Gather with us at either 9 AM or 11 AM
Gather with us at either 9 AM or 11 AM
Our Statement of Faith, the foundation of our church.
We hold to the timeless truths of the Christian faith, grounded in the authority of Scripture. Below is a summary of our core doctrines, which form the foundation of our teaching, worship, and community life.
“But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine”
(Titus 2:1)
We believe justification is the great gospel blessing which Christ secures to those who believe in him. It includes the pardon of sin and the promise of eternal life on principles of righteousness. It is bestowed solely through faith in the Redeemer’s blood, not on the basis of any works of righteousness which we have done; God imputes to us Christ’s perfect righteousness, granting us peace and favor with God, and assuring every needed blessing both for now and eternity.
We believe there is one living and true God, infinite, intelligent Spirit, whose name is YHWH, the Maker and Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth; indescribably glorious in holiness, worthy of all honor, confidence, and love; and 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 yet harmonious roles in the great work of redemption.
We believe man was created in holiness, subject to the law of his Creator; but by voluntary transgression fell from that holy and happy state; as a result, all mankind are now sinners—not by compulsion, but by choice—utterly devoid of the holiness required by God’s law, inclined to evil, and therefore under just condemnation to eternal ruin without excuse or defense.
We believe the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace, through the mediating work of the Son of God; who, by the appointment of the Father, freely took upon himself our nature, yet without sin; honored the divine law by his perfect obedience; and with his death made a full atonement for our sins. He rose from the dead and is now enthroned in heaven, uniting in his person the tenderest sympathies and divine perfections, thus qualifying him in every way to be a suitable, compassionate, and all-powerful Savior.
We believe justification is the great gospel blessing which Christ secures to those who believe in him. It includes the pardon of sin and the promise of eternal life on principles of righteousness. It is bestowed solely through faith in the Redeemer’s blood, not on the basis of any works of righteousness which we have done; God imputes to us Christ’s perfect righteousness, granting us peace and favor with God, and assuring every needed blessing both for now and eternity.
We believe 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 heartfelt, penitent, and obedient faith; that nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner on earth except his own innate depravity and voluntary rejection of the gospel, which increases his condemnation.
We believe that to be saved, the sinner must be regenerated, or born again. Regeneration consists in giving a holy disposition to the mind, accomplished by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with divine truth in a manner beyond human comprehension. Its proper evidence is seen in the holy fruits of repentance, faith, and newness of life.
We believe repentance and faith are sacred duties and inseparable graces wrought in the soul by the regenerating Spirit of God. Being deeply convinced of our guilt, danger, and helplessness, and also of the way of salvation through Christ, we turn to God with sincere contrition, confession, and supplication for mercy. At the same time, we heartily receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Prophet, Priest, and King, and rely on him alone as the only all-sufficient Savior.
We believe election is the eternal purpose of God, according to which he graciously regenerates, sanctifies, and saves sinners. It is perfectly consistent with human free will, encompasses all means as well as the end, and is a most glorious display of God’s sovereign goodness, infinitely free, wise, holy, and unchangeable. It utterly excludes boasting and promotes humility, love, prayer, praise, trust in God, and active imitation of his mercy.
We believe sanctification is the process by which, according to God’s will, we are made partakers of his holiness. It is a progressive work that begins at regeneration and is carried on in the hearts of believers by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit through the continual use of appointed means—especially the Word of God, self-examination, self-denial, watchfulness, and prayer.
We believe only true believers will endure to the end. Their persevering attachment to Christ is the grand mark distinguishing them from superficial professors. A special providence watches over their welfare, and they are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.
We believe the law of God is the eternal and unchangeable rule of his moral government; holy, just, and good. The inability of fallen men to fulfill its precepts arises solely from their love of sin. The gospel’s great purpose is to deliver them from this inability and to restore them, through a Mediator, to sincere obedience to God’s holy law.
We believe a visible church of Christ is a congregation of baptized believers, united by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing Christ’s ordinances, governed by his laws, and exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by his Word. Its biblical officers are pastors (also called elders or bishops) and deacons.
We believe Christian baptism is the immersion in water of a believer in Christ, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; to show forth, in a solemn and beautiful emblem, our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior, and the effect of that faith in our death to sin and resurrection to a new life. Baptism is prerequisite to the privileges of church membership and to participation in the Lord’s Supper, in which the members of the church, by the sacred use of bread and wine, commemorate together the love of Christ in his death, always preceded by solemn self-examination.
We believe the Lord’s Day should be observed as a Christian day of rest, devoted to religious purposes through public and private exercises of God’s grace, and preparation for that eternal rest remaining for the people of God.
We believe civil government is of divine appointment for the interests and good order of human society. We are to pray for magistrates, honor them, and obey them, except in matters 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 there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that only those who are justified through faith in the name of the Lord Jesus and sanctified by the Spirit of God are truly righteous in his estimation, while all who remain unrepentant and unbelieving are in his sight wicked and under condemnation. This distinction holds both in life and after death.
We believe the end of the world is approaching. At the last day, Christ will descend from heaven, raise the dead, and make a final separation between the righteous and the wicked. The wicked will be sent to everlasting punishment, and the righteous to everlasting joy. Thus, judgment will fix forever the final state of men in heaven or hell, based on righteousness.
