Distinctives

Biblical – We believe that the Bible is our final authority concerning the faith and practice of our local assembly, both corporately and individually.

Confessional – We hold that doctrine is derived from the Bible and that faithful Christians have distilled these truths from the Scripture into statements of faith by which local assemblies confess what they believe. We have chosen the Abstract of Principles for its Biblical strength, yet simple and straightforward manor, as well as its ties to historic Reformed confessions.

Reformed – We hold that the Protestant Reformation of the 16th and 17th century recaptured certain Biblical truths which were gradually perverted in the Roman Catholic church and codified at the council of Trent. Therefore we hold that the so-called “Five Solas” of the Reformation (Sola Scriptura, Sola Gratia, Sola Fide, Solus Christus, and Sola Deo Gloria) codify the essence of this recapturing of Biblical truth.

Baptistic – We believe that the Bible puts forth that the proper means of baptism is by immersion and for those who have professed faith in the Lord Jesus Christ only.

Cessationist – We hold that the miraculous sign gifts of the early church are no longer functional today. We do not limit what God can do according to all His holy will but hold that He works in various means throughout history and that the apostolic gifts for the foundation of the church have now passed.

Statements

Human Sexuality - We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that God disapproves and forbids any attempt to alter one’s gender. We believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one woman. Any effort to redefine marriage or any other relationship in a way contrary to Scripture will not be condoned nor accepted (Genesis 2:21-25; Leviticus 18: 1-30; Romans 1:18-27; Ephesians 5:23-25).

Sanctity of Human Life - We believe that each person is a unique creation of God made in His image, and in upholding that sanctity of life, do oppose the destruction of or violence against human life because it is unwanted, imperfect, or merely inconvenient, as an atrocity against all of mankind and against God. We oppose the wholesale destruction of life by abortion on demand, the direct or indirect infanticide of newborn children for reasons of mental or physical defects and the impending threat of legalized euthanasia directed toward the elderly portion of our society. Senility, infirmity, mental challenges, and mental illnesses are not to be recognized as reasons for extermination and the consideration, teaching and support of these practices are inconsistent with God’s divine purpose (Jeremiah 1:4-5; Psalm 139:13-16; Exodus 23:7; Luke 1:15; Galatians 1:15-16; Psalm 127:3; Genesis 9:6).