Section 1: The Teaching and Preaching of the Bible, God’s Holy Word

This church, believing in the Bible as the inspired Word of God and as the sole authority for faith and practice, declares its purpose:

1. To maintain regular services for public worship;
2. To proclaim earnestly the Gospel message and to urge its personal acceptance, both privately and publicly;
3. To promote systematic Bible study and teaching for Christian service and soulwinning;
4. To cooperate heartily, by prayer, giving, and service in the effort of seeing the Gospel preached throughout the world;
5. To pray for one another that we may ever live according to the will of God, as revealed in His Word;
6. To promote Christian friendship and fellowship;
7. To promote the whole truth of the Bible, to urge the truth lovingly in the power of the Holy Spirit on the community at large. Hence, a program of evangelism and visitation must be maintained in order to take the Gospel to “every creature].

Section 2: Winning Souls

The task of winning souls, together with proclaiming the Lordship of Christ, comprises the chief work of the church. Evangelism, in its fullest meaning, is the preeminent and perennial responsibility of every local church on earth.

Section 3: The Church in the Midst of Apostasy

This church will teach and preach the truths generally as the Baptists through the years have taught; i.e.:

1. The sufficiency and supremacy of the Bible in all things pertaining to faith and practice;
2. The autonomy of the local church;
3. A regenerate and baptized membership;
4. The priesthood of every believer;
5. The separation of church and state.

This church will give special emphasis to the need of returning to Bible doctrine, fellowship, discipline, and organization, holy living for every believer, and the exposure of the religious apostasy which is ever engulfing and polluting Christianity. This church is to uphold and teach what the Bible reveals. It is the purpose of the church to seek to bring the community up to the level of God’s standards, but must never lower its standards to those of the community, even in an effort to reach the people of the community. This church is never to cooperate or unite with the forces of apostasy in any way or form whatsoever.

(I Corinthians chapter 6)

We believe that the Holy Bible was written by men supernaturally inspired; that it is truth without any mixture 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 the Christian union; and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions should be tried. 1. By The Holy Bible we mean that collection of sixty-six books from Genesis through Revelation, which does not only contain the Word of God, but IS the very Word of God. 2. By inspiration we mean that the books of the Bible were written by holy men of old, as they were moved by the Holy Spirit, in such a definite way that their writings were supernaturally and verbally inspired and free from error, as no other writings have ever been or ever will be inspired. 3. We further believe that God, through the Holy Spirit, has committed himself to the Divine and Providential preservation in English of the pure words of God (Psalm 12:6-7; Psalm 119:89, Proverbs 30:5). We further believe that the Authorized King James Version published in 1611 is that Providentially-preserved Word of God, to the exclusion of all other English versions. (II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:19-21; Psalm 119:89; Proverbs 30)

We believe that there is one, and only one, loving and true God, an infinite, intelligent Spirit, the Maker and supreme Ruler of heaven and earth; inexpressibly glorious in holiness and worthy of all possible honor, confidence, and love; that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, equal in every Divine perfection, and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption. (Exodus 20:2-3; Colossians 2:9; Genesis 17:1; Philippians 2:5-6; Revelation 4:11; I John 5:7)

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Divine person, equal with God the Father and God the Son and of the same nature; that He was active in the creation; that in His relation to the unbelieving world He restrains the Evil One until God’s purpose is fulfilled; that He convicts of sin, of judgment, and of righteousness; that He bears witness to the truth of the gospel in preaching and testimony; that He is the agent in the New Birth; that He seals, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies, and helps the believer. (John 14:16-17; Matthew 28:19; John 3:5-6; Genesis 1:2; John 14:26)

We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be born again; that the New Birth is a miraculous transaction whereby the sinner becomes a new creature in Christ Jesus; that it is instantaneous and not a process; that in the New Birth the one dead in trespasses and sins is made a partaker of the Divine nature and receives eternal life, the free gift of God; that the New Birth is brought about in a manner above our comprehension, not by culture, not by character, not by the will of man, but wholly and solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with Divine truth, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the Gospel; that its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance and faith and newness of life. (John 3:3-5; II Corinthians 5:17; I John 5:11-13; Colossians 2:12-13; John 1:11-13) THE FREENESS OF SALVATION We believe in the freeness of God’s grace; that the blessings of salvation are made free to all by the Gospel; that it is the immediate duty of all to accept those blessings by a cordial, penitent, and obedient faith; and that nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner on earth but his own inherent depravity and willful rejection of the Gospel, which rejection involves him in an aggravated condemnation. (I Thessalonians 1:4; Colossians 3:12; Romans 8:29; John 3:15-16, 18, 36; Revelation 22:17; Isaiah 55:13)

We believe that Christian baptism is the complete immersion of a believer in water, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Saviour; that it pictures our death to sin and resurrection to a new life, is the obedient submission of the child of God, and does not constitute in part or in whole salvation or redemption; that it is a prerequisite to the privileges of a church relationship. (Acts 8:36-39; Matthew 3:6, 16; Matthew 28:19; John 3:23)

We believe that the members of the church, by the sacred use of unleavened bread and the unfermented fruit of the vine, are to commemorate together the undying love of Christ, preceded always by solemn self-examination. (I Corinthians 11:23-28)

We believe that Satan was once holy, and enjoyed heavenly honors; but through pride and ambition to be as the Almighty, fell and drew after him a host of angels; that he is now the malignant prince of the power of the air, and the unholy god of this world. We hold him to be man’s great tempter, the enemy of God and His Christ, the accuser of the saints, the author of all false religions, the chief power behind the present evil world, the lord of the antichrist, and the author of all powers of darkness — destined, however, to final defeat at the hands of God’s own Son and to the judgment of an eternal justice in Hell, a place prepared for him and his angels. (Isaiah 14:12-15; Revelation 12:9; I Peter 5:8; II Corinthians 4:4; Ezekiel 28:14-17; II Corinthians 11:13-15)

We believe in the Genesis account of creation, and that it is to be accepted literally, not allegorically nor figuratively; that man was created directly in God’s image and after His own likeness; that man’s creation was not a matter of evolution nor evolutionary change of species, nor development through interminable periods of time from lower to higher forms; that all animal and vegetable life was made directly, and God’s established law was that they should bring forth only “after their kind.” (Genesis 1:1, 11, 24, 26-27; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 1:1-3; John 1:1-3)

We believe that man was created in innocence under the law of his Maker, but by voluntary transgression he fell from his sinless and happy state, in consequence of which all mankind are now sinners, not by constraint, but by choice, and therefore under just condemnation without defense nor excuse. (Genesis 3:1-6, 24; Romans 3:10-19, 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3)

We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten of the Holy Ghost, in a miraculous manner; born of Mary, a virgin, as no other man was ever born or can ever be born of woman; and that He is both the Son of God, and God the Son. (Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25)

We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace, through the mediatorial offices of the Son of God, who by appointment of the Father, freely took upon Him our nature, yet without sin, honored the Divine law by His personal obedience, and by His death made a full and vicarious atonement for our sins; that His atonement consisted not in setting us an example by His death as a martyr, but was the voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner’s place, the Just dying for the unjust, Christ the Lord, bearing our sins in His own body on the tree; that, having risen from the dead, He is now enthroned in heaven and uniting in His wonderful person the tenderest sympathies with Divine perfection, and that He is in every way qualified to be the only suitable, compassionate, and all-sufficient Saviour. (Ephesians 2:8; Romans 3:24; John 3:16; Philippians 2:7; II Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 1:1-3)

We believe that those who are born again become “new creatures in Christ Jesus” and because of the “operation made without hands,” are eternally secure in the grace of God and have been given eternal salvation. We believe that they are forever sealed and shall never “come into condemnation”; that grand attachment to Christ is the mark which distinguishes them from superficial professors; that a special Providence watches over their welfare; and that they are kept by the power of God through faith unto eternal salvation. (II Corinthians 5:17; John 10:28-29; Colossians 2:11-12; Romans 8:1, 35-39; I Peter 1:3-5)

We believe that repentance and faith are solemn and inseparable prerequisites for salvation; that they are necessary elements wrought in the heart by the Holy Spirit; as the sinner is deeply convicted of his guilt and helplessness and turns in repentance to the Lord Jesus Christ, surrendering himself wholeheartedly, and receiving Him as personal Saviour and Lord, he is immediately born again. Acts 3:19; II Cor. 7:9-10; Mark 1:15; Acts 2:37-38; Acts 20:21; Matt. 3:1-2; John 6:44 We believe and teach that all are sinners in need of this great salvation.

1. You need to be saved: Rom. 3:10; 3:23; Jn. 3:1-16
2. You cannot save yourself: Titus 3:5
3. God has provided for your salvation: Heb. 7:25
4. Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation: John 14:6
5. God wants to save you: II Peter 3:9; I Tim. 2:4
6. You must trust in Christ alone, repenting of your sins: Acts. 3:19; Rom. 10:9-10
7. God can save you now: Rom. 10:13

We believe in and accept the sacred Scriptures upon these subjects at their full value. Of the resurrection we believe that Christ rose bodily “the third day according to the Scriptures”; that He alone is our “merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God”; “that this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven…” bodily, personally, and visibly; that the ”dead in Christ shall rise first”; that the living saints “shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump;” “that the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David;” and that “Christ shall reign a thousand years in righteousness until He hath put all enemies under His feet.” We are therefore pre-millennial and pre-tribulational as it pertains to the return of Christ. (Matthew 28:1-7; I Corinthians 15; Revelation 20:1-6; Acts 1:3, 11; I Thessalonians 4:13-16; Revelation 19:11-16)

We believe that all missionary endeavor and ministry should be carried on through and under the authority of the local church; that mission boards and mission hierarchies tend to corrupt and usurp the authority of the local church. The Great Commission was given to the local New Testament Baptist church; therefore, the authority to preach, baptize and teach rests solely with the local church, and not with any educational institution, mission board, denomination, or other religious organization. It is therefore the responsibility of local, Scriptural assemblies to train those who go forth to spread the Gospel, and to supervise their labors under the direction of the Holy Spirit. We do believe that it is the privilege and right of local churches to cooperate with each other in carrying out the Great Commission. This cooperation should be carried on in such a manner as to preserve the sovereignty and autonomy of each local body in all matters of faith and practice. Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8; II Cor. 9:1-15; II Cor. 8:1-6; I Cor. 16:1-3

We believe that civil government is of Divine appointment, for the interests and good order of human society; that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored and obeyed, except in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the only Lord of the conscience and the coming Prince of the kings of the earth. (Romans 13:1; I Peter 2:13, 14, 17; Philippians 2:10-1)

We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that such only as through faith, justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and sanctified by the Spirit of our God, are truly righteous in His esteem; that all such as continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight wicked and under the curse; and that this distinction holds among men both in and after death, in the everlasting joy of the saved in heaven and the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost in Hell. (I Peter 1:18; Romans 1:17; Romans 6:23; Luke 16:25; Revelation 20:15; II Corinthians 5:1-8; Matthew 7:13-14; I John 5:12)

Whereas “the last days” are set forth in Scripture as perilous times, and recognizing that these days are upon us, and seeing a departure from the Word of God, be it resolved that we make the following declaration of our Biblical position:

We declare ourselves to be Bible-believing Baptists and oppose the interdenominational and New Evangelical trends of our day. We hold to the Faith once delivered to the saints and oppose modern liberalism. We stand opposed to the modern charismatic movement with its unscriptural practices, as well as ecumenical unification of religion. In this day of apostasy, we determine, by God’s grace, to stand for truth from the inspired Scriptures, until Christ comes to take the saints home to be with Him!

I Cor. 13:1-13; I Cor. 14:22-34; Heb. 2:1-4; I Tim. 4:1-3; II Tim. 3; II Tim. 4:1-4; Jude 3; Col. 2:8

We believe marriage was ordained by God as one male and one female becoming one flesh. We believe it was God’s design that a man and woman enter the marriage union for life. (Genesis 2:18-25; Matthew 19:3-9; Romans 7:2; Ephesians 5:22-32)

We believe God provided for intimate sexual relations between man and woman within the covenant of marriage; sexual relations outside the bonds of marriage, including homosexuality, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, adultery, fornication, pedophilia, among others alluded to in God’s Word, are a sin. We believe acts that defile God’s human creation, such as gender modification, through medical procedures or by appearance, and participation in the sexual degradation of others through pornography, are attacks against the family unit, are against the will of God, and are sins. (Genesis 2:24, 19:5, 13; Leviticus 18:1-30; Romans 1:18-32; I Corinthians 6:6-10; 7:3-5; Hebrews 13:4; Ephesians 5:3-5; I Thessalonians 4:8)

We believe in the sanctity of human life. We believe human life begins at conception, and from conception through the elderly adult years should be respected as a creation of God. We believe abortion, infanticide, euthanasia, suicide, assisted suicide, and other similar acts are acts of murder and therefore against the will of God. (Genesis 1:27; Exodus 20:13; Leviticus 19:32; Job 12:12; Psalms 139:13-14; Isaiah 44:2, 24; Jeremiah 1:5; Romans 9:20-22; I Timothy 5:1-2)

We believe children are a blessing from God and are to be taught spiritual and moral values by their parents, who are to rear them with loving discipline, following the example and instruction of our Lord. (Deuteronomy 6:6-7; Psalms 78:4-7; 127:3; Proverbs 22:6; Ephesians 6:4)

We believe and teach that the local, visible assembly of Scripturally-baptized believers is Christ’s body- the “one body” of Eph. 4:4- the only kind of “church” found in the New Testament. We do not believe in an invisible or universal church. Although the family of God- all blood-washed, redeemed saints- is “invisible” in that sense, and heaven-bound, not all believers are joined to a Body of Christ- His local, visible assembly, which He called “my church.” The local New Testament Baptist church alone was authorized to carry out the Great Commission. The first New Testament Baptist church was founded by Jesus Christ during His own Personal ministry, using the “materials” prepared by John the Baptist; and membership in Christ’s Body- that local assembly, the manifestation of Christ in that locale- is by Scriptural baptism. We believe and teach that the local New Testament Baptist church is an independent congregation and is not governed or controlled by an ecclesiastical hierarchy. All assemblies in the New Testament were independent, self-governing, self-financing, and self-propagating assemblies. Eph. 3:21; Acts 2:47; I Tim. 3:15; Matt. 16:18; Col. 1:24; Eph. 1:22-23; Acts 16:5; Acts 11:22; Acts 8:1