Statement of Faith
The Bible
We believe that the Holy Bible was written by men supernaturally inspired; that it is truth without any mixture of error for its matter; and therefore is, and shall remain to the end of the age, the only complete and final revelation of the will of God to man; the true center of the Christian union; and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions should be tried. 1. By The Holy Bible we mean that collection of sixty-six books from Genesis through Revelation, which does not only contain the Word of God, but IS the very Word of God. 2. By inspiration we mean that the books of the Bible were written by holy men of old, as they were moved by the Holy Spirit, in such a definite way that their writings were supernaturally and verbally inspired and free from error, as no other writings have ever been or ever will be inspired. 3. We further believe that God, through the Holy Spirit, has committed Himself to the Divine and Providential preservation in English of the pure words of God (Psalm 12:6-7; Psalm 119:89, Proverbs 30:5). We further believe that the Authorized King James Version published in 1611 is that Providentially-preserved Word of God, to the exclusion of all other English versions. (II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:19-21; Psalm 119:89; Proverbs 30)
The True God
We believe that there is one, and only one, loving and true God, an infinite, intelligent Spirit, the Maker and supreme Ruler of heaven and earth; inexpressibly glorious in holiness and worthy of all possible honor, confidence, and love; that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, equal in every Divine perfection, and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption. (Exodus 20:2-3; Colossians 2:9; Genesis 17:1; Philippians 2:5-6; Revelation 4:11; I John 5:7)
The Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Divine person, equal with God the Father and God the Son and of the same nature; that He was active in the creation; that in His relation to the unbelieving world He restrains the Evil One until God's purpose is fulfilled; that He convicts of sin, of judgment, and of righteousness; that He bears witness to the truth of the gospel in preaching and testimony; that He is the agent in the New Birth; that He seals, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies, and helps the believer. (John 14:16-17; Matthew 28:19; John 3:5-6; Genesis 1:2; John 14:26)
The Church
We believe that a Baptist church is a congregation of baptized believers associated by a covenant of faith and fellowship of the gospel, said church being understood to be the pillar and ground of the truth observing the ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, and exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word; that its officers are pastors and deacons whose qualifications, claims, and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures. We believe the true mission of the church is found in the Great Commission; first, to make individual disciples; second, to build up the church; third, to teach and instruct as He has commanded. We hold that the local church has the absolute right of self-government, free from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations, and that the one and only leader is Christ through the Holy Spirit; that it is Scriptural for true churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the gospel; that every church is the sole and only judge of the measure and method of its cooperation; and that on all matters of membership, policy, government, discipline, and benevolence, the will of the local church is final. (Acts 2:41; I Timothy 3:15; Ephesians 4:11; Acts 18:8; Acts 5:42; I Timothy 3:1-13)
Salvation
We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be born again; that the New Birth is a miraculous transaction whereby the sinner becomes a new creature in Christ Jesus; that it is instantaneous and not a process; that in the New Birth the one dead in trespasses and sins is made a partaker of the Divine nature and receives eternal life, the free gift of God; that the New Birth is brought about in a manner above our comprehension, not by culture, not by character, not by the will of man, but wholly and solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with Divine truth, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the Gospel; that its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance and faith and newness of life. (John 3:3-5; II Corinthians 5:17; I John 5:11-13; Colossians 2:12-13; John 1:11-13) THE FREENESS OF SALVATION We believe in the freeness of God's grace; that the blessings of salvation are made free to all by the Gospel; that it is the immediate duty of all to accept those blessings by a cordial, penitent, and obedient faith; and that nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner on earth but his own inherent depravity and willful rejection of the Gospel, which rejection involves him in an aggravated condemnation. (I Thessalonians 1:4; Colossians 3:12; Romans 8:29; John 3:15-16, 18, 36; Revelation 22:17; Isaiah 55:13)
Baptism
We believe that Christian baptism is the complete immersion of a believer in water, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Saviour; that it pictures our death to sin and resurrection to a new life, is the obedient submission of the child of God, and does not constitute in part or in whole salvation or redemption; that it is a prerequisite to the privileges of a church relationship and to the Lord's supper. (Acts 8:36-39; Matthew 3:6, 16; Matthew 28:19; John 3:23)
The Lord's Supper
We believe that the members of the church, by the sacred use of unleavened bread and the unfermented fruit of the vine, are to commemorate together the undying love of Christ, preceded always by solemn self-examination. (I Corinthians 11:23-28)
The Devil
We believe that Satan was once holy, and enjoyed heavenly honors; but through pride and ambition to be as the Almighty, fell and drew after him a host of angels; that he is now the malignant prince of the power of the air, and the unholy god of this world. We hold him to be man's great tempter, the enemy of God and His Christ, the accuser of the saints, the author of all false religions, the chief power behind the present evil world, the lord of the antichrist, and the author of all powers of darkness destined, however, to final defeat at the hands of God's own Son and to the judgment of an eternal justice in Hell, a place prepared for him and his angels. (Isaiah 14:12-15; Revelation 12:9; I Peter 5:8; II Corinthians 4:4; Ezekiel 28:14-17; II Corinthians 11:13-15)
The Fall of Man
We believe that man was created in innocence under the law of his Maker, but by voluntary transgression he fell from his sinless and happy state, in consequence of which all mankind are now sinners, not by constraint, but by choice, and therefore under just condemnation without defense nor excuse. (Genesis 3:1-6, 24; Romans 3:10-19, 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3)
The Virgin Birth of Christ
We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten of the Holy Ghost, in a miraculous manner; born of Mary, a virgin, as no other man was ever born or can ever be born of woman; and that He is both the Son of God, and God the Son. (Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25)
Forgiveness of Sins
We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace, through the mediatorial offices of the Son of God, who by appointment of the Father, freely took upon Him our nature, yet without sin, honored the Divine law by His personal obedience, and by His death made a full and vicarious atonement for our sins; that His atonement consisted not in setting us an example by His death as a martyr, but was the voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner's place, the Just dying for the unjust, Christ the Lord, bearing our sins in His own body on the tree; that, having risen from the dead, He is now enthroned in heaven and uniting in His wonderful person the tenderest sympathies with Divine perfection, and that He is in every way qualified to be the only suitable, compassionate, and all-sufficient Saviour. (Ephesians 2:8; Romans 3:24; John 3:16; Philippians 2:7; II Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 1:1-3)
Eternal Security of the Believer
We believe that those who are born again become new creatures in Christ Jesus and because of the operation made without hands, are eternally secure in the grace of God and have been given eternal salvation. We believe that they are forever sealed and shall never come into condemnation; that grand attachment to Christ is the mark which distinguishes them from superficial professors; that a special Providence watches over their welfare; and that they are kept by the power of God through faith unto eternal salvation. (II Corinthians 5:17; John 10:28-29; Colossians 2:11-12; Romans 8:1, 35-39; I Peter 1:3-5)
Repentance and Faith
We believe that repentance and faith are solemn obligations and inseparable graces, wrought in our souls by the quickening Spirit of God; that they occur when we willfully and knowingly turn from our sin and by faith receive the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord. (Acts 20:21; Acts 2:37-38; Romans 10:9-13; II Corinthians 7:10)
The Resurrection and Return of Christ
We believe in and accept the sacred Scriptures upon these subjects at their full value. Of the resurrection we believe that Christ rose bodily the third day according to the Scriptures; that He alone is our merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God; that this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven bodily, personally, and visibly; that the dead in Christ shall rise first; that the living saints shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; that the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David; and that Christ shall reign a thousand years in righteousness until He hath put all enemies under His feet. We are therefore pre-millennial and pre-tribulational as it pertains to the return of Christ. (Matthew 28:1-7; I Corinthians 15; Revelation 20:1-6; Acts 1:3, 11; I Thessalonians 4:13-16; Revelation 19:11-16)
Missions
We believe that the command to give the Gospel to the world is clear and unmistakable, and this Commission was given to the churches. (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; John 20:21; Romans 10:13-15)
Civil Government
We believe that civil government is of Divine appointment, for the interests and good order of human society; that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored and obeyed, except in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the only Lord of the conscience and the coming Prince of the kings of the earth. (Romans 13:1; I Peter 2:13, 14, 17; Philippians 2:10-1)
The Righteous and the Wicked
We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that such only as through faith, justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and sanctified by the Spirit of our God, are truly righteous in His esteem; that all such as continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight wicked and under the curse; and that this distinction holds among men both in and after death, in the everlasting joy of the saved in heaven and the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost in Hell. (I Peter 1:18; Romans 1:17; Romans 6:23; Luke 16:25; Revelation 20:15; II Corinthians 5:1-8; Matthew 7:13-14; I John 5:12)
