Equipping a Church in Transition

We believe the Scriptures to be the inspired and inerrant Word of God. They are revelation from God to man, the infallible rule of faith and conduct. [II Tim. 3:16; I Peter 2:2.]

We believe in one God, eternal and self existent, self-revealed and manifested to man as Father, Son and Holy Ghost. [Deut. 6:4; Mark 12:29; Isa. 43:10-11; Matt. 28:19.] We believe that Jesus Christ is true God and true man, having been conceived of the Holy Ghost and born of the virgin, Mary. [John 1:1,14; Mat. 1:18; Luke 1:26-27; Luke 2:7; I Tim. 2:5.] We believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross and shed his blood as a sacrifice for our sins;

He arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Majesty on High. [I Pet. 2:24; Heb. 9:11-14; I Cor. 15:3-8; Acts 2:32-36; Heb. 10:12.] We believe in the personal, literal second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ to judge both the quick and the dead. [I Thess. 4:16; Heb 9:27; I Cor. 15:51-52; Rev. 20:11-15; Acts 24:15.] We believe in the ministry of the Holy Spirit to glorify Christ, to convict men of sin, righteousness and judgment and to empower the believer. [John 15:26; John 16:8, 14; Acts 1:8.]

We believe that man was created in the image of God, but fell into sin. [Gen. 1:26-31; Gen. 3:1-7; Rom. 5:12-21.] We believe that man can be justified only by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. [Eph. 4:11-12; Rom. 3:24-28.] We believe that believer's water baptism identifies us with the death and burial of Christ, and that we should arise to walk in newness of life. [Rom. 6:3-9; I Pet. 3:21.] We believe in the bodily resurrection of all the dead. [Acts 24:15; I Cor. 15:35-44; Rev. 20:11-15.] We believe in everlasting blessedness for the believer, with judgment and everlasting punishment for the unbeliever. [Mat. 7:21-23; Rev. 20:11-15; John 5:29.]

We believe that the true Church is composed of such persons who, through saving faith in Jesus Christ, have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit. [I Pet. 2:4-5; Eph. 2:19-22.] We believe that Christ wants the members of His Church to carry the Gospel into all the world. [Mat. 28:18-20; Acts 1:8.] We believe that the Church of Jesus Christ is God’s instrument to establish and extend God’s Kingdom until the literal coming of Christ to reign over all the earth. [Rev. 11:15.] We believe in the autonomy of each local church and that itinerant ministries should be based out of and related to a local church with accoun­tability to a senior minister. [Acts 13:1; Acts 15.] We believe that the church is the Body of Christ expressed as the church individual, the church local and the church universal and invisible. As such we believe the church to be more than just a building or a gathering of people. It is a body living in relationship and harmony under direction of the head, Jesus Christ. [I Cor. 6:15; II Cor. 1:1; Rom. 16:5; I Pet. 2:4-5; Eph. 2:19-22; I Cor. 12:12-31; Rom. 12:4-5; Eph. 4:11-16.] We believe that in all matters concerning the Body of Christ, in its direction, discipline, ministry and functioning that specific guidance and instruction, revelation and discernment of truth from falsehood, is available by the leading of the Holy Spirit who enables us to know spiritual things by the Spirit. [Acts 13:1-3; I Tim. 1:18; Rom. 8:14; I Tim. 5:22; John 16:13-15; I Cor. 5:3.]

We believe that the Holy Spirit is at work today within the Church through His gifts, fruits and anointed believers. [Acts 2:39; Rom. 12:6-8; I Cor. 12:1-11; Gal. 5:22-23; Eph. 4:11; I Cor. 12:28.] We believe that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are given to every believer and need to be activated and exercised to fulfill their divine pur­pose of blessing the Body of Christ. [Acts 2:39; II Tim. 1:6.] We believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit wherein the Spirit is sent to gift each believer with their own private prayer/praise language used to edify themselves, and that such a baptism empowers the believer to be effective for Christ. [Acts 1:8; Acts 2:39; I Cor. 14:2; Jude 20; I Cor. 14:18; Acts 19:1-6.] We believe in divine healing of the body as part of the atoning work of Jesus Christ. This healing can be received and also ministered to others by various gifts [I Cor. 12:8-10; Mat. 8:16-17; I Pet. 2:24.]

We believe in the full function of the five-fold ministry which was given to perfect and equip the saints so they can enter into the work of their ministry, thereby edifying the whole Body of Christ. [Eph. 4:11-16; I Cor. 12:28.] We believe in the present day ministries of the apostles and prophets, which Christ has set in the Church as foundational and revelational ministries. We believe these two ministries will be restored to function in full power and authority, working together with the teachers, evangelists, pastors and the church universal before the literal second coming of Christ. [Eph. 2:20; Acts 3:21.] 

Repentance is a gift from God. Repentance is dependant upon the convicting action of the Holy Spirit in the lives of sinners and believers. The conviction of the Holy Spirit, which often accompanies the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, will result in the revelation of the sinfulness of self which should lead to Godly sorrow. Remorse, or worldly sorrow, is a feeling of deep regret, hopelessness or even despair. It does not lead to constructive change. On the other hand Godly sorrow, which may at times be mistaken for worldly sorrow, produces repentance which causes us to turn away from sin and selfishness and to receive faith for change. Worldly sorrow is destructive but repentance is life giving. Repentance changes the way we feel and act about sin, self and God. Repentance is a total change of heart, mind, attitude, emotions, will, action and lifestyle flowing form the turmoil and sorrow of Holy Spirit conviction of sin. [II Cor. 7:10; Psalms 51; Acts 11:18; II Tim. 2:25; Gen. 6:3; Rom. 1:18-32; Mat. 9:12-13.]

We believe that God speaks today. We believe that hearing from God, both individually as members and corporately as a church and association of churches, through prophecy or any other biblical means chosen by God to communicate, is essential to our faith and walk with God. Prophecy and prophetic utterance is only one method of discerning God’s will and direc­tion and it is recognized that none of the methods or channels of prophecy will always be 100 percent accurate and actions should not be taken on the basis of prophetic words alone without other confirmation. We believe that a prophetic presbytery serves the purpose in the Body of Christ in activating, establishing, releasing, commissioning, and ordaining gifts to their office, function, and place of relationship and/or leadership. [I Cor. 14:3, Eph. 4:11; Eph. 2:20; I Tim. 4:14; Acts 13:1-3; Titus 1:5; Rom. 12:6; I Pet. 4:10; I Cor. 14:39; I Cor. 14:1; I Thess. 5:19-21; I Tim. 5:22; II Tim. 1:6.]

We believe in two primary new testament ordinances: Baptism by immersion and The Lord’s Supper. However, we do not believe that the administration of such ordinances is limited to ordained or licensed ministers. We believe in the priesthood of believers.

Ordination and licensing is a separation and recognition of a specific gifting of God. We believe that God calls men & women into specific ministries as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. God calls. Man can only recognize the call and acknowledge it. Ordination is on the basis of that recognition of God’s gifting. Men & women called to a specific office by God and ordained or licensed by the church have the right to participate in the traditional sacramental and ordinal functions of the church such as marriage, funerals, baptisms, and the like. They shall also be expected to function in the spiritual giftings of their office and to demonstrate the reality of their calling. We reject the efficacy of ritual and the concept of a separate priestly class. We recognize the priesthood of believers and the serving ministry of the apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher with government by elders. As such, we recognize that those called to those offices will function in a manner to lead by example in prayer, worship, teaching, laying on of hands, and prophesying.

We believe that the scriptures clearly define that members of a congregation can seek out advice, consultation, direction, purpose, resolution, and guidance from among the shepherds, elders, mature men and women, and Five-Fold Ministry Gifts within the Body of Christ. [I Kings 1:12; Prov. 27:9; Prov. 11:14; Ps. 55:13-14.] We further believe that consultation and instruction is applicable by the scriptures through sessions, a company of persons in close deliberation set together, to lay a foundation, set in place and give wise counsel. This also provides safety, defense, rescue and freedom from trouble. [Ps. 55:13-14; Prov. 1:11-14; Prov. 12:15.] The personal care of the saints is the sanctification of the whole person, body, soul and spirit, [I Thess. 3:13; 5:23.] through the love that flows from faith, patience and hope, and the redemptive power of the Cross of Christ, [Rom. 3:25; Luke 9:23.] The atoning blood of Jesus, [Eph. 2:13-16; I Peter 1:18-19.] The transformation of the soul through the word of God, [Rom. 12:1-2.] the denying of the old nature, [Gal. 2:20, 5:24; I Peter 1:13-15.] salvation through grace not works, [Eph. 2:1-8.] and the promise of the resurrection, [John 3:16, 10:25-26.] are the effective working mechanisms that characterize pastoral care ministry. Such ministry is foundational to the practice of our faith.

The need for deliverance is manifested by an inability to be free from a bondage: e.g., mental (emotional), physical or spiritual normally associated with demon activity and also related to past traumatic events in a person's life.  It is God’s desire to bring deliverance and freedom to his people. {Job 5:19, Psalms 91:3, II Timothy 4:13; Hebrews 2:15; II Peter 2:9). We have been granted the authority in the name of Jesus to bring deliverance to others. (Mark 16:17, John 14:12; I Cor. 12:8-11). We must understand that our warfare is with the forces of evil (Eph. 6:12), our weapon is the word of God, our authority and power is from Jesus himself (Mark 16:17, Acts 1:8) and that the battlefield is first of all in the spiritual realms. (Eph. 6:10-18, II Cor. 10:3-5, Rom. 8:9, Gal. 5:22-23).