What We Believe:

1. The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the infallible Word of God, the source and the rule of all our faith and practice. (1) They are designed to lead us to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. They are fully inspired by God and therefore serve as an authoritative guide for Christian understanding, life and ministry. (2) The Scriptures accordingly in all that they affirm are without error, in the whole and in the part, and therefore are completely trustworthy. (3) The Scriptures are not to be added to, superseded, or changed by later tradition or supposed revelation. (4) Every doctrinal formulation, whether of creed, confession, or theology must be put to the test of the full counsel of God in Holy Scripture. (5) All redemptive understanding of the Scriptures depends upon the illumination of the Holy Spirit; therefore, the most accurate factual knowledge attained through exegesis, exposition, and interpretation does not bring about conversion or spiritual comprehension without the Holy Spirit creating understanding through the Word and applying its message to the heart.(6)

(1) Ps. 19:7-13; 119:89,105, (2) 2Tim. 3:15-17, (3) John 17:17; Mt. 24:35, (4) Deut.4:2; Galatians 1:8-9;Rev. 22:19, (5) Mt. 22:29-33; Eph. 2:20; Acts 28:23, (6) 1Co. 2:7-16

2. God is Triune. There is but one God infinite, eternal, almighty, and perfect in holiness, truth, and love.(7) In the unity of the godhead there are three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, co-existent, co-equal, co-eternal.(8) The Father is not the Son and the Son is not the Holy Spirit, yet each is truly Deity. One God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is the foundation of Christian faith and life.(9)

(7) Deut.6:4; 1Co. 8:4,6; Is. 44:6-8; 1John 4:8; Gen. 17:1; Ps. 145:3, (8) Mt. 3:16, 17: 28:19; 1Co. 12:4-6; 2Co. 13:14, (9) John 14:23, 25; 15:26; 16:13-15

3. God is the Creator of heaven and earth.(10) By His Word all things were made, and through the same Word He daily sustains all His creatures.(11) He is faithful to every promise, works all things together for good to those who love Him, and, in His unfathomable grace, He gave His Son Jesus Christ for mankind’s redemption.(12) He made man for fellowship with Himself, and intended that all creation should live to praise of His glory.

(10) Gen. 1:1; Heb. 11:3; Ps. 33:9, (11) John 1:3, 10; Col. 1:15-17; Heb. 1:2,3: Ps. 147:14-16, (12) Rom. 8:28; John 3:16, (13) Rom. 11:36; Rev. 4:11

4. Man – Male and female – was created in the image and likeness of God.(14) Through the original sin of man – Adam and Eve – mankind has fallen from God, become corrupt in his whole nature, and is totally incapable by himself of returning to God.(15) Fallen, sinful men, whatever their character or attainments, are lost and without hope apart from salvation in Christ.(16)

(14) Gen. 1:26-27, (15) Rom. 5:12, 16,17; Jer. 17:9; Eph. 2:1-3; John 6:44, (16) John 3:3-7; Acts 4:12 Belief 5

5. Jesus Christ the Son is fully God and fully man: the only Savior for the sins of the world.(17) He was the Word made flesh, supernaturally conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, and was perfect in nature, teaching, and obedience.(18) He died on the cross as the vicarious sacrifice for all mankind, rose from the dead in His own glorified body, ascended into heaven, and will return in glory.(19) He is the Head of His body the Church, Victor over all the powers of darkness, and now reigns at the right hand of the Father.(20)

(17) John 1:1; Col. 1:19; 2:9; 1Tim 2:5,6; Heb. 2:14-18, (18) John 1:14; Mt. 1:18,22,23; Lk. 1:35; John 8:29, (19) John 19:33-37; Rom. 4:24,25; 1Cor. 15: 1-3; 2Cor. 5:21; 1John 2:2, Acts 1:9-11; 1Thess. 4:16,17, (20) Col. 1:18, 2:15; Heb. 1:3,4

6. Salvation, the gift of God, is provided solely by His grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Turning from sin in repentance, looking to Christ and His vicarious death, man is born anew into eternal life by the Holy Spirit.(22) There is no other name except Jesus Christ by which men may be saved.(23) Through His great redemptive act there is forgiveness of sin, liberation from bondage to the world, and freedom in His Spirit.(24)

(21) Eph. 2:8,9; Rom. 5:1; Acts 16:31, (22) Acts 2:38; Tit. 3:3-7; Acts 3:19-21, (23) Acts 4:12, (24) Eph. 1:7; Gal. 6:14,15

7. The Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life, convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment, unites man to Jesus Christ in faith, brings about the new birth, dwells within the regenerate, producing in them the fruit of the Spirit, and enables them to grow in sanctification.(25) The Holy Spirit inspired prophets, judges, and kings in ancient times, anointed Jesus Christ for His ministry, filled the Church with Pentecostal power, and will transform the mortal bodies of believers into one like His own immortal body in the glory of the resurrection.(26)

(25) John 15:8-10; 1Cor. 12:13; John 3:5; 1Cor. 6:19; Rom. 8:9-11; Ga. 5:22,23; 2Cor. 3:17,18, (26) 1Pet. 1:2, 10-12; 2Pet. 1:20,21; Lk. 4:1, 18-21,; Acts 2:4; 4:31; Rom. 8:11; Phil. 3:21; 1Cor. 15:51, 52

8. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is available to all who believe in Jesus Christ.(27) This promise of the Father that the Holy Spirit would be sent in power was not only made to the early disciples, but continues through generations to come.(28) This gracious and supernatural gift of power, evidenced by overflowing joy, praise, and accompanied by speaking in other tongues, enables the believer to exercise the powers of the age to come in ministry and mission.(29) God delights to give His Holy Spirit to those who ask and obey, but since this is a gift there is nothing man can do to merit it.(30) Likewise all the gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as word of wisdom, word of knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, working of miracles, prophecy, discernment of spirits, tongues and interpretation of tongues are earnestly to be desired and expected.(31) They are God’s sovereign action for edifying the Body of Christ. The present Trans-denominational spiritual renewal is a manifestation of the will of God for the Church in these last days.(32)

(27) Acts 2:38,39; Lk. 11:13, (28) Lk. 24:49; 1Cor. 13:10, (29) Acts 1:8; 2:4; 10:44-47; 19:6; Heb. 6:5; Rom. 15:18,19, (30) Lk. 11:13; Gal. 3:2, (31) 1Cor. 12:7-11, 28-31; 14:1,13; Rom. 12:6-8; Eph. 4:11; 1Pet. 5:10-11, (32) 1Cor. 12:7, 11; Heb. 2:4; Acts 2:17-21

9. The Church, who is the body of Christ, is dedicated to the worship and service of God, the observance of the sacraments or ordinances of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and the practice of good works.(33) The primary task of the Church in all ages is to teach all nations and to make disciples, bringing the Gospel to bear on every aspect of life and thought. The ultimate mission of the Church is the redemption of souls. When God transforms human nature, this then becomes the chief means of society’s transformation.(34)

(33) Rom. 12:4,5; 1Cor. 12:27; Eph. 5:23,26,27; 2:22; 1Pet. 2:5,9,10: Eph. 2:10; Tit. 2:14, (34) Mt. 28:19,20; 2Cor. 10:4

10. The Second Coming Consummation of all things includes the visible, personal and glorious return of Jesus Christ, the resurrection of the dead and the translation of those alive in Christ, the judgment of the just and the unjust, and the fulfillment of Christ’s kingdom in the new heavens and the new earth.(35) Satan with his hosts and all men outside Christ are finally separated from the presence of God, enduring eternal punishment.(36) All who have been redeemed by Christ from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light will be in the presence of God forever, giving Him unending praise and glory.(37) Amen.

(35) 1Thess. 4:13-17; Rev. 1:7; Acts 1:11; Rev. 20:11-15; 2Cor. 5:10; Rev. 21:1-4, (36) Mt. 25:41; Mk. 9:47, 48; 2 Thess. 1:7-10, (37) Rev. 21:1-4