DOCTRINAL STATEMENT

ARTICLE I -- Of the Scriptures

     We believe that the Holy Bible was written by men and super-naturally inspired:  that it has truth without any admixture of error for its matter; and therefore is, and shall remain to the end of the age, the only complete and final revelation of the will of God to man:  the true center of Christian union and the only standard by which all human conduct, creeds and opinions should be tried.  (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Ephesians 3:5; Deuteronomy 32:4; Psalm 33:4; Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18).

     We believe God preserved his word through the traditional received texts which underlie the King James Bible, and that the Authorized Version (KJV) is an accurate English translation of the preserved Word of God. (Psalm 12:6-7; Matthew 5:18).  The Authorized King James Bible will be used in all ministries of this church, which includes all preaching, teaching, literature, and English speaking missions.

ARTICLE II -- Of the True God

     We believe that there is only one living and true God, infinite in every excellence:  that in the unity of the Godhead there are three personal distinctions -- the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit -- yet one in substance and equal in every divine perfection.  (Exodus 20:2,3; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 1 John 5:7).

     We believe in the absolute Deity of the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ; that He is divine as no other man can be, being Very God of Very God, existing from all eternity co-equal with the Father and the Spirit; that He never ceased to be God for one instant and that His humiliation did not consist in laying aside His deity; that as man He was miraculously begotten of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.  (John 1:1,2,14; 1 John 5:20; Matthew 1:20; Luke 1:26-38).

     We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person, equal with the Father and the Son and of the same substance and nature; that He convicts of sin, righteousness and judgment, bears witness to the truth, is the agent of the New Birth and that He seals, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses to, sanctifies, and helps the believer, indwelling every true child of God. (2 Cor. 13:14; John 14:16,17;  16:7,8; Rom. 8:14-27; 2 Corinthians 1:19-22).

ARTICLE III -- Of the Devil, or Satan

     We believe in the distinct personality of Satan, that he is the unholy god of this age, author of all powers of darkness and sin, and is destined to the judgment of eternal justice in the Lake of Fire. (Matthew 4:1-3; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 20:10).

ARTICLE IV -- Of the Creation

     We believe that God created the heavens and the earth, including all life, "each after it's own kind" by direct act, in six literal twenty-four (24) hour days, and not by process of evolution. (Genesis 1-2; Colossians 1:16-17; John 1:3; Exodus 20:11).

ARTICLE V -- Of the Fall of Man

     We believe that man, in the person of one Adam, was created in innocence but by voluntary transgression fell into sin, thus plunging the whole race into condemnation and death, so that now all mankind is born in sin and shapen in iniquity and become practicing sinners with the first expression of personal choice, not by constraint, but by choice, and so are without excuse before God. (Genesis 3; Romans 5:10-19).

ARTICLE VI -- Of the Atonement for Sin

     We believe that the only escape from the condemnation of sin is through the redemption wrought by the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, when He voluntarily took upon Him a human body and nature, yet without sin, and by His suffering, death, and resurrection made full satisfaction to the justice of God for the sin of man; that the blessings of this salvation are given on the grounds of grace to all who believe and confess and that it is the immediate duty of all to accept these offers of mercy.  (John 1:1-3, 14; 3:1-7; Hebrews 10:4-14; Acts 16:30-33).

ARTICLE VII -- Of Salvation by Grace

     We believe that faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus is the only condition of salvation from sin and this salvation is wholly by grace; that no works, however good, make that salvation more secure. (Acts 16:31; Ephesians 2:8,9; Titus 3:5-7; Romans 10:9-13).

     We believe that all who take Christ as their Savior are born from above and are eternally secure in Christ. (John 10:28-29; Romans 8:25-29; Philippians 1:6; 1 John 5:10-13).

ARTICLE VIII -- Of the Church

     We believe that the Church universal is a New Testament institution; unknown to the Old Testament prophets; established by Jesus Christ, Who is its sole head; revealed through the holy Apostles; empowered and perpetuated by the Holy Spirit; composed of believers in Jesus Christ as Savior, both Jew and Gentile, called out from the world and indwelt by the Holy Spirit; His "body" for service and His "bride" for glory.  It began with the New Testament saints and will be consummated by the coming of Christ at the Rapture.  (Matthew 16:18; Acts 1:8; 2:1-13, 41-47; 15:14; Romans 16:25,26; 1 Corinthians 12:2-28; Ephesians 1:22-23; 3:21; 5:23-33; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

     We believe that the Church universal is manifest through the local church which is a congregation of immersed believers, associated by covenant of Faith and fellowship of the Gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws; exercising the gifts, rights and privileges invested in it by His Word; that it's officers are bishops (or Pastors) and Deacons; that it has absolute right of self-government and directed by the Holy Spirit and it is answerable only to Christ, and that in all matters of membership, polity, government, discipline and benevolence the will of the local church is final.  (Matthew 18:15-17; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 6:4,5; 7:17; 11:16; Ephesians 4:8, 11-13; 1 Timothy 3:1-15).

ARTICLE IX -- Of the Ordinances

     We believe that there are two church ordinances; Baptism and the Lord's Supper.  BAPTISM is the immersion of the believer in water and is properly called "Believer's Baptism".  It sets forth in a beautiful and solemn way our faith in a crucified, buried and risen Savior, with the effects of that faith in our lives as it produces death to sin and resurrection to a new life.  Baptism is a pre-requisite to the privileges of church membership.  THE LORD'S SUPPER is the commemoration of our Lord's death until He comes and our continual fellowship with Him. The Lord's Supper should always be preceded by careful self-examination.  (Acts 8:30-39; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians 11:23-32).

ARTICLE X -- Of the Righteous and Wicked

     We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked:  that only  through faith in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ can be justified and sanctified by the Spirit of God; and are truly righteous in God's sight; while all such who continue in sin and unbelief are in His sight wicked, and under the curse, and this distinction holds among men both in and after death, in the everlasting joy of the saved and the everlasting suffering of the lost.  (Malachi 3:18; Romans 6:17-23; Matthew 25:34-41; Luke 16:25; John 8:21; Revelation 20:15; 21:8; Mark 9:43-48).

ARTICLE XI -- Of the Return of Christ

     We believe in the bodily, personal, imminent, pre-millennial return of Jesus Christ; that He will come before the seven year tribulation period into the air to catch away His church, followed by the Judgment Seat of Christ and that He will come with His church at the close of the tribulation to judge the living nations and to set up His kingdom on earth.  (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Matthew 25:31-46; Revelation 19:11-21).

ARTICLE XII -- Of the Resurrection

     We believe in the literal, physical, bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead on the third day after his death on the cross. (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). We believe in the resurrection of the bodies of the dead; that believers who sleep in Jesus will be raised at the coming of Christ for His church and caught up with transformed living saints to meet the Lord in the air, and that the wicked dead will be raised at the close of the Millennial Kingdom and stand in their bodies at the Great White Throne Judgment to receive their final judgment. (John 5:21-30; 1 Corinthians 15:51-57; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; Revelation 7:9-17; 20:11-15).