STATEMENT OF FAITH Foremost in this Church and its bylaws is the Word of God as taught in the Old and New Testaments of the Holy Bible. The Church accepts the Bible and the Scriptures  as the revealed Will of God, the all-sufficient rule of faith and practice, and for the purpose of maintaining general unity, adopts these fundamental Tenets of Faith and Doctrine. The Scriptures Inspired  The Bible is the inspired Word of God, a revelation from God to man. It is the product of holy men of old who spoke and wrote as the Holy Spirit moved them.  The New Covenant, as recorded in the New Testament, we accept as our infallible guide in matters pertaining to conduct and doctrine and is superior to conscience and reason (1 Thess. 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:21). The One True Godhead  The Trinity Godhead is comprised of 3 separate and distinct personalities; The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit, who are eternally self-existent, self-revealed and function as one entity being co-equal (Deut 6:4; Phil 2:6).  God, the Father, is greater than all, the Sender of the Word and the Begetter (John 1:14; John 14:28; John 16:28).  Jesus, the Son, is the Word manifested in the flesh, the One begotten by the Father, and has existed with the Father from the beginning (John 1:1-2, 14, 18).  The Holy Spirit proceeds from both the Father and the Son and is eternal (John 14:16; John 15:26). Man, His Fall and Redemption  Man is a created being, made in the image and likeness of God, but through Adam’s transgression and fall, sin came into the world.  The Bible says “…all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” and “…there is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:9-10, 23).  Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was manifested to undo the works of the devil by shedding His blood and ultimately giving His life enabling the restoration of man back to God (Romans 5:14; John 3:8).     Eternal Life, the New Birth and Salvation  Man’s first step toward salvation is recognizing he is a sinner and his need for repentance.  This new birth is necessary for all men and when experienced, produces eternal life (John 3:3-5; 1 John 5:12; 2 Cor. 7:10). Salvation is a free gift of God to man, separate from works and the Law (Galatians 3:13-14). It is available by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and not by human works (Ephesians 2:8-10). "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him  from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10). On the other hand, our works will determine our rewards in eternity (2 Cor. 5:10). Water Baptism  Baptism in water is by immersion. It is a direct commandment of our Lord, and is for believers only. This ordinance is a symbol of the Christian's identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection (Matt. 28:19; Rom. 6:4; Col. 2:12; Acts 8:36-39). The following statement has been adopted regarding water baptisms; to wit: "On the confession of your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and by His authority, I baptize you in the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost in Jesus’ name. Amen." The Baptism of the Holy Spirit  All believers are entitled to, and should expect and earnestly seek, the promise of the Father, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, according to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 3:11; John 14:16-17; Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5; Acts 2:38-39). With it comes the endowment of power for life and service in the work of the ministry (Acts 1:8).  This wonderful experience is distinct from and subsequent to the experience of the new birth (Acts 11:14-16; 19:1-6).  The full consummation of the Baptism of believers in the Holy Spirit is evidenced by the initial physical sign of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit Himself gives utterance (Acts 2:1-4; 10:44-46; 19:6). Sanctification  The Bible teaches that without holiness no man can see the Lord. We believe in the Doctrine of Sanctification as a definite, yet progressive work of grace, commencing at the time of regeneration and continuing until the consummation of salvation at Christ's return (Heb. 12:14; 1 Thess. 5:23; 2 Peter 3:18; 2 Cor. 3:18; Phil. 3:12-14; 1 Cor. 1:30). Divine Healing  Healing for the physical and emotional ills of the human body and mind is wrought by the power of God through the prayer of faith and by the laying on of hands in Jesus’ name. It is provided for in the atonement of Christ, and is the privilege of every believer (Psalm 147:3; Isaiah 53:4-5; Matt. 8:16-17; Mark 16:18; Acts 3:16; James 5:14-15; 1 Peter 2:24). Laying on of Hands The laying on of hands (Hebrews 6:2) is for anointing (Acts 8:17, Acts 9:61 Timothy 4:14), for healing (Mark 5:22-23), for blessing (Mark 10:13-16), and for ordination (1 Timothy 4:14). Communion (The Lord's Supper)  We partake of the Lord’s Supper to show the Lord’s death till He comes. "And when He had given thanks, He brake it, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.'  In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, remembrance of me” (1 Corinthians 11:23-30). The Resurrection of the Just and the Return of our Lord The angels said to Jesus' disciples, "...this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." His coming is imminent. When He comes, "...the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air..." (Acts 1:11; 1 Thess. 4:16-17). The Millennial Reign of Jesus  The Scriptures promise the return of our Lord Jesus Christ with His saints from Heaven to rule and reign for one thousand years on earth (2 Thessalonians 1:7; Revelation 19:11-16; 20:1-6). After this, there shall be a new heaven and a new earth (Rev. 21). Hell and Eternal Retribution The one who physically dies in his sins without accepting Christ as his Lord and Savior is hopelessly and eternally lost in the lake of fire and has no further opportunity of hearing the Gospel or repenting. The lake of fire is literal. The terms "eternal" and "everlasting," used in describing the duration of the punishment of the damned in the lake of fire, carry the same thought and meaning of endless existence as used in denoting the duration of joy and ecstasy of saints in the Presence of Almighty God (Heb. 6:12; Heb. 9:27; Rev. 19:20).