Authority of Scripture = We believe that the Bible is the infallible, divinely decreed, and living Word of God; composed by some forty different authors over 1,500 years with 99.5% cross-translational consistency from over 30,000 surviving Old and New Testament manuscripts; with future and fulfilled prophecy that it is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training.
God = We believe that God is the all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-present, eternal creator and author of life, who unconditionally and lovingly invests in, provides for, and directs the whole of creation.
Jesus = We believe that Jesus is the eternal, blameless, and faithful son of God, redeemer, healer, and fulfiller of prophecies, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, humble messiah, and savior of humanity, born of a virgin, both fully human and fully divine, Truth incarnate.
The Holy Spirit = We believe that the Holy Spirit is the sanctifying and guiding power of God, eternal helper, supreme counselor, enduring servant, wise teacher, loving mediator, and faithful gift giver to all of those who believe in Christ Jesus.
Gifts of the Holy Spirit = We believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit as defined and foretold by the teachings of Christ, given to all according to the Will of God, and exercised in harmony with the Word of God.
Trinity = We believe in the triune, co-equal, manifestation of God in three persons: God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit, one essence in three distinct forms, separate in body, united in mind, and unified in soul.
Resurrection = We believe in the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the eye-witness testimony that he walked, talked, ate, and appeared to his disciples three days after being crucified on a cross and buried in a tomb; that Jesus once and for all conquers death for those who believe; and that we too will be resurrected and receive heavenly bodies at the second coming of Christ, when all things are made new.
Original Sin = We believe that all sin and fall short of the Lord’s glory, defining sin as the willful perversion or defiance of God’s Word, and hold that while sin enters the world through a single event, we are not born of sin but born into sin, freely choosing to disobey and to succumb to temptations that are in opposition to the Will of God.
Grace = We believe in the prevenience of God’s grace, recognizing the need for repentance, and affirm that God is faithful to forgive all who call upon the name of Jesus Christ.
Salvation (Born Again) = We believe that salvation is not rooted in works but founded upon a belief in Christ and the profession of Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior, who is the one and only true way to God, and wholly necessary for reconciliation, rebirth, and revitalization that leads to an eternal life.
Eternal Security (Absolution) = We believe that Christianity is a lived faith beyond mere belief, requiring personal discipline, Spirit-filled guidance, and a continual commitment to Christ that is renewed on daily basis.
Prayer = We believe in the power of prayer as exemplified by Christ Jesus, who provides direct access to God the Father through the cross, and commits to His disciples the ministry of prayer, the practice of praying together, and the command to request all things big or small in His holy name.
Baptism = We believe that baptism is the strongly encouraged outward expression of an inward commitment to Christ, rooted in the mandates and example of Jesus, that once and for all renews the spirit and professes a born-again faith, predicated by belief.
Child Dedication = We believe in the tradition of child dedication, as practiced by the Hebrew peoples and exemplified in the life of Jesus, wherein the church community pledges to care for a child, and his or her family commits to raise the child in the love of God and shadow of Christ’s cross.
Communion = We believe that Jesus is the bread of life, and that Jesus commands his disciples to partake in the breaking of bread and sharing of the cup as an act of ongoing remembrance, welcoming all to join in the life-giving act without hindrance or preference, requiring only that one must profess a faith in Christ Jesus and examine his or her self for the sake of forgiveness and grace.
Foot-Washing = We believe that Jesus existed to be a servant — to serve, not to be served — teaching his disciples to do likewise; therefore, we practice the annual tradition of foot-washing, during the Holy Week, to commemorate the example of Christ in the Upper Room and celebrate the servanthood of God.
The Church (Membership) = We believe in the unity of God’s people, joined together by the Cross of Christ, united in the Holy Spirit, free from division, fully incorporated through salvation, as one people with one purpose.
Tithing = We believe that we are called to honor God with the first-fruits of our labor and to cheerfully give to the Lord’s Kingdom as an extension of our dependency and faithfulness to Christ.
Stewardship = We believe that God has tasked every Christian with the care and cultivation of: creation, nature, the environment, our communities, social responsibilities, physical bodies, talents, material resources, and the body of Christ, along with the ministries of both Word and prayer.
Creation = We believe that God is the author and creator of all things, initially creating all things good, and that God, not being bound by the human constructs of time and space, miraculously creates all things in six literal days.
Culture = We believe that Jesus is the way, the Truth, and the life, and that God’s Truth does not change or adhere to the patterns of the world, but withstands the test of time; hence, we employ contemporary culture only as a means of enhancing our understanding of the Word of God, not for the sake of refuting or diminishing God’s Truth, but for the sake of magnifying it.
Diversity (Inclusivity) = We believe that humanity is made in the image of God, united in the death and resurrection of Christ, once and for all, with God showing no partiality to gender, race, or social status, and that the grace of Christ extends to both the saved and unsaved alike.
Identity = We believe that God lovingly and purposefully creates us male or female, and that God is not a God of confusion or mistakes, but a God of intentionality and deliberation; thus, we refute the societal notion of gender norms while maintaining that our identity is solely rooted in the clarity and convictions of Christ.
Women in Leadership = We believe that while Scripture predominately establishes the offices of Elder and Deacon for men, we also recognize that God has, in certain historical and Scriptural situations, called qualified women (Deborah, Priscilla, and Phoebe) into influential positions of church authority and leadership. Therefore, we believe that, while men tend to more commonly occupy such positions of church authority and leadership, the Lord does not limit or ordain the offices of Elder or Deacon on the grounds of gender, but calling and qualification alone.
Substance Abuse (Drugs, Alcohol, Rx, Etc.) = We believe that the body is a temple, understanding that while the world may deem some substances lawful, not all things are beneficial; and recognize our responsibility to be sober minded, Christ dependent, and free from all behaviors that may cause another to stumble; living in the world but not for the world as an example of temperance, grace, and forgiveness.
Sexual Purity = We believe that all acts of sexual immorality (including, but not limited to: adultery, homosexuality, pedophilia, pornography, lusting of the heart, fornication, and the like) are considered to be contrary to the Will of God, condemned by the teachings of Jesus Christ, and consistently discouraged throughout the entirety of Scripture; subsequently, we believe that all sin and fall short of the glory of God, and faithfully proclaim that nothing separates any individual from the love of God or the cross of Christ and the grace that it extends to all who repent.
Marriage/Divorce = We believe that marriage is the God-ordained union between one man and one woman, rooted in selfless love, unyielding grace, and continual commitment that is endorsed by the life and teaching of Christ. In addition, we believe that divorce is not encouraged by God, but understand that issues of infidelity and inequality can provide Biblical reasoning for divorce; recognizing that, regardless of legitimacy, each party must strive towards repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation established in the compassionate cross of Christ.
Abortion = We believe that existence begins at conception and that every child is fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God, according to the Will of God; therefore, while we recognize that certain complications may lead to the unavoidable and ultimate loss of life in utero, we believe that all things work together for good and that our Lord continually possesses the power to redeem, restore, and renew as both the great physician and author of life.