Statements of Faith
The membership of the Church affirms the following statements of faith:
1. The Godhead (The Trinity)
a. There is only one God that is eternally existent and expresses Himself in three persons: Father God, Son Jesus and Holy Spirit. (Matthew 3:16-17, Matthew 28:19)
b. God the Son, Jesus the Christ of Nazareth, was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. (Matthew 1:18)
c. Jesus Christ was fully God and fully man and in all points tempted as we are, yet is without sin. (Hebrews 4:14)
d. Jesus Christ physically rose from the dead the third day, ascended into heaven, and will return. (1 Thessalonians 4:14 and Acts 1:11)
e. Jesus Christ sits at the right hand of God the Father and is our mediator and advocate to God. (1 John 2:1)
f. The Holy Spirit is real and is a divine being given to each believer as a gift from the Father. (Luke 11:13, John 14:16-17, Acts 10:44, I Corinthians
12:13)
g. The Holy Spirit gives gifts to each believer in Christ as He so desires in order to make the church effective and whole. Each gift of the holy Spirit is embraced and allowed to be used within the church body to edify, encourage, exhort and strengthen the Church. (Hebrews 2:4, 1 Corinthians 12:27-31, I Corinthians 14:12)
2. Sin
a. God created all of us in His image and gave us the freedom to choose good or evil and to reap the rewards of our decision. (Genesis 1:27, Joshua 24:15)
b. Through the decision of one man, Adam, sin entered the world, separating mankind from God. After the age of accountability, all of us must repent of our sin to be saved. (Romans 5:12-20)
c. All persons past the age of accountability have sinned and face God’s judgement. (Romans 3:23)
d. Jesus Christ took on our sins on the Cross of Calvary and died for our sins. (Romans 8:1-3)
e. We believe that after salvation, in our humanity we may sin, but if we confess our sins and ask God for forgiveness, He is “faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (I John 1:9)
3. Salvation
a. We believe that all who, in repentance and faith, receive the Lord Jesus as Savior and Lord and confess Him before others, are “born again” or “saved”. (John 3:16)(Romans 10:9
b. Jesus Christ is the only name by which we may be saved from God’s judgement and receive eternal life with God. (Acts 4:12)
c. The offering Christ Jesus freely made on the cross is the perfect and sufficient sacrifice for the sins of the whole world, redeeming humanity from all sin, so that no other satisfaction is required.
d. We believe we are never accounted righteous before God through our works or merit, but that penitent sinners are justified or accounted righteous before God only by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
e. We believe good works are the fruits of faith and follow salvation, but they do not have the virtue to remove our sins or to avert divine judgment. We believe good works, pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ, spring from a true and living faith, for through and by them faith is made evident. (Matthew 7:16)
4. The Holy Bible
We believe the Holy Bible, Old and New Testaments, reveals the Word of God so far as it is necessary for our salvation. It is to be received through the Holy Spirit as the true rule and guide for faith and practice. Whatever is not revealed in or established by the Holy Scriptures is not to be made an article of faith nor is it to be taught as essential to salvation. (II Timothy 3:16-17)
5. The Church
a. We believe that the universal church is comprised of all true believers who have received salvation through Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:22-23)
b. Everyone who has accepted God’s gift of salvation is a child of God and part of our family, regardless of their denomination, church affiliation, race, national origin, or natural gender. (Acts 10:34-35)
c. The Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) charges us to share the good news of Jesus Christ when given the opportunity and to disciple those who choose to accept Jesus Christ as God’s only Son in order to help them change and grow into what God created them to be.
d. Each saved person has a gift, ability or personal testimony, and when shared, can help others in their walk with Christ. (I Corinthians 12:25-29) (Ephesians 4:11-12)
6. The Sacraments (or Ordinances) of the Church
We believe the Sacraments (or Ordinances) ordained by Christ, are symbols and pledges of the Christian’s profession and of God’s love toward us. They are means of grace by which God works invisibly in us, quickening, strengthening, and confirming our faith in him. Two are ordained by Christ our Lord, namely Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
Baptism: We believe Baptism is a symbol of repentance and inner cleansing from sin, a representation of the new birth in Christ Jesus and a mark of Christian discipleship.
a. A person who receives Jesus Christ as Savior by personal faith, who professes Him publicly at any worship service and indicates a commitment to follow Christ as Lord shall be received for Baptism.
b. Baptism shall be by immersion in water, pouring or sprinkling.
c. Baptism shall be performed and/or supervised by the Pastor of the Church or other persons designated by the Pastor of the Church.
d. Baptism shall be performed as an act of worship during any worship service.
e. In regard to infant baptism, we practice the consecration or dedication of a child under the age of accountability.
The Lord’s Supper: We believe The Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby the body of Christ, through partaking of the bread and fruit of the vine, commemorate the death of Jesus Christ and anticipation of His return.
a. The Pastor, at his discretion, shall schedule the Lord’s Supper at a minimum of four times per year.
b. The Pastor and any others designated by the Pastor shall be responsible for the administration of the Lord’s Supper.
7. Sanctification and Christian Perfection
We believe sanctification is the work of God’s grace through the Word and the Holy Spirit, by which those who have been born again are cleansed from sin in their thoughts, words and acts, and are enabled to live in accordance with God’s will and to strive for holiness. (John 17:17, I Corinthians 6:11)
8. The Judgement and the Resurrection
We believe all people stand under the righteous judgment of Jesus Christ, both now and in the last day. We believe in the resurrection of the dead, the righteous to life eternal and the wicked to endless condemnation. (Romans 14:10-12, Acts 24:15, John 5:28-29)
9. The Second Coming
We believe in a literal, physical Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. (I Thessalonians 1:10, I Thessalonians 4:16-17)
10. Statement on Equality
We believe that all persons are of sacred worth and affirm that God’s grace is available to all. Therefore, we gladly welcome all who seek to grow in their relationship with God to attend worship services and participate in the church’s ministries. No person shall be disqualified from attending this local congregation based on gender, race, color, nationality, national origin, sexual orientation or economic condition. We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity.
11. Statement on Marriage and Sexuality
We believe marriage and sexual intimacy are good gifts from God. In keeping with the Scriptures and historic, orthodox, Christian teaching through the ages we believe that marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union (Genesis 2:24-25; Matthew 19:5; 1 Corinthians 6:16; Ephesians 5:31). We believe that God intends for his children to practice sexual purity: faithfulness in marriage and celibacy in singleness. We believe any sexual expression outside of these standards is not in line with the teaching of Scriptures.
12. Statement on Divorce and Remarriage
Our first counsel when considering divorce is always to exhaust every avenue of reconciliation. However, when a married couple is estranged beyond reconciliation, even after thoughtful consideration and counsel, divorce is a regrettable alternative in the middle of brokenness. Divorce is always less than what God intended for marriage; however, it is not an unforgivable sin. Through the process of healing and restoration, people can be restored to community and to healthy and whole relationships that may include remarriage.
13. Statement on Abortion
We reject abortion. We do, however, realize that there are rare and exceptional cases, and when this is so, encourage prayerful inquiry and counsel in those circumstances. We affirm God’s grace and forgiveness are available to all and it is our commitment to be in ministry with and to all who have been touched by the devastating circumstances of abortion.