DOCTRINAL STATEMENT

ONE TRIUNE GOD — There is one God who is the Maker, Preserver and Ruler of all things. He is infinite and perfect, and to him all creatures owe the highest love, gratitude, reverence and obedience. He is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. God is revealed to us in the Bible as eternally existing in three equally divine persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. He is one triune God. Each person of the Trinity has distinct personal attributes, though there is no division of nature, essence or being among them (Deuteronomy 6:4-5; 1 Timothy 1:17; Acts 3:13; Genesis 1:26; Matthew 3:16-17; 28:19; John 15:26; Jude 20-21). 

OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST  — The Son of God, the eternal Word of God through whom all things were created, was sent by God the Father to take upon himself human nature in the person of Jesus Christ. The one person of Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, having two distinct natures, one divine and one human. He is the only Son of God and is the divinely appointed mediator between God and man. He remained sinless, perfectly fulfilled God’s Law and suffered and died by Roman crucifixion for the salvation of sinners. He was buried, rose again on the third day and ascended to his Father, at whose right hand he lives forever to intercede for his people. He is the Savior, Mediator, Prophet, Priest and King. He is the Head of the Church and the sovereign Lord over the universe (John 1:1-3, 14, 18; Hebrews 1:1-3; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:15-20; Matthew 5:17; 1 Timothy 1:15; 2:5; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Corinthians 15:1-8). 

THE HOLY SPIRIT  — The Holy Spirit is a divine person, being coequal and consubstantial with the Father and the Son. He is referred to in the Bible as the Spirit of God and as the Spirit of Christ. He was sent after Christ’s ascension to bear witness to the glorified Jesus Christ, who was crucified, raised and exalted. The Spirit convicts the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. He is the supernatural agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ. He indwells all believers, sealing them unto the day of redemption and continually conforming them to the image of Christ (Genesis 1:2; Romans 8:9; John 3:8; 15:26; 16:8-14; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1:13-14). 

THE HOLY SCRIPTURES — The Bible, consisting of the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, is the written revelation of God to man. These Holy Scriptures, the Word of God, are inspired by the Holy Spirit and are inerrant and infallible in the original writings. These are the only sufficient, certain and authoritative rule of all saving knowledge, faith and obedience (2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21; John 10:35; 16:13; Matthew 24:35; 1 Corinthians 2:13; 1 Thessalonians 2:13). 

THE FALL OF MAN — God created man in his own image. In his original state man was sinless and enjoyed fellowship with God. However, tempted by Satan, man disobeyed God's command and fell from his original holiness and righteousness into a state of corruption and enmity with God. Thus, all of the first man’s descendants inherit a corrupt nature wholly opposed to God and his Law. Fallen man is spiritually separated from God and under his just condemnation (Genesis 1:26-27, 31; 2:16-17; 3:6-7; 8:21; Jeremiah 17:9; Ephesians 2:1-3; Romans 3:9-18; 5:12). 

ELECTION — Election is God's sovereign and eternal choice of many persons unto everlasting life. This is not because he sees merit in them, but because of his great mercy in Christ. These persons are predestined, called, justified and glorified (Ephesians 1:4-11; 2 Timothy 2:10; 1 Peter 1:1-2; Romans 8:28-30).   

REPENTANCE AND FAITH — Repentance and faith are gifts from God. They are human responses that follow from God’s effective call and regeneration of an individual’s heart. The Holy Spirit convicts people of sin, which results in godly sorrow, hatred of sin and the desire to please God. Saving faith trusts in the revelation of God in Jesus Christ found in the Holy Scriptures, and it is to accept and rest upon Christ’s death and resurrection for justification and eternal life (2 Timothy 2:25; Ephesians 2:8-9; 1 Corinthians 1:23-24; 1 John 5:1; 2 Corinthians 7:10; Acts 26:20; Romans 10:17; 1 Corinthians 15:1-8; Romans 3:28; John 3:16). 

JUSTIFICATION — Justification takes place by faith alone. It is God’s gracious act of declaring righteous those who, on account of the Holy Sprit’s regenerating work, believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. This righteous standing before God is apart from our merit or works. Justification is our sins being placed on Jesus at the cross and his righteousness being imputed to us (Galatians 2:16; Romans 3:20-28; 4:3-8; 8:30, 33; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Colossians 2:14; 1 Peter 2:24).  

SANCTIFICATION — Sanctification happens through the work of the indwelling Holy Spirit by the Word of God, and it refers to the continual freeing from sin and setting apart of believers for God’s purposes and glory. Believers are being conformed to the image of Christ and are growing in the fruit of the Spirit, which is a progression in holy character and conduct. Sanctification involves believers actively engaging in an ongoing battle against the sinful desires and works of the flesh, which continues until believers die or Christ returns (John 17:17, 19; Romans 6:1-22; Romans 8:9-13, 29; Ephesians 4:20-24; 2 Peter 1:5-15; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Galatians 5:16-25; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5; 1 Peter 1:14-16; Philippians 3:20-21). 

PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS — Those whom Christ has saved and in whom the Holy Spirit dwells will continue in their sanctification and will never lose their salvation. They will be protected from totally or finally falling away from grace and will inherit eternal life. They are secure in Christ and are kept by the power of God (Romans 5:9-10; 8:30; 1 Corinthians 3:11-15; Ephesians 4:30; Jude 1, 24; John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Romans 8:1; 1 Peter 1:4-5). 

THE CHURCH — The Church is the Bride of Christ and the Lord Jesus is the Head of the Church. The Church is one united spiritual body that is composed of all his true disciples who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Each member should associate with a local church in the faith and fellowship of the gospel. The leadership, gifts, order, discipline and worship of the church are appointed through Christ’s sovereignty as found in the Holy Scriptures. The biblically designated officers of each church are Elders and Deacons who meet the qualifications laid out in Scripture. Deacons are responsible for serving in the practical affairs of the church and Elders are responsible for overseeing and shepherding the flock (Ephesians 1:22; Colossians 1:18; 1 Corinthians 12:12-13; Hebrews 10:25; Acts 14:23; Ephesians 4:7-13; Matthew 18:15-20; 28:19-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; Colossians 3:16; 1 Timothy 3:1-13; 1 Peter 5:1-5).  

BAPTISM — Baptism is a command of the Lord Jesus Christ for every believer. It involves immersion in water in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. It signifies a believer's union with Christ's death, burial and resurrection, cleansing from sin, and identification with Christ’s body, the Church. Baptism displays the truth that a believer has died to sin and been raised to a new life in Christ, and it declares faith in the future resurrection of the dead (Matthew 3:16; 28:19-20; Acts 8:36-39; Colossians 2:12; Acts 22:16; Ephesians 4:4-6; Romans 6:1-11).    

THE LORD'S SUPPER — The Lord's Supper is an ordinance of Jesus Christ to be administered by the church with bread and the fruit of the vine, in which believers spiritually partake of Christ’s body and blood and grow in grace. The eating of bread and drinking of the cup commemorates and proclaims Christ’s death and the new covenant in his blood. Believers partake of the Lord’s Supper in grateful remembrance of Christ’s atoning death, in communion with Christ and with one another, and in a reverent manner of self-examination that is characterized by faith and repentance. Those who participate in an unworthy manner eat and drink judgment on themselves. The Lord’s Supper anticipates the time when we will eat and drink with Christ in his Father’s kingdom after his return (Matthew 26:26-30; 1 Corinthians 10:16; 11:23-29; Acts 2:42; 20:7).   

THE JUDGEMENT AND EVERLASTING LIFE  — In God’s appointed time and manner he will righteously judge the world by Jesus Christ, who will personally, bodily and visibly return to the earth in glory. All those who have died will be raised. The unrighteous will receive everlasting punishment in hell, away from the presence of God. The righteous will be granted everlasting life in glorified resurrection bodies and will enjoy the presence of God forever in the new heaven and the new earth (Matthew 25:31; Acts 1:11; 17:31; Daniel 12:2; John 5:28-29; Revelation 20:13-15; Matthew 7:22-23; 1 Corinthians 15:35-58; 2 Corinthians 4:14; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; Revelation 21:1-4).
   

DOCTRINAL STATEMENT REGARDING CHURCH POSITION(S)

MARRIAGE, GENDER, AND SEXUALITY — We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. Rejection of one’s gender is a rejection of the image of God within that person. 

We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning and that is marriage sanctioned by God which joins one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture. We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to only occur between a man and a woman who are married to each other. We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman (Genesis 2:23-24). 

We believe that any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, pornography, and attempting to change one’s biological sex or otherwise acting upon any disagreement with one’s biological sex) is sinful and offensive to God (Acts 15:20; 1 Thessalonians 4:3). 

We believe that in order to preserve the function and integrity of the church as the local Body of Christ, and to provide a biblical role model to the church members and the community, it is imperative that all persons employed by the church in any capacity, or who serve as volunteers, should abide by and agree to this Statement on Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality and conduct themselves accordingly. 

We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. 

We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity. Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with scripture nor the doctrines of the church.