Who We Are

Since the earliest days of Christianity, Christians have articulated their foundational beliefs in concise and definitive statements. As those who have been saved from our sins by the living God, we recognize the necessity of presenting the cornerstone truths of our church clearly and succinctly. Our statement of beliefs does not aim to encompass every aspect of doctrine exhaustively; instead, it serves as a condensed summary of fundamental elements of the Christian faith rooted in Scripture, including our commitments to congregational polity and believer’s baptism. The affirmation of this statement fosters unity within our fellowship and safeguards the doctrinal integrity of our church.

THE SCRIPTURES

We believe the Bible, the 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament, is the written word of God. The Scriptures were written by men who were divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit, and thus are without error in their original manuscripts. The Scriptures are the supreme authority of all life, practice, and doctrine. The Bible leads us to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

Psalm 19.7; Mark 13.31; John 20.31; Acts 20.32; 2 Timothy 3.16; 2 Peter 1.20-21

GOD

We believe there is only one living and true God: infinite, eternal, almighty, and perfect in Himself and all His attributes. He alone is worthy of all possible honor, love, obedience, and worship. In the unity of the godhead there are three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, equal in every divine perfection, without division of nature, essence, or being, and executing distinct but harmonious roles in the great works of creation, providence, and redemption. One God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – is the foundation of Christian faith and life.

Deuteronomy 6.4; Psalm 145.3; John 1.3; Romans 11.36; 1 Corinthians 8.4-6, 10.31; Colossians 1.16-17; 1 Timothy 1.17

GOD THE FATHER

We believe God the Father is a personal spirit whom for His glory and by His word created the world out of nothing. He infallibly foreknows all that shall come to pass, including the future free choices of all humans and other moral beings; concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of humanity; hears and answers prayer; and, by His unfathomable grace, gave His Son, Jesus Christ, for mankind’s redemption.

Matthew 23.9; Luke 10.21-22; John 3.16, 6.27; Romans 1.7; 1 Timothy 1.1-2, 2.5-6; 1 Peter 1.3; Revelation 1.6

JESUS CHRIST

We believe Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, is the eternal Word made flesh. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary. We believe in His sinless life, miracles, and teachings. He is fully God and fully man. He is the only Savior for the sins of the world, having shed His blood upon Calvary’s cross. By His death in our place, He revealed divine love and upheld divine justice, removing our guilt and reconciling us to God. Having redeemed us from sin, on the third day He rose bodily from the grave, victorious over death. He ascended into heaven where, at God’s right hand, He intercedes for His people. He will visibly return to earth. He is the Head of the church.

Isaiah 53.10-12; Matthew 1.18-25, 20.28; Luke 1.26-38; John 1.1, 14;, 20.28,30-31; Acts 1.9-11; Romans 5.6-8, 6.9-10, 8.34, 9.5; 1 Corinthians 15.3-4; 2 Corinthians 5.21; Galatians 3.13; Ephesians 1.4; 1 Timothy 2.5, 3.16; Hebrews 1.1-3, 4.15, 7.25, 9.28; 1 Peter 2.21-23

THE HOLY SPIRIT

We believe the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. The Holy Spirit brings about the new birth and unites believers to Jesus Christ through proclamation of the gospel, compelling them to repent of their sins and confess Jesus as Lord. The Holy Spirit then dwells within them, cultivates godly character, bestows gifts by which they are to serve God and one another, seals them unto the day of redemption, comforts them in this present age, and leads them into a right understanding and rich application of the truth of God’s word.

John 14.16-17, 26, 15.26-27, 16.9-14; Romans 8.9, 14-17; 1 Corinthians 3.16, 6.19; Galatians 5.22-26; Ephesians 1.13-14

MANKIND

We believe God created man and woman in His own image, as the crown of creation, that they might have fellowship with Him. Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, from conception through natural death.

God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female, two distinct, complementary sexes, and has commanded that sexual intimacy shall occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other. As revealed in Scripture, marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, uniquely reflecting Christ’s relationship with His church.

We believe the Bible reveals a high calling for those who are Christians and yet remain unmarried. Spiritual maturity, usefulness, and giftedness are in no way dependent upon marriage, and those who remain celibate, in wholehearted dependence on Him, are an invaluable resource for the advancement of God’s kingdom.

Genesis 1.26-27, 2.18-25, 9.6; Psalm 51.5, 139.13-16; Matthew 19.10-12; Mark 7.20-23; 1 Corinthians 6.9-11, 18, 7.1-2, 8-9; Ephesians 5.22-33; Hebrews 13.4

FALL OF MAN

We believe God created the first man and woman free from sin, but, through the temptation of Satan, they willfully transgressed the command of God and so fell from their original state of holiness and righteousness, thereby earning God’s wrath, dying spiritually and eventually physically, and coming under the dominion of sin and Satan. As a result, their posterity – all human beings – have inherited a nature corrupt and wholly opposed to God and His law, are sinners by choice, and are justly under condemnation to eternal damnation without defense or excuse.

Genesis 1.26-31, 2.16-17, 3.1-24, 6.5,12, 8.21; Psalm 51.5; Proverbs 14.12; Isaiah 53.6; Jeremiah 17.9; Mark 7.20-23; John 5.24-29; Romans 3.9-20, 5.12-19, 6.20-23, 7.13, 8.6-8; 1 Corinthians 6.9-10, 18, 7.1-5; Ephesians 2.1-3; James 1.14-15; Revelation 20.11-15, 21.8

SALVATION

We believe the salvation of sinners is wholly by grace, through faith in the one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ; who by appointment of the Father, freely took on our nature, yet was without sin, having personally and perfectly obeyed all of God’s commands. By His voluntary, substitutionary, and sacrificial death on the cross, He made a full atonement for the sins of all who submit to Him as Lord. Having risen from the dead, He is now enthroned in heaven. Uniting in His wonderful person the tenderest sympathies with divine perfections, He is in every way qualified to be a suitable, compassionate, and all-sufficient Savior.

Isaiah 53.3-6; Matthew 20.28; John 3.16; Acts 15.11; Romans 3.21-26, 4.23-25; 1 Corinthians 15.1-5; 2 Corinthians 5.21; Galatians 2.4-7; Ephesians 2.4-5; Philippians 2.5-11; Colossians 2.9, 3.1-4; 1 Timothy 2.5; Hebrews 1.8, 2.9,18, 7.25, 9.13-15; 1 John 4.10

REGENERATION

We believe that to be saved sinners must be regenerated, or born again. Regeneration is a miraculous work of the Holy Spirit whereby a change of heart occurs in a person bringing about spiritual life in the place of spiritual death. The result of regeneration is a new life marked by repentance and faith.

Ezekiel 36.26; John 1.13, 3.3-8; 6.63-65; Acts 16:14-15; 2 Corinthians 5.17; Ephesians 2.1-10; Titus 3.5; 1 John 5.1

REPENTANCE AND FAITH

We believe salvation requires genuine repentance and faith, which follow upon God’s drawing of sinners through the gospel. Repentance occurs when, by the Holy Spirit, a person is made sensible of the manifold evil of his sin, detests and forsakes it, humbles himself with godly sorrow and self- abhorrence, and endeavors to walk before God so as to please Him in all things. Saving faith is the belief, on God’s authority, of whatever is revealed in His word concerning Christ and accepting and resting upon Him alone for justification and eternal life. It is accompanied by all other saving graces and leads to a life of holiness.

Proverbs 28.13; Matthew 3.8-10; Mark 1.15; John 3.16, 36, 5.24, 6.40, 44, 65; Acts 2.37-38, 11.18, 13.38-39, 17.30, 20.21; Romans 2.4-5, 3.21-28, 4.1-5, 17-25, 8.1, 10.3-4,14,17; 2 Corinthians 5.21, 7.10-11; Ephesians 2.8-10; Philippians 1.29, 3.9; Hebrews 11.6; James 2.14-26

SANCTIFICATION

We believe sanctification is the process by which, according to the will of God, we are made partakers of His holiness; that it is a progressive work; that it is begun in regeneration; and that it is carried on in the hearts of believers by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, the Sealer and Comforter, in the continual use of the appointed means – especially, the word of God, self-examination, confession, worship, prayer, and other spiritual disciplines.

John 17.17, 19; Romans 12.1-2, 15, 16; 1 Corinthians 1.30, 6.11; 2 Corinthians 3.18; Ephesians 1.4; Philippians 1.9-11. 2.12-13, 3.12- 16; 1 Thessalonians 4.3, 5.23; Hebrews 2.11, 6.1, 7.1, 10.10, 12.10; 1 Peter 2.2; 2 Peter 1.5-8; 1 John 2.29

PERSEVERANCE OF SAINTS

We believe those whom God has accepted in Christ and sanctified by His Spirit will never totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace but shall certainly persevere to the end. They may fall, through neglect and temptation, into sin, whereby they grieve the Spirit, impair their graces and comforts, bring reproach on the church and temporal judgments on themselves. Yet they shall be renewed again to repentance and be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.

Jeremiah 32.40; Matthew 13.20-21; John 8.31, 6.66-69; Romans 8.28-39; Philippians 1.6; Hebrews 13.5; 1 John 2.27-28, 3.9, 5.12, 18

THE CHURCH

We believe in the universal church, a living spiritual body of which the Lord Jesus Christ is the head and all regenerated persons are members. We believe that baptized believers who have given a credible profession of faith should covenant together as a local church for worship, edification, discipline, fellowship, and spreading of the gospel, governing themselves under Christ’s lordship. The local church’s scriptural offices are elders and deacons.

John 10.16; Acts 1.8, 2.42; Ephesians 1.22, 2.19-22, 4.11-16, 5.19-21, 23; Colossians 1.18, 3.16; Hebrews 3.13, 10.24-25

ORDINANCES OF THE CHURCH

We believe the Lord Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to the local church, baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Baptism is obligatory upon every believer, wherein a person is immersed in water in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, as a sign of their fellowship with the death and resurrection of Christ and of remission of sins.

The Lord’s Supper is in no sense a sacrifice, but was instituted by Christ to commemorate His death, to confirm the faith and other graces of Christians, and to be a pledge and renewal of their communion with Him and with each other. We believe that these two ordinances should be observed and administered until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Matthew 26.26-29, 28.18-20; Acts 2.38; Romans 6.3-5; 1 Corinthians 10.16-17, 11.23-31, 12.13

THE LAST THINGS

We believe in the personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth and the establishment of His kingdom. We believe in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, the eternal joy of the righteous, and the endless suffering of the wicked.

Matthew 16.27, 25.31-46; Mark 14.62; John 5.28-29, 14.3; Acts 1.11, 17.31; Romans 2.6-11; 1 Corinthians 4.5, 15.12-28; 2 Corinthians 5.1-10; Philippians 3.20; 1 Thessalonians 4.15; 2 Thessalonians 1.7-10; 2 Timothy 4.1, 8; Titus 2.13; Revelation 20.4-6, 11-15

Our statement of faith is rooted in historic Baptist confessions of faith like the New Hampshire Baptist Confession (1833) and the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Abstract of Principles (1858).