Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” -John 8:12

Of the Bible

We believe in the authority and sufficiency of the Holy Bible, consisting of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments; that it was verbally (the words) and plenarily (all of it) inspired by God in the original manuscripts and is the product of Spirit-controlled men; and that it is therefore infallible and inerrant in all matters of which it speaks (2 Timothy 3:16, 17; Titus 1:2; 2 Peter 1:3-4, 19-21).

Of the True God

We believe that there is one and only one living and true God, who is Spirit, infinite in every excellence, eternal, the supreme maker and ruler of the universe; and that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, equal in every divine perfection and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption (Psalm 147:5; Matthew 28:19-20; John 4:24; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Titus 1:2; Revelation 4:8-11).

Of Jesus Christ

We believe that Jesus Christ, the second member of the Trinity, was conceived in His humanity by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary; that He is One Person possessing two natures and thus is true God and true man; that He lived a sinless life and gave Himself to truly die as a perfect substitutionary sacrifice for mankind’s sins; that He arose bodily from the grave, ascended into Heaven where He is seated on the right hand of God interceding for His people, and will physically return to the Earth in keeping with His promises (Isaiah 53:4-6; John 1:1, 2; 19:30, 34; Luke 1:26-38; 24:4-7; Acts 1:9, 11; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 4:5; 7:25).

Of the Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, the third person of the trinity equal with God the Father and God the Son and of the same nature; that He was active in the creation; that He convicts of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; that He bears witness to the truth of the gospel; that He is the agent in the new birth; that He seals, guides, witnesses, sanctifies, and intercedes for the believer. We believe that the Holy Spirit gives gifts to the church, but the sign gifts are inactive today (Genesis 1:1, 2; John 3:5-6; 5:32; 15:26; 16:8-11; Acts 5:3-4; 19:11; Romans 8:14, 16, 26; 1 Corinthians 13:8-10; Ephesians 1:13; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Hebrews 2:2-4; 10:15; 1 John 5:6-7; Revelation 11:5-6).

Of the Devil, or Satan

We believe that Satan, a distinct person, was created by God as an angel but rebelled; that he is the unholy god of this age, the ruler of all spiritual darkness; and that he is doomed to eternal punishment in the lake of fire (Ezekiel 28:11-19; Matthew 4:1-3; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:1-3; Revelation 12:7-9; 20:10).

Of the Creation

We believe that God created the heavens and the earth in six, literal, twenty-four-hour days, as recorded in Genesis; that this account is neither allegory nor myth, but a literal, historical account of the direct, immediate creative acts of God without any evolutionary process; that man was created by a direct work of God and not from previously existing forms of life; and that all men are descended from the historical Adam and Eve, first parents of the entire human race (Genesis 1; 2; Colossians 1:16, 17; John 1:3).

Of Man and Sin

We believe that man was created innocent in the image of God and by voluntary transgression fell from his sinless state, in consequence of which all men are sinners by nature and by conduct; that all men are under just condemnation by God without defense or excuse (Genesis 1:27, 31; 3:1-6, cf. 2:16, 17; Romans 3:23; 5:12-19; Ephesians 2:1-3).

Of Salvation

We believe that salvation of sinners is divinely initiated; that by Jesus’ death He fully satisfied the just demands of God regarding sin; that faith in the finished work of Jesus is the only condition of salvation; that this work is a full and substitutionary sacrifice for our sins; that this salvation and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit are instantaneous upon belief; that this salvation is wholly of grace and in no wise dependent upon works; that no work makes that salvation more secure; that all who believe are born from above; and that all true believers are eternally secure in Christ (Isaiah 53:4-7; John 3:3, 16-18; Acts 16:30, 31; Romans 3:24-26; 8:9, 35-39; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-7; 1 John 4:10).

Of the Church

We believe that the Universal Church, which is Christ’s body, is composed of all believers from Pentecost to the rapture; that believers are added to the church by Spirit baptism at the moment of belief; and that all believers are the Bride of Christ and shall never be separated from Him (John 10:28, 29; Acts 2:4; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 12:12, 13; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 1:22, 23; 3:6).

We believe that the local church is a congregation of immersed believers, associated by a covenant of faith and fellowship of the gospel, observing the ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, and exercising its gifts; that its officers are pastors and deacons; that cooperation with other churches can be beneficial; and that it has the absolute right of self-government directed by the Holy Spirit, answering only to Christ, and in all matters of membership, policy, government, discipline, and benevolence having the final say (Acts 2:41-47; 6:1-7; Romans 6:1-4; 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 11:23-26; Ephesians 5:18, 23-24; 1 Timothy 3:1-15).

Of the Ordinances

We believe that there are two church ordinances: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

(1) We believe that immersion one time in water is the scriptural mode of baptism for the believer; that it is a solemn testimony of our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior; that it is prerequisite to the privileges of church membership (Acts 8:36-39; Romans 6:3-5).

(2) We believe that the Lord’s Supper is the commemoration by believers until He comes of His death and the New Covenant secured by it; that it should always be taken in a worthy manner; and that participants in the Lord’s Supper should be baptized believers (1 Corinthians 11:17-34).

Of Government

We believe that civil government was instituted by God; that it is still His means of maintaining peace and order in human society; that magistrates are to be prayed for, honored, and obeyed, except in those things opposed to the will of Christ; and that civil governments and churches are distinct from one another, must be organizationally separate from each other, and neither must seek to control the other (Acts 5:29; Romans 13:1-7; 1 Timothy 2:1-2; 1 Peter 2:13-17).

Of Gender, Marriage, and Life

We believe that God created both male and female; that He designed gender distinctions between men and women, including the biblically-defined and distinctive roles of husband and wife; that seeking to confuse or change the God-given distinction of the two genders violates God’s design; that marriage was divinely ordained to be the lifelong and exclusive union of one man and one woman; that the Scriptures prohibit all sexual intimacy outside of this biblical, marital relationship; and that all human life has sanctity from the moment of conception onward, regardless of function or quality of life (Genesis 1:27; 2:22-25; Deuteronomy 22:5; Psalm 139:13-16; Proverbs 23:22; 24:11-12; Malachi 2:16; Matthew 19:4-6; Romans 1:24-27; 1 Corinthians 7:1-5; Ephesians 5:22-33; 1 Timothy 2:11-12; Hebrews 13:4).

Of Israel

We believe in the sovereign election of Israel as God’s covenant people; that she is now dispersed because of her disobedience and rejection of Christ; and that she will be regathered in the holy land and, after the completion of the Church, will be saved as a nation at the second advent of Christ (Genesis 13:14-17; Romans 11:1-32; Ezekiel 37).

Of Things to Come

Rapture of the Church

We believe that Jesus Christ will return to meet believers in the air; that the dead in Christ will rise first; that believers who are living will be caught up together with them to ever be with the Lord; and that the rapture occurs before the tribulation (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; cf. 1 Thessalonians 1:10).

Second Coming

We believe that following the tribulation, Christ will return to the earth with His glorified saints to establish the millennial Kingdom; that during His 1,000 year reign Satan will be bound; that at the end of the Millennium, Satan will be released for a short time to deceive many and attempt rebellion; and that Satan and his armies will be utterly defeated (Revelation 19:11-16; 20:2-10).

Eternal State

We believe that God looks on the unsaved as wicked; that God looks on those justified by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ as righteous; that this distinction holds both in and after death in the everlasting felicity of the saved and the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost with Satan and the fallen angels in the lake of fire (Proverbs 14:32; Malachi 3:18; Luke 16:24-25).