STATEMENT OF FA= ITH

(A) THE HOLY SCRIPTURES

We believe the = Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the verbally and plenary insp= ired Word of God. The Scriptures are inerrant, infallible, and God-breathed, and therefore are the final authority for faith and life. The sixty six books of the Old and New Testament are the complete and divine revelation of God to = man. The Scriptures shall be interpreted according to their normal grammatical-historical meaning.

(B) DISPENSATIONALISM

We believe that= the Scriptures in their natural, literal sense reveal divinely determined dispensations or rules of life which define man's responsibilities in successive ages. These dispensations are not always of salvation, but rather are divinely ordered stewardships by which God directs man according to His purpose. We believe that in each dispensation God sovereignty dealt with ma= n in different manners as He so chooses.

We believe that= all Scripture is to us for our learning. That all Scripture is not given to = us doctrinally unless viewed in its proper dispensational context.

Three of these dispensations- the law, the church, and the kingdom-are the subjects of detailed revelation in Scripture. (Gen.1:28; 1Cor. 9:17; 2Cor.3:=

9-18; Gal.3:13-= 25; Eph.1:10; 3:2-10; Col.1:24-25,27; Rev.20:2-6)

(C)<= span style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-them= e-font: minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:#0D0D0D;mso-themecolor:text1;mso-themetint:242'> THE GOD HEAD<= o:p>

We believe in o= ne Triune God, eternally existing in three persons-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit-each co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power = and glory, and having the same divine attributes and perfections (Mt. 28:19; 2 = Co. 13:14; Ro. 8:9-11; 1 Jn. 5:7,

Det.6:4).<= /o:p>

(D) THE PERSON = AND WORK OF CHRIST

2. <= span style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-them= e-font: minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:#0D0D0D;mso-themecolor:text1;mso-themetint:242'>We believe that the L= ord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through his death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and, that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the d= ead (Acts 2:18-36; Rom. 3:24-25; 1 Peter 2:24; Eph. 1:7; 1 Peter 1:3-5).

3. <= span style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-them= e-font: minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:#0D0D0D;mso-themecolor:text1;mso-themetint:242'>We believe that the L= ord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven, and is now exalted at the right hand of Go= d, where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate (Acts 1:9-10; Heb. 9:24; 7:25; Rom. 8:34; 1 John 2:1-2).

(E) THE PERSON = AND WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

2. <= span style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-them= e-font: minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:#0D0D0D;mso-themecolor:text1;mso-themetint:242'>We believe that He is= the Divine Teacher who assists believers to understand and appropriate the Scriptures and that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be fil= led with the Spirit (Eph. 1:17-18; 5:18; 1 John 2:20, 27).

3. <= span style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-them= e-font: minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:#0D0D0D;mso-themecolor:text1;mso-themetint:242'>We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowal of spiritual gifts to every believer. God uniquely uses evangelists, pastors, and teachers to equip believers in the assembly = in order that they can do the work of the ministry (Rom. 12:3-8; 1 Cor.:4-11, 28; Ep= h. 4:7-12).

4. <= span style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-them= e-font: minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:#0D0D0D;mso-themecolor:text1;mso-themetint:242'>We believe that the s= ign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and the gift of heali= ng were temporary. We believe that speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit and that ultima= te deliverance of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of o= ur salvation in the resurrection, though God frequently chooses to answer the = prayers of believers for physical healing (1Cor. 1:22; 13:8; 14:21-22).<= /span>

(F) THE TOTAL DEPRAVITY OF MAN

We believe that= man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam's sin the hu= man race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God; and, t= hat man is totally depraved, and of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition (Gen. 1:26-27; Rom. 3:22-23; 5:12; 6:23; Eph. 2:1-3; 4:17-19).

(G) SALVATION

We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by repent= ance of sins & personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Whose precious blood= was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins (John 1:12; Eph. 1:7; 2:8-1= 0; 1Pet. 1:18-19).

(H) THE ETERNAL SECURITY AND ASSURANCE OF BELIEVERS

2. <= span style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-them= e-font: minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:#0D0D0D;mso-themecolor:text1;mso-themetint:242'>We believe that it is= the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation throu= gh the testimony of God's Word, which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh (Rom. 13:13-14; Gal. 5:13; Ti= tus 2:11-15).

(H) THE CHURCH<= o:p>

2. <= span style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-them= e-font: minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:#0D0D0D;mso-themecolor:text1;mso-themetint:242'>We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defin= ed in the New Testament Scriptures (Acts 14:27; 20:17, 28-32; 1 Tim. 3:1-13; T= itus 1:5-11).

(I) SEPARATION<= /span>

We believe that= all the born again Bible believers should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord; and, that separation from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices and associations is commanded of God. (Rom.12:1-2; 14:13; 2 Cor. 6:14-7:1; 2 Tim. 3:1-5; 1John 2:15-17; 2 John 9-11).

(J) THE SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST

We believe in t= hat "blessed hope," the personal, imminent return of Christ Who will rapture His Church prior to the tribulation period. At the end of the Tribulation, Christ will personally and visibly return with His saints, to establish His earthly Messianic Kingdom which was promised to the nation of Israel (Ps. 89:3-4; Dan. 2:31-45; . 14:4-11; I Thess.1:10; 1 Thess. 4;13-18; Titus 2:13; Rev. 3:10;19:11-16; 20:1-6).

(K) THE ETERNAL STATE.

2. <= span style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-them= e-font: minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:#0D0D0D;mso-themecolor:text1;mso-themetint:242'>We believe the souls = of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection, when spirit, so= ul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord (Luke 23:43; 2 = Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23; 3:21; I Thess. 4:16-17; Rev. 20:4-6).

3. <= span style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-them= e-font: minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:#0D0D0D;mso-themecolor:text1;mso-themetint:242'>We believe that the s= ouls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious punishment and torment (He= ll) until the second resurrection, when with soul and body reunited they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment, and shall be cast into the Lake = of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment= and torment (Matt. 25:41-46; Mark. 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-26; 2 Thess.1:7-9; Jude = 6-7; Rev. 20:11-15).

(L) THE PERSONA= LITY OF SATAN

We believe that Satan is a person, the author of sin and the cause of the Fall of Man; that= he is the open and declared enemy of God and man; and, that he shall be eterna= lly punished in the Lake of Fire (Job 1:6-7; Isa.14:12-17; Matt. 4:2-11; 25:41; Rev. 20:10).

(M) CREATION

We believe that= God is the divine creator the entire universe. We also believe that He created = the earth in six literal, 24-hour periods. We reject evolution, the Day-Age The= ory, and Theistic Evolution as unscriptural theories of origin (Genesis 1-2; Ex. 20:11).

We believe He created man in His own image, and from man He created woman to be man's companion. That He instructed them to populate the earth, therefore institu= ting the family as a holy and sacred union between one man and one woman. (Gen.1= :26; Gen.2:20-24)

(N) HUMAN SEXUA= LITY

1. <= span style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-them= e-font: minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:#0D0D0D;mso-themecolor:text1;mso-themetint:242'>We believe that God h= as commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery and pornography are sinful perversions of God's gift of sex. Any officer or employee of the church becoming pregnant or causing pregnancy as a result of consensual intercourse, outside of the marriage relationship, or practicing= any of the aforementioned sins, shall be terminated from holding office or any employment of the church (Gen. 2:24; Gen. 19:5,13; Gen.26:8-9; Lev. 18:1-30; Rom. 1:26-29;1Cor. 5:1; 6:9; 1 Thess 4:1-8; Heb. 13:4).

3. <= span style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-them= e-font: minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:#0D0D0D;mso-themecolor:text1;mso-themetint:242'>We believe that men a= nd women are spiritually equal in position before God but that God has ordained distinct and separate functions for men and women in the home and in the church. The husband is to be the leader of the home and men are to be the leaders of the church.

Accordingly, on= ly men are eligible for licensor and ordination by the church. (Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:18; 1 Tim.2:8-15; 4-5, 12)

(O) ABORTION

We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified unexcused taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We therefore reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the mental well being of the mother are acceptable. = We believe that God alone has the sovereign right to end human life (Job 3:16; Psalms 51; 5; 139:14-16; Isa.44:24; 49:1, 5; Jer.1:5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:44).=

(P) MISSIONS

We believe that= God has given the church the great commission to proclaim the gospel to all nations, that it is God's will to save any and all who will respond to the gospel of Jesus Christ. As ambassadors of Christ we must use all available means to reach every nation, tribe, ethnic group, and language group as is within our means. We must reach out and not wait for them to come to us (Ma= tt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; 2 Cor. 5:20).

(Q) GIVING

We believe that every Christian, as a good steward of the portion of the blessings of God's= wealth, which is given to him, is obligated to support his local church financially= .

We believe that= God has established the tithe as a basis for giving, but that every Christian should give other offerings sacrificially and cheerfully to the support of = the church, the relief of those in need, and the spread of the Gospel. (Gen.14:= 20; Prov.3:9-10; Acts 4:34-37; Gal. 6:6 Eph.4:28; 1Tim.5:17-18; 1 John 3:17).

The statement of faith does not exhaust the extent of our faith. The Bible itself is the fin= al source of all that we believe. We do believe however that the foregoing statement of faith accurately represents the fundamentals of our church.