Our Beliefs AND COVENANT

WE ARE A THEOLOGICALLY CONSERVATIVE CHURCH THAT TEACHES THE BIBLE AS SUFFICIENT AND WITHOUT ERROR. 


GOD THE FATHER: THE LORD IS SOVEREIGN OVER ALL THINGS.  HE IS DESERVING OF ALL PRAISE AND ADMIRATION. HE IS OMNIPOTENT, OMNISCIENT, AND OMNIPRESENT. THE LORD IS TO BE FEARED, GLORIFIED, AND ENJOYED.

 

GOD THE SON: HE IS MESSIAH, REDEEMER, AND LORD. JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD, CO-EXISTENT AND CO-EQUAL WITH GOD THE FATHER. HE CAME FROM HEAVEN TO LIVE AMONG SINNERS. HE WAS OBEDIENT TO GOD'S LAW IN EVERY WAY, HAVING NO SIN OF HIS OWN. HE DIED ON THE CROSS WHERE HE TOOK UPON HIMSELF THE SIN OF GOD'S PEOPLE AND MADE COMPLETE ATONEMENT FOR THIER SIN. HE WAS PHYSICALLY RESURRECTED THREE DAYS AFTER HIS DEATH AND ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN 40 DAYS AFTER HIS RESURRECTION.  AS GOD, HE CURRENTLY RULES AND REIGNS OVER ALL THINGS.

 

GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT: HE CONVICTS PEOPLE OF SIN, ILLUMINATES THE ELECT TO TRUTH, CONVERTS SINNERS TO CHRIST, AND EMPOWERS FOR CHRISTIAN SERVICE. HE PROCEEDS FROM THE FATHER AND THE SON.  HE GRANTS JOY IN LIVING.

 

THE BIBLE: THE BIBLE IS INSPIRED, WITHOUT ERROR, AND SUFFICIENT. THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD AND CAN BE TRUSTED. IT WAS WRITTEN IN ANCIENT LANGUAGES, PRIMARILY GREEK AND HEBREW. THE BIBLE HAS BEEN TRANSLATED INTO NUMEROUS LANGUAGES FOR EVERYDAY PEOPLE TO READ.  OUR CHURCH UTILIZES THE ESV FOR PREACHING. SUCH TRANSLATIONS ARE INCREDIBLY ACCURATE TO THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGES. BECAUSE THE BIBLE IS INSPIRED BY GOD IT MUST BE PROCLAIMED AS THE WORD OF GOD.

 

SALVATION: SALVATION IS BY GRACE ALONE, THROUGH FAITH ALONE, IN CHRIST ALONE. MAN'S GREATEST NEED IS TO BE RECONCILED TO GOD. NOTHING IN OURSELVES CAN  SATISFY THE JUSTICE OF GOD - NOT OUR GOOD WORKS, GOOD BEHAVIOR, OR BENEVOLENCE. GOD SAVES HIS PEOPLE  BY HIS GRACE ALONE. THE GRACE BY WHICH WE ARE SAVED IS THROUGH FAITH; ONE MUST BELIEVE UPON CHRIST ALONE TO BE SAVED. 


ELECTION: GOD HAS ELECTED HIS PEOPLE FROM BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD TO BE HOLY AND BLAMELESS BEFORE HIM.  SUCH AN ELECTION WAS NOT BECAUSE HE SAW IN ADVANCE HOW PEOPLE WOULD MAKE A WHOLESOME RELIGIOUS DECISION TO FOLLOW HIM. RATHER, IN THE MIDST OF MAN'S DEPRAVITY, OUT OF FREE AND SOVEREIGN GRACE, HE CHOSE SOME UNTO SALVATION. THIS LEAVES NO ROOM FOR BOASTING. THE GOD OF THE BIBLE IS AN ELECTING GOD. 

  

BAPTISM: EVERY BELIEVER, UNLESS PROVIDENTIALLY HINDERED, SHOULD BE BAPTIZED BY IMMERSION. STANDING IN THE WATER SYMBOLICALLY PROCLAIMS DEATH TO SELF, SUBMERSION UNDER THE WATER IS  SYMBOLIC  OF BEING BURIED WITH CHRIST, AND BEING RAISED OUT OF THE WATER  IS SYMBOLIC OF BEING RAISED WITH CHRIST.  IN OTHER WORDS, IT IS A PICTURE OF THE GOSPEL. BAPTISM DOES NOT SAVE ANYONE FROM THEIR SIN SINCE SALVATION IS IN CHRIST ALONE. ONLY A CHRISTIAN CAN BE BAPTIZED. 

 

THE LORD'S SUPPER IS SACRED: IN PARTAKING OF THE SUPPER WE ARE PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL - THAT JESUS DIED IN OUR PLACE ON THE CROSS, ROSE AND ASCENDED. BY NO MEANS ARE THE ELEMENTS THE ACTUAL BLOOD AND BODY OF CHRIST. RATHER, IN THE LORD'S SUPPER WE RECOGNIZE CHRIST TO BE PRESENT IN A SPECIAL WAY. LIKE BAPTISM, THE LORD'S SUPPER IS A BEAUTIFUL PICTURE OF THE GOSPEL.

 

A NEW HEAVEN AND NEW EARTH AWAITS: ONE DAY JESUS WILL ONCE AGAIN DWELL ON EARTH, ALBEIT A NEW EARTH. PRIOR TO THIS COMING HE WILL SEPARATE BELIEVERS (SHEEP) FROM UNBELIEVERS (GOATS) AT THE GENERAL RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD. BELIEVERS ARE CALLED TO LIVE THEIR LIVES IN EAGER ANTICIPATION OF THIS DAY, UNBELIEVERS ARE CALLED UPON TO REPENT AND BELIEVE THE GOSPEL.  JESUS TAUGHT THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS LIKE THE MUSTARD SEED THAT GROWS AND LEAVEN THAT LEAVENS A WHOLE LUMP (MATTHEW 13:31-33). ADDITIONALLY DANIEL TAUGHT THE GREAT MOUNTAIN (CHURCH/BELIEVERS) WILL FILL THE EARTH (DANIEL 2:35) AND,  THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD'S GLORY WILL FILL THE EARTH  AS WATERS COVER THE SEA (HABAKKUK 2:14). THE MEEK WILL INHERIT THE LAND AND DELIGHT IN GOD'S ABUNDANT PEACE (PSALM 37:11). BECAUSE OF THESE TRUTHS WE TEACH  THE GOSPEL WILL PREVAIL ON EARTH UNTIL CHRIST RETURNS. 


Additionally we ascribe to the Baptist Faith and Message 2000

We would also identify with the London Baptist Confession of 1689, the Philadelphia Confession of 1742, the New Hampshire Baptist Confession of 1833.

Our Church Covenant

Having received Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of our lives under the leadership and direction of His Holy Spirit and having been baptized as symbolic of the physical death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, as well as the spiritual death, burial, and resurrection of the believer, we do hereby enter into covenant with one another and with God as one body in Jesus Christ.


Under the direction of the Holy Spirit of God, our intent is to manifest Christian love toward one another, to work together for the progress of this church in holiness, knowledge and comfort and to promote its prosperity and spirituality.


Moreover, we agree to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline and doctrines and to contribute joyfully and consistently to the support of the ministry, the church’s expenses, benevolence, and the spread of the Gospel of Christ to all nations.


We will also strive to maintain family and private devotions, to religiously educate our children in biblical precepts, to seek to win our kindred and acquaintances to faith in Jesus Christ, to walk in the Spirit of Jesus Christ as an example before others, and to avoid any behavior that might be a stumbling block for others


We further agree that it is the privilege and responsibility of members to honor, esteem and love the pastor and staff as our spiritual leaders, to pray for them constantly and to manifest a tender regard for their reputation.


We will also remember one another in prayer, help each other in our speech and be slow to take offense but ever ready to be reconciled, remembering the rules of the Savior that in order to receive forgiveness, we must be willing to forgive.


We also agree that if we leave from this place we will, as soon as possible, unite with some other church where God’s Word is faithfully taught and preached.