Our Distinctives & Beliefs

We believe in the one true and living God, in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, who is invisible, personal, omnipresent, eternal, dependent on none, unchanging, truthful, trustworthy, almighty, sovereign, omniscient, righteous, holy, good, loving, merciful, long-suffering, and gracious. (Deut. 6:4; Psalm 115:3; 145:8, 17; Jer. 23:24; Mat. 3:16-17; 28:19; Luke 18:19; Jhn. 14:6; Acts 5:3-4; Rom. 11:35-36; 2 Cor. 13:14; Eph. 4:3-6; 1 Tim. 1:17; Heb. 13:8; 1 Pet. 1:2; 5:10 1 Jhn. 4:8; 5:1-12; Rev. 4:8)

We believe that Almighty God has revealed all that is necessary to life and salvation in the sixty-six books of Holy Scripture, which are the Word of God. All Scripture was given by inspiration of God, is infallible and inerrant, and is the final arbiter in all disputes. Its authority is derived from its Author and not from the opinions of men. (Psalm 119; Jhn. 17:17; Acts 1:16; 17:11; 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:19-21)

We believe that God, before the foundation of the world, for His own glory, did elect a great multitude of men and women to eternal life as an act of free and sovereign grace. This election was in no way dependent upon His foresight of human faith, decision, works, or merit. (Matt. 25:34; Jhn. 13:18; Rom. 8:29-9:24; 11:5-6; Eph. 1:3-12; 2:1-10; 1 Thess. 1:4-5; 5:9; 2 Thess. 2:13; 2 Tim. 1:9)

We believe that God made our first father Adam perfect, holy, and upright. He was appointed representative and head of the human race, thereby exposing all his offspring to the effects of his obedience or disobedience to God’s commands. (Gen. 1:26-27; 2:7; Ecc. 7:29; Rom. 5:12-19)

We believe that Adam fell from his original righteousness into sin and brought upon himself and all his offspring death, condemnation, and a sinful nature. (Gen. 3; Mark 7:21-23; Rom. 3:9-18, 23; 5:12-19; 1 Cor. 15:21-22)

We believe it is utterly beyond the power of unregenerate fallen man to love God, to keep His laws, to understand the gospel, to repent of sin or to trust in Christ. (Acts 11:17; Rom. 8:7; 1 Cor. 2:14; Eph. 2:1-3; Col. 1:21; 2 Tim. 2:25)

We believe that God sent His Son into the world, conceived of the virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit, unchangeably sinless, both God and man, born under the law, to live a perfect life of righteousness on behalf of His elect people. (Luke 1:35; Jhn. 1:1-2, 14; Rom. 5:12-19; 1 Cor. 15:22, 45; Gal. 4:4-5)

We believe that God’s Son died at Calvary to effect propitiation, reconciliation, redemption, and atonement for His elect people. God bore testimony to His acceptance of His Son’s work by raising Him bodily from the dead. (Isa. 53:1-12; Matt. 20:28; 28:1-10; Mrk. 16; Luke 24; Jhn. 20; Rom. 1:4; 5:11; 1 Cor. 1:30; 2 Cor. 5:21; Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:13-14; 1 Thess. 1:9-10; 2 Tim. 2:8; 1 Jhn 2:1-2; 4:10; John 15:3-8)

We believe that God’s Son ascended to the right hand of His Father and is enthroned in glory. He intercedes on behalf of His people and rules over all things for their sake. (Acts 1:9-11; Rom. 8:34; 1 Cor. 15:27; Eph. 1:22-23; 1 Tim. 2:5-6; Heb. 7:25; 1 Jhn. 2:1)

We believe the Holy Spirit works alongside the Word of God to regenerate elect sinners and draw them irresistibly to faith in Christ the Savior. (Psalm 3:8; 115:3; Isaiah 46:9-10; 55:10-11; Luke 10:22; Jhn. 6:37-44; 10:14-16; 17:9; Acts 13:48; Rom. 8:28-30; 9:19; Eph. 2:1-10)

We believe the Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Trinity, proceeding from the Father and the Son and equal in deity. The primary ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify and testify about the Son. He also convicts the world of sin, of righteousness through Christ, and of judgment to come. He is the supernatural Agent in the regeneration of man, baptizing all believers into the Body of Christ at the moment of salvation, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption. The Holy Spirit is the source and power of all acceptable worship and service. He also administers spiritual gifts to each Christian for building up the body of Christ and He guides, instructs, equips, revives, and empowers believers for holy living. (Gen. 1:2; Ezek. 36:26-27; 37:4-14; Jhn. 14:26; 16:8, 13; Acts 1:7-8; 2:4, 17, 33; 5:3-4; 8:29; 13:2; Rom. 8:13-14, 26-27; 1 Cor. 2:13; 12:1-31; 2 Cor. 1:22; Gal. 5:16; Eph. 1:13-14; 4:10-14, 30; 1 Jhn. 2:27)

We believe the elect, who are called by grace, are justified in the sight of God on account of the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ, which is received by faith alone. (Acts 13:39; Rom. 3:21-31; 4:3, 5, 11, 22; 5:1; 5:9; 8:28-34; 1 Cor. 1:30; 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 3:11, 24; Eph. 1:3-8; 2:8-9; 2 Tim. 1:9)

We believe that all who are regenerated, called, and justified shall persevere in holiness and never finally fall away. (Jhn. 3:3; Jhn. 6:39-40; Jhn. 10:28-30; Rom. 8:28-39; 2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 1:14; Phil. 1:6; Heb. 7:25; Heb. 13:5; 1 Pet. 1:5; 1 Jhn. 2:19)

We believe it is the calling of every Christian and local church to participate in fulfilling the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything Christ has commanded us. (Psalm 96:2-3; 105:1; Isa. 12:4; Matt. 28:16-20; Acts 1:8; Rom. 10:17; Col. 4:5-6; 1 Pet. 2:9; 3:15)

We believe the Universal Church consists of the full number of the elect who have been, are, or will be gathered into one under Christ her head. We believe the local church is an indispensible expression of the Universal Church and that all regenerate Christians should seek to be clearly defined members of a biblical local church whenever possible. We believe the local church is under the authority of Christ alone and that the final human authority rests in the membership as a whole. However, Christ has also called certain qualified men to represent Him and care for His body as official servant-leaders known as Elders. When needed, qualified servant-administrators known as Deacons should be appointed to ensure that the practical and logistical needs of the body are properly cared for. Furthermore, the communion of saints requires the recognition of and fellowship with other local evangelical churches. (Matt. 16:18-19; 18:15-20; Acts 2:41-42; 6:1-6; 14:23; 20:17-31; 1 Cor. 1:2; Eph. 1:22-23; 3:10-11; 4:4-16; 5:22-33; Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:18; 1 Tim. 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9; Heb. 10:24-25; 1 Pet. 5:1-4; Rev. 19:6-9)

We believe that baptism by immersion and the Lord’s Supper are gospel ordinances belonging only to regenerated believers. (Matt. 3:16; 28:19-20; Luke 22:19; Acts 2:41-42; 8:36-39; 1 Cor. 10:16-22; 11:23-32)

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ shall come again to raise the dead bodily, both righteous and unrighteous, and that the righteous shall enjoy everlasting life, and the wicked endure everlasting punishment. (Matt. 24:3-31; 25:31-46; Jhn. 5:22; Acts 3:19-21; 10:42; 17:31; 24:15; Rom. 14:10; 1 Cor. 3:9-15; 15:12-13, 35-57; 2 Cor. 5:10; 2 Tim. 4:1; 1 Pet. 4:5; Rev. 20:4-6, 11-15; 22:12)

We believe that God created human beings, male and female, in His own image and that they enjoy equal access to God by faith in Christ Jesus. Adam and Eve were made to complement each other in a one-flesh union that establishes the only normative pattern of sexual relations for men and women. God ordains that they assume distinctive roles which reflect the loving relationship between Christ and the church; the husband exercising headship in a way that displays the sacrificial loving leadership of Christ, and the wife submitting to her husband in a way that models the love of the church for her Lord. We teach that marriage is always to be between one biblically-defined man and one biblically-defined woman only. Homosexual unions and same-sex marriages, even if sanctioned by the civil authorities, are aberrations of God’s law and thus ungodly and not permissible; neither is it biblical, godly or permissible for a man to have more than one wife at the same time or a woman to have more than one husband at the same time, nor for a couple to live together as husband and wife outside of the covenant of marriage. (Gen. 1:26-28; 2:18-24; Lev. 18:22; 20:13; Mal. 2:13-16; Matt. 5:27-29, 31-32; 19:4-6; Rom. 1:26-27; 1 Cor. 6:9-11, 18-20; 7:1-16, 25-40; 11:3; Gal. 3:26-29; Eph. 4:22-33; 5:3; Col. 3:18-21; 1 Tim. 1:9-11; 2 Tim. 2:22; Heb. 13:4; 1 Pet. 3:1-7)

Human life is created by God and is good. Since we are uniquely created in the image of God and formed by God, we hold to the sanctity and dignity of all human life which begins at conception and lasts beyond death into eternity. God gives life and breath to everyone and calls us to love, defend, protect, and value human life as He intended, including pre-born babies, the aged, people with disabilities or mental illnesses, and every other stage or condition of life. (Gen. 1:26-28, 2:7, 9:6; Job 33:4; Ps. 139:13-16; Jer. 1:4-5; Mat. 6:26; Jhn. 5:28-29; Acts 17:25; 1 Cor. 15:51-52; 2 Cor. 5:8-10)