Article III Tenets of Faith
The human phraseology employed in this statement is not inspired nor contended for, but the truth set forth is held to be essential to a full Gospel ministry. No claim is made that it contains all the truth in the Bible, only that it covers orthodox fundamental matters.
We believe the Holy Bible as the inspired Word of God, without any error, the all-enough authority in matters of faith, doctrine, and Christian living.
We believe there are one God, the Creator and Preserver of all things, infinite in being and perfection. He exists eternally in three Persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, who are of one substance and equal in power and glory?
We believe that man was created in the image of God but fell into sin and is, therefore, lost. Only through regeneration by the work of the Holy Spirit can man’s salvation and spiritual life be obtained.
We believe that eternal salvation is the gift of God, entirely apart from man’s works, and is possessed by all who have faith in and receive Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ instituted two ordinances to be observed by all believers until His return, baptism, and the Lord’s Supper. These are ordinances to be observed by the church in its present age. They are, however, not to be regarded as a means for man’s salvation.
We believe Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer’s faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Savior, the believer’s death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus.
We believe the Lord’s Supper is a representation of our redemption, a memorial of the sufferings and death of Christ, and a token of love and union which Christians have with Christ and with one another.
We believe in the personal, bodily, imminent, and glorious return of the Lord Jesus Christ and that His second coming inspires believers for dynamic and zealous life and service for Him while waiting for His return.
We believe in the bodily resurrection of the dead, the everlasting blessedness of the saved in heaven, and the everlasting punishment and separation from God of the unsaved in hell.
We believe in the autonomy of the local church. The church shall manage its own affairs and shall not be subject to any other religious body or organization.
We believe It is the duty and privilege of every follower of Christ and of every church of the Lord Jesus Christ to endeavor to make disciples of all nations.
We believe that it is the intent of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to feed the hungry (Matthew 25:34-40; Isaiah 58:7-8); to care for the poor (Matthew 19:21; Psalm 112:9; II Corinthians 9:6-9); and to care for the widows and orphans (James 1:27). We further believe that such ministry should be toward His name to both saints and unbelievers (Hebrews 6:10).
We believe God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. It is composed of persons related to one another by marriage, blood, or adoption. We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning and that is marriage sanctioned by God which joins one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture.
Because we believe in the biblical teaching that marriage is between one man and one woman, marriages outside those parameters will not be performed by church ministers or on church property.
We believe that any form of sexual immorality, such as adultery, fornication, homosexuality, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, pornography, or any attempt to change one’s sex, or
disagreement with one’s biological sex is sinful and offensive to God.
We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child in a mother’s womb is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We reject teachings that the abortions of pregnancies are an acceptable and godly practice. (Deuteronomy 18:9; Ecclesiastes 5:18; Psalms 139:13; Jeremiah 1:5; Exodus 21:22; Hebrews 13:8)
We believe It is the duty of Christians to seek peace with all men on principles of righteousness. In accordance with the spirit and teachings of Christ, they should do all in their power to put an end to the war. Christian people throughout the world should pray for the reign of the Prince of Peace. Isaiah 2:4; Matthew 5:9,38-48; 6:33; 26:52; Luke 22:36,38. Romans 12:18-19; 13:1-7; 14:19; Hebrews 12:14
We believe that the gospel of the kingdom is God’s absolute answer to man’s total need and total prosperity NOW:
- Spiritually: John 3:3,11; II Corinthians 5:17-21; Romans 10:9-10
- Mentally: II Timothy 1:7; Romans 12:2; Isaiah 26:3
- Physically: Isaiah 53:4-5; Matthew 8:17; I Peter 2:24
- Financially: 3 John 2; Malachi 3:10-11; Luke 6:38; II Corinthians 9:6-10; Deuteronomy 28:1-14
- Socially: Proverbs 3:4; I Samuel 2:26; Romans 14:18; II Corinthians 8:21
