What We BelieveDoctrine of the Church
We believe that the church of Christ is a local congregation of baptized believers and that the Word of God is the governing tool for the operation of the church. There are two ordinances given to the church by Christ – baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The purpose of the church is to fulfill the great commission – creating disciples through evangelism, baptizing them, and establishing them in local churches to continue this cycle. Baptism We believe that baptism is done by immersion as found in the Scriptures (Acts 8:36-38). It is a picture of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. The purpose of baptism is to be identified with Christ and the local body of believers. It is the first act of obedience and submission to Christ after salvation, but separate from salvation. Lord’s Supper We believe that baptism is a prerequisite for participation in the Lord’s Supper. The Lord’s Supper is for members of the local church only. Its purpose is to remember Christ’s sacrifice. It is a time of reflection and should be preceded by self-examination and repentance of sin. The second coming of Christ The second coming of Christ is two-part. First, the church will be raptured before the tribulation. After 7 years, Christ will return to set up His physical kingdom on earth. The church will return with Him to rule with Him for one thousand years. Neo-evangelicalism We believe the method Christ established for evangelism is the preaching of the Word of God. Salvation comes only by the Word of God and the work of the Holy Spirit. Ecumenical movement We believe the ecumenical movement involves churches coming together in fellowship with good intentions but sacrificing doctrine and the importance of the Word of God. Charismatic movement I believe the charismatic movement is unbiblical. Sign gifts such as speaking in tongues, healing, etc were used as tools for the Jews and used to authenticate the ministry of the apostles and have ceased now that we have the complete word of God (I Corinthians 13). Establishment of indigenous church Our goal is to plant churches that are self-supporting, self-governing, and self-propagating. The Bible We believe that the Bible is God’s inspired Word and that every word is profitable and important, without error. It is the ultimate authority in the life of every believer. |
"And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." 2 Timothy 2:2