There is only one God, who is the Creator and Sustainer of all things. He alone is infinitely perfect in His omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence. He exists eternally in three Manifestations; Father, Son and Holy
Spirit. (Isaiah 44:6; Deuteronomy 6:4; Ephesians 2:18, 4:4-6)
Jesus Christ is the infinite God-Man. By saying “infinite” we mean, He has always existed. He was not a created being…He was, is and always will be. By saying “God” is to say He is fully God. By saying “Man” is to say He was fully man. All that God is, is embodied in Jesus. All that man is supposed to be, is embodied in Jesus. (Colossians 1:15-21; Philippians 2:5-11; John 14:9-11)
We see God most clearly in the person of Jesus who was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life; He died a gruesome death on the cross that was the once and for all sacrifice for our sins according to the scriptures. Faith in Jesus is the only way of salvation for mankind’s sin. (2 Corinthians 5:21; John 14:6)
Jesus further, arose from the dead, ascended to heaven, where He is seated at the right hand of the Father ever making intercession for us…and He is coming again! (Hebrews 4:14-16; Mark 14:61-62)
The primary ministry of the Holy Spirit is to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ. He does this by convicting men of sin and convincing men of their need for a growing personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ, His Son. He enables men to know God and He empowers men to grow in God and advance God’s Kingdom here on earth. (John 16:5-11; Titus 3:5)
We believe that the Holy Spirit baptizes men and women into the family of God at the point of conversion; yet, we are commanded in scripture to be continually filled with the Spirit – or, controlled by the Spirit. At the point of conversion, the Spirit gives gifts to enable us to advance God’s Kingdom. As we are filled with the Spirit, we are empowered to advance His Kingdom. The baptism of the His Spirit occurs once, but we are commanded in scripture to be filled “again and again”. (Mark 1:8; Acts 1:5; Acts 4:31)
The spiritual gifts as cited in scripture – Romans 12:6-8, I Corinthians 12:4-30, Ephesians 4:7-13 and I Timothy 4:13 – are still in operation today for the building up of the church in order that God’s Kingdom may be advanced.
Both Old and New Testaments are the inspired Word of God. Its inspiration permeates its origin and subsequent translations such that every word of it can be trusted fully to lead us to God. It will always be the final authority for all Christian faith and life. (2 Timothy 3:16-17; Matthew 5:17-18)
We practice water baptism by immersion after a person has both accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and shown evidence of that new life. Communion, or the Lord’s Supper, which was instituted by our Lord is a memorial service that looks back to Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross and that looks forward to His Second Coming. All believers should participate in both baptism and communion as only believers can fully appreciate and celebrate what each mean. (Romans 6:1-5; Luke 22:14-23; I Corinthians 11:23-26)
Man was created in the image of God, but fell into sin and is therefore lost; and only through regeneration by the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus Christ can he know forgiveness of sin, reconciliation with God, and eternal life.
(Genesis 1-3; Romans 3:9-18,23; Ephesians 2:1-3)
Only through the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ can man be saved from his “lostness”. According to the scripture, only when a man chooses to receive Jesus as Lord, does he come to know Jesus as Savior. It is as though he was “born again”. The new birth is an act of the Holy Spirit, whereby He communicates clearly and perfectly the grace of God to a willing individual. (Romans 8:39; I John 4:10-11; Romans 8:26-39; Romans 10:9-10, 13;
Ephesians 2:1-10)
We believe in the personal and imminent return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Believing that He may return today stirs us to enjoy His life fully ourselves and stirs us to share His life with others. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 2 Thessalonians 1:3-12; Matthew 24:29-31)
The church is the body of Christ. Jesus is the head and those who have received His salvation are His body. The church is big! It is global and yet within each community there are many diverse expressions of the local church. It is likened to a diamond with has many facets. (Acts 2:37-47)
Through faith in Jesus, the church is a people set apart for His Name. It is a new citizenship in our Savior. It is a family united together as one in God the Father. It is a dwelling where God resides via his Holy Spirit. The church is a bride to Jesus, her Bridegroom. Beyond race and ethnicity, male and female, economic status and career, the church is a unified people in and through Jesus as our Savior (Ephesians 2:17-22; 5:22-33; Revelation 19:6-8)
The local church is God’s plan to fill the earth with the knowledge of Him. As a people, we act as witnesses to His power to a lost a dying world. We are called to make disciples of all nations and thereby increase Jesus’ inheritance. (Acts 1:8; Matthew 28:19-20; Psalm 2:7-8)
Both men and women are together created in God’s image and are therefore equal before God as persons, possessing the same value with equal access to God through faith in Christ. Men and women are together the recipients of spiritual gifts designed to empower them for ministry in the local church and beyond. Therefore both men and women are to be encouraged, equipped, and empowered to utilize their gifting in ministry, in service to the body of Christ, and through teaching in ways that are consistent with the Word of God.
Both husbands and wives are responsible to God for spiritual nurture and care for the home, but God has given to the man primary responsibility to lead his wife and family in accordance with the servant-leadership and sacrificial love characterized by Jesus Christ. This principle of male headship should not be confused with, nor give any hint of, domineering control. Rather it is to be the loving, tender, and nurturing care of a godly man who is himself under the kind and gentle authority of Jesus Christ.
The elders of our church have been granted authority under the headship of Jesus Christ to provide oversight of the household of God, the church, in a similar way. The office of elder is restricted to men. (Genesis 1:26–27; 2:18; Acts 18:24–26; 1 Corinthians 11:2–16; Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 5:22–33; Colossians 3:18–19; 1 Timothy 2:11–15; 3:1–7; Titus 2:3–5; 1 Peter 3:1–7)