We believe that there is one, and only one, living and true God, an infinite, intelligent Spirit, whose name is Yahweh, 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 Spirit; equal in every divine perfection, and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption.

We believe that Man was created in holiness, under the law of his Maker; but by voluntary transgression fell from that holy and happy state; in consequence of which all mankind are now sinners, not by constraint but choice; being by nature utterly void of that holiness required by the law of God, positively inclined to evil; and therefore under just condemnation to eternal ruin, without defense or excuse.

We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace, through the mediatorial offices of the Son of God, who by the 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 atonement for our sins; that having risen from the dead He is now exalted in heaven; and uniting in His wonderful person the tenderest sympathies with divine perfections, He is every way qualified to be a suitable, a compassionate, and an all-sufficient Savior.

We believe that the great gospel blessing which Christ secures to such as believe in Him is justification; that justification includes the pardon of sin, and the promise 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 Redeemer’s blood; by virtue of which faith His perfect righteousness is freely imputed to us of God; that it brings us into a state of most blessed peace and favor with God, and secures every other blessing needful for time and eternity.

We believe that the blessings of salvation are made free to all by the gospel; that it is the immediate duty of all to accept them by a cordial, penitent, and obedient faith; and that nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner on earth, but his own inherent depravity and voluntary rejection of the gospel; which rejection involves him in an aggravated condemnation.

We believe that, in order to be saved, sinners must be regenerated, or born again; that regeneration consists in giving a holy disposition to the mind; that it is effected in a manner above our comprehension by the power of the Holy Spirit, in connection with divine truth, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the gospel; and that its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance, faith, and newness of life.

We believe that repentance and faith are sacred duties, and also inseparable graces, wrought in our souls by the regenerating Spirit of God; whereby being deeply convinced 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 as our Prophet, Priest and King, and relying on Him alone as the only and all-sufficient Savior.

We believe that election is the eternal purpose of God, according to which He graciously regenerates, sanctifies, and saves sinners; that being perfectly consistent with the free agency of mankind, it comprehends all the means in connection with the end; that it is a most glorious display of God’s sovereign goodness, being infinitely free, wise, holy, and unchangeable; that it utterly excludes boasting, and promotes humility, love, prayer, praise, trust in God, and active imitation of His free mercy; that it encourages the use of means in the highest degree; that it may be ascertained by its effects in all who truly believe the gospel; that it is the foundation of Christian assurance; and that to ascertain it with regard to ourselves demands and deserves the utmost diligence.

We believe that sanctification is the process by which, according to the will of God, we are made partakers of His holiness; that it is a progressive work; that it is begun in regeneration; and that it is carried on in the hearts of believers by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, the Sealer and Comforter, in the continual use of the appointed means – especially, the Word of God, self-examination, self-denial, watchfulness, and prayer.

We believe that such only are real believers as endure unto the end; that their persevering 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 salvation.

We believe that the law of God is the eternal and unchangeable rule of His moral government; that it is holy, just, and good; and that the inability which the Scriptures ascribe to fallen men to fulfill its precepts arises entirely from their love of sin: to deliver them from which, and to restore them through a Mediator to unfeigned obedience to the holy law, is one great end of the gospel and of the means of grace connected with the establishment of the visible church.

We believe that a visible church of Christ is a congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws; and exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word; and that its only scriptural officers are elders as pertains to governance and deacons as pertains to service.

We believe that Christian Baptism is the immersion in water of a believer into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem, our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior, with the effect of such faith being our death to sin and resurrection to a new life. We believe that by the Lord’s Supper, believers, through the sacred use of bread and wine*, commemorate together the sacrificial love of Christ, preceded always by solemn self-examination. We believe these are the ordinances of the gathered church and are required for the obedient Christian life. 

*The principle of worship in sacred Communion is the primary focus rather than the exact historic articles, therefore a form of bread and juice reflective of the fruit of the vine is sufficient application.

We believe that the first day of the week is the normative designation for the Lord’s Day for corporate worship; and that it is to be kept sacred by the devout observance of all the means of grace**, both private and public; and by preparation for that rest that remains for the people of God. 

**Prayer, the Word, the ordinances, etc.

We believe that civil government is of Divine appointment, for the interests and good order of human society; and that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored, and obeyed; except only in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the only Lord of the conscience, and the Prince of the kings of the earth.

We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that such only as through faith are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and sanctified by the Spirit of our God, and are truly righteous in His esteem; while all such as continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight wicked, and under the curse; and this distinction holds among men both in and after death.

We believe that the end of the world is approaching; that at the last day Christ will descend from heaven and raise the dead from the grave to final retribution; that a solemn separation will then take place; that the wicked will be adjudged to endless punishment and the righteous to endless joy; and that this judgment will fix forever the final state of men in heaven or hell.

We believe that God fundamentally exists as the divine Trinity. God’s divine essence is invisible and immaterial as He is Spirit; His divine nature is undivided and indivisible. God exists in three eternal and coequal Persons in the one divine essence, known respectively as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is living, self-existent, self-sufficient, eternal, infinite, omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient, wise, immutable, sovereign, incomprehensible, holy, righteous, just, true, faithful, good, long-suffering, gracious, merciful, and loving.

We believe that the Father is the decreeing authority, head, and first Person of the Trinity. He is first in role within the Trinity, but equal in divine essence with the Son and the Spirit, being no more nor less divine compared with the other persons of the Trinity. The Father and the Son display a particular relationship of affection that showcases a total harmony of purpose and being, with the Holy Spirit being the perfect expression of their will. From the Old Testament to the New Testament, the Father is the same God who is beheld in the face of Christ.

We believe that Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of the Father and the second Person of the Trinity. He is the eternal, pre-existent Son of God. He is truly God and truly man; equal with the Father and the Holy Spirit, in a perfect coexistent deity and humanity. Although pre-existent, Jesus
took upon Himself full humanity while keeping His full deity, and became incarnate by miraculous conception and virgin birth. He lived a sinless human life, offered Himself as the atoning sacrifice by
dying on the cross, and shed His blood, for the purpose of redeeming sinful men. He satisfied the wrath of God, being the full substitution and the sufficient atonement for the sins of men. He was buried and on the third day, He arose bodily from the dead. He later ascended bodily into Heaven
where at the right hand of the Father, He now intercedes for those who believe in Him.

We believe the Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity, equal with God the Father and God the Son, having the same divine nature and partaking of the same divine essence. The Holy Spirit actively ministered in the Old Testament through creation, revelation, and in a special, selective manner with mankind. The Holy Spirit actively ministered in the New Testament in all aspects of Christ’s life, from His birth to His death and resurrection. The Holy Spirit now has a primary role in salvation as He calls, convicts, and regenerates the unbeliever. He indwells, baptizes, convicts, gifts,
conforms, teaches, guides, assures, and prays for believers.

The Church is the bride of Christ purchased with the blood of Christ by His death. We believe that the Church exists in two senses, namely, universal and local. In the universal sense, the Church consists of all those during this redemptive age after the cross who have been born of God’s Spirit
and have therefore been baptized into the body of Christ. In the local sense, a church is a redeemed, living assembly of baptized believers associated by a covenant of faith, organized by New Testament principles, assembling regularly together, led by qualified elders who are supported
by qualified deacons, under the authority of God’s Word and the Headship of Christ, and observing the ordinances. The ordinances are those commands of Christ given to the Church, specifically Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. They are an act of obedience, not the conveyance of salvific grace.

We believe that sin and its effects were not a part of creation but entered creation early in the Genesis account. Sin is a failure to conform to the divine standard of (and/or the transgression of) God’s law. Sin entered the created order when Adam and Eve chose to disobey God in the garden.
All mankind has inherited original sin and guilt from Adam and all are wholly corrupted by sin in the totality of their being. The basis of ultimate and complete victory over sin is found in the death and
resurrection of Jesus Christ. Those who believe in Christ are justified from their sin, but sin is not dead in them until it is removed at their glorification.

We believe that because of sin, its results, and the character of God, all of mankind needs salvation. This salvation was sufficiently provided for through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ
but efficiently applied to those who believe. Salvation is wholly the work of God’s grace, God’s mercy, and is completely apart from our works. All three persons of the Trinity are involved in salvation. The Father planned it, the Son obtained it, and the Spirit preserves it. The redeemed have been converted and justified as God has made and declared them to be righteous, growing daily to be more like Christ. A saved person will be glorified in the New Creation.

The sinless Christ is the sinner’s substitute, whereby reconciliation is made with God on his behalf, redemption is made from the slavery of sin, regeneration makes him alive, and adoption as a child into God’s family has been accomplished with all its rights, privileges, and responsibilities. All this is possible through the atoning death of Christ. The benefits of His atoning death are for all who by faith assent to the facts of the gospel, exercise repentance toward God, and place their trust in Christ and His atoning work. This salvation is evidenced by one’s relationship with God and His
people, one’s obedience to God through His Word, one’s love for God’s people, one’s confession of Jesus, one’s being made new, and one’s works of righteousness. Salvation is secure as it is based in the very character, promises, power, and deeds of God so that the true believer will persevere until his glorification.

We believe in a creator God of a created cosmos. We believe that mankind came into being through the creative act of God. Mankind is the crowning work of God’s creation, in that he was created in God’s image and was given dominion as coregents over all creation. The nature of mankind is material and immaterial. He fell from his original state of perfection through willful disobedience. As a result, his nature was corrupted, death was introduced to the world, and the sinful nature was passed down through him to all proceeding generations. As a result of original sin, mankind is spiritually dead in their sin and in need of salvation.

We believe God created mankind male and female and that marriage was ordained by God at creation as the sacred union between one naturally born as a male/man and one naturally born as a female/woman. All sexual relations must therefore be reserved for that sacred union. Christian
marriage is a representation of Christ’s relationship to His church. We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a biological man and a biological woman who are married to each other (a natural sexual identity is one that is biologically male or female). We believe that God has commanded that no sexual activity be indulged outside of a marriage covenant between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of sexual impurity, such as adultery, fornication, homosexuality, pedophilia, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, pornography, polygamy, any attempt to change one’s sex, or disagreement with one’s biological sex, is sinful and offensive to God.

We believe that marriage between a man and a woman was established by God in the beginning in order to ultimately image Christ and the Church. Therefore, we believe that marriage is a holy covenant that should be cherished and protected in order that the image of Christ and the Church may be displayed clearly and without blemish. We believe this image is rightly displayed when a husband loves his wife as Christ loves the Church and the wife responds to her husband’s loving
leadership in the same way the Church responds to Christ. Due to this holy image of marriage, we believe that God is grieved by the sin that results in divorce, as well as the dissolution of the marital covenant, permitting divorce only in specific circumstances. Likewise, remarriage after a divorce should be done only in accordance with the Scriptures and in transparency with the elders.

We believe that God, in His goodness, created the heavens and the earth out of nothing, including all life, by direct act, according to the Genesis account, and it was good, untainted by sin. We believe
Scripture is the final authority in our understanding of creation, and we reject any system of thought that displaces God as the creator and final authority over the cosmos. The entirety of the universe is
the product of the creative, intentional design of the God of the Bible. Mankind is created in the image and likeness of God, descendants of a literal Adam and Eve. God’s creatorship means that He owns the earth and all its inhabitants. As stewards of both our lives and the earth, we value life and are accountable to Him for the way we invest our lives and treat His creation.

Men and women are equal in essence, dignity, and value, but are distinct by divine design. As part of God’s good, created order, men and women are to have different yet complementary roles and
responsibilities in the home and church. While the gift of leadership can reside in both men and women and can be exercised within various capacities of the local church, the office of elder is reserved for qualified men.

We believe in the existence of the spiritual realm, which consists of created personal beings referred to as angels. Angels were created by God to serve as special agents of His worship, as His special messengers of warning and hope, and as warriors fighting on behalf of God and His chosen people.
Angels are unredeemable beings who ponder the wonder of God’s choice to redeem the elect through the giving of His Son. We also believe that some angels rebelled alongside Satan against God’s rule and were expelled from participation in the glory of God’s presence. These beings are
referred to in Scripture as demons. The demonic world with Satan at its head is organized to execute warfare against the design and purpose of God and is opposed to the followers of Jesus Christ. The extent of the influence of this demonic realm is limited in its scope and ability in that it
finds itself in subjection to the power and authority of God Himself. While demon possession is a reality for those outside of Christ, believers in Christ cannot be possessed but can experience the
spiritual oppression of the demonic realm. Those in Christ do not need to fear because their identity and security has been purchased by the blood of Christ. The diminishing of demonic influence in the
life of believers in Christ is done through the normative means of grace – preaching of the Word, fellowship of the saints, participation in the ordinances, Scripture reading, prayer, and a life of holiness.

We believe that the victory of Christ is assured. The return of Jesus will be physical and visible, and is imminent. He is returning for His Church and to earth to establish His Kingdom. We believe in the
resurrection of the body, the final judgment, the eternal blessed state of the righteous in heaven, and the endless suffering of the unregenerate in Hell. In Christ’s victory, sin is extinguished, death is
defeated, and Satan is banished for eternity in the Lake of Fire. The victory of Christ culminates in a New Creation, a New Eden, a New Jerusalem, and the enjoyment of His presence forever.