Statement of Faith
The Word of God
We believe that the Bible is God’s special revelation of Himself to us. It is the Word of God (2 Timothy 3:15-17), fully inspired and without error in the original manuscripts (Psalm 19:7-8), written by men under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:20-21), and that it alone has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct (John 17:17).
The Trinity
We believe that there is one living and true God (Deuteronomy 6:4, Isaiah 45:5) eternally existing in three Persons (1 Cor. 12:4-6, 2 Cor. 13:14); that these Persons are co-eternal and co-equal in power and every divine perfection, and that they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence, and redemption (Matthew 28:19).
GOD THE FATHER
We believe in God, the Father who is the sovereign Creator of Heaven and earth (Genesis 1:1-2). We believe He is an infinite, personal God, perfect in holiness (Isaiah 6:3), wisdom, power and love (Romans 11:33).
We believe He reigns supremely above every detail of history and the universe (Isaiah 45:5-7). God knows and directs all things past, present and future for His glory and the good of His children (Eph. 1:11-12, Rom 8:28).
JESUS CHRIST
We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son (John 3:16), conceived by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:20). We believe in His virgin birth (Matthew 1:23), sinless life (Hebrews 4:15), miracles and teachings (Gospels). He is fully God and fully man.
We believe in His vicarious, propitiatory death (Romans 3:25, 5:6-9), bodily resurrection (John 20:27-28), ascension into Heaven (Acts 1:9) and His perpetual intercession for His people (Hebrews 2:17). We also believe in His future, personal, imminent and visible return to earth (Revelation 22:20).
THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe in the Holy Spirit who was sent from the Father and Son (John 14:26) to convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. We believe that those who repent and believe have been regenerated and are being sanctified by the Holy Spirit (John 1:12-13, 1 Corinthians 12:3).
We believe that the Holy Spirit in-dwells every believer in Christ, and that He is an abiding helper, teacher and guide (2 Thessalonians 2:13).
THE GOSPEL
We believe that the gospel is of first importance in all matters of salvation and sanctification (1 Cor. 15:1-5), for it alone is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Rom. 1:16). We believe the gospel must be Christ-centered and focused on His redemptive work accomplished on the cross and through the resurrection.
We believe that Jesus Christ, as our representative and substitute, shed His blood on the cross as the perfect, all-sufficient sacrifice for our sins. Therefore, His atoning death and victorious resurrection constitute the only ground for salvation (Rom. 5:6-21).
REGENERATION
We believe that all people are sinners by nature (Ephesians 2:3) and by choice (Romans 1:24) and are, therefore, under condemnation (Romans 1:18). All have joined Adam in the original fall. It is impossible for men and women to believe without the miracle of regeneration (Romans 8:7-8).
We believe that those who are born again are by the causal and irresistible power of God (1 Peter 1:3) being saved by His grace through the gift of faith (Ephesians 2:8-9).
THE CHURCH
We believe in the universal church, a living spiritual body, of which Christ is the Head and all regenerated persons are members of His elect Bride. (Colossians 1:18). We believe in the local church, consisting of a company of professing believers in Jesus Christ (Philippians 2:1-11) and associated for worship, work, and fellowship (Acts 2:42-47).
We believe local church membership is essential for all believers and provides necessary pastoral care, ongoing discipleship, accountability, and the use of one’s gifts for the glory of God in service to other believers (Hebrews 13:17, 1 Peter 5:1-5, 1 Peter 4:10-11).
We believe that God has given the members of the local church the primary tasks of ministry (Ephesians 4:11-13) and proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world (Matthew 28:18-20, Habakkuk 2:14).
CHRISTIAN CONDUCT
We believe that Christians should live first for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31) and then for the well-being of their neighbor (James 2:14-20): that their conduct should be blameless before the world (Colossians 4:5); that they should be a faithful steward of their possessions (Colossians 3:17); and that they should seek to realize for themselves and others the full stature of maturity in Christ (Philippians 3:12-21).
In obedience to Christ’s commission, we are to make disciples among all peoples in every nation, always faithfully bearing witness to the gospel in word and deed and passionately spreading the global fame of Christ’s Name (Matthew 28:18-20).
THE ORDINANCES
We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to believers in the local church. They are baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Believers ought to participate in these ordinances by faith. Baptism symbolizes repentance, spiritual cleansing and one’s identification with Jesus Christ in His death, burial and resurrection (Romans 6:3-5). This ought to be enacted by the believer’s immersion in water (baptism should be by immersion where possible) in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19).
We believe that the Lord’s Supper was instituted by Christ for commemoration of His death (Luke 22:19-20, 1 Corinthians 11:23-25). We believe that these two ordinances should be observed and administered until the return of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 11:26).
THE LAST THINGS
We believe in the personal and visible return of our Lord Jesus Christ to earth and the establishment of His kingdom (Revelation 20:1-15). We believe in the resurrection of the body (Romans 8:18-21), the final judgment (Matthew 25:31-46), the eternal happiness of the righteous (Revelation 21:1-4), and the eternal suffering of the wicked (Mark 9:48).