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The Church

We believe that all who place their faith in Jesus Christ are immediately baptized by the Holy Spirit into one united Body, the Church, of which Jesus is the Head, and which is His Bride. We believe the establishment of local churches is clearly taught and that the members of this one spiritual Body are directed to associate themselves together in local assemblies.

We believe that the Head of the Church is Jesus Christ and those serving as leaders in the church over the assembly are elders(also called bishops, and pastors); and deacons, both of whom must fit biblical qualifications. We believe the purpose of the Church is to glorify God, and to build itself up in faith, by instruction in the Word, fellowship, keeping the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper, and advancing and communicating the Gospel to the entire world.

We believe that God has given gifted men to equip the saints to do the work of the ministry. God also has given each member of the Body of Christ special abilities of gifts. These gifts are sovereignly bestowed upon salvation and it is essential that every believer discover, develop, and employ their gifts for the edification of the body and the accomplishment of the work of Jesus Christ in the world.

Baptism

We believe that Christian baptism is an act of obedience following a person's salvation. It is the immersion of a believer in water that testifies of their faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior, and their union with Him in death to sin, and resurrection to a new life. It is also a sign of fellowship and identification with the visible Body of Christ. Baptism is not a saving act of grace nor is it necessary for salvation. The New Testament biblical pattern is salvation, baptism, and association with a local church body.

The Lord's Supper

We believe that all believers are welcome to share in the Lord's Supper. It is a time of commemoration and proclamation of His death until He returns, and should be always preceded by solemn self-examination. We also believe that the elements of bread and wine are symbolic of the body and blood of Christ. The bread symbolizes His perfect life and the body in which He actually bore our sin on the cross. The wine represents His blood which was shed for the remission of our sins, and is also a sign of the New Covenant of grace.