I. Of the Scriptures

We believe that every single word of the Holy Bible, was spoken by God (inspiration), is without error (inerrancy), will never fail (infallibility), and was written down by Holy Spirit-controlled men, and has been preserved for us by God until this present hour. We believe the Bible to be the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, opinions, and science shall be tried. We believe the King James Version (1611) of the Bible to be reliable, accurate, and the best English translation of the original autographs. We reject any translation that relies in any way on the authority of the minority texts (Siniaticus and Vaticanus manuscripts). (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21)

II. Of the True God

We believe that there is one, and only one, living and true God, an Infinite Spirit, the Maker and Supreme Ruler of Heaven and earth, inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy of all honor, worship, confidence and love; that in the unity of the Godhead, there are three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the same substance, equal in every divine ability, and executing distinct, but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption. (Exodus 20:2,3; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Revelation 4:11; 1 John 5:7)

III. Of the Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a part of the Triune God, a unique, divine person, equal with God the Father and God the Son and of the same nature; that He was active in the creation; that in His relation to the unbelieving world He restrains evil until God’s purposes are fulfilled; that He convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment to come; that He bears witness to and reveals the truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony; that He is the agent of the new birth; that He seals, equips, guides, teaches, sanctifies and comforts the believer. (John 14:16,17; Matthew 28:19; Hebrews 9:14; John 14:26; Luke 1:35; Genesis 1:1-3; John 16:8-11; Acts 5:30-32; John 3:5-6; Ephesians 1:13-14; Mark 1:8; John 1:33; Acts 11:16; Luke 24:49; Romans 8:14, 16, 26, 27)

IV. Of the Devil

We believe in the person of satan, that he is the unholy ruler and god of this world’s system (cosmos), and the author of all the powers of darkness and lies, and is destined to spend eternity in the lake of fire along with all demons and evil and all lies. (Matthew 4:1-3; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 20:10)

V. Of Creation

We accept the Genesis account of creation and believe that everything in the universe appeared as God spoke it into existence in 6 literal, 24-hour days. Evolution played absolutely no pat in the creation, continuance, or change of any physical or spiritual person, place, or thing.

VI. The fall of Man

We believe that man was created in the image of God with intellect, emotions, a free will, and an eternal soul, in innocence under the law of his Maker, but by voluntary disobedience to God’s Word, he fell from his sinless and happy state in consequence of which all mankind are now sinners, not only by constraint, but of choice; and therefore, under just, eternal condemnation of God without defense or excuse, his intellect became darkened, his will deadened, and his heart depraved. (Genesis 3:1-6; Romans 5:19; Romans 5:12; Romans 5:10-29; Romans 1:32)

VII. The Virgin Birth

We believe that Jesus was God the Son, conceived of the Holy Spirit in the virgin womb of Mary, that He had no human father, but only God the Father, born of Mary, and is both 100% God and 100% sinless man. Although Mary is called most blessed, she was nonetheless born a sinner and in the same condition as any other lost person and in need of salvation. (Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:35; John 1:14; Luke 1:47)

VIII. Of the Atonement for Sin

We believe that salvation of all sinners is possible only by grace (God’s power and ability to do God’s will) at work in the human heart, but is effective only for those who repent and turn from sin and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ’s finished work on the cross. We believe that all men have been made savable because of Christ’s finished work on the cross. This was accomplished through the mediatorial work of the Son of God, who by the appointment of the Father freely became flesh, yet without sin, honored God the father’s commands by His personal obedience, and by his death made a full and vicarious atonement for our sins; that His atonement consisted not in setting us an example by His death as a martyr, but was voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner’s place, the just dying for the unjust; Christ, the Lord, bearing our sin in His own body on the cross. He is in every way qualified to be a compassionate and all-sufficient Savior and High Priest. (John 1:14; Ephesians 2:8; Acts 15:11; Romans 3:24; John 3:16; Matthew 18:11; Philippians 2:7; 1 John 4:10; 1 Corinthians 15:3; 2 Corinthians 5:21)

IX. Of Grace in the New Creation

We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be born again from above; that this new birth is a creative act of God making a new creation called the inner or spiritual man; this birth is instantaneous and not a process; that in the new birth the one dead in trespasses and in sins is made a partaker of the divine nature and receives eternal life, the free gift of God; that the new creation is brought about in a manner above our comprehension, solely by the power of the Holy Spirit, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the gospel; that its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance and faith and newness of life. (John 3:3; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 John 5:1; John 3:6,7; Acts 16:30-33; 2 Peter 1:4; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:1; 2 Corinthians 5:19; Colossians 2:13; John 3:8)

X. Of Faith and Salvation

We believe that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the only condition of salvation. (Acts 16:31) Grace plus faith in Christ plus nothing equals salvation. We believe: a) that justification is God’s declaration of the pardon of sin, the gift of eternal life, the reception of the righteousness of Christ; and  b) that it is bestowed not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done; but solely by God’s mercy through the work of the cross. (Acts 15:19; Isaiah 53:11; Zechariah 13:1; Romans 8:1; Romans 5:1; Romans 5:9)

XI. The Church

A. The Church (The Body of Christ)

We believe that the church, the bride of Christ, is a New Testament institution unknown to the Old Testament prophets; established by Jesus Christ, who is its sole head; revealed through the holy apostles; empowered and perpetuated by the Holy Spirit; It began at Pentecost, and it will continue on earth until through the long-suffering and mercy of God the last sinner who will repent of his sin and receive Christ as Savior is saved. (Romans 11:1-25; especially v. 25; Matthew 16:15-18; Acts 2:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11)

B. The Church (Local)

We believe that a local church is a congregation of immersed believers, associated by the new birth and fellowship of the gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws; and exercising the gifts, rights and privileges invested in them by His Word; that its officers are pastors and deacons, whose qualifications, claims, and duties are clearly defined in the Scripture. We believe that the true mission of the church is the faithful witnessing of Christ to all men who will receive the Gospel and the spiritual growth of believers. We hold that the local church has the absolute right of self-government, free from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations; and that the one and only Chief Shepherd is Christ and Christ has placed a pastor over the church to be the under shepherd; that it is Scriptural for true churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the gospel; that each local church is the sole judge of the measure and method of its cooperation; on matters of membership, of policy, of government, of discipline, of benevolence, the will of the independent, local church is final. (Acts 2:41-42; 1 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 1:22-23; Ephesians 4:11; Acts 10:17-28; 1 Timothy 3:1-15; Ephesians 5:23-24)

XII. Of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper

We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water to show forth in a solemn and beautiful picture our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior, and our death to sin and resurrection to a new life, that it is a pre-requisite to the privileges of a church membership. We believe that the Lord’s Supper is not a sacrament of His life and death, but a remembrance until He comes, and should be preceded always by solemn self-examination. (Acts 8:26-39; John 3:23; Romans 6:3-5; Matthew 3:16; Colossians 2:12; 1 Corinthians 11:23-28)

XIV. Of the Righteous and the Wicked

We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that such only as through faith are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and sanctified by the Spirit of our God, are truly righteous in His sight; while all such as continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight wicked and under the curse of sin; and that this distinction holds among men both in and after death, in the everlasting blessing of the saved and everlasting conscious, bodily suffering of the lost. (Malachi 3:18; Genesis 18:23; Romans 6:17-18; 1 John 5:19; Romans 6:23; Proverbs 14:32; Luke 6:25; Matthew 25:34-41; John 8:21)

XV. Of Civil Government

We believe that civil government is of divine appointment for the interests and good order of human society; that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored, and obeyed; except in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ and His Word. (Romans 13:1-7; 2 Samuel 23:3; Exodus 18:21-22; Acts 23:5; Matthew 22:21; Acts 5:20; Acts 4:19-20; Daniel 3:17-18; Revelation 19:16)

XVI. Of the Resurrection; Personal, Visible, Pre-Millennial Return of Christ and Related Events

We Believe in: