What We Believe
ARTICLES OF FAITH AND DOCTRINE
We believe and accept the scriptures as our FINAL AUTHOURITY in matters of faith and practice and believe in the verbal, plenary, inspiration of the Bible, as the inerrant, infallible and authoritative word of God. The King James Bible is God's PRESERVED Word to English speaking people.
We believe in One God who is Creator and sovereign ruler of the Universe who exists in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and that He is an infinite God of holiness and righteousness, as well as of love and grace.
We believe in the doctrine of total depravity of man born of Adam, and in the condemnation and suffering of all such man who are not born again through personal faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
We believe in the virgin birth and deity of Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God.
That Christ bore our sins in his own body on the tree and died, having voluntarily offered himself unto God as a vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice for us (whosoever will).
That his body was raised from the dead and that he ascended to the right hand of the Father where he is the one and only mediator between God and man, our all sufficient High Priest, advocate and intercessor, and that he is coming again in power and great glory to take his own to a prepared place.
That the divine commission requires we preach the gospel to all the world and that we baptize those who believe and establish New testament churches constituted of the born again persons only, and teach them to be obedient to all the council of God. We believe that this can be accomplished only by the enabling of the Holy Spirit.
In the other great distinctive Biblical doctrines historically held by Baptists such a separation of church and state, the priesthood of all believers the purity of the church, the autonomy of the local church under the sovereign headship of Christ, the Biblical offices of pastor and deacons, baptism by immersion of believers in water, and the symbolism of the ordinances which are baptism and the Lord's Supper.
That Satan is a person, hell is a place of eternal punishment of all unsaved; and heaven is the eternal home of believers (those born again).
In the eternal security of all believers (John 3:16).
That the Holy Spirit is a person, who convicts and regenerates the sinner and indwells, enlightens, empowers, and seals the saved.
The New Testament church is an organized body of believers having been baptized and practicing scriptural ordinances and actively engaged in fulfilling the great commission.
That the saved are called unto a life of separation from all worldly and sinful practices.
That it is the obligation of the saved to witness by life and word of these truths.
We believe that the prophetic scriptures predict a great apostasy which will culminate in an anti-biblical one world church. Therefore we are opposed to the present ecumenical movement which is building such a church and is fostered by the World Council of Churches and the Vatican.
The Church Covenant
Having been led, as we believe, by the Spirit of God, to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour, and on the profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, we do now in the presence of God, angels and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another, as one body of Christ.
We engage, therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this church, in knowledge, worship, ordinances, discipline, and doctrines; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the gospel through all nations.
We also engage to maintain family and secret devotions; to religiously educate our children; to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances; to walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment, to avoid all tattling, backbiting, and excessive anger; to abstain from the sale and use of intoxicating drink as a beverage, and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Saviour.
We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember each other in prayer; to aid each other in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation, and mindful of the rules of our Saviour, to secure it without delay.
We moreover engage that, when we remove from this place, we will as soon as possible unite with some other church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God's Word.