We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion in water of a believer, in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, with the authority of the local church, to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem our faith in the crucified, buried and risen Savior, with its effect in our death to sin and resurrection to a new life; that it is prerequisite to the privileges of a church relation and to the Lord's supper, in which the members of the church, by the sacred use of bread and the fruit of the vine are to commemorate together the dying love of Christ; preceded always by solemn self-examination.
Matthew 3:6; 3:16; 28:19-20; John 3:23; Acts 2:41-42; 8:36-39; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians 11:23-28; Colossians 2:12
Of The Resurrection And Return Of Christ And Related Events
We believe that Christ rose bodily "The third day according to the Scriptures"; that He ascended "to the right hand of the throne of God"; that He alone is our "merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God"; "that this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven," bodily, personally, and visibly; that the "dead in Christ shall rise first"; that the living saints "shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump"; "that the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David"; and that "Christ shall reign in righteousness until He hath put all enemies under His feet."
Psalm 72:8; Isaiah 11:4-5; Matthew 24:27,42; Matthew 28:6-7; Mark 16:6,19; Luke 1:32; Luke 24:2,4-6,39,51; John 14:3; John 20:27; Acts 1:9,11; 1 Corinthians 15:4; Philippians 4:20; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 2:17; 5:9; 8:1; 9:28; 12:2
Of Missions and Evangelism
The command to give the gospel to the world is clear and unmistakable and this Commission was given to the churches. We believe that it is the responsibility and privilege of every Christian to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ and to seek to make growing disciples. We believe that the church must offer a �cup of water� in Christ�s name to those in need.
Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15, John 20:21, Acts 1:8, Romans 10:13-15
Of The Grace Of Giving
Scriptural giving is one of the fundamentals of the Faith. A �steward� is one who manages that property or financial affairs of another. Stewardship refers to the responsibility each of us has to manage our resources in a manner consistent with God�s will and purposes. The Bible teaches that every one of us is viewed by God as �stewards� over the resources which He has entrusted to us (1 Corinthians 4:1). This applies to our time, energy, money and other material assets. Everything we own does not actually belong to us but to God (Psalm 24:1, 2 Chronicles 29:10-13). As stewards we are responsible to use and invest our resources wisely, for the sake of His kingdom (Luke 16:1-3; 2 Corinthians 8:7; 9:1-15; 1 Corinthians 16:2; Acts 4:34-35).
Of The Home
In addition to these important beliefs, we also teach that God has given the parents in the home the responsibility to bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4; Proverbs 22:6). We believe that a consistent and whole education will occur when home, church, and school work closely together and are in agreement on the basic concepts of life.
"Because marriage has been established by God as an indissoluble union, and since it is an early copy of the relationship between god and His people, it is to be kept inviolate. However, because of the fallenness of human nature, the Scriptures permit divorce in the following cases as condescension to human frailty for the protection of the innocent party:
1) Divorce for the cause of immorality�with the understanding the obligation to maintain or reinstate the marriage may not be imposed upon the innocent spouse.
2) Divorce for desertion�desertion being defined as behavior equivalent to the abandonment of the marriage relationship.
In such cases, the offending party becomes subject to church discipline in order to bring about repentance and reconciliation. Should efforts to achieve restoration fail, the innocent spouse is not bound. He or she is free to remarry in the Lord.
The remarriage of believers may not be approved when:
1. Divorce is being used as a vehicle to seek a different mate, since such pre-intent makes the divorce adulterous.
2. There is no evidence of repentance and brokenness over the circumstances that cause the divorce.
3. Restoration of the original marriage remains a viable option.
Each case of divorce or remarriage has to be dealt with on an individual basis from the perspective of God�s inexhaustible capacity to forgive human sin and to restore broken lives. " Matthew 5:31; Luke 16:18 ; Matthew 19:1-12; Mark 10:1-12 (cross reference Deut. 24:1-4) ; Romans 7:1-3 ; 1 Corinthians 7 (Exerpt from: http://www.soulpatrol.org/faith.html#divorce)
