The Church’s Articles of Faith represent what we assuredly believe. They are not meant in any way to supersede or replace the Word of God, which is, as already stated, the real charter and constitution of this fellowship. They are meant to express the cherished and firmly-held beliefs of the church as to what we believe the Scriptures teach in the areas mentioned. As such, they do not constitute an exhaustive statement of everything we believe. The Articles of Faith serve as our Confessional Statement.

The Church Covenant, as an expression of what we believe, constitutes the standards of behavior to which each member of this church should adhere. Behavior is predicated on belief. One must believe right in order to behave right. Therefore, the truths held by this congregation should be faithfully taught and modeled by all who aspire to positions of leadership within the body of Christ. These Articles of Faith, and the doctrinal beliefs stated herein, shall be fully affirmed by anyone serving as senior pastor, pastoral staff member, elder, deacon, teacher, or in any position of leadership within the church.

1.1.1 – Supernatural Inspiration. We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, supernaturally inspired in the original manuscripts and preserved by God in its plenary, verbal inspiration. In other words, God so superintended the human authors that as they recorded His Word, it was kept free from error and omission. The Bible is therefore, the inerrant, infallible, pure Word of God, from which nothing should be subtracted and to which nothing should be added. The Living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ, cannot be separated from the Written Word, the Bible, for where the Bible speaks, Jesus speaks (Deut. 4:2; Prov. 30:6; Rev. 22:18-19).

1.1.2 – Authority of the Bible. Thus, we believe that the Bible alone is the divine authority and supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions should be tried, for every age and every life. We believe that the Word of God has been preserved in the existing manuscripts of the Old and New Testaments (2 Tim. 3:14-17; 2 Peter 1:16-20).

We believe there is one true and living God, one in essence, yet possessing three eternal and personal natures, which are revealed as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The persons of the Godhead are equal in every divine perfection and are in complete harmony, but have separate and distinct functions. God is the sovereign Ruler and Maker of the universe, inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy of all praise, confidence, and love (Ex. 20:2-3; Deut. 6:4; 1 Cor. 8:4-6; Is. 43:10-11; 44:6; Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 12:29-31; John 14:16; 2 Cor. 13:14; 1 Tim 2:5; Jas. 2:19).

1.2.1 – God is the Creator. God is the absolute and sole Creator of the universe and all that it contains. Creation was by divine decree as recorded in the first two chapters of Genesis (and in other Scriptures) and not through an evolutionary process (Gen. 1,2; Ps. 19:1; Is. 40:12-14, 25-28; Col. 1:15-18; Rev. 4:11).

1.2.2 – The Trinity. God the Father is the first person of the triune Godhead, equal with God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, each possessing the same essence. God is infinite in His holiness. He is the Ruler and Judge of all, and is omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent. He sovereignly controls the flow of human history according to the good pleasure of His own will. In considering the work of each Person of the Godhead, we believe the truth that all Persons of the Trinity are active in the work of each individual Person (Is. 6; Ezek. 1; John 1:1-18; Eph. 1:3-14).

We believe Jesus Christ to be the second Person of the triune Godhead, equal with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit and possessing the same essence. We believe Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. God, by His own sovereign choice and out of love for man, sent Jesus Christ from heaven to earth in order to provide salvation for sinful men. He manifested Himself in the likeness of sinful flesh being born of a virgin. While in the flesh, Jesus was both God and man; His human nature was impeccable. He lived a perfect, sinless life in which He wrought mighty works, wonders and signs, exactly as recorded in the Word of God. He was crucified, died as a perfect substitutionary sacrifice for the sins of His elect people, and was raised bodily from the dead on the third day. Later, He ascended to the Father’s right hand where He is Head of the church and where He is interceding for believers. From there, He will come again to redeem His elect and will then return personally, visibly and bodily, to the earth to set up His millennial kingdom (Luke 1:30-35; John 1:18; Phil. 2:5-11; Heb. 4:14-16; Gal. 3:13; 1 Pet. 3:18; Matt. 28:18; John 20:20; Acts 1:9-11; Heb. 7:25,8:1; John 14:1-3).

We believe the Holy Spirit to be the third Person of the triune Godhead, equal with God the Father and God the Son, and possessing the same essence. We believe that He was involved in creation, revelation, and inspiration. He is in the world today, convicting men of sin, righteousness, and judgment. The Holy Spirit works on behalf of the elect by regenerating them, renewing them, baptizing them into the body of Christ, and sealing them unto the day of redemption. At the point of regeneration, the Holy Spirit indwells the believer and imparts spiritual gifts to each one, enabling them to serve in the body. These gifts are sovereignly bestowed and all believers have one or more gifts. He also controls (fills), leads, and teaches all believers, intercedes on their behalf and makes possible the believer’s prayer life. The Holy Spirit produces the fruit of Christlike graces in our lives in order to develop a true Christian character in us (Gen. 1:1-3; Ps. 139:7; Matt. 28:19-20; John 16:8-11; Rom. 8:9-14,26; 12:1-15; 1 Cor. 2:11; 3:16; 6:15-19; 12; Eph.1:13-14; 4:30; 5:18-20; Titus 3:5; 1 Pet. 4:10; 2 Pet. 1:21).

We believe in the Genesis account of man’s creation, and that it is to be accepted literally (not allegorically or figuratively); that man was originally created in God’s image, after His likeness; that His creation was a special creation by divine decree, and not through evolutionary processes of development from lower to higher forms (Gen. 1; 2; Job 10:8-12). The Doctrine of Salvation (Soteriology) is necessary because of the depravity of man. We believe in the doctrine of original sin. Because of the fall (the sin of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden), sin was imputed to the entire human race. Thus, man is born in sin; he is dead, blind and deaf to the things of God; and his heart is deceitful and desperately wicked. We believe that man was created upright under the law of his Maker and that he, by a willful act of disobedience, fell from his original condition. Everyone experiences the effects of the fall; consequently, all men are sinners by nature and by choice. Therefore, man is naturally at enmity with God and under divine condemnation. Sin is an attitude of heart that is contrary to God (Gen. 3:1-13; Ps. 51:5; Jer. 17:9-10; Rom. 3:10-23; Eph. 2:1-3).

1.5.1 – Man’s Will in Bondage. Man’s will is not free, but rather in bondage to his own sinful nature. Man is impotent in regard to spiritual matters; therefore, he has neither the desire nor the ability to save himself by his own choice. A man sins because he is a sinner by nature, he does not become a sinner by sinning (John 3:16-21; Heb. 7:25-27; 1 Pet. 1:18-24; Eph. 1; 2:1-3). Faith is not something man contributes to salvation – it is God’s gift to the sinner, not the sinner’s gift to God (John 1:12-13; 6:29; 10:25-29; Acts 14:27; 15:8-9; Rom. 12:3; Phil. 1:29).

1.5.2 – God’s Choice of Certain Individuals. God’s choice of certain individuals to salvation before the foundation of the world rested solely on His own sovereign will (Jer. 1:5; Acts 13:48; Eph. 1:3-6; 2 Tim 1:9-10; 2 Thess. 2:13). His choice of particular sinners was not based on any foreseen merit, response, faith, repentance or obedience on their part. Salvation then, is entirely a work of God’s grace whereby believers become new creatures in Christ. It is a change of heart and life, wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace, and they are given by God to each individual whom He has selected (John 15:16; Acts 3:19-20; 11:18; Rom. 10:9-17; 2 Cor. 5:17).

1.5.3 – Justification. We believe that sinners are justified in the sight of God because the sinner’s sin was imputed to Christ while on the cross, and that Christ’s righteousness is imputed to the sinner at the moment of regeneration (Rom. 5; 8:1-4; 1 Cor. 1:30-31). This is commonly known as the Doctrine of Justification whereby, through Christ’s redeeming work, the elect have their salvation secured for them. Christ’s death was a substitutionary, sacrificial act where He bore the penalty of sin in the place of certain sinners (1 Pet. 1:24-25). In addition to putting away the sins of the elect, Christ’s redemption secured everything necessary for their salvation, including the faith that unites them to Him.

1.5.4 – Sanctification. We believe that justification issues forth into sanctification. Sanctification is the process of spiritual growth which ensues at the moment of regeneration, setting the believer apart to God’s purposes and will. By the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit, the believer is enabled to progress toward moral and spiritual perfection. Salvation includes a surrender to the lordship of Jesus Christ, which is evidenced by a progression in spiritual maturity throughout the believer’s earthly life (Matt. 5:48; Rom. 10:9-10; Heb. 5:11-14; 6:1-3). We believe that the saints persevere and never ultimately fall away from salvation (John 6:37,44; 10:26-30; Rom. 8:28; Phil. 1:6; 2:12). All who are chosen by God, redeemed by Christ, and regenerated by the Holy Spirit, are eternally saved. They are kept in faith by the power of Almighty God and thus shall endure to the end (Jude 24).

1.5.5 – Glorification. We believe that salvation ends in glorification, where the believer will enjoy forever, the blessed abiding state of the redeemed in eternal glory with the Lord Jesus Christ and will be joined by the redeemed of all the ages (Rom. 8:18; 1 Cor. 15:42-57; 2 Cor. 4:17; Phil. 3:21; Col. 3:5; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; 1 Pet. 5:10-11).

We believe that the church is a local body of regenerated, baptized believers. The term for church is ekkleisa, or “called out.” It originally meant an assembly of people who were called together to consider matters of public interest. In the New Testament, the word was used to describe the church, which was a visible body of people gathered for a specific purpose. The word is never used in the New Testament to refer to a national or international body, group or organization. “The New Testament knows nothing of a nebulous, indefinable, invisible, scattered church. It only knows a church which has regular meetings (1 Cor. 5:4; 11:19, 33-34; 16:2; 14:19; Heb. 10:25); prescribed officers (1 Tim. 3:1-13; Eph. 4:8-11); observes tangible ordinances (1 Cor. 11:23-34); and disciplines its members (1 Cor. 5:4; Matt. 18:15-17).” (Jimmy Millikin, Christian Doctrine for Every Man, The King’s Press, Southaven, MS, 1976, p. 85)

1.6.1 – A Local and Visible Body. Therefore, we believe the church is a local and visible body, composed of true believers only (Acts 2:41-47), who have been scripturally baptized (see page 7, paragraph 1.6.5.1). The local church is gathered together by the Holy Spirit for the purpose of carrying out the principles and precepts of the Word of God. The church is composed of members who have been saved by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and that they have submitted to the lordship of Christ. The church administers its own affairs and bows to no other human authority higher than itself.

1.6.2 – Obligation of Church Membership. We believe that the church constitutes God’s own special people chosen to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 2:9). Every Christian is under obligation to take an active part in a local New Testament church which believes and preaches the Word of God without compromise. The church’s two main responsibilities are edification and evangelism – building up the saved members in spiritual maturity and equipping them to reach lost sinners (Acts 2:41; 1 Cor. 11:2; Acts 20:17-28; 1 Tim. 3:1-7; Mark 16:15). We believe that evangelistic and missionary efforts consistent with Scripture are requirements for the church to fulfill its God-given commission.

1.6.3 – The Church Universal. We believe that the true church, which is called Christ’s body, will eventually be composed of all regenerated believers from the Day of Pentecost to the translation of the church. This expression of the church will not be known until we are glorified and in heaven with the Lord. The church, as the bride of Christ, will be wed to Him at the marriage supper of the Lamb. Then, and only then, will the true universal church be known. The emphasis of Scripture is clearly placed on the local church, as a visible expression of Christ’s body on earth (Rev. 21 & 22).

1.6.4 – The Priesthood of All Believers. We believe in the competency of each individual Christian to approach God directly, his only mediator being the Lord Jesus Christ Himself (Heb. 4:14-16; 10:19-22). We believe in the priesthood of all believers and that there is no special class of persons (clergy) through whom believers must go to gain access to God. The priesthood of all believers does not mean that we are free to believe whatever we wish or to develop our own forms of doctrine, but rather, that we are directly and individually accountable to God for what we believe and how we behave (Rom. 5:1-5; Eph. 2:11-22; 1 Pet. 2:5,9-10).

1.6.5 – The Ordinances of the Church. We believe that Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are the only ordinances of the local church, that Jesus Himself imposed them upon the church, and that they are symbolic acts. No saving effect or grace results from participation in the ordinances. The ordinances are His commands and are to be carried out in the spirit and manner which the Word of God indicates.

1.6.5.1 – Baptism. We believe that the Lord Jesus instituted the ordinance of baptism by immersion in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and that true believers are the only proper subjects for baptism. We reject infant baptism, but children who, after careful examination, show evidence of regeneration and conversion are worthy candidates for baptism. Baptism is required for full obedience to the Lord and will serve as a testimony to the world that the believer has died to sin, has buried the old way of life, and has been raised to a new life of righteousness in Christ (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 2:38; Rom. 6; Col. 2:12).

1.6.5.2 – The Lord’s Supper. The Lord Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper. When Christians partake of the Supper, we do so in remembrance of, and in thanksgiving for, His death on the cross. The Lord’s Supper is a proclamation of the gospel and a prophetic announcement of His soon and coming return, until He does come for His church. It is a fellowship meal uniting the local body as one, and providing an opportunity for spiritual examination and discipline of the membership. It is the Lord’s table, and like baptism, is an ordinance to be carried out by the local church for its members only. Therefore, born-again members of this church are invited to participate in the Lord’s supper, but are exhorted first to examine themselves and judge sin in their own hearts before partaking (1 Cor. 11:23-26; Acts 16:31-34).

1.6.6 – The Officers of the Church. We believe the New Testament sanctions only two offices for the church: elders and deacons.

1.6.6.1 – Elders (also known as bishops, overseers, or pastors). We believe that for the orderly function of the local church, God has ordained that the church be led by godly men known as elders. They serve as under shepherds, accountable ultimately to Christ for the spiritual discipline and direction of the assembly over which they have been appointed. The elders are to serve the congregation as shepherds – to feed, lead, oversee, rule, teach, guide by example and defend the faith. They should be esteemed, respected, loved and obeyed by the congregation. Their lives are to conform to the qualifications of Scripture, as given in 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Peter 5:1-4 (see also Acts 14:23; 20:17-28; 1 Thess. 5:12-14; 1 Tim. 5:17-20; Heb. 13:7,17).

1.6.6.2 – Deacons. We believe that deacons are servants, appointed by the elders to meet the material and physical needs of the assembly. They must be godly men, who meet the qualifications of 1 Timothy 3:1-13 and Acts 6:1-6.

We believe the Bible foretells certain events which are yet to come. We believe that God will bring the world to its appointed and appropriate end, at which time He will judge all men. Heaven and hell are realities. Those who know Christ will have eternal life in heaven with Him. Those who do not know Him will be cast into everlasting punishment in hell with Satan and his host of demons (Luke 16:19-31; Heb. 9:27).

1.7.1 – The Second Coming of Christ. We believe in the literal, visible, bodily return of Jesus Christ to this earth to institute His eternal reign. This is the hope of God’s people during this age, and should instill godly living in the lives of the saints. Christ will return for His church to rapture them away at the beginning of the tribulation period. Then He will personally return to set up His millennial kingdom on earth, where He will reign with the saints for 1,000 years. At the conclusion of this period, the final judgment of the Great White Throne will occur, and Christ will consummate the ages and bring in the eternal state of heaven (Matt. 25:31-46; 1 Thess.4:13-18; 2 Thess. 1:3-10; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Pet. 1:3; 2 Pet. 3:10-14; 1 John 3:2-3; Rev. 20).

1.7.2 – Judgment of the Living and Dead. We believe that all judgment has been committed to the Son of God, Who will judge the living and dead at the coming of His kingdom. This judgment includes the judgment of sin by our Savior’s death on the cross; the judgment of believers at the Bema judgment seat of the Lord, where believers will receive their just reward for their works, whether good or bad, done in the Lord; and the Great White Throne where all the unbelieving, wicked dead will be finally cast into everlasting punishment (John 5:24-29; 1 Tim 4:1; 2 Cor. 5:6-8; Rev. 20).

1.7.3 – The Eternal State. We believe that the souls of those who have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation do, at death, immediately pass into His presence, and remain there in conscious bliss until the rapture of the church, when the believer’s soul and body will be united and associated with Him forever in glory. But the souls of the unbelievers remain after death in conscious misery until the final judgment of the Great White Throne at the close of the millennium, when soul and body reunited shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and the glory of His power (Luke 16:19-26; 23:43; 2 Cor. 5:2; Phil. 1:23; 2 Thess 1:7-9; Jude 6; Rev. 20:11-15).

1.8.1 – Angels. We believe that angels are ministering spirits sent from God to minister to the people of God (Heb. 1:14). They are not to be worshiped, but recognized simply as God’s agents, acting at His direction on behalf of believers and God’s purpose in the world. Angels are also leaders of worship in heaven, constantly praising the name of the Lord and declaring His holiness. They will assist in the judgment of the world, doing God’s bidding (Ps. 103:20-21; Is. 6:1-8; Matt. 13:41-50; 2 Thess. 1:7; Rev. 6-19).

1.8.2 – The Devil and Demons. We believe in the reality of both the devil and demons. The devil, also known as Satan or Lucifer, is a created being who, at one time, was very close to God and was a leader of worship in heaven (Is. 14:12-15; Ezek. 28:11-19). He rebelled against God and was removed from heaven, taking with him one third of the angels, who rebelled with him (Rev. 12:1-12). The devil and his evil angels, or demons, are now God’s enemies and seek to destroy the plan and purpose of God in individual Christian lives. They are real beings who are to be resisted. The best form of resistance is the believer’s personal submission to the lordship of Jesus Christ (Luke 8:26-33; 22:31-32; Acts 16:16-18; 19:11-20; 2 Cor. 2:10-11; 10:3-6; 11:12-15; 12:7-10; Eph. 4:26-7; 6:10-18; 1 Pet. 5:8-10).

1.9.1 – Ordained by God. We believe that civil government is ordained by God for the orderly management of society; that its rulers should punish evildoers and praise law-abiding citizens. We believe that in order to promote the welfare of the state, Christians should earnestly pray for their leaders that they might live a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence, and that they should submit to every ordinance of man for testimony and conscience sake. We believe that Christians should not be involved in outright civil disobedience, unless they are required to violate God’s law, thereby suffering the consequence of such action joyfully, but at the same time having the right to defend themselves by due process of law. This defense excludes initiating a legal action against a fellow believer, which is strictly forbidden in Scripture. Believers are commanded to work out their differences under the authority and leadership of their local church.

1.9.2 – The Christian’s Responsibility. We believe as Christian citizens in a free society, such as the United States of America, where we are accorded the privilege to vote, that we ought to be patriotic in our duty, exemplary in our actions and faithful in our fiduciary obligations to the state. We believe that the good of the state is bound up in the morality of its leaders and citizens, so that righteousness exalts a nation and sin is its reproach. Through every legal means available we, as good citizens, ought to oppose legislation and executive orders which promote wickedness (Ps. 33:12; Prov. 11:10-11; 14:34; 28:12; 29:2; Matt. 22:15-22; Acts 5:29 [see Dan. 3:18]; 16:35-40; 25:11; Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Cor. 6:1-8; 1 Tim. 2:1-2; Titus 3:1; 1 Pet. 2:13-17).

We believe God has commanded that there be no intimate sexual activity outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. We also believe that homosexuality and lesbianism are aberrations from God’s original design for mankind in the garden of Eden. God’s creation of Adam and Eve, became the divine pattern for all marital relationships. God calls homosexuality an abomination. A reprobate society, which has disavowed God, will reap God’s judgment, evidenced by rampant immorality within the society. No practicing homosexual, nor anyone practicing any other form of sexual immorality, will inherit God’s kingdom (1 Cor. 6:9-11). We reject the contemporary interpretation, which says that what is condemned in Scripture, is homosexual prostitution in the context of idol worship in pagan temples; or homosexual rape, as in Sodom with Lot’s guests. We believe that all forms of fornication such as, but not limited to: adultery, premarital sex, homosexuality, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, pedophilia, pornography and prostitution, are perversions of God’s gift of sex (Gen. 2:18-25; 19:5; Lev. 18:6-24; 20:13; Prov. 5; 6:20-35; 7; 9:13-18; Matt. 5:27-30; 19:1-12; Rom. 1:24-32; 1 Cor. 5:1; 6:9-11; 7:1-5; 1 Thess. 4:3-8; 1 Tim.1:10; 2 Tim. 2:22; Heb. 13:4; Jude 1:7).

We believe that life is a sacred gift of God. Every child is precious to God and is a human life, beginning at the moment of conception. Therefore, we believe that abortion for any reason is murder. We understand that in very rare cases, the physical lives of both mother and baby cannot be spared. In such situations, Christians must urgently seek the wise counsel of the Heavenly Father. We believe that abortion, infanticide, and euthanasia are wicked and that the practices of these forms of genocide are ungodly and will bring the wrath of God on our country. We believe that the mentally and physically disabled have equal worth to all other persons and that they are to be ministered unto by the church (Ex. 20:13; 21:22-25; Job 10:8-12; Ps. 139:13-16).

We believe that the Charismatic (or neo-pentecostal) movement is in serious doctrinal error. While there are some true believers in its rank, the movement as a whole, does not have a scriptural foundation. We believe this movement is founded on experience and emotionalism, whereas we believe the true Christian walk is founded on obedience to Scripture. We believe that the sign gifts, as a common occurrence in the New Testament church, ceased by the second century. Just as the Corinthian church was preoccupied with tongues and abused its practice, so also the modern-day Charismatic movement does the same. We believe that the biblical manifestation of a spiritual walk is the fruit of the Spirit evidenced in a life of holiness and not some sort of ecstatic utterance, or the ability to work miracles. We believe that Spirit baptism is a one-time event accomplished at the moment of regeneration, wherein all true believers are placed into one body – the church. An offshoot of the neo-pentecostal movement is the Word of Faith movement, closely aligned with the “positive thinking” movement. While adherents of these movements claim to be Christian, they all teach doctrinal positions that are not biblical and should be rejected as heretics (1 Cor. 13:8-10; Heb. 2:14; 1 Cor. 12-14; Gal. 5:16; 1 Cor. 12:13).

We believe that the contemporary ecumenical movement is an attempt, under the guise of church cooperation, to unite divergent Christian bodies (so-called) for the advancement of “the social gospel.” This movement is devoid of true doctrine. Its overall agenda is the advancement of “liberation theology,” which is Marxism masked in theological jargon. We cannot cooperate with those who deny the verbal and plenary inspiration of the Bible; the virgin birth and deity of Christ; the substitutionary atonement of the Savior; His visible resurrection and ascension, and salvation by grace alone, through the meritorious work of Christ. We believe that the invocation of our Lord, in His high priestly prayer, was for the unbroken unity of His elect people, which the Father had given Him out of the world. We affirm that the believers of each local assembly are under divine obligation to strive for the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. We further affirm that even though the local church is autonomous, it may cooperate with other like-minded churches for the cause of the advancement of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, both at home and abroad (2 Cor. 6:14-16; John 17:11; Eph. 4:1-3; 2 Cor. 8:4).