The Bible –
The sole basis for our belief is the Bible, composed of the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments. We believe the Scripture to be the inspired Word of God and the unique, full and final authority on all matters of faith and practice. There are no other writings similarly inspired by God. In reading and interpreting Scripture, however, we believe that the reader needs to interpret passages in context and in keeping with the consistent testimony of Scripture, rather than isolating passages out of context and using them for our own purposes.

God –
We believe that there is one, true, Holy God, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – each of Whom possesses equally all the attributes of deity and the characteristics of personality. In the beginning God created out of nothing the world and all the things therein, thus manifesting the glory of His power, wisdom, and goodness. By His sovereign power He continues to sustain His creation. By His providence He is operating throughout history to fulfill His redemptive purposes.

Salvation –
The central purpose of God’s revelation in Scripture is to call all people into fellowship with Him. Originally created to have fellowship with God, man defied God choosing to go his own way and was thus alienated from God, suffering the corruption of his nature, rendering him unable to please God. The fall took place at the beginning of human history, and all individuals since have suffered these consequences and thus need God’s saving grace.

Jesus Christ –
Jesus Christ is the eternal second person of the trinity who was fully God and fully human. He lived a life of perfect obedience to the Father and voluntarily atoned for the sins of all by dying on the cross as their substitute, thus satisfying divine justice and accomplishing salvation for all who trust in Him alone. He rose from the dead in the same body, though glorified, in which He lived and died. He ascended into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of the Father, where He, the only Mediator between God and humanity, continually makes intercession for His own. He shall come again to earth, personally and visibly, to consummate history and the eternal plan of God.

The Christian Life (The Holy Spirit) –
The essential accompaniment of a genuine saving relationship with Jesus Christ is a life of holiness and obedience, experienced by believers as they submit to the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity. He was sent into the world by the Father and the Son to apply to mankind the saving work of Christ. He enlightens the minds of sinners, awakens them in recognition of their need of a Savior and regenerates them. At the point of salvation He permanently indwells every believer to become the source of assurance, strength, and wisdom, and uniquely endows each believer with gifts for the upbuilding of the the body. The Holy Spirit guides believers in understanding and applying the Scripture. His power and control are appropriated by faith, making it possible for the believer to lead a life of Christ-like character and to bear fruit to the glory of God.

Human Destiny –
Death seals the eternal destiny of each person. For all mankind, there will be a resurrection of the body into the spiritual world and a judgment that will determine the fate of each individual. Unbelievers will be separated from God into condemnation. God’s judgment will reveal His justice in consigning them to continue in eternal retribution their own rejection of God. Believers will be received into eternal communion with God and rewarded for works done in this life.

The Church –
All believers in Jesus Christ form the church. There is one true church, universal, comprised of all those who acknowledge Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. The Scripture commands believers to gather together and to devote themselves to prayer, worship, the teaching of the Word, the observance of baptism and communion, fellowship, service to the body through the development and use of their talents and gifts, and outreach to the world.

Wherever God’s people meet regularly in obedience to this command, there is the local expression of the church. Under the watchcare of the spiritual overseers and other supportive leadership, its members are to work together in love and unity intent on the one ultimate purpose of glorifying Christ.

The church is first and foremost an organism, and not an organization. It is the living body of Jesus Christ, made up of all people everywhere who are his followers. It is not defined by the limits of any particular denomination but includes all true believers. Scripture describes some of the activities of the church, but it is Christ’s presence in our midst that makes us His church, not anything we do.

The church is defined, not by what we believe, but by how we live.  The consistent testimony of scripture is for us to move beyond belief to living lives of compassion, justice, and righteousness.

Faith and Practice –
The Bible is the final authority on matters of faith & practice. The church recognizes it can not bind the conscience of individual members in areas where Scripture is silent. Rather, each believer is to be led in those areas by God, to whom he/she alone is ultimately responsible.

No person has the right to dictate the beliefs of another person; we submit to God’s authority through His Word – it stands over and judges us all, including our leaders.

We do not take stands on issues about which the Bible is silent; individuals are left to their own conscience before the Lord, rather than depending on the church to tell them what to think or do.

We believe the Statement of Faith to be an accurate summary of what Scripture teaches.