What We Believe

We have been asked many times concerning the doctrine and beliefs of our Church. Of course the simplest statement of faith that we could make is the following: "We believe the whole Bible from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21."

However, we believe that it would be good to set forth some of the things which are most surely believed among us. The following statements are not made in an effort to establish a new set of articles of faith, but rather to make plain some of the things that we believe.

There are five words that fairly set forth what we believe. Those five words are: Baptist, Fundamental, Premillennial, Missionary, and Independent.

We Are Baptist

By this we mean that we hold to the historic beliefs and practices that have prevailed among Baptists from the time of Jesus. In every period of time, since Christ established His church during His earthly ministry, there have been churches who were Baptist in faith and practice. They did not always wear the name Baptist, but they believed and practiced Baptist doctrine, which is none other than Bible doctrine.

Baptists did not come out of the Reformation under Martin Luther, for they were never a part of the Catholic Church. In fact Baptists were on the scene long before the Catholic Church ever came into existence. For those who are interested in studying more on this subject we highly recommend “The Trail Of Blood” by J. M. Carroll.

We do not believe in a so-called "Universal Invisible Church." We believe that Jesus established a local, visible New Testament church, and we are sure that this is the only kind of true church existing on the earth today. The Bride of Christ, of course, which is the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, will be assembled at the rapture. The local church is to be a picture of His bride, the church. Each time the local church assembles, the rapture is pictured and the actual rapture of His bride, the church, will be composed of all believers from Adam to the rapture.

We Are Fundamental

By this we mean, that we accept the so-called fundamentals of the faith as opposed to modern and ever changing ideas that deny the fundamentals of the faith. We believe in the verbal inspiration of the Scriptures, the Genesis account of creation, the Virgin Birth of Christ, His sinless life, His blood atonement, His glorious bodily resurrection, His ascension, and His second coming. We reject all books and writings, claiming to be God’s Word and divinely inspired, outside the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments and believe God’s Word to be divinely preserved in the Authorized Version, commonly called the King James Bible.

When we say that we are fundamental, we do not mean that this is all that we believe, because we do believe every doctrine and truth in the Word of God without any reservation. No church or Christian has any right to single out any doctrine of the Word of God and say that it is non-essential because All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. If any of it were non-essential, then God would not have wasted the space by putting it in the Bible.

We Are Premillennial

We believe that Jesus Christ is coming back before His Millennial Kingdom is established. Under the government of man, the world is growing worse and worse morally. This is a fulfillment of the Scriptures that says, But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived."(II Timothy 3:13).

When Christ shall come in the air, the dead in Christ (those who died believing all the way back to Adam) shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain (the living Christians) shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (I Thessalonians 4:16-17).

Then the Anti-Christ will be manifested here upon the earth and the seven years of the Tribulation Period shall begin. At the end of the seven years of Tribulation, the Lord will return with His saints and utterly defeat the armies of the Anti-Christ. Satan will be bound and cast into the bottomless pit, and then the Lord will establish his kingdom here on earth and reign for a thousand years. (See Revelation 19-21).

We Are Missionary

Every true New Testament Baptist Church should be missionary minded. Jesus gave the command to His Church in Matt. 28:18-20, that they were to teach all nations.

He also said, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15). He also said, ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth (Acts 1:8).

If people are to be saved, they must hear the Word of God.

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!... So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:13-15,17). To be obedient to Christ, we must send missionaries to those who have not heard, while we perform the missionary duties on the home front.

We support sound Bible believing missionaries directly. Instead of sending the money to some denominational headquarters where 80% or 90% of it is used up in administration costs, we send it direct to the missionary, through their home church or through one of the fine church sponsored Independent Mission Boards. This way, the missionary gets 100% of the money and not just 10% or 20%.

We Are Independent

We are not independent to do as we please, but we are independent and unaffiliated, in order that we might do as God pleases. This makes us indigenous and autonomous. That is self-supporting and governing. God forbid that we should ever want to be independent from Him. We are not affiliated with, nor do we belong to any association or convention. Jesus established the local New Testament Church as an indigenous and autonomous body answerable only to Him and His Word. We do not believe that He established any convention or association to rule over a church or group of like-minded churches.

It is our contention that a New Testament church cannot, Scripturally, join any other group or become affiliated with any outside secular, religious or para-church organizations. We wholeheartedly support cooperative efforts among like-minded churches, but are adamantly against joining any cooperative program that gives another church, group, or individual authority over any other local New Testament Church.

Churches may work together in the work of Christ, but should beware of entangling alliances that bring them under the domination of boards and/or denominational secretaries. Conventions, associations, and other similar denominational organizations are usually started by men of good faith. However, they enter into such organizations without one verse of Scriptural authority. Eventually, these extra-Scriptural organizations become the citadels of compromise and doctrinal laxness, with an insatiable desire to dominate and rule over the churches.

During the period of time covered in the Book of Acts the greatest evangelistic missionary effort in the history of Christianity may be seen. In those days travel was slow. Radio, television, and even the printing press were unheard of, yet the gospel spread like a wind-driven fire. In no other period of Church history was so much done by so few. In 30 short years greater progress was made than in any other period of history, in establishing churches and carrying out the Great Commission. Yet, there was no convention, association, or para-church, denominational organization. The plan used in the Book of Acts worked, and it is working today among churches that are using it.

It is our desire to contend for the faith without being contentious. We can disagree without being disagreeable. We can stand for the faith without kicking others trying to do the same. We do rejoice when the gospel is preached and when souls are saved, even though we may not agree completely with the method used. Criticism of another’s method as being un-Biblical is only to point out and remind those of like faith that we ought to, as much as is humanly possible, do things God’s way.