1.      God’s Word, the Holy Scriptures, the Bible

 

a.      Holy Scriptures:  We believe God’s Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments of the Bible are verbally inspired of God and inerrant in the original writings; and that they are the supreme and final authority for all faith and practice.

 

b.     Preserved Scriptures:  We believe the Scriptures have been recorded and preserved by the Holy Spirit (II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:21; Psalm 12:6-7).

 

c.      Inspired and Preserved Texts:  We believe the Hebrew and Greek manuscripts which underlie the King James Version (the Masoretic text of the Old Testament and the Textus Receptus of the New Testament) are the inspired words of God.  Furthermore, we believe the King James Version of the Bible is God’s preserved Word in the English language and, therefore, it shall be the official and only translation of the Holy Scriptures used by People’s Baptist Church and all of its ministries (Psalm 119:89-90, Ecclesiastes 3:14, Matthew 5:17-18, John 10:35, I Peter 1:23-25).

 

d.     No New Revelations:  We reject all forms of visions, dreams, and other newer revelations that claim to be from God (II Timothy 3:16-17, II Peter 1:19-21, Psalms 12:6-7, Revelation 22:18-19).

 

2.      The Trinity of the Godhead

 

a.      Godhead:  We believe in one triune God; we believe God is revealed in the pages of the Holy Bible; that He is revealed at all times as masculine; that God is personal, Spirit, and sovereign; that He is perfect, infinite, and eternal in His being, holiness, love, wisdom, and power; that He is absolutely separate and above the world as its Creator, yet

 everywhere present in the world as the upholder of all things; that He is self-existent and self-revealing in His three distinct persons:  the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, each having a distinct ministry in God’s relation to His creation and people (Genesis 1:1-2, I Corinthians 8:6, Exodus 3:14, Hebrews 1:8).

 

b.     Trinity:  We believe God is Trinity; understanding from the Bible that God is one God, inseparable and incomprehensible.  Contained within that singular unity are three distinct persons:  the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Each person of the Trinity is fully God, possessing the full character, nature, power, infinity, and eternality of the Godhead; and each person of the Trinity has a distinct function in accomplishing the plan of God (1 John 5:7, Deuteronomy 6:4, Matthew 3:16-17).

 

c.      God the Father:  We believe God is the only Heavenly Father and is Father only to those who receive Jesus Christ as Savior; that He is perfect in holiness, infinite in wisdom, and measureless in power; that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men; that He hears and answers prayer; and that He alone is the object of our worship and praise (Psalm 65:2, 139:1-24, 147:5; Matthew 23:9, 5:45, 6:24-34; John 14:6; I Timothy 2:5).

 

d.     God the Son:  We believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the second person of the Triune God, the eternal Word and only Begotten Son; that without any lessening of His Deity He became a man by miracle of the virgin birth, thus to continue forever as both true God and true man, one person, with two natures; that as man he was tempted in all points as we are, yet without sin; that as the perfect Lamb of God He gave Himself in death upon the cross, becoming there the sin of the world and suffering its full penalty of Divine wrath in our place; that He arose bodily from the grave and was glorified; that He is the only way of salvation; that He alone is the head of the Church, His body, of which all true believers of this Church age are members; that as our great High Priest He ascended into Heaven, there to appear before the face of God as our Advocate and Intercessor (Matthew 1:20, Luke 1:26-28, John 1:1-2, I John 5:20, I Corinthians 15:1-4, Hebrews 4:14-16).

 

e.      God the Spirit:  We believe in the Holy Spirit, who is the third person of the Trinity, and the divine agent in nature, revelation, and redemption; that He convicts the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment; that He regenerates, indwells, seals, and anoints all who become children of God through faith in His only begotten Son Jesus Christ.  All children of God are baptized by the Holy Spirit at salvation.  He further empowers, guides, teaches, sanctifies, and fills believers who daily surrender to Him (John 14:16-17, Romans 8:14-27, I Corinthians 12:13, II Corinthians 13:14).

 

f.       Holy Spirit Gifts:  We believe the Holy Spirit gifts every believer for the work of the ministry, for the increase of the body of Christ, and for the edification of its members into the image of Jesus Christ.  We believe the sign gifts, specifically the gifts of healings, tongues, and miracles, were gifts limited to the time of the apostles as authenticating signs to the Jews prior to the completion of the New Testament; since the completion of the New Testament those gifts are no longer necessary nor are they given to individuals today.  We reject all charismatic ideas of tongues speaking, words of power, ministries of healing, miraculous insights, and prophecies of future events not revealed in God’s Word (II Corinthians 12:12; I Corinthians 1:22, 14:21-22, 13:8; Hebrews 2:3-4; Mark 16:17-20).

 

g.      Holy Spirit and Holy Ghost:  We believe the Holy Spirit and the Holy Ghost of God’s Holy Scriptures are One and the same, that is they are two different names for the same Third Person of the Trinity.

 

3.      Dispensationalism

 

We believe the scriptures interpreted 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 ways of salvation, but rather are divinely ordered stewardships by which God directs man according to His purposes.  Three of these dispensations—the law, the church, and the kingdom—are the subjects of detailed revelation in Scripture (Genesis 1:28; 1 Corinthians 9:17; II Corinthians 3:9-18; Galatians 3:13-25; Ephesians 1:10, 3:2-10; Colossians 1:24-25, 27; Revelation 20:2-6).

 

4.      The Pre-existence, Deity, and Incarnation of Jesus Christ

 

We believe Jesus Christ ever existed with God the Father and the Holy Spirit; and that in His incarnation was begotten by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, and is true God and true man yet without sin (John 1:1-9, I Timothy 3:16).

 

5.      Mankind, His Creation, Fall, and Total Depravity

 

We believe all people are by nature and choice sinful and lost; that man was the direct creation of God, made in His image and likeness; that by personal disobedience to the revealed will of God, man became a sinful creature, is universally sinful in both nature and practice; that man is totally depraved and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition.  Thus every person is alienated from the life and family of God, under the righteous judgment and wrath of God, and has within himself no possible means of salvation.  We believe that man was created in the image of God and that he did not evolve.  We believe that man sinned and thereby incurred not only physical death, but also spiritual death which is separation from God.  We believe that all human beings are born with a sinful nature, are totally depraved, and for those who reach an age of accountability, they must be born again to be accepted of God (Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 3:10, 22-23, 5:12, 6:23; Galatians 3:22; Ephesians 2:1-3, 4:17-19; John 3:5-17).

 

6.      The Death, Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus Christ

 

We believe Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures as a substitutionary sacrifice and all who believe in Him are justified only on the grounds of His shed blood.  We believe He literally arose from the dead on the third day in the same body in which He suffered and died, but raised a glorified body.  We also believe our Lord ascended into Heaven; that He is now seated at the right hand of the Father and is our High Priest and Divine Advocate with the Father.  We believe that by His finished work on the cross and His unceasing ministry of intercession in Glory, that Jesus Christ has procured for every believer eternal redemption, eternal salvation, and everlasting life (I Corinthians 15:3-4; Romans 5:9; John 3:16, 20:27; Mark 16:19; Hebrews 5:9, 7:25, 8:1, 9:12; I John 2:1).

 

7.      The Personality and Ministry of the Holy Spirit

 

We believe the Holy Spirit is a Person, that He convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and judgment; that He regenerates the sinner by the Word of God; that He permanently

indwells the body of each believer; that He seals, enlightens, instructs, and guides every born again person; and that He is the efficient power for godly living, Christian service, and spiritual worship.  We believe all who by faith receive the Lord Jesus Christ are born again by the Holy Spirit and thereby become the children of God (John 3:5-17, 14:16-17, 26, 16:7-15; I Peter 1:23; Ephesians 4:30).

 

8.      Ordinances of the Church

 

We believe our Lord Jesus Christ has instituted only two ordinances for His Church:  Baptism and the Lord’s Supper; that they are symbolical, not sacramental, that they impart no grace to the believer, but are acts of obedience testifying of God working in the believer’s life.  It is our conviction that after one is saved, these ordinances declare clearly what we believe in our heart about the work of the Gospel.

 

a.      Baptism:  We reject as invalid all modes of baptism save that of immersion after conversion (salvation) because it is a portrayal of the Gospel message of salvation; a portrayal of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  It is our conviction that after one is saved, baptism is the next step of obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

1.      Baptism Explained:  In the New Testament, baptism always means complete immersion in water except when the passage refers to the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  John the Baptist needed much water for baptism (John. 3:23).  The early Christians baptized by going down into the water (Acts 8:38-39).  The word baptism means immersion and is called "burial" in Romans 6:4 and Colossians 2:12.  There is no New Testament support for the practice of sprinkling or pouring as a means for baptism.  Both these practices corrupt the proper symbolism of this ordinance.  Water baptism is a picture and public testimony of spiritual realities.  It is called a "figure" in 1 Peter 3:21.  John's baptism was a public testimony of repentance and the baptized person’s identification with his message (Matthew 3:1-10).  Likewise, baptism of a believer is a public testimony of their faith in Christ (Acts 8:34-38, 16:30-34) and personal repentance (Acts 2:37-38).  It identifies one with Christ and depicts salvation – dying with Christ and being raised to eternal life with Him (Romans 6:3-6).  Baptism shows the Gospel – the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  The only proper candidates for baptism are those who have been regenerated through personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 2:44, 8:36-37).  Infant baptism is contrary to the meaning and example of scriptural baptism.  In Acts 2:41-42, baptism is seen as a door into the local church.  Baptist churches, in following the pattern of the Jerusalem church, receive members upon their public profession of faith and scriptural baptism.

 

2. Baptism Essential for Obedience to the Lord and Identification with the Local Church:  We believe baptism is not essential for salvation, but is essential as a step of obedience and for identification with the local church.  Therefore an individual who has trusted Christ as their Savior and has made a public profession of faith is a candidate for baptism; and following successful completion of a session with the Pastor or an appointed representative of the Church concerning their baptism, they are to be promptly baptized.  Upon being baptized, they are invited to seek candidacy for membership in the local Church. Before being voted upon for membership, they must complete a session or sessions with the Pastor or an appointed representative of the Church concerning the meaning and responsibilities of membership.

 

 

b.     The Lord’s Supper:  

 

We believe Jesus Christ instituted the Lord’s Supper to commemorate His death until He comes again and that the elements (unleavened bread and the pure fruit of the vine) symbolically portray the body and blood of Christ.  As such, we deny the doctrine of transubstantiation.  We believe the Lord’s Supper is the regular partaking of the bread and cup by the believing (saved), as a continuing memorial of the broken body and shed blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  We believe all saved and baptized believers who are living in accordance to God’s Holy Scriptures have the freedom and the responsibility to participate in the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper (Matthew 28:18-20, 26:26-30; Acts 2:41-47, 8:12; Romans 6:4; I Corinthians 10:16-21, 11:17-34, 12:12-27; Ephesians 4:11-16; Revelation 4:11).

 

1.      The Lord’s Supper Explained:  The Lord's Supper is a memorial meal initiated by the Lord Jesus Christ on the eve of His passion, symbolizing His death and blood atonement for sin (Matthew 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:19-21; John 13).  The Lord plainly tells us that the Lord's Supper is a memorial ("this do in remembrance of me" – Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:24-25) and a picture ("ye do shew" – 1 Corinthians 11:26).  The Lord's Supper is to be practiced in the church (1 Corinthians 11:18, 20, 22, 33 & 34).  Each church, as the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27), is to observe the Lord's Supper after the Scriptural order.  The church is responsible to oversee every aspect of the work of God to maintain doctrinal and moral purity (1 Corinthians 5:11-13; 2 Thessalonians 3:6; Titus 1:9-13, 3:10-11).  Those who observe the Lord's Supper in violation of the clear instructions in the Bible or who do so apart from the church are ignoring the Bible pattern and risk “damnation to himself” (1 Corinthians 11:27-34).

 

2.      Taking the Lord’s Supper: 

 

a.      The individual must be a born again Christian (1 Corinthians 10:16-17).

 

b.      The individual must be a baptized member of a likeminded local church (Acts 2:41-42; 1 Corinthians 5:11, 11:20, 33-34).

 

c.      The individual must be in good fellowship with the Lord and others (1 Corinthians 11:27-34).  This involves striving to live in obedience to the Bible and carefully confessing one's sins (John 8:31-32; 1 John 1:5-10).

 

d.      The Pastor’s responsibility is to preach the Word as it is and leave the choice up to each individual concerning the taking of the Lord’s Table.

 

9.      Salvation

 

We believe salvation is by grace through faith; that salvation is the free gift of God, neither earned nor secured in part or in whole by any virtue or work of man, but received only by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins.  We believe that through His death, burial, and resurrection, all true believers have, as a present possession, the gift of eternal life, son-ship in the family of God, every spiritual resource needed for life and godliness, and divine guarantee they shall never perish; that this salvation affects the whole person; and that apart from Jesus Christ there is

no possible salvation or way to God’s Heaven (Romans 6:23, 10:9-10; II Corinthians 5:21, 7:9-10; Ephesians 2:8-9).

 

a.      Salvation Available to All:  We believe the blessings of salvation are made free to all by the Gospel (death, burial and resurrection) of the Lord Jesus Christ and that salvation is immediately imputed to all who put their faith and trust in the Lord’s Gospel message.  We believe any individual who genuinely accepts the Lord’s Gospel message does so willingly, penitently, and thru faith; and that nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner on earth but his personal rejection of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which rejection can include the blasphemy of the Holy Ghost, which would lead to eternal condemnation.  We believe that all sins, except blasphemy (rejection) of the Holy Spirit, are forgivable (John 3:16-21, 5:40; I Timothy 1:15; Hebrews 7:25; Revelation 22:17; Ezekiel 33:11; II Peter 3:9; I Timothy 2:3-4; Matthew 12:31-32; John 1:12; Ephesians 17, 2:8-10; I Peter 1:18-19; John 1:9).

 

b.     Repentance and Faith:  We believe the necessary conditions for salvation are understanding we are sinners in need of repentance and faith.

 

c.      Assurance:  We believe it is the privilege of every believer to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word; that all who are truly saved are kept saved forever; that those who have been born again have everlasting life and shall not come into judgment, but have passed from death unto life.  God, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh or sin (John 3:18, 5:24, 6:37, 10:27-29; Romans 13:13-14; Titus 2:11-15; I John 5:11-13).

 

d.     Righteous Living:  We believe all saved believers should live the Christian Life in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ; nor cause a stumbling block to unsaved people or our fellow believers; and that separation from all religious apostasy, all sinful pleasures, practices, and associations is commanded by the Word of God (Romans 12:1-2, II Corinthians 7:1, II Timothy 3:1-5, Ephesians 5:11, I John 2:15-17, II John 1:9-11; I Corinthians 8:9).

 

10.   Our Lord Jesus Christ’s Second Advent and End Times

 

We believe in the second coming (second advent) of Jesus Christ; that His return from heaven will be personal, visible, and glorious; a blessed hope for which we should constantly watch and pray; the time being unrevealed but always imminent; that when He comes He will first resurrect the righteous dead and translate the living believers from the earth (rapture His Church), then pour out the righteous judgments of God upon the unbelieving world during the seven year period known as the tribulation; and afterwards descend with His Church to establish His glorious kingdom over all the nations for a thousand years (Acts 1:11; 1 Corinthians 15:51-57; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; Revelation 19:11-16, 20:6).

 

We believe the unsaved at death descend immediately into Hell where they are kept under punishment until the final day of judgment, at which time their bodies shall be raised from the grave; that they shall be judged and cast into the lake of fire, the place of final and everlasting punishment for all who did not accept Jesus Christ as their personal savior before their death (John 14:1-6; Luke 16:19-31; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Philippians 3:20-21; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17; Revelation 20:11-15).

 

 

a.      Bodily Resurrection:  We believe in the bodily resurrection of every person, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment (Matthew 25:46; John 5:28-29, 11:25-26; Revelation 20:5-6 & 12-13).

 

b.     Eternal Bliss:  We believe in the bodily resurrection and eternal judgment of every person; that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, immediately absent from the body and present with the Lord Jesus Christ in a literal heaven, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection, when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord; that their works shall be brought before the Judgment Seat of Christ for determination of rewards; and that they shall enjoy eternal bliss in the presence of God (Luke 23:43; 2 John 14:1-6; 2 Corinthians 5:8-10; Philippians 1:23, 3:20-21; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17; Revelation 20:4-6).

 

c.      Eternal Punishment:  We believe the unsaved at death descent immediately into a literal Hell where they are kept in conscious punishment and torment until the second resurrection, when their soul and body shall be reunited and they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment; and afterward shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, the place of final and everlasting punishment and torment for all who did not accept Jesus Christ as their personal savior before their death; not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment and torment (Psalm 9:17; Matthew 25:41-46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-26; John 8:23-24; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9; Jude 6:7; Revelation 20:11-15, 21:1-22:20).

 

d.     Imminence:  We believe in the imminent, personal, premillennial, pretribulation return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ which will immediately catch away (rapture) His Bride (His Church); an event which shall initiate the seven year tribulation period on earth.  We also believe in the personal, visible, premillennial, and glorious return of Jesus Christ to the earth with His saints at the end of the Great Tribulation; when He shall establishes His millennial Kingdom and reign with a rod of iron for one thousand years (Titus 2:13; I Thessalonians 4:13-17; John 14:3; Revelation 19:11-21, 2:1-6).

 

11.    The Personality  of Satan

 

We believe in the existence of Satan, who was originally created a holy heavenly being, but through pride and wicked ambition rebelled against God, thus becoming the great adversary of God and His People, the accuser of the brethren, the leader of all evil angels and spirits, the great enticer and deceiver of mankind, and god of this present world; that his powers are vast, but strictly limited by God; that his final doom is certain; that we are able to resist and overcome him by the blood of the Lamb (Jesus Christ) and through the power of the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:12-19; Revelation 19:9, 20:1-10).

 

12.   The Church

 

We believe the church is a local, visible body of baptized believers called out from the world and united into a body for the purpose of obeying the Great Commission, and that they are separated unto Christ.  We believe the supreme mission of the church in this age is to preach the Gospel to every creature and, in the context of the local church, to disciple those who believe on His name (I Corinthians 12:12-27, Mark 16:15, Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8, Luke 24:47).

 

 

We do not believe in the existence of a mystical, invisible, worldwide body of Christ but instead that each assembly is the body of Christ in that assembly’s locale.  Furthermore, we believe in the perpetuity of the Lord’s Churches, i.e. that there have been local churches from the days of Christ until the present who essentially believe what People’s Baptist Church believes; and that such churches will continue until the Lord returns.  We believe that once a believer has joined the local church, he or she can only be removed from the rolls of the church by death, church discipline, transfer of letter to a church of like faith and practice or inactivity for eighteen months unless excepted (I Corinthians 12:27, Ephesians 1:22-23).

 

a.      Importance of Local Church:  We believe in the importance of the local church; that a New Testament church is a local assembly of born again baptized believers united under the authority of the Word of God and their Pastor, to practice New Testament ordinances, to meet together for worship, prayer, fellowship, instruction and edification, and to actively engage in carrying out the great commission (Acts 13:1; 1 Corinthians 16:19; Ephesians 3:10, 4:11-17, 6:4; 2 Peter 3:18).

 

b.     Assembly and Identification:  We believe all believers should faithfully assemble and identify themselves in local churches (Acts 2:47; Hebrews 10:25).

 

c.      God Ordained:  We believe the church is God’s ordained institution for accomplishing His purposes in the world today.  God has set apart the church to bring Him glory and to equip believers for His service.  The church is a body of born again, baptized believers, who are associated together by covenant.  In the church God has ordained the Pastor as the under shepherd of the flock and the deacons to serve the needs of the church body.  Each church is an autonomous body, not answering to any outside hierarchy or organization but only to Christ Himself (Matthew 28:18-22; Acts 20:28; Ephesians 1:22, 5:23; 1 Timothy 3:15).

 

d.     Member Fellowship:  We believe members of the Church are to fellowship with one another as family members and members of the body of Christ, expressing and exemplifying Biblical love to one another in all their relationships.  Consequently, they must not bring civil lawsuits to resolve personal disputes against other believers of like faith and practice or churches or institutions of the same.  We believe the Lord’s Holy Scriptures provide all the guidance and His local church possesses all the resources necessary to resolve personal disputes between believers without assistance or interference from without the Body of Christ (Matthew 18:15-17; 1 Corinthians 6:1-8, 12:12-27; Ephesians 4:31-32).

 

13.    Separation

 

We believe members of People’s Baptist Church should live their life in a manner so as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord Jesus Christ or His Church, and so as to maintain a testimony consistent with the teachings of the Lord’s Holy Scriptures; and that God commands local New Testament Churches and their members to be separated people.  People’s Baptist Church will separate itself from all forms of religious apostasy and neo-evangelical inclusivism.  We reject the ecumenical movement which seeks to join all churches into one body regardless of doctrine or practice.  We also reject the charismatic renewal movement with its unscriptural emphasis on emotionalism, tongues, healing, and seed offerings.  This Church will enjoy fellowship with churches of like faith and practice, but will have no part in any council of churches that is ecumenical in nature or thrust (John 17:15-19, 2 Corinthians 6:17-18 and 7:1, 1 Timothy 3:7).

 

a.      Personal Separation:  We believe members of People’s Baptist Church are to be personally separated from all worldly practices that hinder spiritual growth and stability.  We believe God’s people should not love the world nor the things that are in the world (I John 2:15-16).

 

b.   Conversation, Modesty, and Appearance:  The Lord Jesus Christ loves every person just as they are and desires that no one should perish, but that all should come to repentance.  We welcome people to come as they are, but know when a person is saved, they are changed by the Lord into a new creature.  Therefore, once united with People’s Baptist Church, members are to separate from all religious apostasy (false religions, cults, ecumenicalism, etcetera), all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices, and associations (drinking alcoholic beverages, gambling, dancing, co-habitation outside of marriage, membership or participation in worldly clubs or businesses, etcetera); and to refrain from all immodest and immoderate alterations of personal appearance, including but not limited to, revealing, sensual, outlandish, or radical clothing; unnatural hair or skin colors, body piercings, markings, and tattoos; and other alterations, sex change procedures, and anything else that defiles their natural God-given temple of the Holy Ghost.  With The Scriptures as the final authority, and the Pastor being the administrator of Church discipline over any issue that might arise (2 Peter 3:9, 1 Corinthians 6:19, 2 Corinthians 5:17).

 

c.      New Nature and Lifestyle:  Because believers are new creatures in Christ Jesus, all areas of their life should reflect this truth; and their possession of a new nature and an indwelling Holy Spirit – Christianity is a way of life, not just a profession of belief.  Their dress and appearance, associations, amusements and leisure activities, career and job circumstances, oral (language) and written communications, social media presences, and all other activities should avoid even the appearance of disobedience to the Lord’s commandments and guidance given in His Holy Scriptures (2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:22).

 

1. Beliefs on Cultural Issues

 

1.      Marriage and Sexuality

 

a.      Marriage:  We believe the term “marriage” has only one legitimate meaning, that marriage is sanctioned by God, and that marriage is the joining of one man and one woman in a single, covenant union, as delineated by God’s Holy Scriptures.  Marriage ceremonies performed in any facility owned, leased, or rented by this Church will be only those ceremonies, sanctioned by God, joining one man with one woman as their genders were determined at birth.  Any marriage performed within the Church facilities will be only those of the membership and their immediate family upon completion of marriage counseling with the Pastor. Whenever there is a conflict between the Church’s position and any legal standard for marriage, the Church’s statement of faith, doctrines, and biblical positions will govern (Genesis 2:24; Mark 10:6-9; I Corinthians 7:1-9; Ephesians 5:22-23).

 

b.     Sexual Intimacy:  We believe God has commanded no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of marriage as defined in (a) above.  We believe any other type of sexual activity, identity, or expression that lies outside of this definition of marriage, including those that are becoming more accepted in our nation’s culture and courts, are

contradictory to God’s natural design and purpose for sexual activity and therefore prohibited by His Holy Scriptures (Genesis 2:24, 19:5; Leviticus 18:1-30; Romans 1: 26-29; 1 Corinthians 5:1, 6:9-10; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8; Hebrews 13:4).