Notes about the Doctrinal Statement Purpose
1. We believe in the infallible, verbal inspiration of the whole Bible and that the Bible is the all-sufficient rule of faith and practice. (Psalm 119:160; 2 Timothy 3:16,17)
2. We believe in the personal triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, equal in divine perfection. (Matthew 28:19)
3. We believe in the Genesis account of Creation. (Genesis 1&2)
4. We believe that Satan is a fallen angel and that his destiny is the eternal lake of fire. (Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:11-19; Matthew 25:41; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 6:10-17; Revelation 20:10)
5. We believe in the virgin birth and sinless humanity of Jesus Christ. (Matthew 1:18-20; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:22)
6. We believe in the deity of Jesus Christ. (John 10:30; John 1:1,14; 2 Corinthians 5:19)
7. We believe the Holy Spirit is the divine Administrator for Jesus Christ in His churches. (Luke 24:49; John 14:16,17; Acts 1:4,5,8; Acts 2:1-4)
8. We believe that Man was created in the image of God and lived in innocence until he fell by voluntary transgression from his sinless state, the result being that all mankind are sinners. (Genesis 1:26; Genesis 3:6-24; Romans 5:12,19)
9. We believe that the suffering and death of Jesus Christ was substitutionary for all mankind and is efficacious only to those who believe. (Isaiah 53:6, Hebrews 2:9; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Peter 3:18; 2 Peter 3:9; 1 John 2:2)
10. We believe in the bodily resurrection and ascension of Christ and the bodily resurrection of His saints. (Matthew 28:1-7; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Corinthians 15:42-58; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)
11. We believe in the premillennial, personal bodily return of Christ. This event will include: the resurrection of the righteous, the postmillennial resurrection of the unrighteous unto eternal punishment in the lake of fire, and that the righteous shall enter heaven. (John 14:1-6; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 2 Thessalonians 2:8; Revelation 19; Revelation 20:4-6; Revelation 20:11-15; Revelation 21:8)
12. We believe that the depraved sinner is saved wholly by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and the requisites to regeneration are repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, (Luke 13:3-5; John 3:16-18; Acts 20:21; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8,9) and that the Holy Spirit convicts sinners, regenerates, seals, secures, and indwells every believer. (John 3:6; John 16:8,9; Romans 8:9-11; 1 Corinthians 6:19,20; Ephesians 4:30; Titus 3:5)
13. We believe that all who trust Jesus Christ for salvation are eternally secure in Him and shall not perish. (John 3:36; John 5:24; John 10:27-30; Romans 8:35-39; Hebrews 10:39; 1 Peter 1:5)
14. We believe that God deals with believers as His children, that He chastises the disobedient. (Matthew 16:27; Matthew 25:14-23; John 1:12; Hebrews 12:5-11; 2 John 8; Revelation 22:12)
15. We believe that Jesus Christ established His church during His ministry on earth and that it is always a local, visible assembly of scripturally baptized believers in covenant relationship to carry out the Commission of the Lord Jesus Christ, and each church is an independent, self-governing body, and no other ecclesiastical body may exercise authority over it. We believe that Jesus Christ gave the Great Commission to the New Testament churches only, and that He promised the perpetuity of His churches. (Matthew 4:18-22; Matthew 16:18; Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 1:14-20; John 1:35-51; Ephesians 3:21)
16. We believe that there are two pictorial ordinances in the Lord's churches: Baptism and the Lord's Supper. Scriptural baptism is the immersion of penitent believers in water, administered by the authority of a New Testament church in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Lord's Supper is a memorial ordinance, restricted to only those who meet the scriptural qualifications, SAVED [BORN AGAIN], BAPTIZED, AND IN THE UNITY OF THE CHURCH, AND IT MUST BE IN THAT ORDER. [The Church being that local body]. (Matthew 28:19,20; Acts 8:12,38; Romans 6:4; 1 Corinthians 5:11-13; 1 Corinthians 11:1,2,17-20,26)
17. We believe that there are two divinely appointed offices in a church, pastors and deacons, to be filled by men whose qualifications are set forth in Titus and 1 Timothy. (Titus 1:6-9, 1 Timothy 3:1-13).
Having been led, as we believe by the Spirit of God, to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior and, on the profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we do now, in the presence of God and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully enter in to covenant with one another as one body in Christ.
We engage, therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this church, in knowledge, holiness, and comfort; to promote its prosperity and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline, and doctrines; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the gospel through all nations.
We also engage to maintain family and secret devotions; to religiously educate our children; to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances; to walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment; to avoid all tattling, backbiting, and excessive anger; to abstain from the sale of, and use of, intoxicating drinks as a beverage; to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Savior.
We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember one another in prayer; to aid one another in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and Christian courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation and mindful of the rules of our Savior to secure it without delay.
We moreover engage that when we remove from this place we will, as soon as possible, unite with some other church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God's Word.