Doctrinal Statement
The Holy Scriptures:
We believe that the Holy Bible is supernaturally inspired; that it has truth without any 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 Christian conduct, creeds and opinions shall be tried.
By the “Holy Bible” we mean that collection of sixty-six books, from Genesis to Revelation, which not only contains and conveys the Word of God, but is the very Word of God. All doctrine, policies, and foundation for our faith are based on the King James Version.
We believe that the King James Version of the Bible has been divinely preserved by God for the English-speaking world, and is completely free from all error, and is absolutely authoritative.
God:
The Father: We believe that there is one, and only one, living 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.
The Son: We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary as no other man was ever nor can be born of a woman. He is, “God manifest in the flesh.” He lived a life of absolute sinlessness and in His death made a full and vicarious atonement for our sins, dying not as a martyr, but as a voluntary substitute in the sinner’s place. He rose from the dead on the third day and ascended bodily into heaven. He is coming again to rapture His saints, and to set up the throne of David and establish His kingdom. The rapture coming is imminent and will be personal, pre-tribulation and pre-millennial.
The Holy Spirit: We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person; equal with God the Father, 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 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
Salvation:
The Fall of Man: We believe that man was created in innocence, but by voluntary transgression fell from his sinless and happy state, the consequence of which, all men are now sinners, not by constraint, but of choice, and therefore under just condemnation without defense or excuse. Man is now left totally depraved, without any inherit goodness, with absolutely no natural desire for God.
The Atonement for Sin: 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 for us an example by His death as a martyr, but was the voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinners 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 is in every way qualified to be a suitable, a compassionate and all-suffering Savior.
The New Birth: We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be born again; that the new birth is the new creation in Jesus Christ, that it is instantaneous and not a process; that in the new birth the one dead in trespasses and in sins is made a partaker of the divine nature and receives eternal life, the free gift of God that the new creation is brought about in a manner above our comprehension, not by culture, not by character, nor 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 fruits of repentance and faith in newness of life.
Justification: We believe that the great Gospel which Christ secures to such as believe in Him is justification; that justification includes the pardon of sin and the gift of eternal life, on principles of righteousness, that it is bestowed not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done, but solely through faith in the Redeemers blood, His righteousness is imputed to us.
Repentance and Faith: We believe that repentance and faith are solemn obligations, and also inseparable graces, wrought in our soul by the quickening Spirit of God; thereby, being deeply convicted of our guilt, danger and helplessness, and of the way of salvation by Christ, we turn to God with unfeigned contrition, confession and supplication for mercy; at the same time heartily receiving the Lord Jesus Christ and openly confessing Him as our only and all-sufficient Savior. The
Security of the Believer: We believe that such only are real believers as endure unto the end; that their preserving attachment to Christ is the grand 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. We believe that God’s eternal election and predestination guarantee their ultimate conformity to the image of Christ.
The Church:
We believe that the Church is a local assembly of believers who have been scripturally baptized after salvation, to carry on the work of the Lord that he has assigned to His church. This being mainly the preaching of the gospel, baptizing of believers, teaching biblical doctrines, promoting true Christian fellowship, and encouraging prayer. The officers of the Church are to be the Pastor, (Elder, Bishop) and Deacons, whose qualifications, claims and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures. We believe that the church has the absolute right to self government, free from the interference of any hierarch of individuals or organizations; that the one and only superintendent is Christ through the Holy Spirit; that it is scriptural for true churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and the furtherance of the Gospel; that every church is the sole and only judge of the measure and method of cooperation. On matters of membership, of polity, of government, of discipline, of benevolence, the will of the Church is final. We reject any notion of a universal-visible church or a universal-invisible church. The Church is a local and visible body.
The Creation:
We believe in the Genesis account of creation (i.e., one day equals 24 hours), and that is is to be accepted literally, and not allegorically or figuratively; that man was created directly in God’s own image and after his own likeness; that man’s creation was not a matter of evolution or evolutionary changes of species, or development through interminable periods of time from lower to higher forms; that all animal and vegetable life was created by the direct act of God with His established law that they should bring forth only “after their kind.” We completely reject any idea of theistic evolution, the gap theory, or other such unnecessary compromises with modern “science” and evolution.
Satan, or 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 militant prince of power of the air, and the unholy god of this world. We hold him to be man’s great tempter, the enemy of God, the accuser of the saints, the author of all false religions, the chief power back of the present apostasy, the lord of the anti-Christ, and the author of all the powers of darkness; destined, however, to final defeat at the hand of God’s own Son, and to the judgment of an eternal justice in hell, a place prepared for him and his angels.
The Second Coming of Christ:
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ himself is coming in the air at any moment to catch up all born again believers and to reward their service; the unbelievers left behind will go through a period called the Tribulation, after which Christ shall return visibly to the earth to set up His kingdom of 1,000 years of righteous rule; after this, the unbelievers of all ages will stand at the Great White Throne to be judged and cast into the lake of fire, separated from God forever, while believers spend eternity in the fullness of joy and in the presence of our Lord forever.
