We believe the Church to be a called out and gathered people in covenant with their God; a people, chosen before the foundation of the world by God the Father, a people, redeemed by God through the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ, and a people enlightened, sealed, lead, and empowered by the Holy Spirit. The Church is a people called to serve Him and carry out His will in the earth.
God gathers His people into local congregations where they can practically carry out their service to Him. This service can be seen in the context of three relationships:
• To come together to corporately worship God.
• To work to build the body itself to conform to the image of Christ.
• To preach the gospel of Christ’s Kingdom to the world.
2. We believe that the Lord will lead His people in the carrying out of His purposes through a body of elders. This body of elders is chosen thru the recognition of the qualifications set forth in the scriptures. This is the recognition of the work of God already occurring in their lives. The leadership of the elders is to be characterized by loving service, faithful to God and His people. The setting apart of men to lead the church is a commissioning by God. The elders are therefore accountable to God for their leadership in accord with His will.
3. We encourage relationships with sister churches as well as with itinerate ministers for mutual edification and counsel. We are a member of the Covenant Presbyterian Church.
4. We believe that God deals with man in the context of covenant. Therefore we believe that the family is the foundational structure in God’s order, not the individual. We will therefore strive to build up the families within the church. We will as God leads, teach and provide training for the family unit. We will also in our life together as God’s people, honor the family structure by honoring the father as the head of his household and address the family through him. We will endeavor, in the context of our meetings, to provide an order that will work together with the family order.
5. Just as we have recognized the jurisdiction and ministry of the church and family, we also recognize the jurisdiction of the civil government and their role as ministers of Christ and His Kingdom. We will strive to maintain the proper separation of church government from civil government while encouraging the participation of Christians in the “city gates”. We will also exercise our God given role as a light bearer to all jurisdictions, for indeed Christ’s reign is over all.
6. That which might be characterized as distinctives of our church, as regards the current condition of the church in America at the turn of the 21st century are as follows:
• Reformed Theology – An orientation toward the scriptures, which is expressed in the theology of the protestant reformation. As previously mentioned we have adopted the Westminster Confession of Faith 1646.
• Calvinistic Soteriology – As pertaining to our salvation, it is a complete work of God and we have only Him to thank. There is nothing in it in which man may boast.
• Presbyterian Ecclesiology
• Postmillennial Eschatology – An optimistic biblical view of the course of history. Christ is living and reigning from His throne at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. His Kingdom is being advanced through the work of the Holy Spirit and the church, lead and empowered by the Holy Spirit, to fill the earth with the knowledge of God. We live in a day in which Christ’s enemies are being made His footstool.
• Covenantal Sacramentology – An orientation toward the scriptures, which views the dealings of God with man in the context of covenant relationship. Therefore we see the sacraments in the context of covenant and practice paedobaptism and paedocommunion.
• Theocratic Sociology – An understanding that the law of God has something to say about all of life and therefore regulates our culture. Music and the arts; law and civil government; family, courtship and marriage, all are under the purview of His Word.
• Presuppositional Apologetics – As we defend the faith, we presuppose the existence of God and hold to the truths revealed to man supernaturally by God in His word. We do not acknowledge any neutral place from which man may reason apart from God. All that exists can only be understood in the context of God’s revelation.
7. A commitment to this local body of Christians requires first that a person make a confession, recognizing Jesus Christ as their living and reigning Lord and Savior, and to be baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Required secondly, is a commitment to walk in obedience to the Lord with this body of believers. This commitment recognizes the leadership of this local church as God’s appointed authorities, and a subsequent commitment of submission to the elders should be expressed. This commitment presents to members both the privileges and responsibilities incumbent with participation in the Body of Christ within a local congregation. The privileges would include participation in a caring community of believers, regular times of worship around the Lord’s Table, oversight of a body of elders, discipline and counsel. Those who make a commitment to this local body are to be responsible in exercising their God given gifts in the areas of worship, edification and ministry. In the context of worship, we expect our fathers to be leading their families in regular times of worship in their homes. Each family should come prepared in spirit and mind to participate in our times of corporate worship. In the area of edification, each member is called to care for one another spiritually as well as physically. This “other centeredness” will help us to be a people characterized by love for the Lord as well as one another, a bride without spot or wrinkle. Each family is encouraged to minister to the church and the world around us as the Lord leads. As the Lord brings ministry opportunities for us, both individually and corporately, the body is able to confirm as well as support each opportunity with the use of our gifts, financially and otherwise. By God’s grace we will advance the Gospel of the Kingdom of Christ.