Our statement
of faith.

The Bible

We believe that the Bible is the living and inspired Word of God, authoritative and eternally reliable. We believe that in its original manuscript it is without error, that it is absolutely infallible, and that it is our supreme source of divine revelation, above conscience and reason, while never being contrary to reason.

Therefore, the Bible is for us the sovereign book that governs the practice of our faith and is necessary for our daily life. (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 1 Peter 1:24-25; Hebrews 4:12)

The Godhead

We believe in one God who has revealed Himself in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. (Romans 1:20)

The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all eternal, beyond time, and free from all temporal distinctions, past or future.

We believe in God the Father, Creator of all things visible and invisible. (Colossians 1:15-16)

We believe in Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, who came into the world to reveal the Father. We believe that He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His being. Jesus Christ is the Creator of all things, for all things were made through Him. We also believe that all the fullness of deity dwells in Christ and that, in this, He is fully Man and fully God. (John 1:1-2 & 14; 1 Timothy 3:16; Acts 7:37-38)

We believe that Christ preexisted, that He is the incarnation of God, that He was born of a virgin, that He lived a sinless life, that He performed miracles, that He took our place in death, and that through His death our sins are atoned for. We believe that Christ now reigns at the right hand of God and that He will return in great power and glory.

And we believe in His eternal reign and dominion, which will never cease, and that His Kingdom will never be destroyed. (Acts 1:11; 3:19-21; Daniel 7:14; Revelation 20:4)

We acknowledge His Lordship — Jesus Christ is Lord of everything in heaven, on earth, and under the earth. (Philippians 2:9-11)

We believe that the Holy Spirit is, in this present age, the ministry of Christ living in us. Through the Holy Spirit, all believers therefore receive the power and gifts of Christ, as well as His transforming power. (1 Corinthians 12:4-11; Galatians 5:22-23)

Humanity and salvation

We believe that God directly created human beings by His hand. (Genesis 1:26-27; 2-4)

We believe that because of humanity’s transgression, mankind fell from the state of righteousness and holiness in which it was created into a state of total spiritual depravity. Humanity is therefore in a state of spiritual death. Imprisoned and enslaved by sin and wrongdoing, humanity became an enemy of God. As a result, it is impossible for a person to attain God’s righteousness through his or her own efforts. Humanity must be redeemed and delivered through the power of the gospel. (Romans 5:12-21; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4)

We believe that repentance and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ are integral parts of God’s work in the justification of the believer. By faith in the shed blood of Christ, the believer is justified and becomes a participant in Christ’s death. (Romans 5:1-10)

We believe this: it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith. And this is not from yourselves; it is the gift of God. It is not by works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

We further believe that, in order to continue walking in grace, we must seek to demonstrate righteousness and purity of heart while trusting in the power of God to keep us. We must seek to walk by the Spirit and not by the flesh, and to live a life that demonstrates the character, standards, and convictions of Jesus Christ, refusing to conform to the world. (Jude 24; Romans 8:25; Galatians 5:16-25; Romans 4:1-5; 12:1)

We believe that repentance can come only through the conviction of the Holy Spirit, whether in the life of the sinner or the believer. It also depends on our response to that conviction. The conviction of the Holy Spirit, often accompanied by the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ, reveals our sinful condition and produces godly sorrow within us.

Remorse or worldly sorrow produces a deep sense of regret, despair, or even dejection, but does not bring constructive change. Godly sorrow, on the other hand, produces repentance, allowing us to turn away from sin and selfishness and receive faith in exchange. Repentance is demonstrated by an earnest desire to change. It changes our outlook and our behavior toward sin, toward ourselves, and toward God.

Repentance is a complete change of mind and will, as well as an emotional change. (2 Corinthians 7:10; Psalms 51; Acts 11:18; 2 Timothy 2:25; Romans 1:18-32; Matthew 9:12-13)

We believe that at the final judgment, which will accompany the return of Christ, every person must give an account to God for every aspect of his or her life on earth. The judgment seat of Christ (“Bema” in Greek) is where believers will be judged and receive the reward for what they have done, whether good or bad. The great white throne, on the other hand, is where unbelievers will be eternally separated from God and will be in torment. (1 Corinthians 3:10-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 20:11-15)

The commands of God

We believe that Communion and the baptism of believers are acts of obedience and a testimony of our faith. (Matthew 3:16; Mark 16:16; 1 Corinthians 11:23-29)

We believe that water baptism is necessary in response to the command of Jesus. Only repentant believers may be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:18-20)

We believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit. We hold that the true evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is found in our response to the Word of God, in living a Christlike life, in displaying the character of Christ, and in experiencing and manifesting the gifts and fruit of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:4; 10-46; 19:6; John 15:26; 16:13-15; Galatians 5:24-25; 1 Corinthians 13:4:10)

The family

God established the family as a foundational institution of human society. It is made up of people joined to one another by marriage, blood, or adoption.

Marriage is the lifelong union of one man and one woman. Husband and wife have equal worth before God because both are created in His image. A husband should love his wife as Christ loved the Church and has a God-given responsibility to provide for, protect, and lead his family. A wife should graciously submit to the counsel of her husband as he serves God.

She is to do this just as the Church willingly submits to Christ’s leadership. Being made in the image of God, like her husband and equal to him in worth, she also has God-given responsibilities: to respect her husband and, together with him, manage the household and raise their children.

Children are a blessing from God from the moment of conception. Parents are to model God’s design for marriage to their children. (Genesis 1:27-28; Genesis 2:20-25; Ephesians 5:24-27; Titus 2:4-5; Psalms 139:13-16)

The Church

The Church is God’s instrument through which He reveals His purposes to the world. We believe that the Church, which is the people of God, is God’s instrument through which He displays His glory on the earth. In the Bible, God has defined the Church as a gathering of believers who meet and share their experiences with God together so that they may testify to the goodness of God wherever they go. (Ephesians 1:22-23; 1 Peter 2:5; Acts 9:4-6; Ephesians 3:14-19; Ephesians 5:23-30)