A little background…
Baptist, Our Identity
We are Baptist. By that we do not mean to imply that we are the only ones who are going to heaven or that we are the only ones who are doing anything for God, but it does identify what we believe. Labels are important.
Church, Our Loyalty
We believe the church is a body of believers coming together under two offices (pastor and deacons) to practice two ordinances (baptism and Lord's Supper) for two purposes (to glorify God and to fulfill the great commission). We believe God should be our focus and his people our source of supply.
Unaffiliated, Our Commitment
We place ourselves under no authority but God's in matters of faith, practice, provisions and approval. We are independent in regards to church government, but we are interdependent in working with other churches of like faith and practice in the areas of missions and Christian education. Cooperation is necessary to reach larger goals yet not at the expense of losing one's identity or doctrinal distinctives.
Bible, Our Authority
Only a strong emphasis on obedience to God's absolute Word will preserve a church from drifting spiritually and morally. For the sake of accuracy and continuity we use the King James Version as our English Bible and the "Received Text" as our Greek foundation.
Family, Our Emphasis
Imperfect though it may be, the home is irreplaceable, needing all the encouragement possible. The Bible has much to say about establishing a happy harmonious home. Ephesians 6
Compassionate: Our Disposition
A church is a family made up of different personalities and talents. We live and work together as imperfect people who accept the imperfections of others and love them unconditionally in spite of their failures. This is our goal not our accomplishment.
Doctrinal Statement
l. CONCERNING THE SCRIPTURES
We believe that the Bible, sixty-six books in the Old and New Testaments, is without error; its author is God, using Spirit-guided men, being thereby verbally and plenarily inspired; it is the sole authority for faith and conduct.
Pr. 30:5,6; Jn. 17:17; Rev. 22:18,19; II Pet. 1:19-21;Acts 3:21; Jude 3; II Pet. 1:19-21; 2 Sa. 23:2; Acts 1:16; I Cor. 2:13,14; II Tim. 3:16; Mt. 5:18; Gal. 3:16; II Tim. 3:17; Rm. 1:16; I Cor. 10:6-12; Eph. 6:17; I Tim. 5:18; 2 Tim. 3:17; 2 Pet. 3:15,16; Jn. 10:35; Acts 17:11; I Jn. 4:1.
II. CONCERNING THE TRUE GOD
We believe that there is one, and only one, living and true God, an infinite, eternal, self-existing, perfect Spirit; He is a personal Being, the creator and upholder of the universe; in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, equal in essence and in every divine perfection, but having distinct functions.
Deut. 6:4,5; Jer. 10:10; Jn. 4:24; Jas. 1:17; Hab. 1:12; Heb. 3:4; Ps. 139:1-16; Mt. 28:18,19; Mt. 3:16,17; 2 Cor. 13:14; Ps. 2:2; Isa. 63:10; Jn. 10:30; Jn. 17:5; Phil. 2:5,6; I Cor. 8:6; Jn. 3:16; Jn. 15:26.
III. CONCERNING CREATION
We believe in the Genesis account of Creation and that it is to be accepted literally and not figuratively; that man was created directly in God's own image and after His own likeness and did not evolve from any lower form of life; that all animal and vegetable life was made directly and God's established law is that they bring forth only "after their kind."
Gen. 1:1-2:25; Heb. 11:3; Gen. 1:2; Gen. 1:11,12,21,24,25.
IV. CONCERNING THE FALL OF MAN
We believe that man, although created without sin, by one transgression fell, so that all mankind are now sinners by state, disposition, and act, justly under condemnation.
Gen. 1:27,31; Eccl. 7:29; Gen. 2:16,17; Gen. 3:6,7; 2Rm. 5:12,19; Eph. 2:2,3; Isa. 53:6; Ps. 51:5; Rm. 3:9-18,23; Rm. 5:15-19; Rm. 8:7; Jn. 3:6; Gal. 3:22; Jn 3:18; Ezek. 18:20; Rm. 1:20,32; 2:1-16; 3:19; Gal. 3:10; Jas. 2:10
V. CONCERNING CHRIST AND THE WAY OF SALVATION
We believe that the only way of salvation for sinners is by grace made possible by the substitutionary death of the Son of God, who, though eternally God, was born of the virgin Mary, lived a perfect, sinless life, shed His precious blood on the cross, arose bodily from the grave, and ascended to reign on high.
Eph. 2:8; I Jn. 4:10; Acts 15:11; Jn. 14:6; Acts 4:12; Jn. 3:16; Isa. 53:4,5; Mt. 18:11; Heb. 2:9,14; Mt. 20:28; Rm. 3:25,26; I Cor. 15:3; Heb. 9:14,15; 2 Cor. 5:14,15; Jn. 8:58; Phil. 2:6,7; Jn.1:1,14; Jn. 17:5; Mt.1:29-25; Lk. 1:30-35; Isa. 7:14; Gal. 4:4,5; II Cor. 5:21; Heb. 5:8,9; Phil. 2:8; Eph. 1:7; I Pet. 1:19; Mt. 28:1-10; Mk. 16:6; Lk. 24:6,7; Jn. 20:9; Rm. 4:25; I Cor. 15:4-8; Acts 1:9; Heb. 7:25; Heb. 4:14; Heb. 1:3; Heb. 8:1; Heb. 7:25; Rm. 8:34
VI. CONCERNING THE BENEFITS OF SALVATION
We believe that all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ are justified, their sin is pardoned and the perfect righteousness of Christ is imputed to them; that they are regenerated or born again, and are given spiritual life manifesting repentance and faith; and that such true believers grow in grace and shall endure to the end.
Acts 13:39; Rm. 5:9; Rn. 5:1,2; Isa. 53:11,12; Rm. 8:1; Zech. 13:1; Acts 10:43; Titus 3:7; I Jn. 2:12; 2 Cor. 5:21; Rm. 5:1 7,19; Phil. 3:9; Rm. 3:24-26; Rm. 4:22-25; I Cor. 1:30; Jn.3: 3-8; I Pet. 1:23; I Cor. 2:14; Ezek. 36:26; Rm. 5:5; 001. 3:10; Rm. 8:9; Acts 3:19; Rm. 10:9-13; Ps. 51:3-7; Rm. 1:17; Acts 16:31; Acts 17:30; 20:21; Lk. 18:13; 2 Cor. 7:11; Heb. 11:6; 2 Pet. 3:18; I Pet. 2:2; Col. 3:1,2,8-17; Rm. 6:22; Eph. 4:24; Gal. 5:16; Gal. 5:22-25; Phil. 2:12,13; Jn. 8:31; Phil. 1:6; Jn. 6:39; I Jn. 2:19; Jn. 10:27-29; Jude 24,25; 2 Cor. 13:5
VII. CONCERNING SANCTIFICATION
We believe that sanctification is presented in three phases in Scripture: that believers have been made partakers of Christ's holiness, that they are being progressively sanctified, and that they will be completely sanctified at His glorification; that there is no complete eradication of the old nature in progressive sanctification, and that speaking in tongues is not a sign of either regeneration or sanctification, nor is the New Testament gift of tongues in existence today, but has ceased.
Heb. 10:10; I Cor. 6:11; I Cor. 1:30; Jn. 17:17; Phil. 1:9-11; Eph. 4:15; Eph. 5:26,27; I Thes. 4:3; Rm. 1:17; 2 Cor. 3:18; Col. 3:4; Phil. 3:21; Pr. 4:18; Phil. 2:12,13; Eph. 1:4; 2 Pet. 1:5-8; I Jn. 3:2; Phil. 3:12-16; Gal. 5:17; Rm. 7:18-25; Acts 2:8; 10:46; I Cor. 14:19; I Cor. 12:11,30; I Cor. 13:8.
VIll. CONCERNING THE LOCAL CHURCH
We believe that a local, visible church, financed by tithes and offerings, is a congregation of baptized believers associated together by a common faith and fellowship in the Gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ and governed by His Word; seeking to extend the Gospel to the ends of the earth; that its only Scriptural officers are pastors and deacons, whose qualifications, claims and duties are defined in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus.
Mt. 18:17; Acts 5:11; 8; I Cor. 16:1-2; Mal. 3:8-10; Acts 2:41,42; Mt. 28:19,20; I Cor. 11:23,24; 2 Tim. 3:15,16; Mt. 28:19,20; I Tim. 3:1-16; Titus 1:5-9.
IX. CONCERNING A BAPTIST CHURCH IN ITS INDEPENDENCE AND RELATIONSHIPS
We believe that the local visible church of Christ is a voluntary and independent autonomous group of baptized believers; that it is a theocracy, which organically can join nothing, and that it has the power and right within itself to confess its own faith in accordance with the New Testament; and that each congregation recognizes its own theocratic self-containing government as its highest authority for carrying out the will of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Mt. 18:15-18; I Cor. 5:4,5,13; I Tim. 3:15; Jude 3; Rev. 2,3; Mt. 18:15-18; Acts 6:3-5; I Cor. 5:4,5,13; I Tim. 3:15.
X. CONCERNING BAPTISM AND THE LORD'S SUPPER
We believe that both Christian baptism and the Lord's Supper are each a memorial, a symbol and a prophecy. We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion in water of a believer, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; to show forth, in a solemn and beautiful emblem, our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, with its effect in our death to sin and resurrection to a new life; that it is prerequisite to the privileges of a church relation; and a prerequisite to the Lord's Supper; in which the members of the church by the use of bread and fruit of the vine commemorate together the death of Christ; preceded always by solemn self-examination.
Rm. 6:3,4; I pet. 3:21; Acts 8:36-39; Jn. 3:22,23; 4:1,2; Mt. 28:19; Mk. 16:16; Acts 2:38; 8:12; 16:32-34; 18:8; Mt. 28:19; Rm. 6:4; Col. 2:12; I Pet. 3:20,21; Acts 22:16; Acts 2:41,42; Mt. 28:19,20; 1 Cor. 11:26; Mt. 26:26-29; I Cor. 11:28; 5:1,8; 11:17-32.
XI. CONCERNING CIVIL GOVERNMENT AND RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
We believe that civil government is of divine appointment, for the interests and good order of human society; and that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honoured and obeyed; except only in the things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the only Lord of the conscience, and the Prince of the kings of the earth; and that church and state should be separate, the state owing the church protection and full freedom; no ecclesiastical group or denomination should be preferred above another by the state; the state should not impose taxes for the support of any form of religion; a free church in a free state is the Christian ideal.
Rm. 13:1-7; Mt. 22:21; Titus 3:1; I Pet. 2:13,14; I Tim. 2:1-3; Acts 5:29; Acts 4:18-20; Mt. 23:10; Ps. 72:11; Ps. 2; Rm. 14:9-13; I Tim. 2:1,2; Jas. 4:12; Mt. 22:21.
XII. CONCERNING THE STATE OF THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE WICKED
We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that such only as through faith are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and sanctified by the Spirit of our God, are truly righteous in His sight; while all such as continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight wicked, and under condemnation, and that there will be resurrection of the righteous and a resurrection of the unrighteous.
Mal. 3:18; Rm. 1:17; Jn. 3:18; Dan. 12:2; Mt. 7:13,14; Lk. 9:23-26.
XIII. CONCERNING FUTURE EVENTS
We believe the Scriptures teach that at death the spirit and soul of the believer pass instantly into the presence of Christ and remain in conscious joy until the resurrection of the body when Christ comes for His own; the blessed hope of the believer is the imminent, personal, pre-tribulational, premillennial appearance of Christ to rapture all believers, His righteous judgments will then be poured out on an unbelieving world during the Tribulation, the last half of which is the Great Tribulation; the climax of this fearful era will be the physical return of Jesus Christ to the earth in great glory to introduce the Millennial kingdom; Israel will be saved and restored as a nation; Satan will be bound and the curse will be lifted from the physical creation; following the Millennium, the Great white Throne judgment will occur, at which time the bodies and souls of the wicked shall be reunited and cast into the Lake of Fire.
II Cor. 5:8; I Cor. 15:51-57; Titus 2:13; I Thes.4: 14-17; Mt. 24:21; Rev. 19:11-16; Rm. 11:26,27; Rev. 20:2,3; Rev. 20:11-15.
XIV. CONCERNING HERESY AND APOSTASY
We believe in total and complete separation as taught in the Word of God from all forms of heresy and ecclesiastical apostasy. We believe the Scripture teaches that we are to: 1. Try them. 2. Mark them 3. Rebuke them. 4. Have no fellowship. 5. Withdraw ourselves. 6. Receive them not. 7. Have no company with him. 8. Reject them. 9. Separate ourselves.
1 Jn. 4:1; Rm. 16:17; Titus 1:13; Eph. 5:11; II Thes. 3:6; II Jn. 10:11; II Thes. 3:14; Titus 3:10; 2 Cor. 6:17.