Our Beliefs

The following is a summary of the doctrinal statement found in our Church Constitution.  

By and large, we are also comfortable with The Baptist Faith & Message, a description of Baptist doctrine widely referred to by many in the Baptist tradition.  

For our understanding of a Biblical view of human sexuality, and how it relates both to everyday life and the life of the Church, please refer to The Nashville Statement.

1. The Bible is the only sufficient, certain, inerrant, and infallible source of knowledge and truth. Though God has revealed Himself in His natural creation in order to display His glory and power (Romans 1:19-20), that revelation alone is not sufficient unto salvation (Romans 10:14), therefore it pleased God to reveal Himself and His will in written revelation through the Scriptures, giving us the means by which we can be made wise unto salvation found in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 3:15).

2. The Scriptures are comprised of the 66 books found in the Old and New Testaments. These 66 books are verbally and plenarily inspired (2 Peter 1:20-21; 2 Timothy 3:16). 

3. The Scriptures are completely authoritative and that authority depends not on the testimony of man or a church, but solely upon God, the author of those Scriptures (1 John 5:9; 2 Thessalonians 2:13). Therefore, all issues of doctrine, practice, and life are to be examined and brought under the authority of Scripture (James 4:7; 1 Timothy 6:3-5).

4. The correct interpretation of the text as understood through sound teaching and church history has been the method of literal interpretation taking into account the grammatical and historical context. By God’s grace, the Holy Spirit assists us in our interpretation and application of the Scriptures (John 16:13-14).

1. There is but one living and true God who is infinite, eternal, and self-existent.
(Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 45:5-7; Psalm 90:2; Acts 17:24-25)

2. He is the Creator and Sustainer of all things and is therefore the Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth.(Colossians 1:16-17; Psalm 83:18; Jeremiah 10:10)

3. He possesses all knowledge of things past, present and future and carries out His perfect plans. He is not limited in this knowledge or power by human decision or action.
(Ephesians 1:11; Isaiah 46:10; Acts 4:27-28).

4. Though He is One God, He exists in three distinct persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—equal and undivided in divine essence.
(Matthew 28:19-20; John 15:26; 1 Corinthians 12:4-6)

2. He is the second Person of the Trinity, and is completely God and completely man in all ways. He possesses all the attributes of God and man indivisibly.
(Micah 5:2; John 1:1, 14, 18; 5:23; 10:30; 14:8-9; Romans 8:3; Galatians 4:4; Colossians 1:19; 2:9; Philippians 2:5b-8a; 1 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 1:3; 2:14, 17)

3. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.
(Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18; Luke 1:26-27, 31, 34-35)

4. He created and sustains all things in heaven and on earth, both visible and invisible.
(John 1:3; Colossians 1:15-17; Hebrews 1:2-3)

5. He was crucified, was buried, and was bodily resurrected, and ascended into heaven.
(Matthew 27-28; Mark 15-16; Luke 23-24; John 19-21; Acts 1:1-9)

6. He is the only mediator between God and men.
(1 Timothy 2:5)

1. He is co-equal and of the same substance with God the Father and God the Son, which includes all the attributes of deity.
(Matthew 28:19; Acts 5:3-4; 1 Corinthians 12:4-6; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Jeremiah 31:31-34 with Hebrews 10:15-17)

2. The ministry of the Holy Spirit includes: convicting the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ; and transforming believers into the image of Christ.
(John 16:7-14; Acts 1:5; 2:4; Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18)

3. In the life of the believer, the Holy Spirit indwells, sanctifies, instructs, empowers for service, and seals until the day of redemption.
(Romans 8:9; 2 Corinthians 3:6; Ephesians 1:13)

4. The gifts of the Spirit are given to believers for the redemption of the lost and for the building up of the body of Christ.
(Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11)

1. Mankind was created in the image and likeness of God, free from sin, and in perfect fellowship with God.(Genesis 1:26; Genesis 1:31)

2. Mankind was created with a rational nature, intelligence, volition, and a moral responsibility to God.
(Genesis 2:15-25)

3. Mankind was created to bring glory in all things to the Creator God.
(Isaiah 43:7; Colossians 1:16; Revelation 4:11)

4. Upon Adam’s sin of disobedience to God, mankind lost his innocence, incurred the penalty of spiritual and physical death, became subject to God’s wrath, and became inherently corrupt and incapable of choosing or doing what is acceptable and pleasing to God apart from divine grace.
(Genesis 3:17-24; John 3:36; Romans 3:23; 6:23; 1 Corinthians 2:14; Ephesians 2:1-3)

5. Men and women since Adam and Eve are not inherently good, but hopelessly lost and are sinners by nature, by choice, and by divine declaration.
(Psalm 14:1-3; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3:9-18, 23; 5:10-12)

NOTE:  When it comes to our view of marriage and human sexuality,  we have decided to adopt
The Nashville Statement.  
We see this to be a clear, concise explanation of Biblical teaching regarding these matters.  

1. Salvation is wholly of God’s grace on the basis of His own electing power and on the redemptive work of Christ’s shed blood on the cross, and not on the basis of human merit or work.
(Ephesians 1:3-7; 2:8-10; 1 Peter 1:18-19)

2. Salvation comes only through Jesus Christ. He died on the cross as a substitute for our sins, paying the penalty and receiving the punishment and wrath of God in our place.
(2 Corinthians 2:21; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 9:11-15, 28; 10:1-13; 1 John 2:2)

3. This gift of salvation and the forgiveness of sins unto life eternal with God is receivable only through faith alone in Christ alone (John 3:16; Acts 4:12) and is not extended to those who have not called out to Christ in faith.
(John 1:12; Romans 10:9)

4. Those who are saved by grace are also secure for eternity by grace as born again children of God.
(John 10:28-29; Romans 8:38-39; Ephesians 1:13-14)

1. Regarding the true church of Christ, a believer in Christ becomes a part of the body of Christ (the church) upon accepting Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord (1 Corinthians 12:12-16, 18, 27-28a; Ephesians 1:22-23). Christ is the Sovereign Head of the church (Ephesians 1:22; 5:23- 32) and believers are called to grow as a part of the body (Ephesians 4:15; 5:27).

2. Regarding the local church; it is wherever God’s people meet regularly in obedience to the command to make disciples of all the nations (Matthew 28:19-20; 2 Timothy 2:2). That is the local expression of the true church of Christ (Acts 14:23; Hebrews 10:23-25).

3. The elders of the local church are tasked with oversight of the church.  They must meet the biblical qualifications for elders  (1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Peter 5:1-5) and they are to serve with the attitude of Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:3-17). Believers are to submit to the elders’ leadership (Hebrews 13:7, 17).

1. Our blessed hope is in the personal and physical return of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(Acts 1:9-11;Titus 2:11-14)

2. The state of mankind after death is that the soul of those who have trusted in Christ will be made perfect in holiness and will be present with the Lord. The souls of those who have not trusted in Christ will be cast into hell where they remain in torment awaiting judgment.
(2 Corinthians 5:1, 6, 8; Philippians 1:23; Hebrews 12:23; Jude 6-7; Luke 16:23-24)

3. All mankind will face judgment (Acts 17:31; John 5:22, 27; 1 Corinthians 6:3; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Romans 14:10, 12) and enter into eternity—either in a conscious punishment in the lake of fire (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:11-15) for those who have rejected Christ, or into the fullness of glory and joy in the presence of the Lord (Matthew 25:21, 34; 2 Timothy 4:8; Revelation 21-22) for those who have trusted in Christ.

4. The Triune God will be at the center of eternity and will reign over His kingdom forever.
(Revelation 22:1-5; 1 Corinthians 15:24-2)