Statement of Faith

The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments were given by inspiration of God.
Therefore, all scripture is authoritative, infallible and inerrant. The Scriptures are the only sufficient rule for faith and practice
(Ps. 19:7; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:20-21).

There is but one God, the Maker, Preserver and Ruler of all things, having in and of Himself all perfections
and being infinite in them all; and to Him all creatures owe the highest love, reverence and obedience that springs from faith
(Deut. 6:4; Ps. 145:3; John 1:3; 1 Cor. 8:4-6; 1 Tim. 1:17).

The Scriptures reveal that the one God eternally exists in three persons: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Each person has distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence or being (Matt. 3:16-17; 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14).

God from eternity, decrees or permits all things that come to pass, and perpetually upholds, directs and governs all creatures
and all events; yet so as not in any wise to be the author or approver of sin nor to destroy the free will
and responsibility of intelligent creatures (Isa. 46:9-11; Prov. 16:33; Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3; Jas. 1:13-15).

Election is God's eternal choice of some persons unto everlasting life—not because of foreseen merit or foreseen faith in them,
but of His mere mercy in Christ—in consequence of which choice they are called, justified and glorified
(Rom. 8:28-30; 1 Cor. 1:23-29; Eph. 1:4, 11).

God originally created Man in His own image, and free from sin; but, through the temptation of Satan,
Adam transgressed the command of God, and fell from his original holiness and righteousness; whereby his posterity
inherit a nature corrupt and wholly opposed to God and His law. As a result they are under condemnation,
and as soon as they are capable of moral action, become actual transgressors (Gen. 1:26-27; 3:1-7; Rom. 5:12-19; Eph. 2:1-3).

Since Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, is fully God and fully man, He is the divinely appointed mediator
between God and man. Having taken upon Himself human nature, yet without sin, He perfectly fulfilled the law;
suffered and died upon the cross for the salvation of sinners. He was buried, and rose again the third day,
and ascended to His Father, at whose right hand He ever lives to make intercession for His people.
He will return again visibly and bodily. He is the only Mediator, the Prophet, Priest and King of the Church, and Sovereign of the Universe
(Isa. 53:10-12; John 1:1, 14; Acts 1:9-11; Rom. 3:21-26; 8:34; 1 Cor. 15:3-4; Gal. 3:13; 1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 1:1-3).

We believe that God the Holy Spirit brings glory to the Father and the Son. He applies the work of Christ to believers
and distributes spiritual gifts to every believer according to His sovereign good pleasure for the purpose
of building up the body of Christ. He is the Comforter, the Spirit of Adoption, the Seal of our Salvation
and the Guarantor of our inheritance in Christ (John 14:16-17; 16:14; Acts 5:3; Rom. 8:14-17; Eph. 1:13-14).

Regeneration is a change of heart, wrought by the Holy Spirit, who gives life to those dead in trespasses and sins,
enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the word of God, and renewing their whole nature,
so that they love and practice holiness. It is a work of God's free and special grace alone, so that the ultimate cause of regeneration
is God's grace, not man's free will (Eph. 2:1-6; Tit. 3:5; 1 John 5:1).

Repentance is an evangelical grace, wherein a person being by the Holy Spirit, made sensible of the manifold evil of his sin,
humbles himself for it, with godly sorrow, detestation of it, and self- abhorrence, with a purpose
and endeavor to walk before God so as to please Him in all things (Acts 2:37-38; 11:18; 2 Cor. 7:10-11).

Saving faith is the belief, on God's authority, of whatever is revealed in His word concerning Christ;
accepting and resting upon Him alone for justification and eternal life. It is wrought in the heart by the Holy Spirit,
and is accompanied by all other saving graces, and leads to a life of holiness
(Rom. 3:27-28; 4:1-5; 4:17-25; 10:14, 17; Phil. 1:29; Eph. 2:8; Jas. 2:14-26).

Justification is God's gracious and full acquittal of sinners, who believe in Christ, from all sin,
through the satisfaction that Christ has made; not for anything wrought in them or done by them;
but on account of the obedience and satisfaction of Christ, they receiving and resting on Him and His righteousness by faith
(Acts 13:38-39; Rom. 3:21-26; 8:34; 10:3-4; 2 Cor. 5:21; Phil. 3:9).

Those who have been regenerated are also sanctified by God's word and Spirit dwelling in them.
This sanctification is progressive through the supply of Divine strength, which all saints seek to obtain,
pressing after a heavenly life in cordial obedience to all Christ's commands
(Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 36:27-27; Rom. 8:1-17; Gal. 5:13-24; 2 Pet. 1:3-11).

All those whom God has regenerated will never totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace,
but shall certainly persevere to the end; and though they may fall through neglect and temptation, into sin,
whereby they grieve the Spirit, impair their graces and comforts, bring reproach on the church,
and temporal judgments on themselves, yet they shall be renewed again unto repentance,
and be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation (John 6:37-40; 10:28-29; Rom. 8:28-39; 1 Cor. 1:8-9; Phil. 1:6).

The Lord Jesus is the head of the church, which is composed of all His true disciples,
and in Him is invested supremely all power for its government. According to His commandment,
Christians are to associate themselves into particular churches; and to each of these churches He has given needful authority
for administering that order, discipline and worship which He has appointed. The regular officers of a church are Elders and Deacons
(John 10:16; Acts 20:17, 28; Eph. 1:22; 5:23; 1 Tim. 3:1-13; 5:17-18; Tit. 1:5-9; Heb. 10:25).

Baptism is an ordinance of the Lord Jesus, obligatory upon every believer, wherein he is immersed
in water in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, as a sign of his fellowship
with the death and resurrection of Christ, of remission of sins, and of giving himself up to God,
to live and walk in newness of life. It is prerequisite to church membership and to participation in the Lord’s Supper
(Matt. 28:19; Acts 2:38; Rom. 6:3-5; 1 Cor. 12:13).

The Lord's Supper is an ordinance of Jesus Christ, to be administered with the elements of bread and the fruit of the vine,
and to be observed by His churches till the end of the world. It is in no sense a sacrifice, but is designed to commemorate
His death, to confirm the faith and other graces of Christians, and to be a bond, pledge and renewal of their communion with Him,
and of their church membership (Matt. 26:26-29; 1 Cor. 10:16-17; 11:23-34).

God alone is Lord of the conscience; and He has left it free from human doctrines and commandments that are
in any way contrary to His word or not contained in it. Those who use Christian liberty as an excuse to practice sin
or nurture any sinful desire pervert the objective of the grace of the gospel to their own destruction
(Matt. 15:9; Rom. 14:4-6;  1 Cor. 6:12; Col. 2:20-23; Js. 4:12).

Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime.
It is God's unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His church and to provide for the man and the woman
in marriage the framework for intimate companionship, the channel of sexual expression according to biblical standards,
and the means for procreation of the human race
(Gen. 1:26-28; 2:15-25; Prov. 5:15-20; Matt. 5:31-32; 19:3-9; Rom. 1:18-32; 1 Cor. 7:1-16; Eph. 5:21-33; Heb. 13:4).

The bodies of men after death return to dust, but their spirits return immediately to God—
the righteous to rest with Him; the wicked, to be reserved under darkness to the judgment.
The bodies of all the dead, both just and unjust, will be raised (John 5:28-29; 1 Cor. 15:12-28; 2 Cor. 5:1-10; Phil. 1:23).

God has appointed a day, wherein He will judge the world by Jesus Christ, when every one shall receive according to his deeds;
the wicked shall go into everlasting and conscious punishment; the righteous, into everlasting life
(Matt. 25:46; John 5:22, 27-29; Acts 17:31; Rom. 2:6-11; 2 Cor. 5:10; 2 Thess. 1:7-10; 2 Tim. 4:8; Rev. 7:13-17; 14:9-11).