The Scripture

The sole basis of our beliefs is the Bible, the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments. The Bible is
unique in that every portion and every word was inspired by the Holy Spirit. It was without error in
the original manuscripts, and has been passed down to us with great accuracy. It is the supreme
and final authority in faith and life in this age.

God

There is but one God, everywhere present; infinite in power and knowledge; perfect in justice,
goodness, and love; Creator of the universe; eternally existing in three persons—Father, Son and
Holy Spirit, each of whom possesses all the attributes of deity and the characteristics of personality.

Man

God created the first man and woman in His own image and appointed them to rule and care for the
earth. They lived in perfect relationship with God and each other. God instituted marriage, decreeing
that one man and one woman should unite for life and bear and raise children in a family.

The Fall

The first man and woman doubted God’s goodness and rebelled against Him. In judgment, God
brought death into the world and creation fell from its state of perfection. Since then all human
beings are born with a corrupted nature and without spiritual life and are under the wrath of God
because of their sin.

Jesus the Christ

God the Father, by His own choice, for His own glory, and out of love for sinful men and women,
sent His Son, Jesus, the Christ, into the world to reconcile sinners to Himself. Jesus was conceived
by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. He was God in the flesh, both true God and true man. Jesus
lived a sinless life and voluntarily suffered and died as our substitute to pay the penalty for our sins,
thus satisfying God's justice and declaring righteous all those who trust in Him alone.

The Resurrection

Three days after His crucifixion, God raised Jesus from the dead in the same body, though glorified,
in which He lived and died. He bodily ascended into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God
the Father, where He, the only mediator between God and man, makes intercession for His own.

Salvation

Men and women are freed from the penalty for their sins not as a result, in whole or in part, of their
own works, goodness, or religious observances, but by the undeserved favor of God alone which
was given through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God forgives and accepts all
who put their faith in Christ alone for their salvation.

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit has come into the world to reveal and glorify Christ, to convict men and women of
their sins, and to impart new life to all who place their faith in Christ. He permanently indwells
believers from the moment of spiritual birth, guides them into truth, and empowers them to live a life
pleasing to God.

Assurance

All who are born again of the Spirit can, through the sure promises of God, be fully assured that
God will complete the work He has begun in them. They are sealed with the Holy Spirit, who is
God’s deposit guaranteeing their eternal inheritance. Although good works are not in any way the
basis for acceptance by God, as believers grow in love for God and others they grow in their
assurance that they are truly children of God.

Jesus’ Future Coming

The Lord Jesus Christ will physically return in glory to reign on earth. He will raise the dead and
judge the world in righteousness. The wicked will be sent to eternal punishment. The righteous will
receive glorified bodies and be welcomed into fellowship with God in a world where all things will
be made new.

Baptism and the Lord's Supper

Jesus commanded that those who believe in Him are to be baptized by immersion in water as a declaration

of faith and a symbol of new birth in Christ. He also instructed His followers to remember Him by
partaking in the Lord’s Supper, which reminds us of His death, resurrection, and future coming.

The Church

All true believers whether Jew or Gentile, male or female, rich or poor—people of all ages and
races—make up the Church worldwide as God’s family. They should gather together in local
churches for worship, prayer, fellowship, and teaching, in order to become conformed to the image
of Christ and to become equipped to carry out the “Great Commission” that Christ gave His
followers in Matthew 28:19-20.