The Scriptures
We believe that the Scriptures given in both the Old Testament and the New Testament of the Bible are infallibly communicated to the human authors by the Holy Spirit of God and are without error in the original manuscripts. We believe that the Scriptures have been supernaturally preserved in order that we may know what to believe about God and what He requires from us. Therefore, we consider the Bible alone as our final rule and authority for all matters of faith and conduct.

The Godhead
We believe that God is spirit, eternal, all-powerful, and all wise. He is the living God and is alone in his pre-existence to the universe, separate from it, and supreme over it. He is unchangeable in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, righteousness, and truth. We believe that God exists as three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and that these three are one having precisely the same nature, attributes, and perfections.

The Creation of the Universe
We believe that the universe, the earth, and all living things are the work of God in creation. Matter is not eternal but is the result of the spoken command of God. God is personal and distinct from His creation but is sovereign over it. God has intervened and does intervene supernaturally in the history of the world and has an ultimate plan for fulfilling the purpose for which it was created.

The Creation of Man
We believe that God created man (male and female) in his own image, having his moral attributes. Man is a distinct creative act of God and is not the result of evolutionary progression from the animal kingdom. Mankind was created to reflect the glory of God and to have dominion over the earth including the animal kingdom. An important part of this stewardship was to be obedient to the instructions of God.

The Fall of Man
We believe that it was willful disobedience to the command of God that caused Adam and Eve to commit the first sin. This disobedience was instigated by the devil who caused Adam and Eve to mistrust God. As a result of this sin of disobedience our first parents fell and took on a sinful nature that all subsequent descendents of the human race have inherited. The whole being of man; body, soul, and spirit is corrupted by this evil and liable to death which will result in eventual separation from God. Because we are dead in trespasses and sins. we cannot by our own efforts, deliver ourselves from this condition except by the unmerited grace of God our Savior.

The Person of Jesus Christ
We believe that Jesus Christ, who was eternally the Son of God, became a man by taking a body of flesh. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and was born of a virgin. He retained His deity and was thus both God and man. He was sent by God to be a Savior for mankind and demonstrated His qualification for this role by living a perfect and sinless life. He died for our sins upon the cross, was buried, and rose bodily from the grave the third day. He subsequently ascended into heaven and is currently at the right hand of God where He is making intercession for His people.

The Plan of Salvation
We believe that every person is separated from God because of his sins. In this condition man is not acceptable to God. Good works, good intentions or religious involvement cannot cancel a person’s sins. God does not desire for man to remain in his sinful condition and has provided a remedy through the death of His Son, Jesus Christ, who as a substitute bore the penalty of our sins on the cross. He suffered for our sins in order that we might be declared righteous by God; not as a result of our own works, but as a result of His finished work.

The New Birth
We believe that it is necessary for a person to acknowledge his sins in repentance before God and accept the Lord Jesus Christ as His Lord and Savior. When he does this he is regenerated spiritually by the Holy Spirit and is united to Christ. A person who truly is born from above in this fashion receives eternal life and can never be lost. His sins are pardoned by God and he has all the rights and privileges as a child of God. Nothing will be able to separate him from the love of Christ. We believe that even though we may in the future commit sins; those sins are covered by the cross of Christ. We believe that the Holy Spirit comes to reside in us at the time of our new birth and continues to renew us in this life so that we are able to die to sin and live unto righteousness.

The Church
We believe that the Church is the body of Christ and is made up of all true believers and that the Lord Jesus Christ is the one and only Head of His Church. We believe the Church is an institution of God and is established in this world to represent Him here on this earth. He has given the Church His Word and established the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Within the body of Christ he has established teachers and pastors who are equipped to teach the truth of the Scriptures and look after the needs of His flock. We believe as members of Christ’s body; we should devote ourselves to the study of God’s Word, to fellowship with the saints, to the remembrance of Christ through the Lord’s Supper and to prayer. As a result of this we believe that we will be instructed in the faith, in the holiness of the Christian life, and be able to be a witness of our faith to an unbelieving world.

The Christian Life
We believe that we have been forgiven by God and have been made a new creation in Christ. It is our responsibility to walk in the Spirit, who enables us to live a life in obedience to Christ and His Word. We believe that we should conduct ourselves according to the example that Christ has set for us and live in the Spirit so that we may be an example to others that they may see our good works and be drawn to Christ.

The Proclamation of the Gospel
We believe that the Lord Jesus has instructed His church to preach the Gospel of God’s grace to all men. We believe that it is our privilege to present the message of salvation by Jesus Christ to sinful men in order that they may come to trust Him as their Savior by the power of the Holy Spirit. By this means only, men become a new creation in Christ and become members of His body, which is the church.

The Second Coming of Christ
We believe that just as Jesus Christ came the first time He will return again. His second coming will have two phases. The first phase is His return to call His church to be with Him in heaven. This is commonly called the rapture and could occur at any time. Subsequent to this return will be a seven-year period called the tribulation when God resumes His program with the nation of Israel and concurrently brings judgments on the unbelieving nations of the earth. At the end of the tribulation the second phase of the second coming will occur and Christ will return with His church to establish His reign here on earth.

The Christian Hope
We believe that when believers die their spirit is immediately with Christ. They are made perfect in holiness and are at home with the Lord. When Christ returns for his church they will receive their glorious resurrection bodies and be in the full enjoyment of God through all eternity. We believe the hope of the imminent return of Christ should motivate us to live wholesome lives and should enable us to endure the hardships of this life as good soldiers of Jesus Christ.

Additional Convictions

In addition to the statement of What We Believe to be basic to
the Christian faith, the following convictions are presented.
These are a part of our current position and practice. We know that
Christians have different views on these issues and we have no desire
to impose these on others; but feel they are important to our understanding
of Scripture in the conduct of our local assembly.

Worship Service
We have an open worship service on Sundays where the entire congregation is actively involved in the worship of God. Men of our assembly are free to lead us in worship through praise, a psalm, a hymn, a teaching, an exhortation, or a prayer, as led by the Holy Spirit and according to the guidelines of Scripture. Being led by the Spirit does not preclude individual preparation; and in any case, participation should be orderly, reverent, honoring to God and edifying to the Body. Periods of silence which may occur during this service should be viewed as opportunities for individual silent worship and meditation on our Lord.

The Lord's Supper
We observe the Lord's Supper as the central part of our worship service every week when we come together as a local church. We understand from Scripture that the Lord's Supper is a fellowship for believers whereby we corporately remember the Lord Jesus Christ and proclaim His death until He comes. Our invitation to share in this fellowship is extended to all true believers who may be present at the time, without regard to church membership. We normally introduce visiting believers to the assembly at the beginning of this meeting. The elements of the Lord’s Supper consist of a loaf of bread and a cup of wine (or grape juice), which are divinely appointed symbols representing our Lord's body and blood, which were given for us.

Women In The Meeting Of The Church
Scripture specifically prohibits women from speaking publicly in the formal meeting of the church. It also indicates that in any context relating to the church it is inappropriate for women to teach or exercise authority over men. We believe this is a valid precept based on the Scriptural principle of headship. However, this principle does not infer that women have less than equal standing before God or that their role in church life is less valuable than men.

Baptism
The New Testament presents Baptism as an act of obedience whereby; upon believing, a person publicly identifies himself with the Lord Jesus Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. We therefore believe that baptism should be by immersion and administered to those who profess faith in Christ, and should be performed at the earliest opportunity after conversion.

Church Discipline
Scripture calls for us to maintain purity of the church by exercising discipline to reprove and hopefully restore any believer who falls into open sin. According to Scripture, when a member of the Body sins, he should be confronted first by the one who has become aware of the sin. If a sin is committed against a person in the assembly, then the one sinned against should go in private and reprove the one who sinned. If anyone is unrepentant or persists in sinful behavior after being confronted, then two or more should go speak to him so that every fact may be confirmed. If he refuses to listen to them, the church should be informed; and if he refuses to listen even to the church then fellowship should be withdrawn and he should be treated as an unbeliever. If the sin is a serious doctrinal or moral sin and the person persists in an unrepentant state he likewise should be disciplined by the assembly.

Spiritual Gifts
Spiritual gifts are enriched capacities for service given by Christ Jesus to believers for the building up of the Body of Christ, the church. Our exercise of these spiritual gifts is nothing more or less than Christ ministering through and to His Body. These enriched capacities manifest themselves in areas such as teaching, preaching, service, evangelism, helping, mercy, giving, discernment, administration, exhortation, and leadership; all for the work of service, edification, and unity in the body. No one is gifted in all areas, but each believer is gifted in at least one area. The more extraordinary gifts such as miracles, healing, and tongues are not essential for the normal function of the Body. Rather, they are sign gifts used by God primarily in the initial establishment of the church for authenticating its divine origin.

Elder Leadership
We believe that a plurality of leaders in the local church is most consistent with biblical precept and example. Leadership of our assembly consists of men whom God has raised up from within our assembly to function as elders. We believe that the elders are directly accountable to Jesus Christ and the assembly they serve for this stewardship.