The Holy Scriptures
We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the verbally and plenarily inspired Word of God. The Scriptures are inerrant, infallible and God-breathed and, therefore, are the sole authority for faith and life. We believe the Scriptures to be divinely inspired, preserved, and without error in what is commonly known as the authorized, King James Version. (Ps. 12:6-7; Matt. 24:35; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:20-21)
The Godhead
We believe in one triune God, eternally existing in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—each co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, coequal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections. (Deut. 6:4; Matt.28:19; John 14:10, 26; 2 Cor. 13:14)
The Person and Work of Christ
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and, that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead. (Acts 2:18-36; Rom. 3:24-25; Eph. 1:7; 1 Pet. 2:24; 1 Pet. 1:3-5)
Jesus Christ is God manifest in the flesh; in His divine nature truly God; in His human nature, truly man; 100% both. The mediator between God and man, once crucified, He is now risen and glorified and is our ever-present Saviour and Lord. He is the virgin-born, sinless, eternally begotten Son of God. (John 1:1-4, 14; Phil. 2:5-11; John 3:16)
The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and, that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration. He indwells and seals all believers unto the day of redemption. (John 16:8-11; Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 3:16; 2 Cor. 3:6; Eph. 1:13-14)
We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and the gift of healing were temporary. Speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the filling of the Holy Spirit. Ultimate deliverance of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection, though God frequently chooses to answer the prayers of believers for physical healing. (1 Cor. 1:22; 13:8; 14:21-22)
The Total Depravity of Man
We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God; but that in Adam’s sin the human race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God. Man is totally depraved and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition. (Gen. 1:26-27; Rom. 3:22-23; 5:12; 6:23; Eph. 2:1-3; 4:17-19)
Salvation
We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace without any works performed by man and received by repentance and personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins. We believe that all sins, except blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, are forgivable. We believe that salvation will be evident in a believer’s life. We believe the conditions of salvation are found in two inseparable graces, wrought in our souls by the regenerating Spirit of God, those graces being repentance and faith.(Matt. 12:31-32; John 1:12; Acts 3:19; Eph. 1:7; 2:8-10; 1 Pet. 1:18-19)
We believe repentance is a personal act prompted by the Spirit of God and consists of sorrow for sin and a turning from sin to the Saviour. Repentance is a yielding or surrender of myself & my way, to God’s way. Repentance is a gift given by God. (Mk. 1:15; Lu. 13:3; Acts 17:30; 20:21; 26:20; Heb. 6:1; Acts 11:18; 2 Tim. 2:25)
We believe faith to be a gift from God; that it is an assent of the mind and a consent of the heart, consisting of belief and trust in the work of Jesus Christ on the cross and His resurrection as full payment for our sins. (John 3:16; Acts 8:36-37; 16:31; 20:21; Rom. 10:9-10; 12:3)
Freedom of Will
We believe the human will is free and self controlled, having power to yield to the influence of the truth and the Spirit and live, or to resist them and perish. (Rev. 22:17; Rom. 10:3, 13; 6:16)
The Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers
We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever. (John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Rom. 6:23: 8:1; 38-39; 1 Cor. 1:4-8; 1 Pet. 1:4-5)
We believe that a salvation wrought by God will be evidenced in the believer’s life. (Matt. 18:3; John 3:3; 10:27; Rom. 7:15-25; Heb. 12:6-8)
The Church
We do not believe in a universal church. ( Matt. 18:17; 1 Cor. 1:2; Gal. 1:2)
We believe that the local church, which is the body and the espoused bride of Christ, is solely made up of born-again, baptized persons. (1 Cor. 12:12-14; 2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 1:22-23; 5:25-27)
We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures. (Acts 14:27; 20:17, 28-32; 1 Tim. 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11)
We believe in the autonomy of the local church 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)
We recognize water baptism and the Lord’s Supper as the only Scriptural ordinances of obedience for churches in this age. (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; 8:36-39; 1 Cor. 11:23-26)
Baptism
We believe baptism is the immersion of believers in water, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This represents the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ; also expressing to the world the Christian’s death to sin and being raised in newness of life. It is an outward symbol of what takes place on the inside as one trusts Christ as his Saviour. Baptism is only to be performed under the authority of a local New Testament church. (Acts 2:41; 8:12-13; 36-39; Rom. 6:4; Matthew 28:19; Colossians 2:12)
The Lord’s Supper
We believe the Lord’s Supper is a provision of unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine (unleavened grape juice), as symbols of Christ’s body and shed blood; partaken of by the members of this church, in commemoration of the suffering and death of their Lord, and in helpful anticipation of His return. (Matt. 26:26-30; 28:20; Mark 14:20-26; 1 Cor. 10:16; 11:2, 23-26)
