What We Believe

We hold the following doctrines as essential to the faith:  

  1. We believe in one God existent in three persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit (John 1:1-3, John 15:26, John 10:30, Colossians 1:19, John 17:10). 

  2. We believe that God is the Creator of the universe, that He actively upholds and sustains all things by His powerful word, and that He is the redeemer of the universe as well (Genesis 1:1, Hebrews 1:3, Romans 8:19-23). 

  3. We believe Jesus is the only begotten Son of God.  He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, was crucified for the sins of the world, died and was buried, and within three days rose bodily from the grave.  We believe He appeared to His disciples for a period of forty days, during which time He instructed them further about the Kingdom of God, and then ascended into heaven where He makes intercession for the saints.  We believe one day He will return to judge the living and the dead (Matthew 1:18, Luke 1:26-30, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 4:15, Romans 4:25, Matthew 12:40, Acts 10:40, 1 Corinthians 15:4, Acts 1:3, 9-11, Romans 8:34, Hebrews 7:25, Matthew 24). 

  4. We believe that salvation is by grace, through faith, characterized by continual repentance and walking with the Spirit, exemplified by baptism (immersion in water), and is available only through Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-10, Galatians 5:25, Romans 6:3-6, Acts 4:12, John 14:6, 1 Peter 3:18-22).   

  5. We believe the Holy Spirit is sent by Jesus to indwell every believer so that they may be transformed into the glory of Christ, and that the Spirit empowers the believer to do good works for the glory of God. The Spirit teaches, guides, corrects, and comforts the believer through His presence (Acts 2:38, John 16:13-14) 

  6. We believe the Bible is the inspired word of God, that it is infallible in the original autographs, and that it is the only sure guide to faith and practice for the Christian. We believe the Bible is sufficient, and that we must not add to it, nor take away from it (1 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:21). 

  7. We believe there is one Church, and that the Lord knows those who are His. We believe the Church is the body of Christ on earth, and that our purpose on earth is to glorify God by proclaiming Him (through worship, through ministry, through mission, through obedient transformation) to this world—that others might believe and receive His salvation (Ephesians 4:4-6, 1 Peter 2:9). 

  8. We believe in the reality of heaven and hell, and that our choice to follow (or reject) Christ in this life has eternal consequences (John 3:17-21, Revelation 20:11-15). 

  9. We believe the divisions in the Church inhibit her mission in the world, and that they are often caused by conflict over non-essential doctrinal issues.  We believe in the essential matters of Christian faith, believers can and ought to have unity; and in the non-essential matters of opinion, we should respect liberty of conscience; but in all things we must demonstrate love (John 17:20-21, John 13:35)