What We Believe

ON GOD THE FATHER:

God is the creator of all things and is eternal. He exists in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. He is worthy of praise, honor, and glory. God is holy, just, and merciful. All of creation points to His existence, so that man is without excuse for knowing Him. Genesis 1:1, Psalm 90:2; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Romans 1:20

ON JESUS CHRIST:

Jesus Christ is the Son of the Living God, co-equal and co-eternal with God the Father. He lived a sinless life, ministering to the people and teaching them about the Kingdom of God. He took our sins upon Himself on the cross and paid the penalty for our sin debt and gives us the opportunity to have a personal relationship with God. His resurrection assures that we also will rise from the dead. Jesus sits now at the right hand of God the Father in Heaven and we await His return at the end of time. Matthew 1:22-23; John 1:1-14; Acts 1:9-11; Titus 2:13

ON THE HOLY SPIRIT:

The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit’s primary work is to open the eyes and hearts of people to the truth of the Gospel. The Holy Spirit is the primary worker of regeneration in the heart of repentant persons. The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee of our salvation. The Holy Spirit also empowers all believers with gifts of many kinds to be used for the benefit of the entire Body of Christ. John 16:7-13; Acts 1:8; Ephesians 1:13; 1 Corinthians 12

ON THE BIBLE:

The 66 books of the Old and New Testament represent the totality of God’s revelation of Himself to mankind. It is the infallible guide to living as a Christian. The Bible is inspired by God through human writers, and we are called to study each book in its total context. 2 Timothy 3:16

ON HUMANITY, SIN, & SALVATION:

God created human beings for His own good pleasure as the pinnacle of all creation to tend to and care for the world He created. However, because of man’s rebellion against God, we are all born into sin and worthy of punishment. It is only by the Grace of God afforded to us at the cross that it is possible for us to have salvation. All human beings are created with inherent dignity and are worthy of respect. God does not want any person to be separated from Him, but desires all to come to a saving knowledge of Himself. God created human beings for relationship and community. We affirm the biblical view on human sexuality and relationships. Genesis 1 – 3; Romans 3:23; Matthew 19:1-12; 2 Peter 3:9

ON THE ORDINANCES:

Our LORD established two ordinances as symbols of our common bond in salvation. In Believer’s Baptism we affirm that we have been given a new heart and a new life by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ through full immersion in water. Through the Lord’s Supper we celebrate that sacrifice and look ahead to a time when we will all celebrate together in the New Heaven and New Earth. 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; Colossians 2:12; Ephesians 4:4-6; Luke 22:19-20

ON THE AUTONOMY OF THE LOCAL CHURCH:

The Baptists have historically affirmed the autonomy of each local church body, leaving all decision making to the body of believers. We are not under ecclesial rule, but we do engage in associational living with other Baptist churches in our region. Acts 15