Doctrinal Statement

Article I.  The Scriptures -- We believe that the original writing of the Holy Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, are verbally, plenarily, and inerrantly inspired of God and that they constitute the absolute authority in all matters of faith and practice (II Timothy 3:16, 17; Psalm 119:105).  We believe in the literal, historical, grammatical and contextual interpretation of the Bible, which reveals divinely determined dispensations defining man's responsibilities under God in successive ages (Ephesians 3:2-10).  

Article II. The Godhead -- We believe in the Trinity - God the Father (Romans 1:7), God the Son (Romans 9:5), and God the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16), being one God eternally existent in three persons (Matthew 28:19), equal in all their attributes (John 10:30).

Article III.  The Person and Work of Christ -- We believe in the deity and humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ (John 1:1, 14; 1 Timothy 2:5), one person possessing two natures making Him very God and very man.  In His deity, He is Creator and Sustainer of the universe (Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:3).  In His humanity, He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary (Luke 1:34, 35), lived a sinless life (1 Peter 2:22; 1 John 3:5), died a substitutionary death for sinners (Romans 5:8; 1 Peter 3:18), arose bodily from the grave (1 Corinthians 15:1-4), ascended into heaven (Ephesians 1:20, 21), and is now seated at the right hand of the Father (1 Peter 3:22).

Article IV.  The Holy Spirit -- We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Godhead, who convicts (John 16:8), regenerates (Titus 3:5), indwells (John 14:16, 17), baptizes (1 Corinthians 12:13), and seals (Ephesians 1:13) all believers in Christ and fills those yielded to Him (Ephesians 5:18).  We believe that the Holy Spirit gives gifts to all believers (1 Corinthians 12:11), but that some gifts are permanent while others are temporary, given only in the apostolic age until the completion of the New Testament. These temporary gifts include apostleship, prophecy, discernment of spirits, miracles, healings, tongues, and the interpretation of tongues (1 Corinthians 13:8).

Article V.  Man's Creation and Fall -- We believe that man was made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26), a special creation of God (Genesis 2:7), and not a product of evolutionary development.  However, man disobeyed his Creator and incurred spiritual death, total corruption, and divine condemnation (Genesis 3:1-6; Romans 5:12-19).  Because of this, man is a sinner by nature and practice and is in need of Divine salvation (Romans 3:9-18).

Article VI.  Salvation -- We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died and shed His blood to make atonement for the sins of all mankind (1 John 2:2). On the basis of His substitutionary death and resurrection all who repent and believe receive God's gift of eternal life (Acts 20:21; John 6:47). Because it is wholly given by grace the believer's salvation is eternally secure (Ephesians 2:8-10; John 10:28).  It is God's design that all believers manifest their salvation by a life pleasing to God and set apart unto Him (Romans 12:1-2).  Every believer is provided positional (1 Corinthians 1:2) and progressive (II Timothy 2:21) sanctification and is promised ultimate sanctification in heaven (Ephesians 5:25-27).

Article VII.  The Church -- We believe that the universal Church is composed of all who are saved (1 Corinthians 12:13, 27) and baptized by the Holy Spirit into one body from Pentecost to the Rapture (Acts 1:5; Acts 11:15).  The Church serves as the body (Ephesians 1:22-23) and espoused bride of Christ (11 Corinthians 11:2) of which He is the Head (Ephesians 4:15).  We adhere to historic baptistic distinctives and believe that the local church is God's designated instrument for service in the world. As an autonomous company of baptized believers the church meets regularly to worship God, to observe the ordinances of believer's  water baptism by immersion (Acts 2:41-47) and the Lord's supper, to edify itself (1 Corinthians 14:26; Ephesians 4:11-12), and to evangelize the world through the preaching and teaching of the Word (Matthew 28:18-20).

Article VIII.  Christian Life and Service -- We believe that the fulfillment of the Great Commission is the responsibility of every believer, that the believer is to be a personal soul winner, that the believer is to disciple new converts, and that the believer is to enlist them in the life of the local church (Matthew 28:20; Acts 1:8).  In the accomplishment of this commission we believe that one must be personally separate from sin (II Timothy 2:21) and be separate from religious apostasy and ecclesiastical ecumenism which denies the fundamentals of the faith (11 Corinthians 6:14-18; II Timothy 3:1-5; Romans 16:17; 1 Timothy 6:3-5).

Article IX.  Last Things -- We believe in the imminent, pre-tribulational and pre-millennial return of the Lord to rapture His church (Titus 2:13).  This event is followed in order by the seven-year tribulation period (Revelation 4-18), the second coming of Christ to the earth to rule for one thousand years (Revelation 19:11-15; 20:6), and the great white throne judgment of the lost (Revelation 20:11-15).  This sequence of events will issue in the conscious states of everlasting punishment for the unsaved and everlasting bliss for the saved (Matthew 25:46).