Beliefs
What We Believe
According to our conviction and interpretation of matters
found in the King James Bible
CONCERNING GOD
We believe in one omnipotent [all-powerful], omniscient [all knowing], omnipresent [ever present], sovereign[in control of all things], loving, God existing in three persons; God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit.
(Psalms 147:5, Job 42:2, Proverbs 15:3, Job 34:21, John 3:16, 2 Cor 13:14, Jhn 10:30, 1 Jhn 5:7)
CONCERNING JESUS
We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, he was 100% human and 100% God, God in the flesh. Was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on the cross as a sacrifice for Sin for the whole world, rose from the dead on the third day, ascended into heaven, and will return to this earth one day as he has promised.
(Heb 2:9, Matt 1:23, 2 Cor 5:21, 1 John 2:2, Luke 24:7, Luke 24:51, Acts 1:11)
CONCERNING THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe the Holy Spirit was sent to indwell the church on the day of Pentecost and indwells every believer at the moment they are born again. We believe He can be grieved or quenched but not removed from the true believer. We believe he empowers men and women with gifts of edification to the body of Christ. We believe His presence is required for the conviction and conversion of sinners. Concerning the office of the Apostle and the sign gifts, we believe they ceased upon the completion of the Bible.
(Acts 2:4-8, Eph 1:13, Eph 4:30, 1 Cor 7:7, 1 Cor 12:7) Ceasing of Sign gifts: (Eph 2:20-22, Jude 1:3, 2 Peter 1:16-20)
CONCERNING MAN
We believe that man was created in the image of God. Yet in Adam’s sin the human race fell, inherited the sin nature, and became alienated from God. We believe that man is totally depraved and cannot by any means of himself remedy his lost condition.
(Gen. 1:26–27; Rom. 3:22–23; 5:12; 6:23; Eph. 2:1–3; 4:17–19).
CONCERNING SALVATION
We believe that Salvation is impossible for a man to attain through any amount of work but is a gift freely given by God, made possible through Jesus Christ. This gift is made available by grace, to all who will believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.
Eph 2:8 “For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” (Rom 10:13, Rom 10:9, Act 16:13)
CONCERNING THE BIBLE
We believe that the Bible is the final authority on all matters. The Bible was written by holy men that were under the direct influence of the Holy Spirit and has been preserved from the original texts without losing any of its inspiration or authority.
(2 Pet 1:21, Psa 119:89, Psa 12: 6-7)
We preach and teach from the KJV and uphold it as the preserved, inspired, authoritative Word of God in the English language.
CONCERNING ORDINANCES
We believe that water baptism and communion are the two ordinances of the church. We do not believe these are essential to salvation or that they confer any type of saving grace, but should be practiced by Believers. We believe Baptism is exclusive to believers who have professed Christ and is only by full immersion. We believe communion is for every believer and to be taken after a careful self-examination.
(1 Cor 11:23-29, Mrk 16:16, Acts 8:36-38)
CONCERNING THE RETURN OF CHRIST
We believe in the imminent, Pretribulational, Premillennial return of Jesus Christ. Imminent, meaning we are not waiting for any prophecy to be fulfilled before his return, it could happen at any moment. Pretribulational, meaning we believe that the book of Revelation describes a period of time in the future that has not yet taken place, often referred to as “Great Tribulation.” We believe that every true believer will be raptured off of this earth before this period begins. Premillennial, meaning we believe there is a literal 1'000 years when Christ will rule and reign on the earth, he will return to this earth, along with his saints, to defeat those who oppose righteousness as recorded in Revelation 19.
(Rev 1:1, 1 Jhn 2:18, 1 Thes 4:15-18, Rev 19:11-21, Rev 20:1-6, Isaiah 11)
Concerning Baptist Beliefs
We believe the Baptist distinctives to be in line with Biblical doctrine and therefore adhere to them because of their being rooted in the scriptures. We do not shy away from the title of Baptist because we believe that adhering to this set of beliefs is adherence to Biblical doctrines. We believe that is important in the day in which we live to separate ourselves from the many different denominations that exist by owning the title which best represents us as a body.
The Baptist Distinctives are this:
Biblical Authority
The Bible is the final authority in all matters of belief and practice because the Bible is inspired by God and bears the absolute authority of God Himself. Whatever the Bible affirms, Baptists accept as true. No human opinion or decree of any church group can override the Bible. Even creeds and confessions of faith, which attempt to articulate the theology of Scripture, do not carry Scripture's inherent authority.
2 Timothy 3:15-17; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Peter 1:20, 21
Autonomy of the Local Church
The local church is an independent body accountable to the Lord Jesus Christ, the head of the church. All human authority for governing the local church resides within the local church itself. Thus the church is autonomous, or self-governing. No religious hierarchy outside the local church may dictate a church's beliefs or practices. Autonomy does not mean isolation.
Colossians 1:18; 2 Corinthians 8:1-5, 19, 23
Priesthood of the Believer
"Priest" is defined as "one authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and God." Every believer today is a priest of God and may enter into His presence in prayer directly through our Great High Priest, Jesus Christ. No other mediator is needed between God and people. As priests, we can study God's Word, pray for others, and offer spiritual worship to God. We all have equal access to God--whether we are a preacher or not.
1 Peter 2:5, 9; Revelation 5:9, 10
Two Ordinances
The local church should practice two ordinances: (1) baptism of believers by immersion in water, identifying the individual with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection, and (2) the Lord's Supper, or communion, commemorating His death for our sins.
Matthew 28:19, 20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-32
Individual Soul Liberty
Every individual, whether a believer or an unbeliever, has the liberty to choose what he believes is right in the religious realm. No one should be forced to assent to any belief against his will. Baptists have always opposed religious persecution. However, this liberty does not exempt one from responsibility to the Word of God or from accountability to God Himself.
Romans 14:5, 12; 2 Corinthians 4:2; Titus 1:9
Saved, Baptized Church Membership
Local church membership is restricted to individuals who give a believable testimony of personal faith in Christ and have publicly identified themselves with Him in believer's baptism. When the members of a local church are believers, a oneness in Christ exists, and the members can endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Acts 2:41-47; 1 Corinthians 12:12; 2 Corinthians 6:14; Ephesians 4:3
Two Offices
The Bible mandates only two offices in the church--pastor and deacon. The three terms--"pastor," "elder," and "bishop," or "overseer"--all refer to the same office. The two offices of pastor and deacon exist within the local church, not as a hierarchy outside or over the local church.
1 Timothy 3:1-13; Acts 20:17-38; Philippians 1:1
Separation of Church and State
God established both the church and the civil government, and He gave each its own distinct sphere of operation. The government's purposes are outlined in Romans 13:1-7 and the church's purposes in Matthew 28:19 and 20. Neither should control the other, nor should there be an alliance between the two. Christians in a free society can properly influence the government toward righteousness, which is not the same as a denomination or group of churches controlling the government.