Word of God
We believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are inspired of God, inerrant in the original writings, complete as the revelation of God’s will for salvation, and the supreme and final authority in all matters to which they speak. (2 Tim. 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21)
The Trinity
We believe in one God, creator and sustainer of all things, eternally existing in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit; that these are equal in every divine perfection and that they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence and redemption (Is. 48:16; Mt. 28:19-20).
God the Father
We believe in God the Father, an infinite personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. We believe He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ
We believe that Jesus Christ is God’s divine, eternal Son, and has precisely the same nature, attributes and perfections as God the Father and God the Holy Spirit (John 1:1). We believe further that He is not only true God, but true man, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary (Matt. 1:20; Luke 1:26-38; Jn 1:1-18). We also believe in His sinless life, His substitutionary atonement, His bodily resurrection from the dead, His ascension into heaven, His priestly intercession on behalf of His people, and His personal, visible return from heaven.
Holy Spirit
We believe in the Holy Spirit, His personality, and His work in regeneration, sanctification and preservation. His ministry is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ, and implement Christ’s work of redeeming the lost and empowering the believer for godly living and service.
Creation
We believe that God created the heavens and the earth, including all life, by His direct act (Genesis 1-2; Col. 1:16-17; John 1:3). We believe all humans are created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-27; Ps. 139:14; Ps. 8:5-8). We believe marriage is a covenantal relationship (Mal. 2:14) between a man and a woman who were physically created by God as male and female (Gen. 1:27; Ps. 139:13-16; Matt. 19:4). We believe God intended for humans to engage only in heterosexual and monogamous marriage (Gen. 2:24; Matt. 19:4-6; Mark 10:5-8). Marriage exists for the propagation of the human race (Gen. 1:28) and the loving expression of healthy relational and sexual intimacy (Gen. 2:24-25; Matt. 19:5). We believe marriage pictures the covenant relationship Christ has with all believers (Eph. 5:22-33).
Man
We believe God created man, male and female, in the image of God and free from sin. We believe that Adam and Eve were created in innocence but sinned by choice, thus condemning the whole race to death. Since the fall of Adam and Eve all of mankind is born in sin (Ps. 51:5; 58:3; Eph. 2:2-3; Rom. 3:23), becoming willful sinners with the first expression of personal choice (Genesis 3; Romans 5:1-18).
Salvation
We believe man is a sinner by nature and choice and is therefore spiritually dead. We believe in salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. We further believe that this salvation is based upon the sovereign grace of God, and was purchased by Christ on the cross, and is received by man through faith, apart from any human merit, works or ritual (Rom. 6:23; 10:9-10; John 3:1-7, 16; John 14:6; 1 Cor. 15:1-4; Heb. 10:4, 14; Acts 4:12; 16:30-33; Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-7). We also believe that those who repent of sin and trust in Jesus Christ alone for their salvation are regenerated by the Holy Spirit. We further believe salvation results in righteous living, good works and proper social concern. We believe the truly born-again Christian is eternally secure and cannot lose his salvation (Jn 6:44; 10:28-29; Rom. 8:9-11, 28-39; I Pet. 1:3-5; Heb. 7:23-25; Eph. 1:13-14; 4:30).
The Church
We believe that the Church is the spiritual body of which Christ is the head. We believe that the true Church is composed of all persons who through saving faith in Jesus Christ have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit (Matt. 16:18; Acts 2:1-13; Eph. 1:22-23, 3:21, 5:23-33; 1 Thess. 4:13-18). We believe that this body expresses itself in local assemblies (Acts 2:42-47, 12:11-13, 14:26-28, 15:30-31). We also believe in the interdependence of local churches and the mutual submission of believers to each other in love (1 Cor. 1:2, 7:17; Eph. 5:15-33; 1 Peter 5:4-6; 1 Tim. 3:8-17).
Christian Conduct
We believe that the supreme task of every believer is to glorify God in his life; that his conduct should be blameless before the world; that he should be a faithful steward of his possessions; and that he should seek to realize for himself the full stature of maturity in Christ.
Marriage and Sexuality
Marriage Statement: We believe that because God our Creator established marriage as a sacred institution between one man and one woman, the idea that marriage is a covenant only between one man and one woman has been the traditional definition of marriage for all of human history (“Traditional Definition of Marriage”).
Because of the longstanding importance of the Traditional Definition of Marriage to humans and their relationships and communities, and, most importantly, the fact that God has ordained that marriage be between one man and one woman, as clearly conveyed in God’s inerrant Scriptures, including for example in Matthew 19:4-6 where in speaking about marriage Jesus referred to the fact that “he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,” the Ministry hereby creates this policy, which shall be known as the “Marriage Policy.”
Under this Ministry’s Marriage Policy, the Traditional Definition of Marriage is the only definition of marriage that will be recognized or accepted. No director, officer, employee, servant, agent, or any person, corporation, organization, or entity under the direction or control of this Ministry shall commit any act or omission, or make any decision whatever, that would be inconsistent with, or that could be perceived by any person to be inconsistent with, full support of this Ministry’s Marriage Policy and strict adherence to the Traditional Definition of Marriage. One’s actions should be consistent with the Traditional Definition of Marriage rather than any alternative to the Traditional Definition of Marriage.
This MinistryMarriage Policy specifically prohibits acts or omissions including but not limited to permitting any Ministry assets or property, whether real property, personal property, intangible property, or any property or asset of any kind that is subject to the direction or control of the Ministry, to be used in any manner that would be or could be perceived by any person to be inconsistent with this Ministry’s Marriage Policy or the Traditional Definition of Marriage, including by not limited to permitting any Ministry facilities to be used by any person, organization, corporation, or group that would or might use such facilities to convey, intentionally or by implication, what might be perceived as a favorable impression about any definition of marriage other than the Traditional Definition of Marriage.
We believe this Ministry’s Marriage Policy is based upon God’s will for human life as conveyed to us by the Holy Scriptures, upon which this Ministry has been founded and anchored, and this Marriage Policy shall not be subject to change through popular vote; referendum; prevailing opinion of members or the general public; influence of or interpretation by any government authority, agency, or official action; or legal developments on the local, state, or federal level.
Sexuality: Sexuality and the divinely prescribed boundaries for the expression thereof is covered clearly in the Holy Scriptures, which limit sexual expression to the marital relationship of one man with one woman. Homosexual acts, adultery, bestiality, and all forms of fornication are categorically condemned in the Holy Scriptures. (See 1 Cor. 6:18; 1 Thes. 4:3; Rom. 1:26-27; Prov. 5:3-5, 8-13; 7:21-27; Gal. 5:19; Exodus 20:14; Deut. 5:18; Matt. 5:27; 19:18; Luke 18:20; Rom. 13:9; James 2:11; Lev. 20:10-21; 1 Cor.10:8; 6:18; Jude 7.) Furthermore, the Ministry believes that sexuality is assigned by God at birth, whatever that may be, and the Holy Scripture does not allow an individual to alter their sexual identity physically or otherwise. (See Deut.23:1.)
Common-Law Marriage: In no case shall persons be accepted into Ministry membership and/or Ministry employment that are known to be living in: (i) a common-law state of matrimony; or (ii) a manner inconsistent with the Ministry’s teaching on marriage or sexuality pursuant to Article 2.02 (a) or (b) of these Bylaws.
Because of the longstanding importance of the Traditional Definition of Marriage to humans and their relationships and communities, and, most importantly, the fact that God has ordained that marriage be between one man and one woman, as clearly conveyed in God’s inerrant Scriptures, including for example in Matthew 19:4-6 where in speaking about marriage Jesus referred to the fact that “he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,” the Ministry hereby creates this policy, which shall be known as the “Marriage Policy.”
Under this Ministry’s Marriage Policy, the Traditional Definition of Marriage is the only definition of marriage that will be recognized or accepted. No director, officer, employee, servant, agent, or any person, corporation, organization, or entity under the direction or control of this Ministry shall commit any act or omission, or make any decision whatever, that would be inconsistent with, or that could be perceived by any person to be inconsistent with, full support of this Ministry’s Marriage Policy and strict adherence to the Traditional Definition of Marriage. One’s actions should be consistent with the Traditional Definition of Marriage rather than any alternative to the Traditional Definition of Marriage.
This MinistryMarriage Policy specifically prohibits acts or omissions including but not limited to permitting any Ministry assets or property, whether real property, personal property, intangible property, or any property or asset of any kind that is subject to the direction or control of the Ministry, to be used in any manner that would be or could be perceived by any person to be inconsistent with this Ministry’s Marriage Policy or the Traditional Definition of Marriage, including by not limited to permitting any Ministry facilities to be used by any person, organization, corporation, or group that would or might use such facilities to convey, intentionally or by implication, what might be perceived as a favorable impression about any definition of marriage other than the Traditional Definition of Marriage.
We believe this Ministry’s Marriage Policy is based upon God’s will for human life as conveyed to us by the Holy Scriptures, upon which this Ministry has been founded and anchored, and this Marriage Policy shall not be subject to change through popular vote; referendum; prevailing opinion of members or the general public; influence of or interpretation by any government authority, agency, or official action; or legal developments on the local, state, or federal level.
Sexuality: Sexuality and the divinely prescribed boundaries for the expression thereof is covered clearly in the Holy Scriptures, which limit sexual expression to the marital relationship of one man with one woman. Homosexual acts, adultery, bestiality, and all forms of fornication are categorically condemned in the Holy Scriptures. (See 1 Cor. 6:18; 1 Thes. 4:3; Rom. 1:26-27; Prov. 5:3-5, 8-13; 7:21-27; Gal. 5:19; Exodus 20:14; Deut. 5:18; Matt. 5:27; 19:18; Luke 18:20; Rom. 13:9; James 2:11; Lev. 20:10-21; 1 Cor.10:8; 6:18; Jude 7.) Furthermore, the Ministry believes that sexuality is assigned by God at birth, whatever that may be, and the Holy Scripture does not allow an individual to alter their sexual identity physically or otherwise. (See Deut.23:1.)
Common-Law Marriage: In no case shall persons be accepted into Ministry membership and/or Ministry employment that are known to be living in: (i) a common-law state of matrimony; or (ii) a manner inconsistent with the Ministry’s teaching on marriage or sexuality pursuant to Article 2.02 (a) or (b) of these Bylaws.
Last Things
We believe in bodily resurrection of the saved and lost, the eternal existence of all men either in heaven or hell, in divine judgments, rewards and punishments (Jn. 5:21-30; 1 Thess. 4:16; Rev. 20:11-15; Mt. 25:41-46; John 14:1-6; Phil. 3:20-21).