Sufficiency of Scripture
We believe that God’s Word is inerrant, perfect in its original autographs, having been verbally inspired by the Holy Spirit through human authors. It is the sole sufficient source of special revelation for the Christian life and the ministry of the church. Scripture’s sufficiency demands that we measure all things in light of its perfect truth. This recognition brings everything that we believe and do under the divine authority of the Word of God.
Expository Preaching/Teaching
We believe that the recognition of Scripture’s inerrancy and sufficiency directs us to seek to understand clearly the perfect presentation of truth in its original context. We interpret Scripture according to a literal grammatical-historical hermeneutic, seeking the author’s intent for the audience. This drives us to present biblical truth in an expository fashion, proclaiming the whole counsel of God according to its original meaning and application for the church today.
Sovereignty of God
We believe that God is sovereign over all things, including the salvation of man, as a fundamental aspect of His nature. We believe that man is born into a state of total depravity and incapable of coming to God apart from God’s drawing. The work of regeneration within the human heart is according to the sovereign decree of God in eternity past. God’s decree has predestined the elect to eternal life, bringing them to saving faith in Christ by the preaching of the gospel.
Elder Leadership
We believe that the Lord established the office of elder as the sole authoritative office of the local church. The calling of an elder is synonymous with that of pastor or overseer. The biblical model of church governance is leadership by a plurality of qualified elders who share the shepherding, teaching, and administrative needs of the congregation. The Lord places the responsibility of the direction of the local church upon these men.
Miraculous Gifts
We believe in the cessation (ceasing) of the miraculous sign gifts for the church in this current age. God can do whatever He is pleased to do, including miraculous works, and we affirm all of the miraculous events recorded in Scripture as literally occurring exactly as they are presented. However, we believe that the miraculous signs and wonders stood as a testimony to the authority of God and His divine revelation to man prior to the completion of the Scriptures. At the passing of the apostolic office and the completion of New Testament revelation, God’s miraculous work of externally authorizing his divine revelation ceased for our current age.
Creation
We believe that Scripture is the sole source of authoritative information revealing the creation of the world. Scripture presents the earth as being created in six consecutive, 24-hour days. Adam and Eve were literal human beings created in the beginning before death entered the world and apart from any evolutionary processes. The flood account was a literal and historical occurrence in which the entire earth was immersed by water as an act of divine judgement. The generations recorded prior to and after the flood present a timeline of approximately 4000 years from the creation of the world to Jesus Christ.
Last Things
We believe in the bodily, visible, premillennial return of the Lord Jesus to the earth, after which He will rule the world with His saints from Jerusalem for 1000 years. We also teach from the standpoint that there will be a 7-year period preceding the second coming of Christ referred to as the tribulation. The Church will be raptured from the earth prior to the tribulation period. This time of tribulation will result in the mass salvation of ethnic Israel. Though the vast majority of Israel is yet in unbelief and thus enemies of God for the sake of believing Gentiles, Israel’s restoration to her land and her final and total spiritual redemption are explicit unconditional promises of the new covenant.