What We Believe.
What We Believe.
We exist to glorify God and to develop authentic followers of Jesus Christ who impact the world.
As a church family, we desire to see each individual grow in their spiritual life, applying God's Word to daily living. It is our belief that when you can invest the time and energy to be in a Christlike environment that values authentic relationships and encourages you to seek the Lord, authentic living will characterize your life and impact those around you.
We are a Southern Baptist assembly that commits itself to God's Word as its authority. In an effort of unity and doctrinal accountability we have adopted the following confessions of faith from scripture. Listed here below are a summary of these beliefs however, you may find our full statement of faith and message in its entirety here: The Baptist Faith and Message 2000
THE SCRIPTURES
The Holy Bible was written by men who were divinely influenced. The Holy Bible is God's explaining Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine teaching. God is the author. Salvation is its purpose. Truth, without any mistakes, is its substance. For these reasons, all Scripture is completely true. All Scripture is completely correct. It tells the main beliefs that God uses to judge us. It is the true center of Christianity. It will remain the center of Christianity until the end of the world. It is the most excellent ideal. It is with this ideal that all human behavior, all statements of belief, and all religious opinions should be tested. All Scripture is proof of the Christ. Christ is the center of divine revelation.
GOD
There is one and only one living and true God. He is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal Being. He is the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe. God is eternally pure. God is perfect. God is all powerful. God is all knowing. He knows about all things in the past, present, and future. He knows about all of the future decisions that His free created beings will make. To Him we owe the highest love, respect, and obedience. The never-ending God shows Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
MAN
Man is the special creation of God. Man is made in God's likeness. God created them as male and female. They are the greatest work of His creation. Being made male or female by God is a part of the goodness of God's creation. In the beginning man was innocent of sin. He was given the gift of freedom of choice by his Creator. By his free choice man sinned against God. Man brought sin into all people in the entire world. Through the temptation of Satan, man disobeyed the command of God. He lost his original innocence. Now all men inherit a life affected by original sin and are born with a sin nature. As a result, as soon as they are able to make right decisions and actions, they become aware and responsible as sinners. They are guilty of sin. Only the kindness and mercy of God can bring man into His holy fellowship.
SALVATION
Salvation includes the whole man. Salvation is given to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. Jesus Christ by His own blood brought never-ending salvation to the believer. Salvation includes being accepted just as you are when you turn from your sin. Salvation includes being set apart for His work. Salvation includes being made to worship God. There is no salvation without personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord. Regeneration, or the new birth, is a work of God's grace whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus. It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace. Repentance is a genuine turning from sin toward God. Faith is the acceptance of Jesus Christ and commitment of the entire personality to Him as Lord and Saviour.
THE CHURCH
A New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is an independent local congregation of baptized believers. These believers are joined by shared agreement. These believers share in the same faith and fellowship of the gospel. This group of baptized believers observes the two ordinances of Christ. They are guided by His laws. They use the gifts, rights, and privileges given to them by His Word. They are trying to present the gospel to all people on the earth. Each congregation works under the Lordship of Christ by self-governing methods.
In this kind of congregation, each member is responsible and accountable to Christ as Lord. The church's scriptural officers are pastors and deacons. Both men and women are given gifts by the Holy Spirit for service in the church. The office of pastor is limited to men that meet the qualifications found in Scripture.
GOD'S PURPOSE OF GRACE
Becoming one of God's children is the caring work of God. He accepts us just as we are. He sets us apart for His work. He wants us to be with Him and to worship Him forever. God's kind plan does not deny the free will of man. God's plan includes all the ways to accomplish this. God's plan is the great evidence of God's most excellent goodness. God's plan is very wise, holy, and cannot be changed. God's plan does not include boasting. God's plan encourages humility.
EVANGELISM AND MISSIONS
It is the job and honor of every follower of Christ and of every church of the Lord Jesus Christ to try to make disciples of the people from all nations. The new birth of man's spirit by God's Holy Spirit means the birth of love for others. Winning the lost world to faith in Jesus Christ depends on all believers. Making disciples is a Christian duty for the person who has already accepted Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord. Making disciples is clearly commanded many times in the teachings of Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ has commanded the preaching of the gospel to all nations. It is the duty of every child of God to try always to win the lost to Christ by a spoken witness. The child of God should also present a Christian way of life. The methods used to witness should be in agreement with the gospel of Christ.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
God alone is Lord of what is right and wrong. Man's sense of what is right and wrong is free from the rules and commandments of men. These rules and commandments may be different from His Word. They may not be found in His Word. Church and state should be separate. The state owes protection to every church. The state owes complete freedom to every church in seeking spiritual matters. In giving this freedom, no religious group or denomination should be given any special treatment by the state. The national government was planned by God. It is the duty of Christians to give faithful obedience in all things that are not against the known will of God.
THE FAMILY
God has planned the family as the first institution of the world. It is made up of persons joined to one another by marriage, blood, or adoption. Marriage is the joining of one man and one woman with the promise of being faithful to one another for a lifetime. Marriage is God's special gift. Marriage shows the union between Christ and His church. Marriage gives the man and the woman the way for intimate friendship. Marriage is the way of sexual expression according to the main beliefs in the Bible. Marriage is the way for increasing of the human race.