Mankind was created by God to exist forever. Death seals the eternal destiny of each person. For all mankind, there will be a bodily resurrection and a judgment that will determine the fate of each individual. Those who have rejected Jesus Christ are destined to eternal separation from God in a place called Hell. Those who have personally surrendered to Jesus Christ as Lord will be received into eternal communion with God and will be rewarded for works done in this life. (John 3:16; Romans 6:23; Matthew 25:44,46; Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 20:15)
The Church is the living Body of Christ on earth and at the point of salvation a person becomes a member of Christ's Body — the Church. There is one true Church universal, comprised of all those who acknowledge Jesus Christ as Savior. The Scriptures encourage believers to gather together to devote themselves to worship, prayer, teaching of the Word, observance of baptism and communion as ordinances established by Jesus Christ for the purpose of fellowship, service to the body through the development and use of talents, and outreach to the world. Whenever God's people meet together regularly, this is the local Church body. Under the watchful care of pastors and supportive leadership, its members are to work together in love and unity, intent on the one ultimate purpose of glorifying Christ by living God-honoring God-centered lives, and reaching the community and the world with the gospel. (Matt. 22:36-40, 28:19-20, Acts 1:8; 2:41-47, Romans 12:3-16, Ephesians 2:19-22; 4:11-13, Col. 1:18)
This church holds a very high view of Scripture. It is the final authority in all matters of faith and practice. This church recognizes that it cannot bind the conscience of individual members in areas where Scripture is silent. Rather, each believer is to be led in those areas by the Lord, to Whom he or she is ultimately responsible. We believe this Statement of Faith to be an accurate summary of what Scripture teaches and is in agreement with the Articles of Faith of our parent organization, the Fellowship of Evangelical Churches.
"There is one body and one Spirit--just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call-- one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." (Ephesian 4:4-6 ESV)
"So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother." (Romans 14:12-13 ESV)
"And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing." (1Corinthians 13:2-3 ESV)
We believe that the Bible is God's Word to us, and is the supreme source of truth for Christian faith and living. The sixty six books of the Old and New Testament were written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. Scripture thus at one and the same time speaks with the authority of God and reflects the backgrounds, styles and vocabularies of the human authors. We hold that the Scriptures are infallible, inspired and without any mixture of error in the original writings. They are the unique, full and final authority on all matters which they address. The Holy Spirit has guided the writing of these books and their preservation today as Holy Scripture. We are not at liberty to add or remove from them. (Psalm 119:105, 2 Tim 3:15-17; 2 Tim 1:13-14, 2 Pet 1:20-21, Rev. 22:18-19)
We believe in the one and only true God who is Creator and Sustainer of the universe. God is self-existent, infinite, personal, unchangeable and eternal in His being. In His character God exhibits perfect holiness, justice, goodness, wisdom, truth and love. He is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. This one God exists and reveals Himself in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We acknowledge that all we know of God is from what He has revealed to us and what we understand of that revelation. At present, we know only in part, but continue daily to seek greater knowledge and love of Him. (Gen 1:1; Psalm 90:2; John 14:6-7; Rom 11:36)
Jesus Christ is the Eternal Son of God who was born in the likeness of man. He chose to humble Himself to be born of a virgin through a miraculous conception of the Holy Spirit, without ceasing to be God. Demonstrating unity with the Father, He lived a sinless human life, and out of love for all man-kind He voluntarily offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for our sins by dying on a cross as our substitute. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven where He reigns with all authority over heaven and earth and intercedes on our behalf before the Father. Jesus will return again to earth some day, personally and visibly, to consummate history and the eternal plan of God. (Matthew 1:22,23; Matthew 28:18; John 1:14; Acts 1: 9-11; Phil. 2:5-11; Col 1:18; Hebrews 4:14-16; 1Peter 1:18-19)
The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son of God. He is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He enlightens the minds of sinners, awakens in them a recognition of their need of a Savior, and brings spiritual life to them. At the point of salvation, He permanently indwells every believer to become the source of assurance, strength and wisdom, and He uniquely endows each believer with gifts for the building up of the body of Christ — the Church. The Holy Spirit guides believers in understanding and applying the Scriptures. As Christians, we seek to live under His control daily, to exhibit Christ-like character, and to bear fruit to the glory of the Father. (John 14:16,17; John 16:7-13,17; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 12:13; 2 Corinthians 3:17; Ephesians 1:13, 5:17-21; Galatians 5:25; Hebrews 9:14)
Mankind was created by God as an intentional act of His will and in His image and likeness. We have been assigned by God the responsibility of care and authority over the earth. Humans find their greatest joy and fulfillment in accomplishing the purpose for which they were created: to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. (Genesis 1:26-27, 2:7; Ephesians 1:5-6)
Sin is willful disobedience to God's will resulting in our lack of faith in God's purposes and/or placing our own desires above God's. In the beginning, man and woman were given the opportunity to show their love and trust in God through their obedience to Him, but instead chose to disobey. Through this original act of disobedience man alienated himself from God, and all of creation has suffered the consequences. Each of us possesses a sinful nature and is guilty of disobedience to God. The penalty for this sin is death, both physical and spiritual. Jesus freely took upon Himself the punishment that was due us so that we could be forgiven and restored to fellowship and eternal life with God. (Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-19; Isaiah 53:6; Romans 3:10-12, 5:8, 6:22-23; 1 John 1:8-10) Salvation is God's free gift to mankind. It is offered to all, but is individually received through repentance of sin and faith in Jesus Christ. There is no salvation without repentance. Salvation is wholly a work of God's free grace, not the result, in whole or in part, of human works or goodness. Eternal life and the forgiveness of sins begins the moment one repents, or turns from their sins, and transfers their trust from themselves to Christ for forgiveness of their sins. Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of Christians, and when God has begun a saving work in the heart of any person, He promises to continue performing it until the day of its completion. We are involved in this process by choosing to follow Christ, trust Him, and obey Him as our lives are transformed. If you have been genuinely saved, you cannot "lose it." (John 1:12, 14:6; Roman 6:23, 8:38-39; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 2:8,9; Titus 3:5)
