The Holy Scriptures We believe that the Bible in the original autographs, consisting of the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments (with no Apocrypha), was verbally and plenarily inspired of God; the product of the Holy Spirit through Spirit-controlled men, and that it is therefore inerrant (Psalm 119:89, 160; II Tim. 3:16; II Peter 1:19-20). However, we do not believe that only the originals were perfect. We trust in God’s promise to preserve His Word forever (Psalm 12:7), and that He did so through the Hebrew Masoretic text of the Old Testament and the Greek Textus Receptus of the New Testament (we reject all Alexandrian/Roman Catholic texts as corrupt). Moreover, we believe that any Bible which is translated accurately from these two texts, in any language, does not just contain the thoughts of God, but is the very words of God, and as such is both pure and perfect (Psalm 12:6-7; Psalm 19:7; Prov. 30:5; Matthew 4:4; Matthew 5:18). We further believe that the King James Bible is God’s only inerrant and infallible preserved Word for the English-speaking world, and as such it is the only English translation our church accepts.
The Trinity We believe that there is only one living and true God, infinite in every excellence; that in the unity of the Godhead there are three distinct persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit— each co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, coequal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections. Ex. 20:2, 3; John 14:10,26; I Cor. 8:6; I John 5:7
The Person and Work of Jesus Christ 1. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men. Isa. 7:14; 9:6; Luke 1:35; John 1:1-2, 14; 2 Cor. 5:19-21; Gal. 4:4-5; Phil. 2:5-8
2. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and, that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead. Acts 2:18-36; Rom. 3:24-25; 1 Pet. 2:24; Eph. 1:7; 1 Peter 1:3-5
3. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate. Acts 1:9-10; Heb. 9:24; 7:25; Rom. 8:34; 1 John 2:1-2
The Person and Work of The Holy Spirit 1. We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person, equal with the Father and the Son and of the same substance and nature; that He convicts of sin, righteousness, and judgment; bears witness to the truth; is the Supernatural Agent of the New Birth; and that He seals, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses to, sanctifies, and helps the believer, indwelling every true child of God and sealing them unto the day of redemption. II Cor. 13:14; John 14:16, 17; Romans 8:14-27
2. We believe that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is once and for all at the time of regeneration. This baptism is the identification of the believer into the body of Christ. I Cor. 12:13
3. We believe that all saved are sealed or indwelt by the Holy Spirit, but not all are filled with the Spirit. It is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the Spirit and as we walk according to the will of God we are filled with the Spirit. Eph. 1:17-18; 5:18; 1 John 2:20,27
4. We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowal of spiritual gifts to every believer. God uniquely uses evangelists, Pastors, and teachers to equip believers in the assembly in order that they can do the work of the ministry. Rom. 12:3-8; 1 Cor. 12:4-11, 28; Eph. 4:7-12
5. We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and the gift of healing, were temporary. Speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit. We further believe that ultimate deliverance of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection, though God frequently chooses to answer the prayers of believers for physical healing. We believe that the modern day speaking in tongues, divine healing, and the charismatic movement are in no way related to the filling of the Spirit. 1 Cor. 1:22; 13:8-13; 14:21-22
The Devil or Satan We believe in the distinct personality of Satan, that he is the unholy god of this age, the author of sin and the cause of the Fall of Man; that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man; and that he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire. Job 1:6-7; Isa. 14:12-17; Matt. 4:2-11; 25:41; Rev. 20:10
Creation We believe that God created the heavens and the earth, including all life, “each after its own kind”, by direct act in six literal 24-hour days and not by the process of evolution. (Gen. 1, 2; Col. 1:10-17; John 1:3; Ex. 20:11) We reject evolution, the Day-Age theory, and Theistic Evolution as unscriptural theories of origin. Gen. 1, 2; Ex. 20:11
The Fall of Man We believe that man, in the person of the first Adam, was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam’s voluntary transgression the human race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God. Man is of himself unable to remedy his lost condition. Gen. 1:26-27; Rom. 3:22-23; 5:12; 6:23; Eph. 2:1-3; 4:17-19
Redemption from Sin We believe that the only escape from the condemnation of sin is through the redemption wrought by the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, when He voluntarily took upon Himself a human body and nature (yet without sin). We believe His suffering, death, and resurrection made full satisfaction to the justice of God for the sin of man; that the blessings of this salvation are given on the grounds of grace to all who believe and that it is the immediate duty of all to accept these offers of mercy. John 1:1-3, 14; 3:1-7; Heb. 10:4-14; Acts 16:20-33
Salvation by Grace 1. We believe that faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus is the only condition of salvation from sin; and this salvation is wholly by grace, that no works, however good, make that salvation more secure. Acts 16:31; Eph. 2:8, 9; Titus 3:5-7; Rom. 10:9-13
2. We believe that all who take Christ as their personal Savior are born from above and are eternally secure in Christ. John 10:28, 29; Rom. 8:38, 39; Phil. 1:6
3. We believe it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word, which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh. Rom. 13:13, 14; Gal. 5:13; Thus 2:11-15
The Church We believe that the body of Christ is manifest through the independent local church. The Biblical church is a congregation of baptized (immersed) believers associated by a covenant of faith and the fellowship of the gospel, observing the ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, and exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in the church by His Word. We believe that the only two Biblical church offices are those of pastor (also called elder or bishop in the New Testament) and deacon. Because a Biblical church is independent (without an ecclesiastical hierarchy), the local church has absolute autonomy (right of self-government). It is to be directed by the Holy Spirit and it is answerable only to Christ. In all matters of membership, policy, government, discipline, and benevolence the will of the local church is final. We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures. Matt. 18:15-17; Acts 14:27; 20:17; I Cor. 1:2; 6:4, 5; 7:17; 11:16; Eph. 4:8, 11-13; ITim.3:1-15
Separation We believe that all saved people should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord; and, that separation from all religious apostasy as well as all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices, and associations is commanded by God. Rom. 12:1,2; 14:13; II Cor. 6:14-17; 7:1; II Tim. 3:1-5; I John 2:15-17; II John 9-11; 1 Cor 6:19-20.
The Ordinances We believe that there are only two church ordinances: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Baptism is the immersion of a believer in water and is properly called “Believer’s Baptism.” It is a public profession of faith in Christ Jesus, and as such it sets forth in a beautiful and solemn way our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior. Baptism is a prerequisite to the privileges of church membership. The Lord’s Supper is to be done in remembrance of our Lord’s death until He comes. It can only be rightfully taken by saved and baptized individuals. Furthermore, it should be taken by the believer only after careful self-examination. Acts 8:30-39; Rom. 6:3-5; I Cor. 11:23-32; Matt. 28:19, 20; Acts 2:41, 42; 18:8; I Cor. 11:23-26
The Eternal State 1. We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men: the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment. Matt. 25:46; John 5:28, 29; 11:25-26; Rev. 20:5-6, 12-13
2. We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord. In conscious bliss, they await the first resurrection when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord. Luke 23:43; 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23; 3:21; I Thess. 4:16-17; Rev. 20:4-6
3. We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious punishment and torment until the second resurrection, when with soul and body reunited, they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment. After the judgment, they will be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment and torment. We believe hell to be a literal place of incessant suffering for unbelievers, the devil, and his angels. Matt. 25:41-46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-26; 2 Thess. 1:7-9; Jude 6-7; Rev. 20:11-15
The Second Coming We believe in the blessed hope: the bodily, personal, imminent, pre-millennial return of Jesus Christ; that He will come before the seven-year tribulation period in the air to catch away His church, followed by the Judgment Seat of Christ; and that He will personally and visibly return with His church at the close of the tribulation to judge the living nations and to set up His Kingdom on earth. I Thess. 4:13~18; II Cor. 5:10; Matt. 25:31-46; Rev. 19:11-21
The Resurrection. 1. We believe in the literal, physical, bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead on the third day after his death on the cross. I Cor. 15:3,4
2. We believe in the resurrection of the bodies of the dead. Believers who sleep in Jesus will be raised at the coming of Christ for His church and caught up with transformed living saints to meet the Lord in the air. The wicked dead will be raised at the close of the Millennial Kingdom and stand in their bodies at the Great White Throne Judgment to receive their doom. John 5:21-30; I Thess. 4:16; Rev. 7:9-17; 20:11-15
Dispensationalism We believe that the Scriptures interpreted in their natural, literal sense reveal divinely determined dispensations or rules of life which define man’s responsibilities in successive ages. (Gen. 1:28, 2:7-15; 3:23; Ex. 19:8-20; John 1:17; 1 Cor. 9:17; 2 Cor. 3:9-18; Gal. 3:13-25; Eph. 1:10; 3:2-10; Col. 1:24-25, 27; Rev. 20:2-6
Civil Government We believe that God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: 1) the home; 2) the church; 3) the state. Every person is subject to these authorities, but all (including the authorities themselves) are answerable to God and governed by His Word. God has given each institution specific Biblical responsibilities and balanced those responsibilities with the understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the other. The home, the church, and the state are equal and sovereign in their respective Biblically assigned spheres of responsibility under God. Rom. 13:1-7; Eph. 5:22-24; Heb. 13:17; I Pet. 2:13, 14
Family Relationships 1. We believe that men and women are spiritually equal in position before God, but that God has ordained distinct and separate spiritual functions for men and women in the home and the church. The husband is to be the leader of the home, and men are to be the leaders (Pastors and deacons) of the church. Accordingly, only men are eligible for licensure and ordination by the church. Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:18; 1 Tim. 2:8-15; 3:4-5, 12
2. We believe that God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. The husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church (He gave His all for it). The wife is to submit herself to the Scriptural leadership of her husband as the church submits to the headship of Christ. Children are a heritage from the Lord, and as such are His gifts to their parents. Parents are responsible for teaching their children spiritual and moral values and leading them, through consistent lifestyle example and appropriate discipline, including Scriptural corporal correction. Gen. 1:26-28; Ex. 20:12; Deut. 6:4-9; Ps. 127:3-5; Prov. 19:18; 22:15; 23:13-14; Mk. 10:6-12; I Cor. 7:1-16; Eph.5:21-33; 6:1-4; Col.3:18-21; Heb. 13:4; I Pet. 3:1-7
Missions We believe that God has given the church a Great Commission to proclaim the gospel to all nations so that there might be a great multitude from every nation, tribe, ethnic group, and language group who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. As ambassadors of Christ, we must use all available means to go to the foreign nations and not wait for them to come to us. Matt. 28:19, 20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; II Cor. 5:20
Giving We believe that every Christian, as a steward of that portion of God’s wealth entrusted to him, is obligated to support his local church financially. We believe that God has established the tithe as a basis for giving, but that every Christian should also give other offerings sacrificially and cheerfully to the support of the church, the relief of those in need, and the spread of the gospel. We believe that a Christian relinquishes all rights to direct the use of the tithe or offering once the gift has been made to the church. Gen. 14:20; Prov. 3:9, 10; Acts 4:34-37; I Cor. 16:2; II Cor. 9:6, 7; Gal. 6:6; Eph. 4:28; I Tim. 5:17, 18; I John 3:17
Love We believe that we should demonstrate love to all people - not only toward fellow believers, but also toward unbelievers and those who oppose us. We are to deal with those who oppose us graciously, gently, patiently, and humbly. God forbids the stirring up of strife, the taking of revenge, or the threat or the use of violence as a means of resolving personal conflict or obtaining personal justice. Although God commands us to abhor sinful actions, we are to love and pray for any person who engages in such sinful actions. Lev. 19:18; Matt. 5:44-48; Luke 6:31; John 13:34-35; Rom. 12:9-10; 17-21; 13:8-10; Phil. 2:2-4; 2 Tim. 2:24-26; Titus 3:2; 1 John 3:17-18
Marriage Marriage is a sacred institution (Hebrews 13:4), which was created by God (Genesis 2:21-25). Thus, it is neither an invention of mankind nor of government. Furthermore, it is a covenant between a biological man and a biological woman, not between a man and a man or a woman and a woman. It is also not to be between multiple men and/or women. Therefore, we believe that Biblical marriage can only be between one man and one woman at a time – not with same-sex partners in homosexuality (Matthew 19:4-6), nor with multiples of either in polygamy. We do recognize that polygamy occurred in the Old Testament, but this occurrence does not mean it was God’s plan or approved of by Him. God only made one wife for Adam. Marriage is intended by God to last until the death of either partner (Proverbs 5:18, Romans 7:2-3; I Corinthians 7:39). Divorce is only permitted for two reasons in the Bible – fornication (sexual sin) and abandonment (Matthew 5:31-32; 19:7-9; I Corinthians 7:10-15). However, although the Bible allows for divorce in such cases, it is not commanded. Forgiveness and reconciliation are to be pursued when at all possible (I Corinthians 7:10-11; Ephesians 4:32).
Music Our music will focus on psalms, hymns and spiritual songs that edify the body of Christ, praise the Lord, and that originate from the heart to God. We believe that most contemporary Christian music is a form of compromise with the world, however well-intentioned it may be. We are to be transformed from the world, not conformed to it; therefore, we will not embrace Christian rock, rap, country, or other forms of music that appear no different from the world’s music. Our music will be conservative, with an emphasis on old and new hymns, using instruments and voices in a humble manner of congregational songs, choirs, cantatas and special music and arrangements. Ephesians 1:22; 5:23; Colossians 1:18; Matthew 4:19; Acts 1:8; Matthews 26:30; Hebrews 13:8; Acts 16:25; Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16; Romans 12:2; Hebrews 2:12; Psalm 40:3
Calvinism/Arminianism Our church does not embrace the doctrines of Calvinism or Arminianism. We do not believe that God has predestined some to Heaven and some to Hell before the foundation of the world. God knows who will be saved through His foreknowledge, but He has not predestined these by election. (For example: Just because we know it is going to snow in January in Western New York does not mean we have predestined it to do so.) Because we do not know who will be saved it is our duty to get the Gospel to every creature on earth, believing it is God’s will for all mankind to be saved. We are a “whosoever will” church. We believe that all can be saved, and that all should be. Once a person is saved, they are kept by the power of God, not their own perseverance or good works. They are eternally secure through the finished work of Christ. Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:47-49; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; Matthew 18:14; I Timothy 2:4-6; 2 Peter 3:9; Acts 26:22-23; I Peter 1:5; II Cor. 1:22; II Cor. 5:5; Eph. 4:30
Authority of Statement of Faith This statement of faith should not be considered exhaustive (the extent or limit of our doctrine and teaching). The Bible itself is the sole and final source for all matters of faith and practice. We do believe, however, that the foregoing statement of faith accurately represents the teaching of the Bible on these matters.