Our Beliefs

We believe that the Holy Bible was written by men, supernaturally inspired; that it has truth without any admixture of error for its matter; and therefore is, and shall remain to the end of the age, the only complete and final revelation of the will of God to man; the true center of Christian union and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions should be tried.

1. By the Holy Bible; we mean that collection of sixty-six books, from Genesis to Revelation, which, as originally written does not only contain and convey the Word of God, but IS the very Word of God.

2. By inspiration: we mean that the books of the Bible were written by holy men of old, as they were moved by the Holy Spirit, in such a definite way that their writings were supernaturally and verbally inspired and free from error, as no other writings have ever been or ever will be inspired.

II Tim. 3:16-17; II Pet. 1:19-21; Acts 1:16; Acts 28:25; Psa. 119:160; Psa. 119:105; Psa. 119:130; Luke 24:25-27; John 17:17; Luke 24:44-45; Psa. 119:89; Pro. 30:5-6; Rom. 3:4; I Pet. 1:23; Rev. 22:19; John 12:48; Isa. 8:20; Eph. 6:17; Rom. 15:4; Luke 16:31; Psa. 19:7-11; John 5:39.

We believe that there is one, and only one, living and true God, an infinite, intelligent Spirit; the maker and supreme ruler of heaven and earth; inexpressibly glorious in holiness and worthy of all possible honor, confidence, and love; that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, equal in every divine perfection, and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption.

Ex. 20:2-3; Gen. 17:1; I Cor. 8:6; Eph. 4:6; John 4:24; Psa. 147:5; Psa. 83: 18; Psa. 90:2; Jer. 10:10; Ex 15:11; Rev. 4:11; I Tim. 1:17; Rom. 11:33; Mark 12:30; Matt. 28:19; John 15:26; I Cor. 12:4-6; I John 5:7; John 10:30; John 17:5; Acts 5:3-4; I Cor. 2:10-11; Phil. 2:5-6; Eph. 2:18; II Cor. 13:14.

That the Holy Spirit is a divine person; equal with God the Father and God the Son and of the same nature; that He was active in the creation; that in His relation to the unbelieving world He restrains the Evil one until God’s purpose is fulfilled; that He convicts of sin, of judgment, and of righteousness; that he bears witness to the truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony; that He is the agent in the New Birth; that He seals, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies, and helps the believer.

John 14:16-17; Matt. 28:19; Heb. 9:14; John 14:26; Luke 1:35; Gen. 1:1-3; II Thes. 2:7; John 16:8-11; John 15:26-27; Acts 5:30-32; John 5:3-6; Eph. 1:13-14; Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33; Acts 11:16; Luke 24:49; John 16:13; John 14:26; Rom. 8:14; Rom. 8:16; II Thes. 2:13; I Pet. 1:2; Rom. 8:26-27.

We believe in the Genesis account of creation and that it is to be accepted literally, not allegorically or figuratively; that man was created directly in God’s own image and after His own likeness; that man’s creation was not a matter of evolution or evolutionary change of species development through interminable periods of time from lower to higher forms; that all animal and vegetable life was made directly, and God’s established law was that they should bring forth only after their kind.

We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace; through the mediatorial offices of the Son of God, who by appointment of the Father, freely took upon Him our nature; Yet without sin, He honored the divine law by His personal obedience. His atonement consisted not in setting us an example by His death as a martyr, but as the voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner’s place; the Just dying for the unjust; Christ, the Lord, bearing our sins in His own body on the tree. That, having risen from the dead, He is now enthroned in heaven and uniting in His wonderful person the tenderest sympathies with divine perfection. He is in every way qualified to be a suitable, compassionate, and all-sufficient Saviour.

Eph. 2:8; Acts 1:5-11; Rom. 3:24; John 3:16; Matt. 18:11; Phil 2:7; Heb. 2:14; Isa. 53:4-7; Rom. 3:25; I John 4:10; I Cor. 15:3; II Cor. 5:21; John 10:18; Phi. 2:8; Gal. 1:4; I Pet. 2:24; I Pet. 3:18; Isa. 53:11: Heb. 12:2; I Cor. 15:20; Isa. 53:12; Heb. 9:12-15: Heb. 7:25; I John 2:2.

We believe in God’s electing grace; that the blessings of salvation are made free to all by the Gospel. That it is the immediate duty of all to accept them by a cordial, penitent, and obedient faith; and nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner on earth but his own inherent depravity and voluntary rejection of the Gospel, whose rejection involved him in an aggravated condemnation.

I Thes. 1:4; Col. 3:12; I Pet. 1:2; Titus 1:1; Rom. 8:29-30; Matt. 11:28; Isa. 55:1; Rev. 22:17; Rom. 10:13; John 6:37; Isa. 55:6; Acts 2:38; Isa. 55:7; John 3:15-16; I Tim. 1:13; I Cor. 15:10; Eph. 2:4-5; John 5:40; John 3:18; John 3:36.

We believe that the great Gospel blessing which Christ secures to such as believe in Him is Justification; that Justification includes the pardon of sin, and the gift of eternal life on principles of righteousness; that it is bestowed not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done, but solely through faith in the Redeemer’s blood, His righteousness is imputed unto us.

Acts 13:39; Isa. 53:11; Zech. 13:1; Rom 8:1; Rom. 5:9; Rom. 5:1; Titus 3:5-7; Rom. 1:17; Hab. 2:4; Gal. 3:11; Rom. 4:1-8; Heb. 10:38.

We believe that the true local Church is a congregation of baptized believers associated by a covenant of faith and fellowship of the Gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws; exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word. That its offices of ordination are Pastors (Elders, Bishops) and Deacons, whose qualification, claims, and duties are clearly defined in the scriptures. We believe the true mission of the Church is: First, to make individual disciples; Second, to build up the Church; Third, to teach and instruct as He has commanded. We do not believe in the reversal of this order; we hold that the local Church has the absolute right of self-government, free from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations; and that the one and only superintendent is Christ through the Holy Spirit; that it is scriptural for true Churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the Gospel. That every Church is the sole and only judge of the measure and method of its cooperation concerning all matters of membership, policy, government, discipline, and benevolence; the will of the local Church is final.

Acts 2:41; Acts 2:42; I Cor. 11:2; Eph. 1:22-23; Eph. 4:11; I Cor. 12:4; I Cor. 8:11; Acts 14:23; Acts 6:5-6; Acts 15:23; Acts 20:17-28: I Tim. 3:1-7; I Tim. 3:8-13; Matt. 8:19-20; Col. 1:18; Eph. 5:23-24; I Pet. 5:1-4: Acts 15:22; Jude 3, 4; II Cor. 8:23-24; I Cor. 16:1; Mal. 3:10; Lev. 27:32: I Cor. 16:2; I Cor. 6:1-3; I Cor. 5:11-13.

We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion in water of a believer, in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, with the authority of the local Church, to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem of our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, with its effect in our death to sin and resurrection to new life. That it is a prerequisite to the privileges of a Church relation and to the Lord’s Supper, in which the members of the Church, by the sacred use of bread and the fruit of the vine do commemorate together the death of Christ, preceded always by solemn self-examination.

Acts 8:36-39; Matt. 3:6; John 3:23; Rom. 6:4-5; Matt. 3:16; Matt. 28:19; Rom. 6:3-5; Col. 2:12; Acts 2:41-42; Matt. 28:20; I Cor. 11:23-28.

We believe in and accept the sacred Scriptures upon these subjects at their face and full value. Of the Resurrection, we believe that Christ rose bodily “The third day according to the Scriptures;” that He alone is our “merciful and faithful high priest in all things pertaining to God;” “That this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven” – bodily, personally, and visibly; that the “dead in Christ shall rise first;” that the living saints “shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump:” “that the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His Father David;” and that “Christ shall reign a thousand years in righteousness until He hath put all enemies under His feet.”

Matt. 28:6-7; Luke 24:39; John 20:27; I Cor. 15:4; Mark 16:19; Rev. 3:21; Heb. 8:1; Heb. 12:2; Heb. 8:6; I Tim. 2:5; I John 2:1; Heb. 2:7; Heb. 5:9-10: John 14:3; I Thes. 4:16: Matt. 24:27; Matt. 24:42; Heb. 9:28; I Thes. 4:17; I Cor. 15:42-44; I Cor. 15:51-53; Phil. 4:20-21; Luke 1:32; I Cor. 15:25; Isa. 11:4-5; Psa. 72:8; Rev. 20:6; Mark 16:6; Luke 24:2, 4-6; Acts 1:9; Acts 1:11; Luke 24:51; Rev. 20:1-4.