Core Beliefs
The Bible
We believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are God’s revelation of Himself to mankind. They were written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit, with the result that Scripture is God’s Word — entirely true and without error in the original writings. They are the supreme and final authority for Christian beliefs and living. We further believe that the focus of all Scripture is the person and work of Jesus Christ. (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Psalm 119:11, 89, 105, 160; Jude 3; Romans 15:4;
Titus 1:1-3)
God
We believe there is one living and true God, who is the Creator, Preserver, Redeemer, and Ruler of the universe. He is infinitely perfect in every way and eternally exists as three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (in a relationship known as the Trinity). We believe these three are one God and each possesses fully the nature, attributes, and perfections of Deity. He is all powerful, all knowing, and His perfect knowledge extends to all things, past, present, and future. (Genesis 1:1; Psalm 90:2; Isaiah 6:1-3; 40:12-28; 45:5-7; Jeremiah 10:10; Matthew 28:19; Acts 17:24-25; Romans 11:33-36; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 John 3:20
Jesus Christ
We believe Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary— a miraculous process by which he received a human body and a sinless human nature. He is fully God and fully human in one person. We believe He lived a sinless life of perfect obedience to the law of God. Through His death on the cross, He made provision for the salvation of sinful people. We believe He rose from the dead on the third day, giving eternal assurance of redemption’s full payment and the satisfaction of God’s righteous indignation toward sin. We believe He was raised with a glorified body, ascended into heaven where He rules over the universe and prays for His people, and will one day return visibly to earth to rapture His saints to be with Himself. (Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 24:14-43; John 1:1, 14; Romans 8:34; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Colossians 1:15-22; 2:9; Titus 2:13-14; Hebrews 1:1-3; 7:25;
1 Peter 2:21-24)
Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person possessing all the attributes of Deity. He illuminates and enables men to understand truth. He convicts men of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He calls men to the Savior. At the moment of salvation He baptizes every believer into the Body of Christ. He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts by which they serve God through His church. He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service. As Christians live in obedience to God, the Holy Spirit empowers them to gradually overcome the power of sin and become more like Christ. (John 10:28-29; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 1:8; 2:12; 3:16; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 5:16; Ephesians 1:13-14; 5:18; 1 Thessalonians 3:13; 5:23-24; I John 4:13; 5:6-7; Jude 24)
The Human Condition and Salvation
We believe that God created mankind in His own image and for His glory as the crowning work of His creation. However, man sinned against God and thereby incurred not only physical death but also spiritual death, which is separation from God. We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of Grace, that Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation. We believe in the salvation of man by grace through faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross. We believe that salvation is the free gift of God, neither merited nor secured in part nor in whole by any virtue or work of man, but received only by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. (Genesis 1:26-28; 3; Psalm 8:3-8; 14:1-3; 51:5; Isaiah 59:2; Jeremiah 17:9; John 3:16, 18, 36; 14:6; Romans 3:23; 4:25; 5:1, 6-9, 12, 19; 6:23; 8:1; 2 Corinthians 5:17, 21; Galatians 3:22, 26; Ephesians 2:8-9; Colossians 1:13-14; Titus 3:5)
The Church
We believe in the one, universal Church made up of all who have trusted Christ, who is Head of the Church, which is His body. We also believe in the local church, which is an autonomous, geographically-local congregation of baptized believers who gather for worship, spiritual growth, service, fellowship and observance of the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The local church grows as each member serves the body using the spiritual gifts given to them by the Holy Spirit, resulting in maturity, unity and glory to God. Christ has commissioned the church and its individual members to spread the Gospel throughout the world. (Matthew 16:16-19; 28:18-20; Acts 2:41-47; 20:28; 12; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 3:20-21; 4:11-16; Colossians 3:12-17; 1 Timothy 3)
We believe that the Lord Jesus has given the local church two ordinances: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. All who have received Christ as Savior should be baptized by immersion as a symbolic testimony to their participation in the death and resurrection of Christ. Likewise, believers should regularly partake in the Lord’s Supper as a symbolic remembrance of Christ’s death and as a testimony of our fellowship with Him and our unity as the body of Christ. (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:41-42; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26)
Evangelism and Missions
We believe it is the duty and privilege of every follower of Christ and of every church of the Lord Jesus Christ to endeavor to make disciples of all nations. It is the duty of every child of God to seek constantly to win the lost to Christ by verbal witness undergirded by a Christian lifestyle, and by other methods in harmony with the gospel of Christ.
(Genesis 12:1-3; Exodus 19:5-6; Matthew 9:37-38; 10:5-15; 16:19; 22:9-10; 24:14; 28:18-20; Luke 10:1-18; Ephesians 3:1-11; I Thessalonians 1:8; 2 Timothy 4:5; Hebrews 2:1-3; Revelation 22:17)
Adapted from The Baptist Faith and Message, Lifeway Press, 2000.
We believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are God’s revelation of Himself to mankind. They were written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit, with the result that Scripture is God’s Word — entirely true and without error in the original writings. They are the supreme and final authority for Christian beliefs and living. We further believe that the focus of all Scripture is the person and work of Jesus Christ. (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Psalm 119:11, 89, 105, 160; Jude 3; Romans 15:4;
Titus 1:1-3)
God
We believe there is one living and true God, who is the Creator, Preserver, Redeemer, and Ruler of the universe. He is infinitely perfect in every way and eternally exists as three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (in a relationship known as the Trinity). We believe these three are one God and each possesses fully the nature, attributes, and perfections of Deity. He is all powerful, all knowing, and His perfect knowledge extends to all things, past, present, and future. (Genesis 1:1; Psalm 90:2; Isaiah 6:1-3; 40:12-28; 45:5-7; Jeremiah 10:10; Matthew 28:19; Acts 17:24-25; Romans 11:33-36; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 John 3:20
Jesus Christ
We believe Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary— a miraculous process by which he received a human body and a sinless human nature. He is fully God and fully human in one person. We believe He lived a sinless life of perfect obedience to the law of God. Through His death on the cross, He made provision for the salvation of sinful people. We believe He rose from the dead on the third day, giving eternal assurance of redemption’s full payment and the satisfaction of God’s righteous indignation toward sin. We believe He was raised with a glorified body, ascended into heaven where He rules over the universe and prays for His people, and will one day return visibly to earth to rapture His saints to be with Himself. (Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 24:14-43; John 1:1, 14; Romans 8:34; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Colossians 1:15-22; 2:9; Titus 2:13-14; Hebrews 1:1-3; 7:25;
1 Peter 2:21-24)
Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person possessing all the attributes of Deity. He illuminates and enables men to understand truth. He convicts men of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He calls men to the Savior. At the moment of salvation He baptizes every believer into the Body of Christ. He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts by which they serve God through His church. He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service. As Christians live in obedience to God, the Holy Spirit empowers them to gradually overcome the power of sin and become more like Christ. (John 10:28-29; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 1:8; 2:12; 3:16; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 5:16; Ephesians 1:13-14; 5:18; 1 Thessalonians 3:13; 5:23-24; I John 4:13; 5:6-7; Jude 24)
The Human Condition and Salvation
We believe that God created mankind in His own image and for His glory as the crowning work of His creation. However, man sinned against God and thereby incurred not only physical death but also spiritual death, which is separation from God. We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of Grace, that Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation. We believe in the salvation of man by grace through faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross. We believe that salvation is the free gift of God, neither merited nor secured in part nor in whole by any virtue or work of man, but received only by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. (Genesis 1:26-28; 3; Psalm 8:3-8; 14:1-3; 51:5; Isaiah 59:2; Jeremiah 17:9; John 3:16, 18, 36; 14:6; Romans 3:23; 4:25; 5:1, 6-9, 12, 19; 6:23; 8:1; 2 Corinthians 5:17, 21; Galatians 3:22, 26; Ephesians 2:8-9; Colossians 1:13-14; Titus 3:5)
The Church
We believe in the one, universal Church made up of all who have trusted Christ, who is Head of the Church, which is His body. We also believe in the local church, which is an autonomous, geographically-local congregation of baptized believers who gather for worship, spiritual growth, service, fellowship and observance of the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The local church grows as each member serves the body using the spiritual gifts given to them by the Holy Spirit, resulting in maturity, unity and glory to God. Christ has commissioned the church and its individual members to spread the Gospel throughout the world. (Matthew 16:16-19; 28:18-20; Acts 2:41-47; 20:28; 12; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 3:20-21; 4:11-16; Colossians 3:12-17; 1 Timothy 3)
We believe that the Lord Jesus has given the local church two ordinances: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. All who have received Christ as Savior should be baptized by immersion as a symbolic testimony to their participation in the death and resurrection of Christ. Likewise, believers should regularly partake in the Lord’s Supper as a symbolic remembrance of Christ’s death and as a testimony of our fellowship with Him and our unity as the body of Christ. (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:41-42; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26)
Evangelism and Missions
We believe it is the duty and privilege of every follower of Christ and of every church of the Lord Jesus Christ to endeavor to make disciples of all nations. It is the duty of every child of God to seek constantly to win the lost to Christ by verbal witness undergirded by a Christian lifestyle, and by other methods in harmony with the gospel of Christ.
(Genesis 12:1-3; Exodus 19:5-6; Matthew 9:37-38; 10:5-15; 16:19; 22:9-10; 24:14; 28:18-20; Luke 10:1-18; Ephesians 3:1-11; I Thessalonians 1:8; 2 Timothy 4:5; Hebrews 2:1-3; Revelation 22:17)
Adapted from The Baptist Faith and Message, Lifeway Press, 2000.