What We Believe
Learn more about our values and our story as a church by visiting the about us page.
I. The Word of God
We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. We believe that the Bible constitutes the only infallible rule of faith and conduct and is true and reliable in all matters it addresses.
II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:20,21; Mark 13:31; John 8:31,32; John 20:31; Acts 20:32, Matthew 5:18, 24:35, John 10:35, 16:12-13, 17:17, 1 Corinthians 2:13, II Timothy 3:15-17, Hebrews 4:12, II Peter 1:20-21.
II. God
We believe that the Lord our God is but one only living and true God; whose subsistence is in and of Himself, infinite in being and perfection; whose essence cannot be comprehended by any but Himself; a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions, who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; who is immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, in every way infinite, most holy, most wise, most free, most absolute; working all things according to the counsel of His own immutable and most righteous will, for His own glory; most loving, gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin, for those who are found in Christ, the Son; the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him, and withal most just and terrible in His judgments, hating all sin, and who will by no means clear the guilty.
II Corinthians 8:4,6; Deuteronomy 6:4, Jeremiah 10:10; Isaiah 48:12, Exodus 3:14, John 4:24, I Timothy 1:17; Deuteronomy 4:15,16 Malachi 3:6, I Kings 8:27; Jeremiah 23:23, Psalm 90:2, Genesis 17:1, Isaiah 6:3, Psalm 115:3; Isaiah 46:10, Proverbs 16:4; Romans 11:36, Exod. 34:6,7; Romans 8:1, II Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 11:6, Nehemiah 9:32,33, Psalm 5:5,6, Exodus 34:7; Nahum 1:2,3
We believe that God, having all life, glory, goodness, blessedness, in and of Himself, is alone in and unto Himself all-sufficient, not standing in need of any creature which He hath made, nor deriving any glory from them, but only manifesting His own glory in, by, unto, and upon them; He is the alone fountain of all being, of whom, through whom, and to whom are all things, and He hath most sovereign dominion over all creatures, to do by them, for them, or upon them, whatsoever Himself pleases; in His sight all things are open and manifest, His knowledge is infinite, infallible, and independent upon the creature, so as nothing is to Him contingent or uncertain; He is most holy in all His counsels, in all His works, and in all His commands; to Him is due from angels and men, whatsoever worship, service, or obedience, as creatures they owe unto the Creator, and whatever He is further pleased to require of them.
John 5:26, Psalm 148:13, Psalm 119:68, Job 22:2,3, Romans 11:34-36, Daniel 4:25,34,35, Hebrews 4:13, Ezekiel 11:5; Acts 15:18, Psalm 145:17, Revelation 5:12-14
(The preceding two paragraphs are adapted from the Second London Baptist Confession of 1689)
III. The Trinity
We believe that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons; that these are equal in every way, possessing divine perfection, and that they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence and redemption.
Genesis 1:1,26; John 1:1,3; Matthew 28:19; John 4:24; Romans 1:19,20; Ephesians 4:5,6
IV. God the Father
We believe in God the Father, an infinite, personal spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. We believe that He infallibly foreknows all that shall come to pass, that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.
Luke 10:21,22; Matthew 23:9; John 3:16; 6:27; Romans 1:7; I Timothy 1:1,2; 2:5,6; I Peter 1:3; Revelation 1:6
V. Jesus Christ
We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only eternal begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, and teachings. We believe in His substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people, and personal visible return to earth.
Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38; John 1:1; 20:28; Romans 9:5; 8:46; II Corinthians 5:21; I Peter 2:21-23; John 20:30, 31; Matthew 20:28; Ephesians 1:4; Acts 1:11; Romans 5:6-8; 6:9,10; Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 9:28; I Timothy 3:16
VI. The Holy Spirit
We believe in the Holy Spirit who came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and to regenerate, sanctify, and empower all who believe in Jesus Christ. We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Christ, and that He is the abiding helper, teacher and guide.
John 14:16,17,26; 15:26,27; John 16:9-14; Romans 8:9; I Corinthians 3:16; 6:19; Galatians 5:22-26
VII. Regeneration
We believe that man was created by God in His own image; that he sinned and thereby incurred physical, spiritual and eternal death, which is separation from God; that as a consequence, all human beings are born with a sinful nature and are sinners by choice and therefore under condemnation. We believe that those who repent and forsake sin and trust Jesus Christ as Savior are regenerated by the Holy Spirit and become new creatures, delivered from condemnation and receive eternal life.
Genesis. 1:26; 5:2; Genesis 3; Genesis 2:17; 3:19; Ecclesiastes 2:11; John 3:14; 5:24; John 5:30; 7:13; 8:12; 10:26; Romans 9:22; II Thessalonians 1:9; Rev. 19:3,20; 20:10;14,15; 21:18; Psalm 51:7; Jeremiah 17:9; James 1:14; Romans 3:19; 5:19; Proverbs 28:13; I John 1:9; John 3:16; John 1:13; II Corinthians 5:17; Romans 8:1
VIII. The Church
We believe in the universal church, a living spiritual body of which Christ is the head and all regenerated persons are members. We believe in the local church, consisting of a company of believers in Jesus Christ, baptized on a credible profession of faith, and associated for worship, work, and fellowship. We believe that God has laid upon the members of the local church the primary task of giving the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world.
Ephesians 2:19-22; Acts 1:8; Ephesians 5:19-21; Acts 2:42; Hebrews 10:23-25
IX. The Ordinances
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to the local church, baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of the believer in water into the name of the triune God. We believe that the Lord’s Supper was instituted by Christ for commemoration of His death. We believe that these two ordinances should be observed and administered until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Matthew 28:18-20; Romans 6:3-5; I Corinthians 11:23-26
X. The Last Things
We believe in the personal, bodily, and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth, in accordance with the promises of Scripture. We hold to a pre-tribulation, premillennial view of His coming. We teach that the next prophetic event is the imminent rapture of the Church, when all believers—both living and dead—will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. At that time, the Church will be taken to be with Christ, and believers will stand before the judgment seat of Christ to receive rewards for their service. Following the rapture, a literal seven-year tribulation will occur on earth, a time of God’s righteous judgment upon a Christ-rejecting world. During this period, according to God’s prophetic plan, the remnant of Israel will come to faith through great suffering and witness. At the end of the tribulation, Jesus Christ will return in glory with His saints to establish His millennial kingdom on earth, fulfilling God’s promises to Israel regarding the land, the throne, and the blessings of the new covenant. Christ will reign for a thousand years in peace, justice, and righteousness, and Satan will be bound during this time. We believe in the bodily resurrection of all people: the righteous to eternal life and the wicked to judgment. At the end of the millennium, Satan will be released briefly, defeated, and cast into the lake of fire forever. All unbelievers will then be raised to face final judgment at the Great White Throne and be consigned to everlasting punishment in the lake of fire—eternal separation from God. We affirm the eternal joy and conscious fellowship of the redeemed in the presence of God, and the eternal, conscious suffering of the unredeemed in hell.
Daniel 9:27; 12:2; Isaiah 11; Ezekiel 37:21–28; Matthew 24:15–31; 25:46; John 5:28–29; Acts 1:11; Romans 11:7-11, 25-27; I Corinthians 15:51–53; II Corinthians 5:10; Philippians 3:20–21; I Thessalonians 4:13–18; II Thessalonians 1:7–9; Revelation 1:7; 6–18; 19:11–16; 20:1–6; 20:7–10; 20:11–15; 21:1–4
XI. Christian Conduct
We believe that a Christian should live for the glory of God and the well-being of his fellow men; that their conduct should be blameless before the world; that they should be a faithful steward of his possessions; and that they should seek to realize for themselves and others the full stature of maturity in Christ.
I Corinthians 10:31; Romans 12:1-3; Hebrews 12:1-2; John 14:15,23-24; I John 2:3-6; II Corinthians 9:6-9; I Corinthians 4:2; Col. 1:9-10
XII. Religious Liberty
We believe that every human being has direct relations with God, and is responsible to God alone in all matters of faith; that each church is independent and must be free from interference by any ecclesiastical or political authority; that therefore Church and State must be kept separate as having different functions, each fulfilling its duties free from dictation or patronage of the other.
I Timothy 2:5; Romans 14:7-9,12
XIII. Marriage
Marriage is an ordinance of the Church and was established by God. This church defines “marriage” as the exclusive covenantal union of one man and one woman in which such union is a lifetime commitment. A civil government’s sanction of a union will be recognized as a legitimate marriage by the church only to the extent that it is consistent with the definition of “marriage” found in this Covenant.
Genesis 2: 18-25; Malachi 2: 13-16; Matthew 19: 3-6
XIV. Human Sexuality
Legitimate sexual relations are exercised solely within marriage. Hence, sexual activities outside of marriage (referred to in the New Testament as “porneia”), including but not limited to, adultery, premarital sex, homosexuality, and pedophilia are inconsistent with the teachings of the Bible and the Church. Further, lascivious conduct, transgender behavior, and the creation and/or distribution and/or viewing of pornography are incompatible with the Biblical witness.
Matthew 15: 19; Ephesians 5: 3-12; Acts 15:29; 1 Corinthians 6:18, 10:8; Galatians 5:19