, most joyfully enter into covenant with one another, as one body in Christ.
We engage, therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the ad- vancement of this Church, in knowledge, holiness and comfort; to promote its prosperity and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, doctrine and disci- pline; to give it a sacred preeminence over all institu- tions of human origin; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the Church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the Gospel through all nations.
We, also, engage to maintain family and secret devo- tions; to Biblically educate our children; to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances; to walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements and exemplary in our deportment; to avoid all gossiping, backbiting, and ungodly anger; to abstain from the sale and use of alcoholic drinks as a beverage; to abstain from the use of any substances and materials which will steal control of lives from the Spirit of God; and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Saviour.
We, further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember each other in prayer; to aid each other in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation, and mindful of the rule of our Saviour to secure it without delay.
We, moreover, engage that when we remove from this place we will as soon as possible unite with some other church, where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of Gods Word.
Covenant - In church affairs, a solemn promise or vow between the members of a church, that they will walk together according to the precepts of the gospel, in brotherly affection. Webster's 1828 Dictionary
