A. THE HOLY SCRIPTURES: We believe that the Bible is God’s Word, that it was written by men divinely inspired, and that it has supreme authority in all matters of faith and practice (2 Peter 1:20-21). We also believe that the King James Version of the Bible is the divinely preserved Word of God for the English-speaking people (Psalms 12:6-7) and that it has enjoyed a miraculous manifestation of God’s approval all during its history and use.
B. THE TRUE GOD: We believe in God the Father, perfect in holiness, infinite in wisdom, measureless in power. (Genesis 1:1; Psalm 90) We rejoice that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all that come to Him through Jesus Christ.
C. THE SON: We believe in Jesus Christ, eternal with the Father, was begotten of the Holy Ghost miraculous in His birth, sinless in His life, making atonement for the sins of the world by His death. We believe in His bodily resurrection, His ascension into Heaven, His perpetual intercession for His people, and His personal, visible return to the world according to His promise. He is both the Son of God and God the Son (I John 1:1-2). He is both true man, one person with two natures, tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin (Isaiah 7:17; Hebrews 4:14-17).
D. THE HOLY SPIRIT: We believe in the Holy Spirit who came forth from God to convict the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment to come; and to regenerate, sanctify, and comfort those who truly believe in Jesus Christ (John 14:7; Romans 8:14-27).
E. SATAN or the DEVIL: We believe that Satan was once a holy angel who was created by God to serve at the Throne of God; and that he and enjoyed specific heavenly honors. But through pride and ambition to be as the Almighty, he fell and drew with him in rebellion against God, after him a host of angles and Satan is now the malignant prince of the power of the air and the unholy god of this world (Ezekiel 28:12-17; Isaiah 14:12-25). We further hold him to be man’s great tempter, the enemy of God and Jesus Christ, the accuser of the brethren, and the author of all false religions. (I Peter 5:8-9; Revelation 20:10).
F. THE CREATION: We believe the Genesis account of creation is to be accepted literally and not allegorically or figuratively (Genesis 1); that the creation was accomplished in six (6), twenty-four (24) hour days (Genesis 1:5,8,13,19,23,31; 2:2; Exodus 20:11); that man was created in God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27); and that mans creation was not a matter of evolution or evolutionary change of the species or development through interminable periods of time from a lower to higher form; that all animals and vegetable life were created specifically by God (Genesis 1:1 – 3:1).
G. THE FALL of MAN: We believe that all men, by nature and by choice, are sinners, (Genesis 3). We believe, therefore, that those who accept Christ as Lord and Savior will rejoice forever in God’s presence, and that those who refuse to accept Christ as Lord and Savior will be forever separated from God (John 1:12; 3:16; Romans5:12; Psalm 51:5; Romans3).
H. THE ATONEMENT for SIN: We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace through the Son of God, who by appointment of the Father freely took upon him human nature, yet without sin and honored the divine law by His personal obedience and by His death made atonement for our sins. He is in every way qualified to be the only suitable, compassionate, and all-sufficient Saviour (Hebrews 2:9; II Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 10:4-14).
I. THE NEW BIRTH: We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be born again; that the new birth is the new creation in Jesus Christ (John 3:3-5, 2 Cor. 5:17). Scripture teaches that the new birth is a free gift of God (Ephesians 2:8-9); and that proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance and faith in newness of life (Acts 26:20; Luke 13:3, 5; Galatians 5:22-25).
J. JUSTIFICATION: We believe that the great Gospel secures to such as believe in Jesus Christ complete justification. This justification declares the sinner completely righteous through the merits of Jesus Christ (Romans 3:21-26) and that God’s divine pardon is bestowed not in consideration of any works which we have done, but solely through faith, and His righteousness is imputed unto us (Romans 5:1,9; Ephesians 2:8-9).
K. REPENTANCE & FAITH: We believe that repentance and faith are solemn obligations and also inseparable graces wrought in our souls by the quickening Holy Spirit of God. We heartily receive the Lord Jesus Christ and openly confess Him as our Saviour (Jeremiah 8:6; Acts 17:30; 26:30).
L. THE CHURCH: We believe that a Baptist church is a congregation consisting of believers baptized by immersion in water and associated by a covenant of faith and fellowship of the Gospel, observing the ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges vested in them by His Word; and that its officers of ordination are pastors, or elders, and deacons, whose qualifications, claims, and duties are defined clearly in the Scriptures (I Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:6-9); we believe the true mission of the church is found in the Great Commission: first, to make individual disciples (Matthew 28:19-20); second, to baptize the converts; third, to teach and instruct as He has commanded. We do not believe in the reversal of this order. We hold that the local church has the absolute right of self-government, free from the interference and hierarchy of individuals or organizations, and that the one and only superintendent is Christ through the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:19-23); that it is scriptural for true churches to cooperate with each other in the furtherance of the Gospel and in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the Gospel (Jude 3); that every church is the sole and only judge of the measure and method of its cooperation, and that on all matters of membership, policy, government, discipline, and benevolence the will of the local church is final ( Matthew 18:15-20; Acts 5:29; I Corinthians 6:1-8).
M. BAPTISM and the LORD’S SUPPER: We believe that New Testament baptism is defined as the immersion in water of a born-again believer in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the holy Ghost, with the approval of the local church and administered by one of its ministers (Matthew 28:19-20).
We believe the Lord’s Supper should always be proceeded by solemn self-examination and that the sacred use of unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine are to commemorate the dying love of Christ until He returns (Matthew 26:26-29; I Corinthians 11:30). The requirements to participate are laid down as an ordinance of the local church and the requirements are further laid out in Scripture (I Corinthians 11:27-29; Acts 2:41, 46-47; I Corinthians 11:18, 22, 27-29).
N. THE SECURITY of the BELIEVER: We believe that the preserving attachment to Christ is the grand mark that distinguishes true believers from superficial believers; that is a work of God the Father (John 10:28-29; Romans 8:300, God the Son (Romans 8:34; I John 2:1), and god the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30; I Peter 1:5). We believe that God’s eternal election and predestination guarantees their ultimate conformity to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29, 2 Tim. 2:19).
O. CIVIL GOVERNMENT: We believe that civil government is of divine appointment for the interest and good of human society; that its magistrates are to be prayed for (I timothy 2:1-3), conscientiously honored and obeyed except only in things opposed to the will of God (Acts 5:29; Romans 13:1-5).
P. THE SECOND COMING of CHRIST: We believe in the Lord’s bodily return to the earth. That it will be personal, visible, that it is imminent, that it will be a pre-tribulational rapture, and then the subsequent millennial enthronement, in fulfillment of His promise (I Thessalonians 4:15-17; I Corinthians 3:12-14; Revelation 20:11-15)
Q. HUMAN SEXUALITY: We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity should be engaged in outside of marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, tran-sexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex (Genesis 2:24; 19:5, 13; 25:8-9; Leviticus 18:1-30; Romans 1:26-29; I Corinthians 5:1; 6:9; I Thessalonians 4:1-8; Hebrews 13:4).
R. ABORTION and EUTHANASIA: We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living being. Abortion constitutes murder. We further reject any teachings that abortion of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the mental well-being of the mother as acceptable occurrences (Job 3:16; Psalms 51:5; 139:14-16; Isaiah 44:24; 49:1,5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:44).
S. MARRIAGE, DIVORCE and REMARRIAGE: We believe that marriage was instituted by God to be a permanent union between a man and a woman and therefore we are opposed to same sex marriage. We further believe that God intends marriage to last until one of the spouses dies. Although divorced and remarried persons may hold positions of service and be greatly used by God in Christian service, they may not hold an ordained position within the local church or this ministry (Genesis 2:24; Malachi 2:14-17; Matthew 19:3-12; Romans 7:1-3; I Timothy 3:2,12; Titus 1:6).
