Doctrinal Statement
Scripture
We believe that the Bible, both the 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament is inspired by God, though written by men. These men wrote as led by the Holy Spirit. In addition to be inspired we believe the Holy Bible to be without error and the ultimate authority in all situations.
Trinity
We believe in one God who exists in three distinct persons: God the Father; God the Son; and God the Holy Spirit. These three are one each with an express function. Together they comprise the Godhead.
God the Father
God is the Creator and sustainer of all that is seen and unseen. While God may be Fatherly in His attitude toward all men; He is Father only to those who have placed their trust in Christ as their personal Savior. As Father, He is all powerful, all knowing, and ever present.
Jesus Christ
We believe Jesus is the second person of the Trinity. He is very God and as such has always existed. He was and is the Son of God. He was born of the Virgin Mary by a miracle of the Holy Spirit. He lived a sinless life; was
crucified on Calvary; died and buried in a tomb; and arose the third day. He is Savior of the world and will return one day to claim His rightful place as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. He is equal deity with both God the Father and Jesus the Son. He is the agent by which Scripture was inspired. He dwells within all born-again believers in Christ and serves to convict them of sin, set them apart for service, and leads them to conform to the image of Christ as Lord.
Humankind
We believe that humankind is the crown of God’s creation in that we are the only part created in His image. This means we have a soul that is redeemable. In the beginning humankind was without sin and innocent. But by freewill humankind choose to transgress the command of God and fell from his state of innocence. The fall of humankind introduced sin into the world and now all humankind is affected by sin. On our own we cannot do anything to improve our moral state. Only the grace of God can bring humankind back into a proper relationship with the God the Father. This grace is demonstrated to us and imparted to us by Christ Jesus and His work on the cross.
Salvation
We believe that the salvation of man is reliant totally upon the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Only by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ Jesus alone may people be saved from their sins, brought into the family of God, and receive assurance of heaven. Salvation cannot be earned nor is it deserved. It is a free gift from God the Father in that we are not cast away forever but experience God’s favor thru a relationship with Jesus.
Eternal Security
We believe that once a person is born again in Christ Jesus, their salvation cannot be lost. We believe that once a relationship with the Heavenly Father has been established, that relationship will never end. A believer may sin (intentionally or inadvertently), but that sin only breaks fellowship. Our salvation is based solely on the work of Christ on the cross. Man does not save himself, nor does he keep himself. It is a work of the Holy Spirit.
The Church
We believe that the church is both universal (believers throughout the world) and local (believers saved and united as a local body). It is God’s instrument for ministry as well as Christ’s future bride. The church is a self-governing body of believers, saved, baptized, and under the Lordship of Christ and the Scriptures, with a pastor as the under shepherd. Its mission is to evangelize the lost, equip the saints, and extend aid to those within the community and beyond.
The Family
We believe that the family is the first and foundational institution in society. A family may be composed of persons related by marriage, blood, or adoption. We believe holy matrimony is the uniting of one man and one woman in a lifetime covenant. Marriage is one way in which God the Father reveals the union between Christ and the church. Because marriage is from God and portrays a believer’s relationship with Christ any other form of cohabitation is unacceptable and viewed as ungodly.
The husband and wife are both created in the image of God and therefore have value. The role of the husband is to love and lead his family and the role of the wife is to help and honor the husband as the leader of the family. Both wife and husband are to submit to Christ and to each other in the union of marriage so that they might enjoy the full blessing of God.
Children are a part of the blessing from God. Parents are to demonstrate a Godly marriage to their children. Parents should teach their children spiritual truths and Godly values from the Bible. Children are to honor and obey their parents. The main goal of parents should be to raise their children to know, love and serve the Lord Jesus Christ.
Baptism
We believe that baptism is one of only two ordinances given to be administered by the local church. It is a symbol of and a testimony to the work of Christ in the life of a born-again believer. We baptize because Jesus modeled it (Mark 1:9-11); Because Jesus commanded it (Mt. 28:18-20); and because the early church practiced it (Acts 2:40-41). We believe baptism is by immersion because it is the most accurate representation of Christ’s death burial and resurrection and the believer’s death to the world and resurrection to new life in Christ. We believe baptism does not confer salvation to a person nor does it wash the sins of that person away. It is simply an outward expression of an inward reality.
Evangelism & Missions
We believe that evangelism is the duty and mission of every believer. It is the manner in which the Gospel of Christ is taken to a lost and dying world. It tells of the love of Jesus for mankind and the power of Jesus to transform all those who believe and receive Christ as Savior. We believe evangelism is most effectively conducted by sharing a personal testimony of what Christ has done for you, by exhibiting a consistent biblical lifestyle, and by expressing acts of love and compassion to those in need. Our efforts to evangelize are comprised of financial support of missionaries in Virginia, the U.S., and throughout the world, and through local church outreach and ministry performed in Henry County.
For a further explanation of our beliefs please see The Baptist Faith and Message of 2000.
