Essential Doctrine
We accept the Bible, in its entirety, as the written and authoritative Word of God. It is the story of a holy God revealing Himself to sinful humanity as The Redeemer and is sufficient for salvation and sanctification. Given by God, the Scriptures are inspired by The Holy Spirit and are inerrant. Every doctrinal formulation, whether of creed, confession or theology, must be tested by the full council of God as revealed in the Bible. Therefore, the Word of God is the supreme, final, authoritative standard for faith, theology, and life. It is the foundation upon which our local church operates, and basis upon which we are governed. (2 Timothy 3:14-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21)
The Scriptures
There is one living and true GOD, eternally existing in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Spirit, the Spirit is not the Father, yet each is God. Each is equal in power and glory. This triune God created all, upholds all, and governs all things. (Genesis 1:1; Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 44:8 and 48:16; Matthew 28:19-20; John 10:30; Hebrews 1:3)
​
God the Father: God the Father is an infinite, eternal, personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. He concerns Himself mercifully and lovingly in the affairs of men. He hears and answers prayer. He saves from sin and death all those who come to Him through Jesus Christ. (Deuteronomy 33:27; Psalm 90:2; Psalm 102:27; John 3:16 and 4:24; Romans 5:8; Ephesians 2:4; 1 Timothy 1:17).
Jesus Christ: Jesus Christ is eternal with the Father and the Spirit and He created all things. Jesus is God's only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. He lived a sinless life, worked miracles, taught with authority, and demonstrated His love by dying a substitutionary atoning death. We believe in His bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people and personal, visible return to earth to reign and be worshipped by all. (Isaiah 7:14; Micah 5:2; Matthew 1:23; Mark 16:19; Luke 1:34-35; John 1:1-2, 8:58 and 11:25; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Colossians 1.15-20; 1 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 1:8; 1 John 1:2; 3:16;4:8; Revelation 1:8).
The Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit's main aim is to testify of God the Son as He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He does regenerate, sanctify, and empower for ministry all who believe the biblical gospel. The Holy Spirit indwells and comes upon every believer in Jesus Christ, and functions as their abiding helper to live a Christian life as a teacher, a guide, a giver of gifts; and provider of dynamic enablement to be a bold and effective witness of the gospel to a lost world. (Matthew 3.11; John 7:37-39; 14:26; 20:22; 25:26; 16:7-8; Acts 1:4-8; 1 Corinthians 12:7)
The Triune God
God created mankind to have fellowship with Him. Man rebelled against God causing that fellowship to be broken and enmity to exist between humanity and their Creator. From that point forward the same sin-nature that was in the first humans is inherent in the rest of humanity. God's unfolding plan to redeem a sinful people, which has been in place since the beginning, culminated by the Father sending His Son Jesus to live as a man a sinless, perfect life and die a substitutionary death in our place, atoning for our sins and absorbing the wrath of God. Three days after dying a sinner's death on the cross Jesus resurrected from the dead, showing his claims to be true and His sacrifice accepted. This redemption and forgiveness of sins is available for all who would repent of their sins and put their faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. As a person believes on Jesus, their broken relationship with God is healed and fellowship is restored. This person's heart has been changed and they are now filled with the Holy Spirit, so that they would be empowered to live a life of obedience in worship to God. God will one day dwell in the new heaven and new earth with the redeemed from all of history and they will glorify Him and enjoy Him forever. (Romans 3:23, Acts 3:19, Acts 20:21, Ephesians 2:1-3, Ephesians 2:8-9, 1 John 2:2,John 3:16, Matthew 11:28, Revelation 22:17).
The Gospel
Water baptism is intended for those who have professed a belief in the Gospel, have been reconciled to God, and follow Jesus. In obedience to scripture, followers of Jesus should be immersed in water in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This act serves as a visual and symbolic demonstration of one's union with Christ depicting His death and resurrection and symbolizing the death of one's old life and the birth of new life because of Jesus. (Matthew 3:15; 28:18-19; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38, 8:26-40)
The Lord’s Supper, or Communion, is to be observed corporately in the context of a local church in obedience to scripture by those who follow Jesus. Like Baptism, Communion is a symbol, and that of the breaking of Jesus' body and the shedding of His blood on our behalf. Communion should be observed repeatedly throughout the Christian life as a reminder of the atoning benefits of Christ’s death on the Cross. (Matthew 26:26-30; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17; 11:17-34)
Ordinances of the Church
The Scriptures are true, authoritative and sufficient. (Psalm 19:7-11; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21)
There is only one true God, Creator of heaven and earth, who eternally exists in three distinct persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 45:5-6; Isaiah 46:9-10; John 17:3; 1 Corinthians 8:4-6; 1 Timothy 2:5; Genesis 1:26; Psalm 45:6-7; Psalm 110:1; Matthew 3:13-17; Matthew 28:17-20; 1 Corinthians 12:4-6)
All things exist for the glory of God. (Psalm 148; Proverbs 16:4; Isaiah 61:3; Romans 11:33-36; 1 Corinthians 10:31; 2 Corinthians 5:15; Ephesians 1:3-14)
All humanity, Christ excluded, is sinful by both birth and action. (Genesis 6:5; Psalm 51:5; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3:23; 5:8, 12-21; 7:18; Ephesians 2:1-3)
The deserved penalty for sin is physical and spiritual death. (Genesis 2:15-17; Genesis 3:19; Romans 5:12; 6:23; James 1:14-15)
​
Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, was born of a virgin and is both fully God and fully human. (Matthew 1:20; Luke 2:52; John 1:1-4, 14; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:1-3)
Jesus Christ lived a life free of sin and in perfect obedience to God the Father. (Matthew 4:1-10; Hebrews 4:15; 5:8; 1 Peter 1:19)
Jesus Christ died as the sacrificial substitute to pay the penalty for the sin of humanity. (John 1:29; 10:1-18; Romans 5:8; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 1:4; 1 Peter 3:18)
Theological Distinctives
God's Sovereignty and Man's Responsibility
God is omnipotent and sovereign, an attribute we see exercised over and behind all the events that happen in the world. This is a theological distinctive especially pertaining to God’s role in salvation. Salvation belongs to our God. He is the one who elects and predestines according to His foreknowledge. No man comes to Him unless the Father first draws Him. It is God who grants to man repentance. The mystery of salvation also paradoxically shows that man has responsibility. He is accountable for his sin, must repent and receive the atoning work of Christ but this work does not precede the calling and convicting of the Holy Spirit, nor the electing work of the Father. (John 1:12-13, 3:16, John 6:44; Acts 2:38; Psalm 115:3, 135:6; Ephesians 1:3-14, Romans 8:26-9:23; Philippians 1:29; 1Thessalonians 2:13; Revelation 7:10; 1 Peter 1:2; Romans 8:29-30; Acts 11:18; 2 Timothy 2:25)
​
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit
he gifts of the Holy Spirit that we see exercised in the Scriptures are a measure of God's grace to His people and are for the edification of the Body, and continue to play a vital role in the Church. These gifts are available today and should be eagerly desired and practiced in submission to the Spirit and in accordance with the Scriptures. (Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12-14; Ephesians 4:1-16)
​
The Complementary Role of Men and Women
God has created man and woman in His image. This gives both genders incredible dignity and value. He has also created the genders with differing “complementary” roles. There is equality in worth and distinction in function both in the home and the church. In the church, positions of authority, oversight, and teaching are roles reserved for men including the offices of elder and deacon. For every member, both men and women, there are a vast number of places to serve and use one's gifts to build up the body. (Genesis 1.26-28; 1 Corinthians 11:2-16; 14:33-35; Ephesians 5:22-33; Colossians 3:18-19; 1Timothy 2:8-15; 1 Peter 3:1-7)
​
Jesus Christ physically rose from the dead, ascended into heaven and will one day physically return. (Matthew 28:1-20; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-53; John 1:20-21:25; 1 Corinthians 15:12-34; John 14:3; Acts 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; Hebrews 9:28; 1 John 3:2; Revelation 1:7)
There will be a future physical resurrection of the dead. Only those who turn from sin and to Jesus in faith and repentance will be raised to eternal reward. Those who do not turn from sin and to Jesus will be raised to eternal punishment. (Matthew 25:31-46; John 5:28-29; Acts 24:15)
Only through faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ and repentance from sin can one be reconciled to God and experience true life and joy. (John 3:18, 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 3:21-26; 1 Timothy 2:5-6)
​
The Relationship of God’s Glory to Man’s Joy
We believe that man’s greatest joy is found only in faithful obedience to God and that our enjoyment of Him is one of the chief means by which He is glorified. (Psalm 16:11; 37:4; Matthew 13:44; John 15:11; Philippians 3:8; Hebrews 11:6)
​
End-times
We believe the day of the Lord will begin suddenly and that all Christians should watch and be ready for the imminent Rapture of the church. We humbly believe the rapture of the church will take place just before the seven year tribulation period where God will pour out His wrath on a Christ rejecting world and draw Israel to Himself and that this period of judgment will end with the Second Coming of Jesus, where He will return with power and great glory. We believe the Second Coming of Jesus Christ will be a personal, visible return to earth and will coincide with the establishment of His millennial kingdom, the resurrection of the just and unjust, final judgment, eternal blessing of the righteous, and eternal condemnation of the wicked, the presentation and habitation of the New Heaven and New Earth where God will dwell with His people and they will glorify Him and enjoy Him forever (Daniel 9:20-27; Zechariah 12:10-13;14:1-20; Matthew 24-25; 1 Thessalonians 4.13-18; Revelation 1-22)