Statement of Faith

Article 1: GOD

     We believe in the Divine Trinity; God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost are three in one.  God is holy, eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent.  The Father sent the Son to earth in the flesh to redeem His people.  He sends the Holy Spirit to regenerate the elect, draw them to Him, and guide them in all truth.  We do not believe in baptism by the Holy Spirit after conversion.  The Holy Spirit indwells all that are saved. The Spirit filled the first church at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost and a group of Gentile believers in Caesarea, empowering them with extraordinary gifts.  However, these were special manifestations and ceased with that generation.  We believe in the inspiration and infallibility of God’s Word.  We do not approve of alternative translations.  By the grace of God, His Word was translated from Hebrew and Greek into English in the King James Version.  While the translators were not inspired like Moses, John, Paul, etc., God blessed their effort to translate His Word.  Modern translations have drifted farther and farther from that version’s degree of accuracy.  We are not at liberty to add to or take away from the Word of God.

Article 2: HIS CREATURES

God has created eternal beings called angels, some of which remain His faithful servants and guardians of His people.  Others, like Satan, have fallen by sin.  God created man in His image, making Adam out of dust and breathing into him the breath of life.  He made Eve out of one of Adam’s ribs.  Like begets like; we do not believe in the evolution of mankind or of animals.  Death passed upon all men when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit.  As a result of their sin, all men are born with a depraved nature.  They are servants of sin and enemies of God, unable to redeem themselves and doomed to eternal punishment without the intervention of God Himself.  Spiritually dead, they are not even able to repent of their sin or trust Christ as Savior except by the grace of God.

Article 3: SALVATION

            Salvation is in Christ alone.  His substitutionary death is the only means whereby a sinner can be justified in the sight of God.  God has chosen to save His people by grace through repentance and faith in His Son alone, without any mixture of man’s works. 

            We also believe that God is sovereign in salvation.  Only a sovereign God could save a depraved man.  All are invited and commanded to repent and believe, but only those who God draws can or will come to Him.  God chose, elected, or predestinated His people before the foundation of the world, not because He foresaw any good in them but only because it seemed good in His sight.  In time, Christ successfully purchased salvation for those “sheep” in particular.  The Spirit regenerates them with an irresistible grace at times appointed by God.  The elect are born again when the sovereign grace of God regenerates them and grants them repentance and faith.  Although the Spirit quickens men supernaturally, without any external means, God has chosen to use the gospel to bring those He quickens to repentance and faith, twin graces He grants to all of the elect.  Repentance and faith are visible fruits and evidence that a new birth has occurred, not the cause of it.  Our belief in the gospel’s role in God’s way of salvation sets us apart from “hardshells.”  We do not, however, believe in the man-made “invitation system” or “decisions,” which falsely debase God and exalt man.  We also believe in the perseverance and preservation of the saints, which are also by the grace of God.  Although such doctrine is often labeled “Calvinism,” we did not learn it from Calvin but from Christ.

Article 4: CHURCH DOCTRINE

            We believe that Christ organized the first church during His earthly ministry and promised perpetuity to the kind of churches He founded upon Himself.  Such churches have never appeared spontaneously or evolved out of apostasy, but have always sprung from an existing church, tracing their authority back to the first church in Jerusalem.  Just as promised, Christ’s churches have continued to exist throughout the ages.  They are neither Catholic nor Protestant, having Christ as their only head and remaining faithful to His Word.  They have been called many names (Anabaptists, Novatians, Cathari, Waldenses, Albigenses, Donatists, etc.) but have always shared the same foundation and doctrine.  We do not believe that all “Baptist” churches are true churches.  Even churches that were properly organized and once held to the true faith can and often do lose their authority by forsaking the truth.

The Lord’s churches are local, visible bodies of baptized believers that have received authority from another true church and hold fast to the faith once delivered to the saints.  Humanly speaking, they are independent and democratic, yet they are to depend on and submit to Christ their head.  All things are to be done decently and in order.  The commission given to the Lord’s churches is to baptize and teach the whole counsel of God.  Churches are to assemble regularly for worship and edification.  They are to be missionary, spreading the gospel far and wide as they are made able.

There are two church ordinances: baptism and the Lord’s supper.  Only those who have made a profession of faith and show fruits of repentance are proper candidates for baptism.  Only the Lord’s churches have the authority to administer baptism.  Candidates are to be fully immersed in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, not to obtain salvation but to make a typological picture of their dying to sin and rising to walk in newness of life.  Baptism places believers in a particular church.  All believers are in the family of God, but a “universal” or “invisible” church does not exist.

            Churches are commanded to observe the Lord’s Supper in remembrance of Christ’s death.  The unleavened bread and wine symbolize the sacrifice of His body and blood.  Members individually and churches collectively are to examine themselves before observing the ordinance, for those who do so unworthily bring judgment upon themselves.  The ordinance should be administered only to members of each particular church.

Churches are to be continually sanctified by the Word and should strive to keep themselves pure in doctrine and discipline.  The Lord’s churches are to be separate from the world and its false churches.  Churches recognize the authority of other churches when they share pulpits, exchange members, attend union meetings, or join associations.  Great caution should be used with regard to fellowship, even among so-called Baptists.  Instead of the popular practice of exchanging letters with other Baptist churches as standard procedure, we consider it more cautious and consistent to examine each case individually to determine whether a candidate for membership has received scriptural baptism.  We are not obligated to exchange letters with any church that we consider irregular.  Churches that preach another gospel, tolerate wickedness, practice open communion, or receive alien immersion either directly or indirectly should not be recognized as regular.  Although we do not claim to know at what point God removes the candlestick from a church, we are to draw clear lines between truth and error in all we preach and practice.  When a church countenances false religion, it commits spiritual fornication and is in grave danger of forfeiting its own authority as a true church.  The Bible promises perpetuity to the Lord’s churches, but the perpetuity of each individual congregation is conditional on its faithfulness.

Article 5: CHRISTIAN DUTY

            We believe in sanctification; new creatures created by God will bring forth fruit as evidence of conversion.  Good works do not cause salvation, but salvation does cause good works.  Salvation is free and eternal, but when we are freed from sin we become servants to Christ, who purchased us with His own blood.  When His blood is trampled upon by presumptuous sin, there is just cause to question whether a person is saved or whether his faith, without works, is dead.  We should strive to be holy, as He is holy.      

            We believe that God has ordained marriage for one man and one woman for life.  Parents are to raise children with love, Godly education, and biblical discipline.  The Bible forbids the perversion of God’s pattern for families with abortion, homosexuality, fornication, or adultery in any form.  Marriage is indissoluble except by death.  The exception for fornication in Matthew refers exclusively to the Jewish custom of betrothal.  Once married, husbands and wives are bound to each other until separated by death.  What the world calls divorce and remarriage God calls adultery.

We believe that God has ordained a divine order of the sexes.  The husband is to be the head of the home and to provide materially for his family.  The wife is to be in submission to her husband and to take care of the home.  We believe that there should be distinct differences in the physical appearance of males and females of all ages and that it is an abomination in the sight of God to blur such distinctions.  Men are to have short hair, and women are to have long hair.  They are not to wear apparel that pertains to the opposite sex; it is no more appropriate for women to wear pants than for men to wear dresses. 

When assembled in the Lord’s house, men and women are to behave according to the respective stations assigned them by God, which represent the relationship between Christ and the church.  Men are not to cover their heads, but women are to do so with an artificial covering.  Men may speak, pray, teach and preach in the assembly if done in an orderly manner.  Women may not speak in the worship service or in the discussion of business.  They are not permitted to hold positions of leadership such as pastor or deacon or to make motions in the transaction of business. 

            Israel is repeatedly rebuked in the Old Testament for the sin of idolatry.  This sin is just as serious in the lives of Christians today, in all its forms.  We disapprove of crosses, spires, supposed pictures of the Lord, and all graven images.  We also condemn witchcraft in all its forms, including the popular new age books, movies, and games.  We do not allow participation in freemasonry or any other such organization.  We forbid all participation in idolatrous holidays such as X-mass, Easter, and Halloween.  These holidays are of pagan origin and have nothing to do with worshiping the Father in spirit and in truth.  Furthermore, we believe that Christ was in the grave three full days and nights, which leaves no room for a “Good Friday” crucifixion and “Sunday Morning” resurrection.

            All Christians, and especially church members, should strive to maintain a good conversation in general.  We are to avoid drunkenness, dishonesty, covetousness, and vulgarity, and as much as possible we should live peaceably with all men.  We are rather to show charity, honesty, faithfulness, diligence, decency, patience, purity, meekness, obedience, and all such virtues.  It is our duty to assemble with the church regularly, to pay our tithes willingly, and to keep the Christian sabbath.  We believe it is wrong to work or to do business on the Lord’s Day, the first day of the week, unless absolutely necessary.  We are committed to maintaining brotherly unity but never at the expense of truth.  We should seek the truth together and avoid offending the consciences of others.  True unity is not achieved by compromising on essentials or by coercing others in non-essential matters.                       

Article 6: CHURCH DISCIPLINE

            It is our duty as a church to practice what we preach.  Church discipline involves teaching and, when necessary, exclusion.  We believe in taking preventative measures by using caution in accepting candidates for membership.  All members are obligated to constantly examine themselves and to show concern for fellow members.  When a member is found to be out of fellowship with the church, either in matters of doctrine or morality, the church is to first instruct and admonish in a spirit of patience and love.  If, after repeated admonitions, a brother or sister refuses to repent, exclusion becomes necessary in order to maintain the integrity of the church.  This disciplinary measure is unpleasant but is nevertheless commanded by God and is for the spiritual profit and instruction of the erring one (1 Corinthians 5:5).  Members are expected to assemble with the church regularly, not sporadically, unless providentially hindered.  Members are to be excluded for obstinate non-attendance, heresy, discord, idolatry, spiritual fornication, and other offenses the church deems inappropriate according to the Word of God.  They are also to be excluded for personal immorality, including sins such as drunkenness, vulgarity, dishonesty, and sexual immorality.  When members repent of such sins, they are to be forgiven and restored to fellowship with the church.  True repentance, however, involves not only expressing sorrow for sin but also forsaking sin.  Drunkards must forsake drunkenness, idolaters must forsake idolatry, fornicators must forsake fornication, adulterers must forsake adultery, and so on.  We believe that couples who remarry during the lifetime of previous spouses are living in a continual state of adultery and must therefore discontinue the adulterous relationship as evidence of repentance.  These standards apply to all members, not only to pastors and deacons.

Article 7: HISTORY AND PROPHECY

            We believe that God existed in eternity past and that He planned the redemption of His elect before the foundation of the world.  We believe that, just as recorded in Genesis, approximately six thousand years ago He created the entire universe in six regular days.  We believe that in the days of Noah the world was destroyed by the great flood but Noah, his family, and the animals on the ark were saved.  This is a type of salvation in Christ and the world’s future judgment by fire.  We believe that Israel was and remains God’s chosen nation, despite its repeated sin and judgment, which has been recorded as an example for the churches.  We believe that God will restore Israel to fellowship with Him; He has already fulfilled the promise to restore Israel as a nation. 

We believe that approximately two thousand years ago God was made flesh and came to earth in the person of Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah born of a virgin.  He lived a sinless life and served a faithful ministry before laying down His life freely to redeem His people just as prophesied.  After three days, He arose from the dead.  Then after forty days, He ascended into heaven where he remains at the right hand of the Father making intercession for the saints.  Since that time, the gospel has been preached to Gentiles around the world.  God has preserved a faithful remnant of true churches through centuries of persecution and temptation and continues to be sovereign in all things.    

            We are pre-tribulationist and pre-millennialist.  We believe that the rapture is imminent.  At the time appointed by God, the dead in Christ will rise from their graves with new bodies, the living saints will be changed in a moment, and we will all meet the Lord in the air. We believe that Christ will judge the saints according to their works and marry His bride.  The bride will be composed not of all who are saved but of the faithful members of the faithful churches, the elect of the elect who have lived sanctified lives of service to God.  We also believe that following the rapture there will be a seven-year period of great tribulation upon the earth, during which the Antichrist will set up his kingdom.  We do not allegorize away prophecies of the Antichrist and Babylon as Protestants have done, making them nothing more than symbols for Roman Catholicism.  Babylon will literally be rebuilt, and a blasphemous world leader will come to power and deceive all that refused the truth of God’s Word.  He will endorse a false religion that will unite the entire world, including apostate Christianity.  In the middle of the tribulation, the Antichrist will betray Israel and bring in the abomination of desolation.  God will open the eyes of many Jews, and the Antichrist will persecute the Christians ruthlessly. At the end of the tribulation, Christ will descend from heaven and conquer the earth.  Satan will be bound, and Christ will rule and reign upon the earth with the saints in peace and righteousness for one thousand years.  At the end of the millennium, Satan will be loosed for a short time before being finally defeated by God.  At the second judgment, all the lost will be sentenced to spend eternity with Satan in a literal lake of fire.  The saints will spend eternity in the presence of God, praising Him for all His marvelous works.