Doctrinal Statement
Article I.
God is a person who has revealed Himself as a Trinity or Tri-unity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit – three Persons or personalities and yet only one God (Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19; 1 Cor. 8:6).
Article II.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the image of the invisible God, which is to say, He is Himself very God: He took upon Himself our nature, being conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary; He died upon the cross as a substitutionary sacrifice for the sin of the world; He arose from the dead in the body in which He was crucified; He ascended into heaven in that body glorified, where He is now, our interceding High Priest (Col. 1:15; Phil. 2:5-8; Matt. 1:18-25; 1 Peter 2:24, 25; Luke 24; Heb. 4:14-16; Acts 1:9-11).
Article III.
The Holy Spirit is a divine person equal with God the Father and God the Son and of the same nature; He was active in the creation; in relation to the unbelieving world He restrains the Evil One until Godās purpose is fulfilled; He convicts of sin, of judgment and righteousness; He bears witness with the truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony; He is the agent in the New Birth; He seals, baptizes, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies and helps the believer. We believe that the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance) is the evidence of His indwelling. We believe the manifestations of the Spirit are still in operation, but are not the proof of the baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit (1 John 5:7 with John 1:1; 1 John 5:7 with John 1:14; Luke 1:35; 1 Tim 3:16; Gen. 1:2; 2 Thess. 2:7; John 16:8-11; John 15:26, 27; John 3:5,6; Eph 1:13,14; 1 Cor. 12:13; Luke 24:49; John 16:13; John 14:26; Rom. 8:16; 1 Thess. 2:13; Rom. 8:26,27; Gal. 5:22-23; Rom. 8:9, 16; 1 Cor. 12-14).
Article IV.
The Bible, including both the Old and New Testaments, is a divine revelation, the original autographs of which were verbally inspired as men of God wrote under the control of the Holy Spirit (II Tim. 3:16; II Peter. 1:21). ARTICLE V: Man was created in the image of God but fell into sin, and is lost; this is true of all men, and except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God; salvation is by grace through faith in Christ who His own self bore our sins in His own body on the cross; the retribution of the wicked and unbelieving and the reward of the righteous are everlasting, and as the reward is conscious, so is the retribution (Gen. 1:26,27; Rom. 3:10, 23; John 3:3; Acts 13:38; 4:12; John 3:16; Matt. 25:46; 2 Cor. 5:1; 2 Thess. 1:7-10).
Article V.
Man was created in the image of God but fell into sin, and is lost; this is true of all men, and except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God; salvation is by grace through faith in Christ who His own self bore our sins in His own body on the cross; the retribution of the wicked and unbelieving and the reward of the righteous are everlasting, and as the reward is conscious, so is the retribution (Gen. 1:26,27; Rom. 3:10, 23; John 3:3; Acts 13:38; 4:12; John 3:16; Matt. 25:46; 2 Cor. 5:1; 2 Thess. 1:7-10).
Article VI.
The Church is an elect company of believers baptized by the Holy Spirit into one body; its mission is to witness concerning its Head, Jesus Christ, preaching the gospel among all nations (Acts 2:41; 15:13-17; Eph. 1:3-6; 1 Cor. 12:12, 13; Matt. 28:19; Acts 1:8).
Article VII.
The return of Christ includes both the rapture (translation) of the church and His return in glory. The first return is for His church which is personal, pre-tribulational, pre-millennial and may occur at any moment; the second return will be to earth to establish His righteous reign over the earth which coming is visible, personal, and in great power and glory (1 Thess. 4:13-18; John 14:3; 2 Thess. 2:3; James 5:8; 1 Thess. 5:1-6; Acts 1:11; Matt. 24:27; Rev. 20:6; 22:20).