Vision & Belief

We believe that there exists but one true and living God, self-revealed in the Scriptures as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, forming one Godhead, equal in essence, eternity, perfection, glory, and power but distinct in personhood who together are deserving of equal honor for the salvation and redemption secured by the Gospel.

I John 5:7; Genesis 1:26; Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19; Luke 1:35; Isaiah 9:6; Hebrews 3:7-11

We believe that Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God, equal in essence to the Father, chosen and ordained to reconcile man to God, who in the fullness of time took upon Himself both the nature of God and man, being conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, thus sharing in all of man’s characteristics yet without sin. Through His perfect obedience to the Law, His sacrificial death on the cross, His resurrection on the third day, and His ascension to the right hand of God Almighty, Christ became the Head and Savior of His Church, redeeming a people chosen for Him from all eternity by satisfying completely the justice of His Father and purchasing for them salvation and an eternal inheritance in the kingdom of heaven.

John 1:1,14, 20:28; I Timothy 3:16; Isaiah 9:6; Philippians 2:5-6; l Timothy 2:5

We believe that all humanity was made in the image of God, good and upright, but due to the original sin of Adam and Eve as well as our own voluntary transgressions, we are all under the guilt of sin and the subsequent punishment of eternal death. Due to the corrupted nature of every person, the ability to be good and to do good as defined by God has been utterly lost, and thereby causing the unredeemed will of man to be inherently corrupted by evil and wholly dependent on God’s grace to be restored.

Genesis 1:26-31; Romans 3:23; Romans 5:12-21

We believe that God relates to fallen humanity through a covenant of grace in which He provides for every condition of redemption, making the believer both willing and able to receive His free offer of salvation. This efficacious grace is given independently of any virtue foreseen in man, bringing to life the hardened heart of the unredeemed, thereby enabling them to answer the call of the gospel and to embrace the grace offered. We affirm that God freely justifies all those who receive Christ as Lord and Savior, placing their trust in Him for their salvation through the gift of faith. In addition, all who are justified share in the grace of adoption by which they enter into a new relationship with God, enjoying all the promises and privileges of being the children of God, including the assurance of eternal salvation.

Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 2:16, 3:8; Titus 3:5; Romans 10:9-10; Acts 16:31; Hebrews 9:22

We believe that God is the ultimate creator of all things and upholds and governs all of His creation, having freely ordained whatever comes to pass, including the salvation of men for everlasting life from eternity past. Through God's sovereignty and providence over creation, there is nothing that happens against His will, yet He can never be the author of sin nor impinge against the freedom and liberty of man. The purposes of God for His creation are unchanging and will come to pass without fail according to His foreknowledge and eternal decree all to the praise of His glory.

II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:20-21; Proverbs 30:5; Romans 16:25-26

We believe that every Christian, born again with a new heart and spirit, is further sanctified in this life through the indwelling presence of the Word of God and the Holy Spirit by which the power of sin is progressively weakened and eventually put to death. We confess that sanctification is incomplete in this life but by God’s grace, one can pursue true holiness of which good works is a vital part that gives evidence of true faith. These good works can never merit pardon of sin or eternal life but are received and rewarded by God through the work of His Son in the believer.

I Thessalonians 4:3, 5:23; II Corinthians 3:18, 6:14-18, II Thessalonians 2:1-3, Romans 8:29, 12:1-2, Hebrews 2:11

We believe in the personhood of the Holy Spirit, by whom the believer is born again through regeneration, brought to salvation by the Gospel, sanctified to live in righteousness, and empowered for a life of ministry. We affirm the fullness of the Holy Spirit’s work until the end of this age, which includes conviction of sin, comfort in times of distress, guidance, healing, illumination of the Scriptures, and the manifestation of spiritual gifts. We understand that all believers partake in the baptism of the Spirit at the point of conversion but the subsequent filling of the Spirit must be continually pursued through a life of worship, prayer, and obedience.

Hebrews 2:4; Romans 1:11, 12:4-8; Ephesians 4:16; II Timothy 1:5-16, 4:14; I Corinthians 12:1-31, 14:1-40; I Peter 4:10

We believe that the Church is both the bride and the body of Jesus Christ and consists of the communion of all believers who are united to Him by the Holy Spirit and to one another in love. By our common confession of Christ as Lord and Savior, the Church is called to maintain a holy fellowship and partake together in the holy worship of our God. Yet, there is the realization that the purest churches are still a mixture of good and evil and therefore require the careful and gracious administration of discipline according to biblical guidelines when a member of the church refuses to receive correction.

Ephesians 1:22, 2:19-22; Hebrews 12:23; John 17:11, 20-23

We believe that God has instituted two sacraments, baptism and the Lord’s Supper, for the New Testament Church as signs and seals of the covenant of grace and to be used to represent the person of Christ, His works, and the believer’s relationship to Him.

Ephesians 1:22, 2:19-22; Hebrews 12:23; John 17:11, 20-23

The sacrament of baptism is the admission of the new believer into the visible Church and serves as a sign that the individual has been crucified with Christ for the forgiveness of sins and resurrected with Him into the newness of life. It is to be administered once in a believer’s life after the point of their genuine confession of Christ as Lord and Savior.

Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38

The sacrament of the Lord’s supper is a perpetual observance of the Church until the end of world and serves as a remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, the subsequent sealing of the new covenant, and the call for all believers to continue to abide and grow in Him, engaging in all the duties that are owed to Him in love.

Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 16:16; Acts 8:12, 36-38; 10:47-48; I Corinthians 10:16, 11:23-25

We believe in the visible return of Christ, in which all the dead shall be raised up and those found alive will not die. God will then judge the world in righteousness and justice and call to account every thought and deed so that all beings, including the fallen angels, will receive according to what they have done in the present age. Those who have received the Gospel and lived a life of faith in Christ Jesus will go into everlasting life where they will enjoy the fullness of the Lord’s presence whereas those who have rejected the Gospel will suffer and be eternally separated from the presence of the Lord. This coming day of judgment ultimately serves to encourage all believers to yearn for the second coming of their Savior and to be continuously alert for His return.

Matthew 24:30, 26:63-64; Acts 1:9-11; I Thessalonians 4:15-17; II Thessalonians 1:7-8; Revelation 1:7