The foregoing statement of faith represents our beliefs concerning the major theological truths of the Bible.
Concerning the Bible:
We believe the Holy Bible, contained in the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, was given through men that were verbally (Revelation 1:21), plenary (2 Timothy 3:16), and mechanically (2 Peter 1:21) inspired by God, so that at no time in the giving or preserving (Psalm 12:7) of God’s Word was there any possibility (Matthew 24:35) of human error or contamination (Proverbs 30:5). It is the only God-breathed record on earth of God’s revelation of Himself to man (Revelation 22:18-20). Since God is the author, the Bible is our supreme Final Authority for faith, life, and practice. We believe that God not only inspired His Word, but He also promised to preserve His Word to all generations (Psalm 12:7). We further believe that the perfect preservation of the inspired originals in their respective languages is the Hebrew Masoretic (or traditional text) for the Old Testament, and the Greek Textus Receptus (or received text) for the New Testament. “The Originals” no longer exist, but we believe that God has preserved for us infallible manuscripts in the original languages. We believe also that preservation must of necessity extend to specific translations in order for the masses of humanity to have the Word of God. In our English language, the AV1611 King James Bible translation is the infallible, preserved, true Word of God in English, the only English Bible sanctioned by the Holy Spirit, and the only English Bible recognized and used by this ministry.
Concerning the Godhead:
We believe there is one and only one (Isaiah 45:5) true and living God. He is supernatural (Deuteronomy 17:8), intelligent (Romans 11:33), spiritual (John 4:24) and personal (Numbers 12:6). He is the Creator (Genesis 1:1), Redeemer (Jeremiah 50:34), Preserver (Psalm 97:10), and ruler of the heavens and earth (Daniel 4:17). He is infinitely holy (1 Samuel 2:2) and worthy of all honor (1 Timothy 1:17). He reveals Himself to us as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, these three being one (1 John 5:7-8) without division of nature, essence, or being (John 10:30).
Concerning God the Father:
We believe He is the creator of all things (Genesis 1:1). He reigns with providential care over His universe (1 Chronicles 16:31). He is omnipotent (Job 42:2), omniscient (Psalm 147:5), and omnipresent (Jeremiah 23:23-24). He is Father in truth to only those who become His children through repentance and faith (Acts 20:21) in Jesus Christ His Son (John 17:21).
Concerning God the Son:
We believe He is the eternal Son of God (John 8:58), the second member of the Godhead (Philippians 2:9). He took on human form and became a man without ceasing to be God (1 Timothy 3:16), being conceived of the Holy Ghost (Matthew 1:20) and born of the virgin Mary (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18). He took upon himself the form of man (Hebrews 10:5), identifying Himself with man (Philippians 2:7), yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15) or the capability to sin (2 Corinthians 5:21). He fulfilled the divine law by His personal obedience (Romans 3:20-26), and in His vicarious (John 11:50; 1 Peter 2:24) death on the cross, He made provision for the redemption of all mankind (1 John 2:2) through repentance and faith (Acts 20:21) in his finished work for their salvation. He died on the cross (John 19:30) and went to Hell (Matthew 12:40; Isaiah 53:10; Acts 2:31) to pay for the sins of the whole world. He was raised from the dead (Acts 4:10) with a glorified body (Luke 24:39) and appeared to His disciples and others as the person who was with them before His crucifixion (Acts 13:33). He ascended into heaven (Acts 1:11) and is now exalted at the right hand of God the Father (Hebrews 10:12; 12:2) where He is the one and only mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5). He will return in the clouds to rapture the church prior to the tribulation (Romans 5:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:9). He will return at the end of the tribulation (Matthew 24:29-30) in power and glory to judge the world and set up His Kingdom and rule and reign one thousand years on this earth (Revelation 20:3-4).
Concerning God the Holy Spirit:
We believe He is the third person of the Trinity. He is the Spirit of God (2 Corinthians 3:17). He inspired holy men of old to write the Scriptures (2 Peter 1:21). His primary responsibility is to exalt and glorify the Lord Jesus Christ (John 16:13). He convicts of sin, of righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8). He calls men to Christ (Revelation 22:17); and effects regeneration (2 Corinthians 3:6). He seals the believer unto the day of redemption of the body (Ephesians 4:30)at the moment of salvation (Romans 8:9). His presence inside believers is the assurance of God to bring the believer into the fullness of the stature of Christ (Ephesians 4:13). The Holy Spirit enlightens (Ephesians 1:17-18) and empowers the believer (Acts 1:8) and the church in worship (John 4:24), evangelism (Acts 1:8), and service (Hebrews 9:14). He also guides believers into all the truth of the Bible (1 John 2:27).
Concerning Man:
We believe man was created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27) by a special act of God (Genesis 2:7), and is the crowning work of His creation (Hebrews 2:16; Luke 12:7). He was created sinless (Genesis 1:31), but was endowed by his Creator with a will (Deuteronomy 30:19; Revelation 22:17) to choose; a freedom of choice. By his free choice, Adam sinned against God and brought sin into the human race (Romans 3:23). Because of this choice, man fell from his original state of innocence (Genesis 2:25), whereby his race inherited a nature and an environment inclined towards sin (Romans 5:12). Thus, as soon as man becomes capable of knowing the difference between good and evil (Romans 5:13), he becomes a transgressor (1 John 3:4) of the law and is under condemnation (John 3:36). It is only by the grace of God that a man can be brought into holy fellowship with God (Ephesians 2:8).
Concerning Creation:
We believe God created the heavens and the earth in six literal 24 hour days (Genesis 1:5; Genesis 2:2). This process began in Genesis 1:1 and ended in Genesis 2:1. Thus, there is no gap in time between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2 known as the “Gap Theory.” This is the same unified process of creation whereby God spoke everything into existence from nothing (John 1:3). The Bible is not a science book, but all scientific statements found in it are 100% accurate, even if those statements have not yet been proven by man. When Science and the Bible disagree, we will follow the Bible (Romans 3:4).
Concerning Salvation:
We believe man, apart from God, is helplessly and hopelessly lost, dead in trespasses and sin (Ephesians 2:1), and doomed to spend an eternity separated from God in hell and eventually the lake of fire (Luke 16:23; Revelation 20:15). Showing His love for mankind (John 3:16) and extending His grace (Titus 2:11), God, from the foundation of the world (Hebrews 4:13), chose to send His Son Jesus Christ to earth (Galatians 4:4) to live a perfect sinless life (1 John 3:5), to fulfill the law (Romans 10:4) and to die a substitutionary death for mankind (1 Corinthians 5:7). Salvation is a divine work of God (John 6:44) whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17). It is a change of heart (Psalm 119:59) wrought by the Holy Spirit (John 16:8) through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace (Acts 20:21). Repentance is a genuine acknowledgment and turning from sin toward God (Psalm 119:59). Faith is the acceptance of Jesus Christ as the only Saviour (Acts 4:12) providing salvation through acceptance in His death, burial, and resurrection as means of salvation (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). We believe that salvation is open and available to any person (whosoever will) (Revelation 22:17; Romans 10:13). We believe that infants, who have not yet reached an age to know good and evil (Romans 3:20), are under God’s special grace (Romans 5:13)and allowed to enter Heaven if they die before the knowledge of sin (2 Samuel 12:23). Since we believe that life begins at conception (Jeremiah 1:5; Luke 1:41), unborn children that are murdered through abortion fall into this category of grace.
Concerning Eternal Security:
We believe that a man receives the Spirit of God at the very moment of salvation (Romans 8:9) and that same Spirit seals the believer (Ephesians 4:30) and indwells the believer, never to depart from the believer until redemption of the body, at which time the believer will ever be with the Lord. We do not believe that a person can ever lose salvation (John 6:37; 2 Timothy 2:13; Philippians 1:6; 1 Corinthians 3:15; Romans 5:10). We believe that God does not want us to use our liberty as an occasion to the flesh (Galatians 5:13; Romans 6:1), but we should live godly lives for our Lord (Titus 2:12).
Concerning the End Times:
We believe that we are living in the last days of the church age (2 Timothy 3:1-5; 1 John 2:18), that period between Pentecost and the rapture, in which time God is calling out a people for his name (Acts 15:14), collectively called the bride of Christ (Revelation 21:9; John 3:29) and the Church (Ephesians 1:22), consisting of all redeemed of this age (Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 5:30). We believe that the church age will end with the rapture of the saints (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). Shortly after the great tribulation shall begin (Revelation 4:1), that seven year period (Daniel 9:24-27) whereby Satan will attempt to establish his rule on this earth. The tribulation will end with the literal, physical return of Jesus Christ to this earth, with his saints, to establish His one thousand year millennial reign (Revelation 19:11-16; 20:6). During this time, Satan shall be chained and kept in the bottomless pit (Revelation 20:1-2). After this one thousand year period, Satan shall be loosed to deceive the nations of men who have continued to reject Jesus Christ (Revelation 20:3). They shall be destroyed and the earth and heavens shall be destroyed, with all the lost of all the ages brought together, judged and cast into the lake of fire, to be forever tormented apart from God (Revelation 20:12-15). God shall wipe away all tears, create a new heaven and new earth, and dwell with the redeemed of all ages forever (Revelation 21).
Concerning Satan:
We believe Satan is a personal (Job 1:6-8; Revelation 12:9) , literal being, created sinless as the anointed cherub over God’s throne (Ezekiel 28:14), but by his own will, conceived in himself pride, which was sin, and fell from his original state (Ezekiel 28:15; Isaiah 14:12-17). He is the author of sin (John 8:44) and the tempter of man (Matthew 4:3; 1 Thessalonians 3:5). He took the form of a serpent and deceived Eve into eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3:1-6). He is the supreme enemy of God and mankind (2 Thessalonians 2:4; Daniel 7:25). He is the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4) the ruler over the powers of darkness (Ephesians 6:12) and the great deceiver (Ephesians 6:12). He is destined to spend an eternity in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10). He has angels (Revelation 12:9) and demons (Matthew 12:25-27) at his disposal and uses them to inflict the saints and do his bidding in the affairs of men (Ephesians 6:12).
Concerning the Eternal State:
We believe man-kind, both saved (Revelation 22:5) and lost (Revelation 20:10,15), are everlasting creatures. We believe in the bodily resurrection of all people, the saved to eternal life (John 10:28), and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting torment in hell, and eventually the lake of fire (Revelation 20:12-15). The souls of the redeemed at the moment of death are absent from the body and present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8), awaiting the rejoining of the soul and spirit with the body at the resurrection of the just (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). The souls of unbelievers at the moment of death, awake in Hell (Luke 16:23), which is located in the center of the Earth (Matthew 12:40; Deuteronomy 32:22; Proverbs 15:24), where they remain in conscious torment (Luke 16:24) until the resurrection of the unjust at the great white throne (Revelation 20:11), where they are consigned to the lake of fire, to be consciously tormented forever and ever (Revelation 20:15).
Concerning the Church:
We believe the New Testament use of the word ‘church’ is divided into two categories: a local organized assembly of saved and baptized believers on earth of which the vast majority of Bible verses refer (Romans 16:27; 1 Corinthians 1:2; Revelation 2-3; etc.) , and all the redeemed of this age that make up the body of Christ which is also called the Church (Acts 20:28; Colossians 1:18; Galatians 1:13).
Concerning the Body of Christ, Called the Church:
We believe that it was taught by Christ that He would build it (Matthew 16:18). Since the church and the body of Christ are one in the same (Colossians 1:18), the church as an entity was birthed the same day as the body of Christ was formed, that being on the day of the first Pentecost after the ascension of Christ, when the Spirit of God came down (Acts 2:1-4).
Concerning the Local Church:
We believe that it is a local body of baptized believers (Acts 2:41) that have covenanted together to observe the ordinances of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:2), to exercise the gifts and privileges given to them in the Word of God (1 Corinthians 12), and to carry out the commands of Matthew 28:18-20. We believe that the local church should be autonomous and free of any external authority or control (1 Corinthians 6:2-4). We further believe that the local church observes two ordinances, baptism and the Lord’s Supper (Acts 2:41; 1 Corinthians 11:2). The local church has two Scriptural offices, pastor and deacon (Philippians 1:1).
Concerning the Two Church Ordinances:
We believe that the local church observes two ordinances: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, both symbolical (1 Peter 3:21; Luke 22:19) and not sacramental.
Concerning Baptism:
We believe baptism is the immersion (Acts 8:38-39; Matthew 3:16) of a believer (Acts 8:37) in water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost (Matthew 28:19). It is an act of obedience symbolizing (1 Peter 3:21) the believer’s faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Saviour (1 Corinthians 15:3-4) and also symbolizing the believer’s death to sin, burial of the old life, and resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:4). It is merely symbolic and has no saving value to it at all. It is to be done voluntarily (Acts 2:41) after salvation and is to be by immersion (Matthew 3:16) in water and not by sprinkling or pouring.
Concerning The Lord’s Supper:
We believe the Lord’s Supper is a symbolical act of obedience whereby members of the church, through partaking of unleavened bread (Mark 14:12,22) and unfermented, non-alcoholic grape juice (Matthew 26:29), memorialize the death of Jesus Christ looking forward to His return (1 Corinthians 11:26). It should be preceded by careful self-examination (1 Corinthians 11:28) of the believer. Since doctrine (2 John 1:9-10) is the basis of fellowship and communion is one of the closest forms of fellowship, we practice close communion, allowing members of the church and those who are of like faith and practice (1 Corinthians 1:10) as ourselves to participate in our communion services.
Concerning Abortion:
We believe that human life begins at conception (Jeremiah 1:5; Luke 1:41) and that the unborn child is a living human being (Luke 1:44). Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn human life, which God condemns, abhors and promises to punish (Amos 1:13). Abortion is Murder! Abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the mental well-being of the mother is unacceptable. We reject abortion for any reason (Exodus 20:13).
Concerning Human Sexuality:
We believe that God has commanded that no sexual activity should be engaged in outside of marriage (1 Corinthians 7:1; Hebrews 13:4) between a man and a woman (Genesis 2:24; Mark 10:6). We believe that any form of (Sodomite activity) homosexuality (Romans 1:27) or lesbianism (Romans 1:26), bisexuality (Leviticus 20:13; Genesis 9:24), bestiality (Leviticus 18:23; 20:15), incest (1 Corinthians 5:1; Ezekiel 22:11), adultery (Matthew 5:28), pornography (Romans 1:32) or any other form of fornication (1 Corinthians 5:9), are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex (Genesis 1:28; Hebrews 13:4; Ecclesiastes 9:9). We believe that men and women are spiritually equal in position (Galatians 3:26-28; Colossians 3:10-11) before God, but that God has ordained distinct and separate spiritual functions for men and women in the home and in the church. The husband is to be the head and leader of the home (Ephesians 5:22-33) and men are to be the leaders of the church (Titus 1:5), which is a collection of homes. Accordingly, only men are eligible to hold the positions of pastor (1 Timothy 3:2) and deacon (1 Timothy 3:11).
Concerning Marriage and Divorce:
We believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man to one woman (Genesis 2:24). We believe that God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16) and intends for marriage to last until one of the spouses dies (1 Corinthians 7:39). Divorce and remarriage is regarded as adultery except on the grounds of fornication (Matthew 19:9) or departure of the unsaved spouse (1 Corinthians 7:15).
Concerning Ecclesiastical Separation:
We are an independent, fundamental, King James Bible believing, separated, Baptists unaffiliated with any convention, organization, or fellowship. We will never be placed under the authority, control or oversight of any secular or religious organization. We are totally self-governed. We believe that Scripture admonishes us to fellowship only with those of like faith and practice (2 John 1:9-10) as ourselves. We further believe that we are not to be yoked together with unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14) and disobedient brethren (1 Corinthians 5:2,11).
Concerning Lawsuits Between Believers:
We believe that Christians are prohibited from bringing civil lawsuits against other Christians or the church to resolve personal disputes (1 Corinthians 6:7). The church possesses all the resources necessary to resolve personal disputes between members (1 Corinthians 6:5). We do believe, however, that a Christian may seek compensation for injuries from another Christian’s insurance company (such as auto insurance, home insurance, etc.) as long as the claim is pursued without malice or slander.
Concerning Giving:
We believe that every Christian, as a steward of that portion of God’s wealth entrusted to him, is obligated to support his local church financially (1 Corinthians 16:2). We believe that God established the tithe (10 percent of gross wages) as a basis for giving in the Old Testament (Malachi 3:8-10), and established “as God hath prospered him” in the New Testament (1 Cor. 16:2). Every Christian should be willing to give offerings cheerfully and sacrificially to the support of the church and its ministries (2 Corinthians 9:7).
Concerning Civil Government:
We believe that government is of divine appointment (Romans 13:1-5). We are to pray for those who are in authority over us (1 Timothy 2:1-3) and we are to conscientiously honor and obey government within Scriptural limitations (Titus 3:1). When we are asked by government to do something that opposes the Word of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, we will rather obey God than man’s government (Acts 5:29; Matthew 22:21).
Concerning the Education of Children:
We believe that God has commanded that parents have the sole responsibility to academically and religiously educate their children in a manner consistent with Scripture (Deuteronomy 6:7). Secular government has absolutely no authority from God to intervene in the education or training of children. This is a violation of the institution of the home. We therefore do not recognize nor subject ourselves to government interference in the home and in the education of our children. To do so would cause us to violate our religious beliefs.
Concerning Baptist Distinctives
We believe that minimally, the following distinctives characterize our Baptist convictions:
B – Biblical Authority
A – Autonomy of the local church
P – Priesthood of the believer
T – Two church ordinances
I – Individual soul liberty
S – Saved and baptized church membership
T – Two church offices
S – Separation of state from church
The information on this page is subject to revision as we are not the final authority. God’s Word is the final authority.
Romans 3:4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.