The Holy Bible

We believe that the Holy Scriptures were given by the inspiration of God; that there can be no appeal from them to any other authority whatsoever; that they are fully sufficient to make one wise unto salvation through faith that is in Jesus Christ; that the Holy Spirit who inspired the Scripture must ever be its true interpreter as He works through the disciplined and dedicated minds of those within His Church; that any professed guidance that is contrary to these Scriptures must be counted as a delusion.

God

We believe in one God, revealed through the Holy Bible in the person of Jesus Christ; that He is both the creator and preserver of all things visible and invisible; that He alone is worthy of worship both now and forevermore; and that in the unity of the Godhead there exist three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, inseparable in divinity, power, glory and eternity.

Jesus Christ

We believe Jesus Christ to be the only begotten Son of God; that He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary; that He is the express image of the invisible God; and that He combines within Himself both the nature of God and the nature of man in one perfect and indivisible personality; fully God and fully man.

We believe that He was crucified as an atonement for the sins of the whole world, making provision whereby humanity could find the forgiveness of sins and the power for a new life and be brought back into a perfect relationship with the Father.

We believe that He arose from the dead and then ascended to the right hand of God. He is now making intercession for us and will come to earth again to receive His Church unto Himself and to judge the world in righteousness.

Holy Spirit

We believe the Holy Spirit to be the third person of the Godhead, proceeding from both Father and Son, but equal with them in authority, power, and glory. He convicts the world of sin, imparts life to the penitent believer, sanctifies the child of God, and enables one by His indwelling presence to love God supremely.

Humanity

We believe that God created humans in His own image; that they enjoyed unbroken fellowship with their Maker; and that their whole life is centered in the person of God. We believe that humans fell from this original state by an act of transgression; that in this fall they suffered the immediate loss of their perfect relationship to God, making self the center of life; and that in this act they suffered immediate spiritual death. In this disposition to sin, all people are born. We own no principle inherent naturally in people by which they may be saved, except by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ as a provision for all humanity.

Salvation

We believe that by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the direct and immediate agency of the Holy Spirit, a person may be recovered from the fallen state through divine enlightenment, forgiveness of sin, regeneration and sanctification of affections, and the final glorification of the body; that in this life a person may love God with all one’s heart, soul, mind, and strength; that one may live in victory over sin and enjoy unbroken fellowship with the Father; and that once more one’s whole life may center in and revolve around one’s Creator and Father.

We believe sanctification to be both a crisis and a process. As a crisis, sanctification is accomplished by the baptism with the Holy Spirit in the life of a dedicated and believing child of God, in which the heart is cleansed from an imperfect relationship and state. As a process, sanctification continuously disciplines the life into paths of holiness. We believe that the baptism with the Holy Spirit (entire sanctification) is the work of God’s grace by which the affections of people are purified and exalted to a supreme love of God, and the believer is empowered to witness to the living Christ.

We believe that, by the grace and power of God, through faith in the crucified Christ, the believer is assured of eternal life with the Triune God, and that no power on earth or in heaven can sever that relationship against the will of the believer. We believe, however, that by willful choice a child of God can return to that sinful state from which he or she had been lifted. Such apostasy destroys not only his fellowship with God, but also the eternal life with which he had been endued, so that for him remains only the eternal death of the unbeliever. However, such is the grace of God that, so long as life in the body remains, the prodigal may, through repentance, confession and renewed faith, return to “the Father’s house” and be fully restored to eternal life and fellowship with Him.

The Church

We believe that all those persons who repent of their sins and believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior are born again into His kingdom by the Holy Spirit. These constitute the Church universal of Jesus Christ. This Church we believe to be spiritual in nature, universal in scope, holy in character, and redemptive in her life and purpose.

We believe that wherever two or three are gathered together in the name of Christ, He is truly present in the person of the Holy Spirit and that such an assembly is a local church, the visible expression of His body, and the Church universal.

We believe that every believer should be attached to the local and visible body of Christ, being fitly framed together with others into a holy temple in the Lord and built for a habitation of His Spirit.

Christian Work

We believe that in the church, the believer is committed to both the worship and the work of God. This work involves not only personal righteousness as the fruit of a new life, but also the ministry of evangelism and teaching. The commission of Christ for every believer involves the stewardship of the kingdom, which it is fulfilled only by faithful service in and through the fellowship of His Church. This work is continuous until Christ comes again calling the Church unto Himself. We believe that all Christians are called upon to witness by word and deed within a sinful world, not returning evil for evil, but, like Christ, demonstrating love, forgiveness, and the way of peace.

We believe that in the fellowship of His body, the Holy Spirit gives to every member gifts of ministry to be exercised for the mutual advantage of every other member in the body, and for the influence of the Church upon those outside. There is a ministry that is such a gift given to certain ones whom God calls and ordains for leadership in His Church.

Resurrection and Judgment

We believe in the second coming of Christ: that at His coming the dead shall be resurrected, some to everlasting glory and others to everlasting shame; that we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ to receive recompense for the things done in the flesh. The judgment of the blessed shall be life everlasting in heaven, and the judgment of the lost life everlasting in hell. Judgment is in the hands of our compassionate Redeemer, who does all things after the counsel of His wisdom, love, and holiness.