The Bible

The Bible is God's holy word. It perfectly teaches us what God wants us to believe and how He wants us to live. Long ago God inspired men to write down the books that comprise the Bible, but He is its ultimate author. We believe that the whole Bible points to Jesus, that it contains God's unchanging truth, without any mixture of error, and that it is the supreme standard for all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions.

God is a living, spiritual, and personal being—the Creator of everything, the one who saves, sustains, and rules over all. He is completely holy and flawless in every way. Because of who God is, He deserves our deepest love, greatest respect, and full obedience. This eternal God exists and has revealed Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—three distinct persons, yet one in essence, nature, and being.

Human beings were created by God in His image as the pinnacle of His creation. This means all human life is sacred, and all people have inherent dignity and worth. Originally innocent and free to choose, humanity fell by rejecting God's authority, bringing sin and brokenness into the world. Because of this, all people inherit a nature that is captive to sin. Only by God's grace can we be restored to fellowship with Him and live out His purpose for us.

Salvation is God’s free gift, received by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, who secured eternal life by His atoning death and bodily resurrection for all who believe. Salvation begins when the Holy Spirit makes us spiritually alive, leading us to repent and trust Christ. By faith God forgives all our sin and reconciles us to Himself. In this life, believers are simultaneously righteous and sinful, growing in grace and holiness through continual repentance until He makes us whole in eternity.

Baptism is the immersion of a believer in water as a public act of obedience, symbolizing faith in Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, and new life in Him. It expresses hope in the final resurrection and marks entry into church fellowship. The Lord’s Supper is a symbolic meal through which we remember Christ’s death, anticipate His return, and are spiritually nourished for the life of faith.

A New Testament church is a local community of baptized believers who commit to follow Jesus together. Such a community proclaims the Word of God faithfully, observes baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and lives out Jesus' teachings. The local church should be self-governed under Christ’s leadership, guided by pastors, served by deacons, with all members sharing responsibility for its faithfulness and ministry. The Bible also describes the church as the community of all believers in all ages.

God will bring history to its rightful end in His perfect timing. Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly to judge the world. The dead will be raised, and all people will stand before Him. Those who are in Christ will be raised to everlasting life with Him, while those who reject Him will face everlasting judgment and separation from God.