The Trinity.
It is the testimony of the Old and New testament that God is both One and Triune. The Biblical revelation testifies that there is only one God, and that He exists eternally in Three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
God the Father.
God the Father is the Creator and Sustainer of all things. He created man in His own image for fellowship, and calls man back to Himself through Christ after the fall of man.
The Son.
Jesus Christ is eternally God. He was together with the Father and the Holy Spirit from the beginning.
In His incarnation as Jesus Christ He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.
The Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is God, who was active in the Old Testament, and given to the Church in fullness at Pentecost. He empowers the saints for service, comforts the saints, cleanses man from the old nature, and conforms us to the image of Christ.
The Scripture.
We affirm that the Bible containing the Old and New Testaments is the only inspired Word of God. The Bible is the source of all doctrine, instruction, correction and reproof. It prepares us for every good work.
The Atonement.
Christ's death on the cross paid the penalty for the sins of the whole world, but its benefits are only applicable to those who receive Jesus as their personal Savior.
Salvation.
The Word of God declares clearly that salvation is a free gift of God, based on the merits of the death of His Son, and is appropriated by faith. Salvation is affected by personal repentance, belief on the Lord Jesus (justification), and personal acceptance of Him into one's life as Lord and Savior (regeneration). The new life in Christ includes the privileges of adoption and inheritance in the Kingdom of God's beloved Son. Salvation is an act of free will in response to God's personal love for mankind. It is secure in the eternal unchanging commitment of God. Salvation produces an active lifestyle of loving obedience and service to Jesus Christ our Savior.
The Christian Life.
The greatest commandment is to love God totally, with heart, mind, and soul, and the second greatest is to love one’s neighbor as one loves oneself. These commandments should guide a Christian’s life and lead to God’s perfect will. The shortcomings of the individual and of the Church are because of the still progressing sanctification of the saints. The Christian life is filled with trials, tests, and warfare against a spiritual enemy. For those who have believed in Jesus Christ the promises of eternal blessing in the presence of God are assured. To remain faithful through all circumstances of life requires dependence upon the Holy Spirit and a willingness to die to personal desires and passions.
The Church.
The goal of the Church is to make disciples of all nations and to present the saints complete in Christ.
The Church is governed by the five fold ministry of Ephesians 4, the offices of Elder and Deacon, as well as other offices mentioned in Scripture.
Church policy is a balance between congregation and Eldership authority, emphasizing the final authority of the church leadership.
It is essential to the life of the Church that scriptural patterns of discipline be practiced and that oversight for Church discipline, individual and corporate, be exercised by the leadership of the Church.
Baptism and the Lord's Supper.
The Word of God enjoins on the Church two perpetual ordinances of the Lord Jesus Christ. The first, baptism, is the outward sign of what God has already done in the individual's life, and is a testimony to all that the person belongs now to Jesus. Baptism allows believers to identify with Jesus and is performed in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Lord's Supper is a commemoration of the death of the Lord and is done in remembrance of Him until He comes again, and is a sign of our participation in Him.
STATEMENT OF FAITH