What we Believe

We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the verbally and plenary inspired Word of God. We further believe that the Holy Scriptures have been completely and perfectly preserved for the world in the 1611 King James Version of the Bible. We believe that all other versions, excluding none, are perversions and corruptions of the true Word of God and, therefore, none may be used in any service or ministry of the church. We believe that the sixty-six (66) books of the Old and New Testament are the complete and divine revelation of God to man (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:20-21).

We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – each co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory and having the same attributes and perfections (Deut 6:4; Matt 28:19; 2 Cor 13:14; John 14:10,26)

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin, in order that he might reveal God and redeem sinful men (Isa. 7:14; 9:16; Luke 1:35; John 1:1-2, 14; 2 Cor. 5:19-21; Gal. 4:4-5; Phil. 2:5-8).

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and, that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead (Acts 2:18-26; Rom. 3::24-25; 1 Pet. 2:24; Eph. 1:7; 1 Pet. 1:3-5).

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven, and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor and Advocate (Acts 1:9-10; Heb 9:24; 7:25; Rom 8:34; 1 John 2:1-2)

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and, that He is the supernatural agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the Body of Christ, indwelling them and sealing them unto the day of redemption (John 16:8-11; Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 12:12-14; 2 Cor. 3:6; Eph. 1:13-14).

We believe that the Holy Spirit is the divine teacher who assists believers to understand and appropriate the Scriptures, and that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the Spirit (Eph. 1:17-18; 5:18; 1 John 2:20, 27).

We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowal of spiritual gifts to every believer. God uniquely uses evangelists, pastors and teachers to equip believers in the assembly in order that they can do the work of the ministry (Rom. 12:3-8; 1 Cor. 12:4-11; 28; Eph. 4:7-12).

We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and the gift of healing, were temporary. We believe that speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit and that ultimate deliverance of the body through sickness or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection, though God frequently chooses to answer the prayers of believers for physical healing (1Cor 1:22; 13:8; 14:21-22).

We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but, that in Adam's sin, the human race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God; and, that man is totally depraved, and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition (Gen. 1:26-27; Rom. 3:22-23; 5:12; 6:23; Eph. 2:1-3; 4:17-19).

We believe that salvation is extended to every man as a free gift of God. Jesus Christ shed His blood in order that all men might be saved. Salvation is brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins (John 1:12; 3:16; 5:24; 12:46; Rom 4:1-4; Eph. 1:7; 2:8-10; 1 Pet. 1:18-19).

We believe that repentance and faith are sacred duties an inseparable graces, wrought in our souls by the regenerating Spirit of God; whereby, being deeply convicted of our guilt, danger and helplessness, and of the way of salvation by Christ, we turn to God with unfeigned contrition, confession and supplication for mercy; at the same time heartily receiving the Lord Jesus Christ and relying upon Him alone as the only and all-sufficient Saviour (2 Cor 7:10; Mark 1:14-15; Luke 13:3; 24:47; Acts 3:19; 2 Tim 2:25).

We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God's power and are thus secure in Christ forever (John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Rom. 8:1, 38-39; 1 Cor. 1:4-8; 1 Pet. 1:4-5).

We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God's Word, which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh (Rom. 13:13-14; Gal. 5:13; Titus 2:11-15).

We believe that a local Baptist church is made up of baptized believers associated by a covenant of faith and fellowship of the Gospel, and exists as an autonomous body, free of any external authority or control (Acts 13:1-4, 15:19-31, 20:28; Rom. 16:1, 4; 1 Cor. 3:9, 16; 5:4-7, 13; 1 Pet. 5:1-4).

We believe that the only scriptural offices of the church are the offices of pastor and deacons, whose qualifications are defined in the Epistles of Timothy and Titus (1 Tim 3:1-7; Titus 1:6-9).

We believe that water baptism and the Lord's Supper are the scriptural ordinances for the church in this age. We believe that Christian baptism is by immersion in water in the name of the Father, the Son and Holy Ghost. We believe that baptized believers are to commemorate together the sacrifice of Christ by observing the Lord's Supper (Matt 28:19-20; Acts 8:12; 8:38; Rom 6:4; 1 Cor 5:11-13).

We believe that the ministry of the church should be financed by the tithes and offerings of its members. We believe that every Christian, as a steward of that portion of God's wealth entrusted to him, is obligated to support his local church financially. We believe that God has established the tithe as a basis for giving, but that every Christian should also give other offerings sacrificially and cheerfully to the support of the church and the spread of the gospel. We believe that a Christian relinquishes all rights to direct the use of the tithe or the offering once the gift has been made (Gen 14:20; Pro 3:9-10; Acts 4:34-37; 1 Cor 16:2; 2 Cor 9:6-7; Gal 6:6; Eph 4:28; 1 Tim 5:17-18; 1 John 3:17).

We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Saviour and Lord; and, that separation from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices and associations is commanded of God (Rom 12:1-2; 2 Cor 6:14-7:1; 2 Tim 3:1-5; 1 John 2:15-17; 2 John 9-11).

We believe in the imminent, bodily return of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, at which time He will rapture His church out of the earth. We believe that immediately following will be the seven year Tribulation period, after which, the Lord will personally and visibly return with His saints, to establish His earthly Messianic Kingdom, which was promised to the nation of Israel (Psa 89:3-4; Dan 2:31-45; Zech 14:4-11; 1 Thes 1:10; 1 Thes 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; Rev 3:10; 19:11-26; 20:1-6).

We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men; the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment (Matt 25:46; John 5:28, 29; 11:25-26; Rev 20:5-6, 12-13).

We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection, when spirit, soul and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord (Luke 23:43; 2 Cor 5:8; Phil 1:23; 3:21; 1 Thess 4:16-17; Rev 20:4-6).

We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious punishment until the second resurrection, when with soul and body reunited they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment, and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting, conscious punishment and torment (Matt 25:41-4; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-26; 2 Thes 1:7-9; Jude 6-7; Rev 20:11-15).

We believe that God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: 1) the home; 2) the church; and 3) the state. Every person is subject to these authorities, but all (including the authorities themselves) are answerable to God and governed by His Word. God has given each institution specific Biblical responsibilities and balanced those responsibilities with the understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the other. The home, the church, and the state are equal and sovereign in their respective, Biblically assigned spheres of responsibility under God (Rom. 13:1-7; Eph. 5:22-24; Heb. 13:17; 1 Pet. 2:13-14).

We believe that Satan is a person, the author of sin and the cause of the Fall of Man, that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man; and, that he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire (Job 1:6-7; Isa 14:12-17; Matt 4:2-11; 25:41; Rev 20:10).

We believe that God has given the church a Great Commission to proclaim the Gospel to all nations so that there might be a great multitude from every nation, tribe, ethnic group, and language group who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. As ambassadors of Christ we must use all available means to go to the foreign nations and not wait for them to come to us (Matt 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; 2 Cor 5:20).