What We Believe

“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”

Ephesians 4:11-13

Tenets of Faith

We recognize ourselves as a cooperative fellowship of Christians, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, till we all come in the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of fullness of Christ.

The scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the inspired Word of God (II Tim. 3:16) presenting to us the complete revelation of His will for the salvation of men, and constitutes the Divine and only rule of Christian faith and practice. (II Peter 1:21)

Our God is a trinity in unity, manifested in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God is infinitely perfect, being in His three persons, co-existent, co-equal, and co-eternal. God the Father is greater than all (John 14:28); the source of the word (LOGOS), and the begetter (John 16:28; John 1:14). The Son was begotten of the Father, accepting earthly limitations, true God and true man: conceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary. He died upon the Cross, the just for the unjust as a substitutionary sacrifice, and all who believe in Him are justified on the grounds of His shed blood. He is now at the right hand of the Majesty on High as our great High Priest and He will return again to establish His Kingdom of righteousness and justice.

Man is a created being, made in the likeness and the image of God, but through Adam’s
transgression and fall, sin came into the world (Romans 5:12). “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) “As it is written, there is no one righteous, no, not one.” (Romans 3:10) Jesus Christ, Son of God, was manifested to undo the work of the devil, and gave his life and shed blood to redeem and restore man back to God. (John 3:8). Salvation is the gift of God to man, separate from works and the law, and is made operative by grace through faith in Jesus Christ producing works acceptable to God. (Ephesians 2:8)

Our Salvation is made possible through the meritorious work of Jesus Christ on the cross and through the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Godly sorrow works repentance and makes possible the experience of the new birth, and Christ formed within us is the gift of eternal life. (Titus 2:11; Romans 10:13-15; Luke 24:47; Titus 3:5-7)

The true Church is the body of Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:18, Ephesians 4:15), He being the Head. It’s earthly constituents are all true believers, born again by the Spirit (John 3:6) and by the Word (I Peter 1:23). To it is delegated the various gifts and offices of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 12:7-11, 27 and 28) necessary for the successful fulfillment of Christ’s Great Commission to the Church, as given to the disciples in Matthew 28:19 and Mark 16:15-20.

God, through the Holy Spirit, definitely calls such as He desires to serve as evangelists, Pastors, and teachers, and specifically endues the one called with the talents and gifts peculiar to that office (Ephesians 4:11-15). Under no circumstances should anyone be ordained or set apart to any such office unless the calling is distinct and evident.

The Baptism with the Holy Ghost and fire (Matthew 3:11), is a gift from God, as promised by the Lord Jesus Christ to all believers in this dispensation, and is received subsequent to the new birth. (John 14:16-17, Acts 1:8, 2:4, 38-39 and 10:44-48). The Baptism with the Holy Ghost is accompanied with the speaking in other tongues as the Holy Spirit Himself gives utterance, and the initial physical sign and evidence. (Acts 2:4)

Baptism in water is to be immersion, and is a direct commandment of our Lord (Matthew 28:19) and is for believers only. The ordinance is a symbol of the Christian’s identification with Christ in this death, burial and resurrection. (Romans 6:4, Colossians 2:12 and Acts 8:36-39) The following recommendation regarding the Water Baptismal formula is adopted, to wit: “On the confession of your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God, and by His Authority, I Baptize you in the name of the Father, and the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Amen.”

The Bible teaches that without holiness no man can see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). We believe in the doctrine of sanctification as a definite, yet progressive, work of grace, commencing at the time of regeneration and continuing until the consummation of salvation. (Hebrews 13:12, II Thessalonians 2:13, I Peter 1:2, Ephesians 5:26, I Corinthians 6:11, John 17:17, I Thessalonians 5:23)

The ordinance of the Lord’s Supper is a commandment of our Savior, and being a memorial to his death and resurrection, is strictly limited to Christian believers (I Corinthians 11:27). The time and frequency of its observance is left to the discretion of each congregation. (Corinthians 11:26). Only unfermented grape juice, the fruit of the vine, as recommended by our Lord (Matthew 26:29, Mark 14:22 and Luke 22:18) shall be used in connection therewith.

Foot washing is recognized among many believers as Christian practice. The time, manner and frequency of its observance is left to the discretion of each local congregation (John 13).

Healing is for the physical ills of the human body and is wrought by the power of God, through the prayer of faith, and by the laying on of hands (Mark 16:18, James 5:14-15). It is provided for in the atonement of Christ, and is available to all who truly believe.

The Bible promises, ”This same Jesus shall so come in like manner” (Acts 1:11). His coming is imminent: when He comes, ”The dead in Christ shall rise first; then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” (I Thessalonians 4:16-17). Following the Tribulation, He shall return to earth, as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, and together with His saints, who shall be kings and priests, He shall reign a thousand years. (Revelation 20:6).

It is unwise to teach that the Lord will come at some specified time, thereby setting a date for His appearing, and it is also unwise to teach, preach or publish visions of numbers and dates which would tend to fix the time of the Second Coming of the Lord. (Mark 13:32-33)

Whereas, the teaching that the Church must go through the Tribulation tends to bring confusion and division among saints; therefore we recommend that all our ministers teach the imminent coming of Christ, warning all men to be prepared for that coming, which may occur at any time, and not lull their minds into insecurity by any teaching that would cause them to feel that certain events must occur before the Rapture of the Church. Furthermore, we recommend that should any of our ministers hold to the post-Tribulation doctrine, they refrain from preaching and teaching it. Should they persist in emphasizing this doctrine to the point of making it an issue, their standing in the fellowship will be seriously affected.

The one who physically dies in his sins without Christ is hopelessly and eternally lost in the Lake of Fire, and therefore has no further opportunity of hearing the Gospel or for repentance (Hebrews 9:27). The Lake of Fire is literal (Revelation 19:20). The terms “eternal” and “everlasting” used in describing the duration of the punishment of the damned (Matthew 25:41-46) in the Lake of Fire, carry the same thought and meaning of endless existence, as used in denoting the duration of joy and ecstasy of saints in the presence of God.

Whereas, we believe that our government is ordained of God, and whereas, we are thankful to the government of the United States of America for the freedom to worship God according to the dictates of our conscience. Whereas, there are those within our church organization who conscientiously object to the bearing of arms in time of war, be it resolved that we as a church organization affirm their respective right to this conviction as they offer their respective services to our government in any way consistent with non-combative service.

We recognize the Scriptural duty of all our people, as well as ministers, to pay tithes as unto the Lord (Hebrews 7:8). Tithes should be used for the support of the active ministry and for the propagation of the Gospel and work of the Lord in general and not given to charity or used for other purposes. (Malachi 3:7, Hebrews 1:2, I Corinthians 9:7-11 and 16:2)