We believe that the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the verbally, plenarily inspired Word of God and are inerrant in the original writings (1 Cor. 2:13; 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:21; Rev. 22:18-19; Matt. 5:18; 24:35; John 10:35; 17:17). The Bible is the final authority on all matters of faith and practice (Isa. 8:20; Matt. 5:18; 24:35; John 10:35; 2 Tim. 3:16-17). We practice a dispensational hermeneutic, based on a progressive unfolding of revelation from God which results in various dispensations or distinguishable economies of God’s revealed truth (Rom. 16:25; 1 Cor. 4:1; Eph. 1:10; 3:2-4; Col. 1:25-27; Heb. 1:1). This hermeneutic recognizes a fundamental distinction between Israel and the Church in origin, purposes, and destiny (1 Cor.10:32).

We believe in the one Triune God (Deut. 6:4; Isa. 45:21-22), eternally existing in three Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Gen.1:2; Matt. 1:18; 3:17; 12:32; 28:19; John 4:21, 23; 5:44; Rom.1:3-4; 15:6; 2 Cor.13:14; Jude 20-21), of one essence but distinct in persons, and equal in perfection and attributes (2 Sam.23:2 -3; John 5:23; 6:27; 16:15; Acts 5:3-4; Eph. 2:18; Heb. 1:8; 9:14). We believe that the Trinity created the physical universe, including all life forms, in six successive solar days, and the spiritual universe of angels (Gen. 1-2; Exod. 20:11; Ps. 19:1-6; 33:6, 9; 90:2; Isa. 40:28; 1 Cor. 8:6; Heb. 11:3; Rev. 4:9-11). We oppose the evolutionary hypothesis of origins, whether theistic or atheistic.

We believe in God the Father, the First Person of the eternal Trinity (John 17:5; Rom. 16:26). The Father is the ultimate source of all things, the sustainer of all things, and the controller of all things (Neh. 9:6; Ps. 103:19; 104:19-22; 148:8; Prov. 19:21; 1 Cor. 8:6; 10:13; John 5:17; Eph.3:9).

We believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God (Isa. 9:6; Matt. 16:16; John 10:36; 17:5), who in His incarnation became man while remaining God (Matt. 20:28; John 1:1; 8:40; Rom. 9:5; 1 Tim. 2:5; Titus 2:13; Heb. 1:8; 1 John 5:20). We believe in His virgin conception and birth (Matt. 1:18-25), His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice(Isa. 53:1-12; John 1:29; 1 John 2:2), His bodily resurrection from the tomb (Matt. 28:5-7; Luke 24:1-7; 1 Cor. 15:3-4; Rev. 1:18), and His ascension into heaven (Luke 24:51; Acts 1:2, 9 -11) as the believer’s High Priest and Advocate before the throne of God (1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 1:3; 4:14-16; 1 John 2:1; Rev. 3:21).

We believe the Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Godhead (John 16:7-8; 1 Cor. 3:16; Heb. 9:14). He convicts of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment (John 16:8-11), imparts spiritual life in regeneration (John 3:3, 5; Titus 3:5), permanently indwells believers (John 7:37-39; 14:16; Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 3:16), becomes the seal of divine ownership and earnest that guarantees the final salvation of the believer (2 Cor. 1:22; 5:5; Eph. 1:13-14; 4:30), and fills and empowers believers as they yield to the Word (Acts 2:4; Rom. 6:13; 12:1-2; Gal. 5:16; Eph. 4:30).

We believe that man was created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-31; 2:7-25; 1 Cor. 11:7; Jas. 3:9) in righteousness and holiness (Eph. 4:24; Col 3:9-10). Man freely transgressed God’s commandment (Gen. 3:1-7; 1 Tim. 2:14), and because of the sin of Adam all humans are now condemned and are sinners by nature and by choice (Gen. 8:21; 1 Kings 8:46; Isa. 53:6; Jer.17:9; Rom. 3:10, 12, 23; 1 John 1:8, 10).

We believe that salvation has been provided by the substitutionary death of Christ for all sinners, is given to man by grace, and is received by repentance and faith in Jesus Christ (Isa.53:4-12; John 1:12; 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 3:13; Eph. 1:7; 2:8-10; 1 Pet. 1:18-19; 2:24). All the redeemed are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever (John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Rom. 8:1, 38-39; 1 Cor. 1:4-8; 1 Pet. 1:4-5). Salvation results in justification (Rom. 4:1-5, 25;5:1, 18-19), forgiveness of sin (Acts 10:43; Eph. 1:7; 4:32; Col. 1:14; 2:13; 1 John 2:12), adoption (Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:5; Eph. 1:5), sanctification (1 Cor. 1:2, 30; 6:11; Heb. 10:10, 14), and glorification (Rom. 8:30). We believe that sanctification has three aspects. First, in positional sanctification the believer is given a perfect standing before God (Acts 26:18; 1 Cor. 1:2; 6:11; Heb. 10:10, 14). Second, in present sanctification the believer is cleansed of the daily defilement of sin and is in the process of being brought into conformity to the image of Christ (John 13:10; 2 Cor. 3:18; 1 Thess. 5:23). Third, in final sanctification the believer will be fully conformed to the image of Christ, and sin will be eliminated forever from his experience (Phil.3:21; 1 Thess. 3:12-13; Heb. 9:28; 1 John 3:2; Jude 24).

We believe that the church is God’s institution for spiritual ministry and activity in this age. The Head of the church is Christ, and the members are believers in Jesus Christ, who have been immersed upon their confession of faith and who share a common body of truth (Acts 2:42; Eph. 1:22-23; 2:11-22; 5:23; Col. 1:18, 24; 2 Thess. 3:6; Jude 3). The church is the center of a Christian’s worship, work, and fellowship. The church assembles for the preaching of the Word, the observance of the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and the discipleship and discipline of the members (Matt. 18:15-17; 1 Cor. 5:4-5, 12; 6:1-5; 2 Cor. 2:6; 2 Thess. 3:6; 1 Tim. 3:15; Jude 3; Rev. 2-3). The ordinances for the church are water baptism by immersion (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 2:38; 10:47-48; Rom. 6:3 5) and the Lord’s Supper (Acts 2:41-42; 1 Cor. 11:23-32). The church has two offices: pastor and deacon (Phil. 1:1; 1 Tim. 2:12; 3:1-13; Heb. 10:25). The church is independent and autonomous, free of any external authority or control (Acts 13:1-4; 15:19-31; 20:28; Rom. 16:1, 4; 1 Cor. 3:9, 16; 5:4-7, 13; 1 Pet. 5:1-4). The church is responsible for the spread of the Gospel to the world (Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; 2: 41-42; 10:47-48). The Great Commission and the practice of the early church require churches and believers to proclaim the Gospel to all nations (Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21;Acts 1:8; 2 Cor. 5:20).

We believe that true spiritual fellowship is the result of a common faith. While unity is preferable and sought after (John 17:20-23), personal separation is required from a brother who refuses to live a lifestyle in accord with the teaching of Scripture, and ecclesiastical separation is necessary from a church which holds to divisive doctrinal error (Rom. 16:17; 1 Cor.5:11; 2 Thess. 3:6, 14-15). The worldview of the believer is dictated by Scripture, rather than by the world, and is motivated by love for God, fellow believers, and the lost (Rom. 12:1-2;14; 2 Cor. 6:14-7:1; Eph. 5:15-18; Titus 3:10; 1 John 2:15-17; 4:1; 2 John 10-11).

We believe in the personal, bodily, pretribulational, premillennial, and imminent return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, first to take His saints home to be with him at the rapture of the living and resurrection of the dead (Matt. 24:44; John 14:1-3; 1 Thess.4:4 -18; Titus 2:11-13), and second to establish His earthly kingdom (Dan. 7:9-14; Zech. 14:1-4; Mal. 3:1-2; Matt. 24:29-30; Acts 1:11; 2 Thess. 2:8; Rev. 1:7). We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment (Matt. 25:46; John 5:28-29; 11:25-26; Rev. 20:5-6, 12-13).