What We Believe

There is only one living and true God . He is the Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer and Ruler of the universe. God is glorious, infinite in greatness, worth and every perfection. God is all powerful and all knowing, and His perfect knowledge extends to all things, past, present, and future. The eternal triune God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being. Matt 3:16-17; Matthew 28:19; 1 Corinthians 8:6.

Jesus Christ is the Son of God . He is co-equal with God the Father John 10:30. Jesus has eternally existed and became man at His incarnation ; . He lived a sinless human life and offered himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. He bodily arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death . He ascended to sit at God the Father’s right hand and will return to the earth again in bodily form to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. John 1:1-18; Galatians 4:4-5; Colossians 1:13-22; Philippians 2:5-11; 1 Corinthians 15:1-8; 24-28; Revelation 1:13-16; 5:9-14; 12:10-11; 13:8; 19:16; Romans 1:3-4

By turning from our sin and self-rule and placing our faith in Jesus Christ as God’s offer of forgiveness anyone can be saved from sin’s penalty and be adopted into God’s family . Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ by faith and it results in a new life with new desires, thoughts, and actions.  Faith is more than agreeing to some facts, but an outward response to an inward transformation that treasures Jesus and places the weight of our entire life and eternity upon Him. Eph 2:1-10, 4:11-16; Romans 1:16-17; 3:23-25; 10:8-13; Colossians 3:13; Hebrews 11:1-12:8; Titus 2:11-14; Galatians 2:20.

God, by His Word and Spirit, created the Church, calling sinful men out of the whole human race into the fellowship of Christ’s body . By the same Word and Spirit, He guides and preserves that newly redeemed humanity. The Church is not a religious institution or denomination. Rather, the Church is made up of those who have become genuine followers of Jesus Christ and have personally appropriated the gospel. The ultimate mission of the Church is to bring glory to God by making disciples. Upon conversion, newly redeemed men and women are baptized into a local church, in which they devote themselves to teaching, fellowship, service, the Lord’s Supper and prayer.

All members of the Church universal are to be a vital and committed part of a local church. In this context, they are called to live out the implications of the gospel as the people of God and demonstrate the reality of the kingdom of God . The ascended Christ has given gift ministries to the Church, including prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, for the equipping of Christ’s body so that it might mature and grow Ephesians 4:11-16. In the context of the local church, God’s people receive pastoral care and oversight and the opportunity to steward their gifts for His glory and the good of the other 1 Peter 5:1-4; Philippians 2:1-4; Matthew 18:15-20. Matthew 16:15-19; 1 Peter 2:1-10; Eph 2:11-22;  Matthew 28:16-20; Acts 2:41-47

We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person male and female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. Genesis 1:26–27

We believe and affirm that God created marriage to be a sacred, lifelong union between one man and one woman.  Marriage is intended to be an enduring covenantal relationship which reflects Christ’s own unconditional commitment to the Church. Genesis 2:22–24; Matthew 19:4–6; Mark 10:6–9; Ephesians 5:25–27.

*Statement on Biblical Sexuality

God’s design for human sexuality as revealed in Scripture is that sexual intimacy is a gift from God and is intended to be a physical and emotional expression of love and commitment between a man and a woman within the life-long, covenant relationship of marriage. Genesis 2:24; Ephesians 5:22–33; 1 Corinthians 7:1–5; Hebrews 13:4

The Bible reserves all sexual relationships to the confines of covenantal marriage. Participating in, promoting or nurturing the lust for premarital, extramarital, or homosexual behavior is a sin. 1 Corinthians 5:1–13; 6:9–11; 1 Thessalonians 4:1–8

Affirming and building on the moral law of the Old Testament,  the New Testament clearly includes homosexual behavior in the lists of sexual immorality and other sinful behavior to both abstain from and avoid. Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Romans 1:25–27; 1 Corinthians 6:9–11; 1 Timothy 1:9–11.

Sexual celibacy is a worthy state for single men and women. Unmarried people who abstain from sex can be whole, mature persons who are just as pleasing to God as persons who are faithful in marriage. Matthew 19:12; 1 Corinthians 7:1, 8.