Statement of Faith

The provisions of this article are to be considered as fundamental, the basis upon which this church was founded, and none of the provisions of this article shall ever be amended.

SECTION 1 - THE SCRIPTURES

We believe all Scripture as originally written is inspired of God and accept it as final authority in all matters of doctrine and practice. II Timothy 3:16,17; II Peter 1:21

SECTION 2 - THE GODHEAD

We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons Father, Son and Holy Spirit, co-eternal in being, co-equal in power and glory, of the same essence, and having the same attributes. Deuteronomy 6:4; John 14:26; Matthew 28:19; Romans 1:7; Hebrews 1:8; Acts 5:3,4

SECTION 3 - THE PERSON AND WORK OF CHRIST

SECTION 4 - THE PERSON AND WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

We believe the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; that He regenerates sinners; that He baptizes all believers into the body of Christ, and that He seals them unto the day of redemption. We also believe He indwells, empowers, and instructs believers. John 16:7-14; I Corinthians 12:12-14; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 1:13,14

SECTION 5 - MAN

We believe man was created in the image of God. Man sinned and thereby received spiritual death which is separation from God. Since Adam's sin, man has inherited a sinful nature. He is totally depraved and utterly unable of himself to remedy his lost condition. Genesis 1:26,27; Genesis 3; Romans 5:12; Psalm 51:5; Ephesians 2:1-3,12

SECTION 6 - SALVATION

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice, that all who believe in Him are justified by faith and regenerated by the Holy Spirit becoming the children of God. We believe salvation is received by grace through faith in the shed blood of Christ and by this act we are made members of the Body of Christ which is the true Church. I Corinthians 15:1-4; Ephesians 1:7; John 1:12,13; Ephesians 2:8,9; Romans 10:9-13

SECTION 7 - SATAN

We believe that satan is a created being whose power is second only to God. He rebelled against God, and has become the open and declared enemy of God and man. We believe that satan is the author of sin, that he caused the fall of the human race, and that he continues to tempt and accuse the believers before God. We believe he shall be eternally punished in the lake of fire. Ezekiel 28:11-16; Genesis 3; I Peter 5:8,9; Revelation 12:10; 20:10

SECTION 8 - THE FUTURE

We believe in the pre-tribulation rapture of the church and the personal, pre-millennial, and imminent return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men; the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment. I Thessalonians 1:9,10; 4:13-18; John 5:28,29

SECTION 9 - THE CHURCH

We believe that all born again believers constitute the universal church which is the body and espoused bride of Christ. Ephesians 1:22,23; 5:25-27; I Corinthians 12:12-14; II Corinthians 11:2. We believe the Scriptures teach that redeemed individuals should faithfully join together as local churches for worship, for instruction, fellowship and service. Acts 2:41,42; Hebrews 10:25

SECTION 10 - EVANGELIZATION

We believe the primary mission of the church is to carry out the Great Commission as outlined in Matthew 28:18-20. We believe our goal should be to train spiritual reproducers who can win and train others. II Timothy 2:2

SECTION 11 - CHURCH ORDINANCES

We believe the two ordinances of the church are baptism and the Lord's Supper. Christ commanded his disciples to "teach (disciple) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." Matthew 28:19. It follows that the believers should obey His commandment by becoming baptized. We believe that baptism is the outward testimony of the inward spiritual transformation in the life of one who has trusted Christ for salvation. Acts 2:38-41; Acts 8:36-38.

The Lord's Supper, which as instituted by Christ, is a commemoration of His death to be observed regularly by all believers - an occasion when we reflect upon what Christ did for us on the cross. The two emblems, the bread and the wine, represent His body and His blood which was shed for the remission of sins. I Corinthians 11:23-30

COVENANT

Having been led by the Spirit of God to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, and on the profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirt, we do now in the presence of God, most solemnly and joyfully enter into a covenant with one another, as one body in Christ, to endeavor to please God in every way, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, pursuing a manner of life consistent with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

We engage therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this church; to promote its prosperity and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline and doctrines; to give it a sacred preeminence over all institutions of human origin; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the Gospel through all nations.

We also engage to maintain family and private devotions; to educate our children in spiritual things; to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances; to walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our participation and exemplary in our behavior.

We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember each other in prayer; to aid each other in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offense, always ready for reconciliation, and mindful of the rule of our Savior to secure it without delay.

We moreover, engage that when we remove from this place we will as soon as possible unite with some other church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God's Word.

STAND ON SEPARATION

When a person receives Christ, the Holy Spirit comes in to dwell, old things are passed away, and all things are become new. Because of this, certain moral changes will take place and the true believer will want to separate himself from worldliness and unto God. At the same time, he is in the world and needs to win the confidence of unbelievers to the end that he may witness to them and win them to Christ. But in doing so, he should not partake of their evil deeds. Each individual believer should follow the direction of the Holy Spirit with regard to his moral conduct. Our moral conduct should be based on biblical principles. We should ask ourselves the following questions relating to a questionable activity:

• Is it for the glory of God?
(I Corinthians 10:31)
• Can it be considered the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, or the pride of life?
(I John 2:16)
• Is it injurious to a body which is the temple of the Holy Spirit? (I Corinthians 6:19,20)
• Is it good from the standpoint of my stewardship of time and money?
(I Corinthians 10:23)

Regarding this area of Christian separation we:

• Realize we are responsible to God alone for our decision and our activity.
(Romans 14:12)
• Should be careful not to cause a brother to stumble. (Romans 14:21)

We will endeavor to follow the above principles in our daily walk.

STATEMENT ON MARRIAGE AND SEXUALITY

“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 marriage between a man and a woman.”

“We believe that any form of sexual immorality, such as adultery, fornication, homosexuality, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, pornography or any attempt to change one’s sex, or disagreement with one’s biological sex is sinful and offensive to God.”

“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 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.” (1 Corinthians 6:11)

“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 or the doctrines of the church.”

Related Scriptures: Genesis 2:15-25, 19:4-11, 24-25; Matthew 19:4-6; 1 Corinthians 5:9-13, 6:9-10, 7:1-16, 18-20; Ephesians 5:22-33; Leviticus 18:22-23; Deuteronomy 22:5, 23:17-18; Judges 19:20-30; 1 Kings 14:24, 15:11-12; 2 Kings 23:7; Romans 1:21-28;
1 Timothy 1:9-10; Jude 7; John 13:34-35

STATEMENT ON COVID-19 VACCINATION

Section 1
Religious Exemption from the COVID-19 Vaccination
"Honor the Lord with your bodies." (lCor. 6:20)
Some vaccines, like certain COVID-19 vaccines, have not been sufficiently tested and are known to cause harmful side effects for some. We believe that the Bible encourages Christians and Jews to abstain from contaminating one's body with substances that may be threatening to one's bodily health. The Old Testament discusses unclean substances. (Isaiah 64:6.) Although the New Testament reveals Christ as the one who cleanses our souls, we still have a responsibility to honor the Lord through our bodies. For example, until long-term research can prove that use of Covid-19 vaccines are safe and efficacious, we consider such vaccines unclean. Furthermore, we believe the use of any vaccination containing cell lines from an aborted fetus, is not only unclean, but is also a gross sin of rebellion against God's providential design.

We further believe that requiring vaccines before one can participate in societal activities unnecessarily divides people who are created in God's image and hinders unity within our communities.