What We Believe

The doctrines of this church shall be in conformity with those generally accepted by historic Baptist Churches and expressed in the Confession of Faith and Covenant below.

We believe in the verbal plenary (full, entire, complete) inspiration of the Bible, which is the Word of God, that in its truthfulness and completeness, it is the only criterion and authority of both church and individual for faith and practice.  (II Peter 1:19-21;  II Timothy 3: 15-17)

We believe there is one God eternally existing, as a unity in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost (Genesis 1:1; John 9:35; 10:30; John 14: 16-27).  We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowal of spiritual gifts to every believer.  God uniquely uses evangelists and pastor-teachers to equip believers in the assembly in order that they can do the work of the ministry (Romans 12:3-8; I Corinthians 12:4-11, 28;  Ephesians 4:7-12).

We believe the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ; His virgin birth; His sinless life; His substitutionary death on the cross for our sins; His bodily resurrection from the grave; His ascension to the right hand of God, where He ever liveth to make intercession for believers; and His personal, visible, imminent, and pre-millenial return to the earth at the end of the church age.  (MattheW 1:18; John 1:1;  Acts 1:11; I Thessalonians 4:16-17)

a.  We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgement;  and that He is the Divine Agent in regeneration, baptiszing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption  (John 16: 8-11;  Romans 8:9;  I Corinthians 12: 12-14;  II Corinthians 3:6;  Ephesians 1:13).
b.  We believe He is the Divine Teacher who assists believers to understand and appropriate the Scriptures, and that it is the privilege of all the saved to be indwelled with the Spirit (Ephesiand 5:18;  I John 2:20, 27).
c.  We believe that the manifestation of tongues (languages) and interpretations as well as prophetic utterances and the gift of healing were temporary, necessary until the completion of the Holy Scripture (I Corinthians 13:8-10).  Regarding healing, we believe God may choose, in answer to prayer, to heal his people with or without human agency (James 5:14-15).

We believe in the reality and personality of Satan; that he is a created being, once known as the "anointed cherub that covereth"; that through pride he fell; that he is the "god of this world" and the "prince of the power of the air"; that the judgement already passed on him will be executed at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and that ultimately, he will be cast into the lake of fire (Matthew 13:19; John 8:44; Ephesian 2:2; Revelation 20:10; Ezekiel 28:13-15).

We believe that mankind was created by God in His own image and after His own likeness, not by evolution, but by a special act of creation, and that this creative act of God was separate and distinct from any other work of God.  We believe the Scripture record of the Fall of man through his own disobedience, bringing the whole human race under sin and death.  We believe that man is totally depraved and hopelessly lost apart from the grace and salvation of God (Genesis 1:26-28, 2:7; Romans 3:23, 5:12; Galatians 3:22).

a.  We believe that salvation is by grace through faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ; that it is instantaneous and wholly apart from human merit; that every individual is a sinner by birth; and that all accountable human beings are sinners by practice and  by choice and therefore must exercie personal faith in the redeeming work of Christ on Calvary and receive His as Lord and Saviour in order to be saved (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5;Psalms 51:5; Romans 3:23, 10:9-13).
b.  We believe that believers should rejoice in full assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God's Word, but that the same Word clearly forbids the use of our liberty as an occasion to the flesh (Romans 13:14; Titus 2:11-15)
c.  We believe that salvation is eternal and that all who are truly born again are kept by God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit (John 6:37-40, 10:27-30; Romans 8:35-39; Philippians 1:6; Jude 1; I Peter 1:3-5).

We believe that all "who name the name of Christ" as their Saviour should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon His name.  We believe also that separation from all religious apostasy, as well as worldly and sinful pleasures and associations is commanded by Him (Romans 12:1-2, 14:13; II Corinthians 6:14 to 7:1, inclusive;  II Timothy 3:1-5; I John 2:15-17; II John 9:11).

We believe that every person has two natures, with full provision made by God for victory of the new over the old nature through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Romans 6:13, 7:17 to 8:1, inclusive, 8:12-13; Galatians 5:16-25; Ephesians 4:22-24: Colossians 3:10).

We believe that civil governments are the Divine appointment for the interests of good order of human society; that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored and obeyed except in things opposed to the will of God as expressed in His Word and interpreted in the light of this Constitution and Confession and Practices of Faith (Romans 13:1-7; Titus 3:1; I Peter 2:13-14, 17).

We believe in the bodily, personal, imminent, pre-millennial return of our Lord Jesus Christ; that He will come before the Great Tribulation to catch away His Bride, the Church; thlat all who are His shall then be caught up to meet Him "in the air", that at the end of the Great Tribulation He will come with His Church to the earth to judge the living nations and set up His millennial reign and eternal kingdom (Matthew 25:31-46; I Thessalonians 4:13-17; Revelation 9:11-21).

We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that such only as exercise saving faith in Jesus Christ are righteous in His sight and will spend eternity in heaven with Him, while all who continue in impenitence and unbelief are wicked in His sight and under His wrath; and that this distinction holds both in and after this life, in the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost (Genesis18:23; Malachi 3:18; Matthew 7:13-14; Luke 16:25; Romans 6:17-18).

We believe that God created the universe in sis literal, twenty-four-hour periods (Genesis 1:31; Exodus 20:11).

We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men; the saved to eternal lift, and the unsaved to judgement and everlasting punishment (Matthew 25:46; John 5:28-29; 11:25-26; Revelation 20:5-6, 12-13).

a.  We believe that the local church, which is the visible body of Christ and His espoused bride, is made up of born-again persons (I Corinthians 12:12-24; II Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 1:22-23, 5:25-27).