Church Covenent

Having been led by the Spirit of God to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior and, on the profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we do now in the presence of God and this assembly most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another, as one body in Christ.

We engage, therefore, as the Holy Spirit directs us, to walk together in brotherly love; to exercise Christian care and watchfulness over one another; to participate in one another’s joys and sorrows; to be slow to take offense and always ready to make reconciliation; to encourage one another unto love and good works; and to forsake not the assembling of ourselves together.

We engage to strive for the advancement of our church in grace, knowledge, and holiness; to promote its prosperity and spirituality; to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace; to sustain its worship and doctrines; and to contribute cheerfully and liberally to the financial support of its ministries, giving special attention to the evangelism of the world and the care for the needy.

We further engage to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances; and to avail ourselves of the great privilege of prayer for one another and for all men.

Finally, we engage to walk circumspectly and watchfully in the world, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment; to refrain from gossip, backbiting, and excessive anger; to maintain a clear separation from all religious apostasy and all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices, and association; endeavoring by example and by word to bring souls to Jesus Christ, for whose glory and by whose power we live.

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Pastor Matt Hall

Pastor Matt Hall is originally from Huntington, WV. He came to know Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior at the age of 13. Soon after, he felt God’s calling to be in the ministry but did not immediately surrender. After finishing his undergraduate degree in Education at Marshall University, Matt surrendered to God’s calling and went to Mid America Baptist Theological Seminary to further prepare for ministry. He earned his Master of Divinity Degree, and then went on to earn his Doctor of Ministry Degree from Covington Theological Seminary. Matt is married to Kelly, and together they have six adult children and six grandchildren. As well as pastoring, Matt teaches at Grace Baptist Academy. Matt and Kelly enjoy spending time with their family and playing with their grandchildren. They both love serving in ministry together and look forward to a fruitful ministry at Living Word Fellowship.

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STATEMENT OF FAITH

Section 1. Doctrine of the Scriptures:

We believe that every word of the original autographs of the Scriptures was breathed out by God Himself; that by virtue of the superintendence and empowering of the Holy Spirit, the human writers of the Scriptures wrote not their private interpretations, but the very words of God, preserved from error of any kind on any subject whatsoever.

2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21; John 10:35

We believe that the Scriptures are, therefore, the unique, absolute, authoritative standard of faith and practice, to be studied, proclaimed, obeyed, and defended; that they are to be interpreted literally, historically, and grammatically unless the context clearly indicates otherwise; and that every portion is without exception profitable for doctrine and Christian growth.

Deuteronomy 6:6-9; Joshua 1:8; Psalm 19:7-11; John 17:17; Jude 3-4; Matthew 12:39-41; 2 Peter 1:16; John 6:35, 51, 58; 10:7; 15:1; 2 Timothy 3:16

We believe, therefore, that the denial of their inerrant authority contradicts the clear position of Christ and the apostles and, thus, undermines all facets of their doctrine as reliable for faith and practice; that the sixty-six books of the Bible constitute the complete and only authoritative revelation of God to man; and that anyone who adds to or takes away from this completed revelation is cursed of God.

1 Corinthians 14:37; 2 Peter 3:15-16: Revelation 22:18-19

Section 2. Doctrine of God:

A. Existence:

We believe in one unique and infinite God, the Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth, whose existence, clearly evident from what He has created and innately recognized by the conscience of man, has always been and shall always be.

Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 44:6; Isaiah 45:21-22; John 17:3; Psalm 104; Proverbs 12:1; Daniel 4:25, 35; Matthew 6:26-30; Romans 1:19-20; Genesis 21:33; Deuteronomy 33:27; 2 Peter 3:8; Psalm 90:2, 4

B. Nature:

We believe that God is a Spirit, and as such is an immaterial, invisible, living, and life-giving Person.

John 4:24; Luke 24:39; John 1:18; Romans 1:20; Colossians 1:1; 1 Timothy 1:17; 6:16; Psalm 84:2; Matthew 16:16; Psalm 36:9; John 5:26

C. Triunity:

We believe that God comprises three distinct Persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—coequal in every Divine perfection and fulfilling distinct, yet harmonious, functions within the Godhead.

Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Galatians 4:4; John 15:26; John 16:13-14

D. Transcendence:

We believe in the infinite and unlimited transcendence of God: in perfection—holiness and immutability; in knowledge—omniscience; in power—omnipotence; and in presence—omnipresence.

Exodus 15:11; Psalm 99:9; Isaiah 6:3; 1 Peter 1:15-16; Psalm 102:27; Malachi 3:6; James 1:17; Proverbs 15:3; Isaiah 46:10; Hebrew 4:13; Isaiah 40: Matthew 19:26; Luke 1:27; Ephesians 3:20; Job 42:2; Psalm 139

E. Immanence:

We believe in the immanence of God, as evidenced by His gracious love for and merciful interaction with the creation, notably with man, demonstrating His trustworthiness; righteousness; and goodness—love, benevolence, mercy, and grace.

Psalm 103; Psalm 100:5; John 17:3; 1 John 5:20; Romans 3:4; Psalm 100:5; John 17:3; 1 John 5:20; Romans 3:4; 2 Chronicles 12:6; Ezra 9:15; 2 Timothy 4:8; Revelation 6:4; 1 John 4:7-8; Psalm 145:9; Matthew 5:45; Acts 14:27; Ephesians 2:4; James 5:11; 1 Peter 1:3; Romans 5:21, 2 Corinthians 12:9; Titus 2:11

F. Creatorship:

We believe that God directly created out of nothing the universe and all that is in it, including mankind, as literally set down in Genesis 1-2; that all theories of evolution, secular or religious, not only defy observable natural law, but also deny the veracity of the Scriptures and undermine the rightful authority of God over His own creation.

Genesis 1:31; Isaiah 45:11-12, 18; John 1:3; Romans 5:12; Colossians 1:16; Revelation 4:11

G. Providence:

We believe that God providentially oversees the affairs of the universe, both spiritual and physical, sustaining and guiding it according to His predetermined purpose; that on occasion He has used literal miracles to bring about His will (notably in the days of Moses, Elijah, Elisha, and Christ and His apostles).

Nehemiah 9:6; Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3

Section 3. Doctrine of the Holy Spirit:

A. Deity:

We believe that the Holy Spirit is God, coequal with the Father and the Son, as demonstrated by His attributes, works, and association within the Trinity.

1 Corinthians 2:10; Psalm 139:7; Hebrews 9:14; Genesis 1:21; 2 Peter 1:21; Luke 1:35; John 16:8; John 3:5-6; Titus 3:5; Romans 8:26-27; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 4:30; Matthew 28:19

B. Work within the Godhead:

We believe that the Holy Spirit participated in the creation of the universe; that He empowered the writers of Scripture to pen the very breathed out words of God; that He bears witness to the truth; and that He testifies of Christ and brings honor to Him.

Genesis 1:2; 2 Peter 1:19-21; John 16:13-15; John 15:26

C. Work in relation to believers:

We believe that the Holy Spirit is the agent of the new birth; that He baptizes all true believers into the body of Christ, indwelling, sanctifying them, and thereby sealing them unto the day of full redemption; that He intercedes for and gives gifts to each believer, empowering, guiding, and teaching them; that the true test of His control is not how spiritually gifted a person is, nor what supernatural experience he or she enjoys, but that the person honors Christ as Lord, living in love toward the Church and in obedience to the Scriptures.

John 3:5-7; Titus 3:5; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Mark 1:8; 1 Corinthians 12:13; John 14:16-17; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19; Romans 8:16; 2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13; 4:30; Romans 8:12; Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:8-22; 1 Peter 4:10-11; Acts 4:31; Ephesians 5:18; Galatians 5:16, 25; Romans 8:15; 1 Corinthians 2:12-13; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11; 14:16-17, 26; Galatians 5:22-6:1

D. Work in relation to the world:

We believe that the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment; that He restrains the evil one in the world until God’s purpose is fulfilled.

Genesis 6:3; John 16:7-11; 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7

Section 4. Doctrine of Christ:

A. Person:

We believe that Jesus Christ is the unique, eternal Son of God, one Person consisting of two natures, human and Divine.

John 1:14, 18; 3:16, 18; Hebrews 11:17; 1 John 4:9

B. His Deity:

We believe that as God the Son, Jesus the Christ is completely God, Possessor of Divine attributes and Agent of Divine works, to be worshipped and honored as Jehovah God Himself.

(John 1:14, 18: 3:16-18; Hebrews 1:8; 1 John 5:20; John 1:3; Isaiah 42:5, 45:12; Philippians 2:10-11; Isaiah 45:21-23; Matthew 3:3; Isaiah 40:3; John 12:41; Isaiah 6:1; Hebrews 1:10-12; Psalm 102:25-27; Ephesians 4:7-8; Psalm 68:18; Genesis 3:15; Micah 5:2; Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 9:6

C. His Humanity:

We believe that by virtue of His incarnation and virgin birth, Jesus Christ is completely man—yet without sin—able to function as both our mediating Advocate and sustaining Comforter.

Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:35; John 1:14; Romans 8:34; Philippians 2:6-8; Hebrews 7:25; 9:24; 1 John 2:1

D. His Work:

We believe that according to the will of the Father, Jesus Christ took upon Himself human nature, laying aside the prerogatives of Deity; that He lived His earthly life without sin or sins, and voluntarily sacrificed Himself on the cross in bloody death once and for all on behalf of mankind, bearing the sins of the entire race in His own body; that in so doing He paid sin’s penalty and appeased the wrath of God (“sufficient for all; efficient for some”); that He rose again bodily from the grave to die no more and is exalted to the right hand of God to reign forever; that only in Him, by virtue of His exalted person and vicarious work, can man find salvation from sin and death.

Isaiah 53; Mark 10:45; John 10:11; Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 2:8-11; 1 Peter 3:18; 1 John 2:2; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Matthew 18; Mark 16:1-14; Luke 24: John 20; John 14:6; Acts 4:12

Section 5. Doctrine of Man:

A. Creation and Spiritual Condition:

We believe that man was created in the image of God and is, therefore, unique among all God’s creation; that in Adam man willfully sinned against God, thus forfeiting his original innocence and alienating the entire race from God and eternal life; that every man from Adam’s fall onward is a sinner by birth and by choice, utterly incapable apart from God of escaping his sinful condition or its rightful eternal punishment.

Genesis 1:26; 2:7; 3:1-19; 9:6; Ecclesiastes 7:20; Psalm 51:5; 58:3; Isaiah 64:6; Romans 3:10-23; 5:12, 17-19; 1 Corinthians 15:21-22; James 3:9

B. Civil Government:

We believe that God has ordained and created three basic institutions—the home, the church, and the state. Every believer is subject to the authorities representing the state, but all (including the authorities themselves) are answerable to God and governed by His Will. God has given each institution specific Biblical responsibilities and balanced those responsibilities with the understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the other. The home, the church, and the state are equal and sovereign in their respective Biblically assigned spheres of responsibility under God. We believe that we must obey the state unless it requires us to act contrary to our faith at which time we must obey God rather than the state.

Matthew 22:15-22; Acts 5:29; Romans 13:1-7; Ephesians 5:22-24; Titus 3:1, 2; Hebrew 13:17; 1 Peter 2:13, 14

C. Sexuality and Marriage:

We believe the physical condition in which a person is born, including his or her gender, is established by God; therefore, claims of innate sexual confusion or related attempts to alter one’s physical gender are abominations before God. We believe all forms of sexual immorality, including fornication, adultery and homosexuality, are contrary to the teachings of Scripture, and are therefore sinful and offensive to God. We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. We believe that declaring God’s Word and warning of the temporal and eternal consequences of sin, including sexual perversions, are acts of loving concern. God’s Word remains true, and its prohibitions, including those on sexual perversion and immorality, cannot be satisfied or amended by any human government authority.

Exodus 4:11; John 9:3; Deuteronomy 22:5; 2 Corinthians 6:9-20; Genesis 2:24; Leviticus 18:1-30; Romans 1:26-32; 1 Corinthians 5:1-2; 6:9; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8; Hebrews 13:4; 1 Corinthians 7:10; Ephesians 5:22-23; Mark 10:6-9

We believe that God established marriage, and, therefore, the term marriage has only one meaning sanctioned by God, which is a single, exclusive union joining one man and one woman. We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other, and that God has commanded that no sexual activity be engage in outside marriage.

Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-5

D. Family Relationships:

We believe that men and women are spiritually equal in position before God but that God has ordained distinct and separate spiritual functions for men and women in the home and the church. The husband is to be the leader of the home, and men are to be the elders and deacons of the church. Accordingly, only men are eligible for the church offices of elder and deacon.

Galatians 3:28; Colossians 3:18; 1 Timothy 2:8-15, 3:1-5, 12

E. Abortion:

We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that abortions due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the physical or mental well-being of the mother are acceptable.

Job 3:16; Psalm 51:5; 139:14-16; Isaiah 44:24, 49:1, 5; Jeremiah 1:5, 20:15-18; Luke 1:44

F. Divorce and Remarriage:

We believe that God hates divorce and intends marriage to last until one of the spouses dies. Divorce and remarriage is regarded as adultery except on the ground of immorality.

Malachi 2:14-17; Matthew 19:3-12; Romans 7:1-3

G. Euthanasia:

We believe that the direct taking of an innocent human life is a moral evil, regardless of the intention. Life is a gift of God and must be respected from conception until natural death. Thus we believe that an act or omission which, of itself or by intention, causes death in order to eliminate suffering constitutes a murder contrary to the will of God. Discontinuing medical procedures that are extraordinary or disproportionate to the expected outcome can be a legitimate refusal of over-zealous treatment.

Exodus 20:13, 23:7; Matthew 5:21

H. Lawsuits Between Believers:

We believe that believers are prohibited from bringing civil lawsuits against other believers or the church to resolve personal disputes. We believe the church possesses all the resources necessary to resolve personal disputes between members. We do believe, however, that a believer may seek compensation for injuries from another believer’s insurance company as long as the claim is pursued without malice or slander.

1 Corinthians 6:1-8; Ephesians 4:31, 32; Matthew 18:15-17

Section 6. Doctrine of Angels:

A. General characteristics:

We believe that angels are spirit beings, created by God to serve as His ministers; that although some rebelled against God and, thus, are forever wicked and doomed, they all were created sinless and pure; that their ministries and ranks differ, but they are not to be worshipped; that their strength, appearance, and travel are beyond human capabilities; that they are immortal and do not marry; and that their proper abode is in heaven.

Job 38:4, 7; Hebrews 1:14; Psalm 104:4; Jude 6; Genesis 1:31; Revelation 19:10; 2 Peter 2:11; 2 Thessalonians 1:7; Luke 20:36; Matthew 22:30; Mark 12:25

B. Good angels:

We believe that the good angels (those that kept their first estate) are the spirit ministers of God, and as such, they proclaimed the birth of Jesus Christ and His resurrection, as well as protecting and strengthening Him; they take interest in Christians’ prayer and worship and give aid in danger and death; and they also execute God’s providence toward and judgment on the nations.

Luke 1:26-33; 2:13; Matthew 28:2, 6; Matthew 2:13; 4:11; 26:53; Luke 22:43; Hebrews 1:14; 1 Corinthians 4:9; 1 Timothy 5:21; Luke 15:10; Acts 12:7; Luke 16:22; Genesis 19:13; Daniel 10:21; Matthew 13:39; Acts 12:23; Revelation 8, 9, 16; 14:6-7

C. Fallen angels:

We believe in one literal, personal Devil, once a holy angel with God, who led the angelic rebellion against God; that the Devil is the accuser of the brethren, the destroyer of men’s souls, the god of this world, whose network of demons (fallen angels) carry out his battle against God and man; that just as he cannot exceed the prescribed limits of God on his activity, so he also will not ultimately succeed, but will be rendered inactive for the thousand years of the future Millennium and then, subsequent to one final rebellion against Christ, be cast into the lake of fire in eternal torment.

Isaiah 14:12-14; Ezekiel 28:12-19; Luke 10:18; John 8:44; Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13; Job 1, 2; Revelation 12:9-10; 1 Thessalonians 2:18; 2 Corinthians 4:4; 11:14-15; 1 Peter 5:8; Matthew 25:41; 1 John 3:8; Revelation 20:1-10

We believe that when Satan rebelled against God, a great number of angles followed in his sin; that they are confirmed in unrighteousness, some chained in darkness awaiting their final judgment and others free to aid Satan in his efforts to thwart the purposes of God, inflicting disease and pain, possessing humans and animals, opposing God’s children, promoting immorality, and spreading false doctrine; that they are, nonetheless, under the sovereign control of God, who can use them to carry out His own purpose and that their doom in the lake of fire is sure.

Daniel 10:10-14; Revelation 16:13-16; Ephesians 6:11-12; Matthew 9:33; 10:22; Acts 8:7; Mark 5:8-14; 1 Timothy 4:1-3; 1 Samuel 16:14; 2 Corinthians 12:7; Matthew 8:29; 25:41

Section 7. Doctrine of Salvation:

We believe that the salvation of sinners is a gift only by the grace of God, that it is received by turning from sin unto God through personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work.

John 1:12; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; Hebrews 9:24-25, 10:19, 12:24; 1 Peter 1:18-19; Revelation 1:5

A. Regeneration:

We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be born again by the Spirit of God; that the new birth makes one that is dead in trespasses and sins a partaker of the divine nature and of eternal life, the gift of God; that its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance and newness of life.

John 3:1-8, 33; Romans 6:23; 2 Corinthians 5:19; Galatians 5:22-25; Ephesians 2:1-9; Colossians 2:13; Titus 3:5; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:3

B. Justification:

We believe that justification is the judicial act of God whereby He declares one to be righteous, thereby pardoning his sin and imputing to his account Christ’s righteousness.

Acts 13:39; 2 Corinthians 5:18-25; Romans 5:1, 8-11: Ephesians 1:7

C. Sanctification:

We believe that sanctification is an act and a process by which God sets apart all believers from sin and the world unto Himself, thus conforming them to the image of Jesus Christ, which transformation shall be made complete at the return of Christ for His saints.

Romans 8:29; 1 Corinthians 1:2; Hebrews 10:14; Ephesians 1:3-4; 4:11-13; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; Philippians 1:6; 3:21; 1 John 3:2: Jude 24

D. Election:

We believe that God ordained before the foundation of the world those who will be saved; that this election in no way negates the responsibility of sinners to repent from sin and turn to God nor that of saints to proclaim the gospel of Christ to every person.

John 6:37, 44, 65; Acts 13:38; Romans 9:11, 15-16; 10:8-17; Ephesians 1:4, 11; Revelation 22:17

E. Perseverance:

We believe that all true believers will never totally or finally fall from grace; that their perseverance is, in itself, evidence of the reality of their profession; that they are kept by the power of God through faith unto eternal and complete salvation.

John 10:27-28; Romans 8:28-39; Ephesians 4:30: Philippians 1:6; 2 Timothy 1:12

F. Glorification:

We believe that when Christ comes for His Church, all believers will be transformed in a moment into His likeness, their bodies made immortal and incorruptible.

Romans 8:30; 1 Corinthians 15:51-54; 1 John 3:2

Section 8. Doctrine of the Church:

A. The Church universal:

We believe that the true Church, founded by the risen Christ at Pentecost, consists of all who have put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior; that the true universal Church shall never die out, although local assemblies may; that it constitutes the body of Christ; that the Church is, at this current time of God’s dealings with man, the vehicle of the kingdom of God, as was theocracy of Israel in Old Testament times; that just as national Israel was a mixed multitude, so the professing Church include hypocrites alongside of the true born-again believers; that those who apostatize—although they may have enjoyed spiritual benefits—reveal that they were not truly regenerate.

Matthew 16:18; Acts 20:28; 1 Corinthians 10:1-12; Ephesians 1:20-23; 3:3-11, 21; 5:23-32; Colossians 1:18, 24; Hebrews 6:4-8; 1 John 2:19; Revelation 2:14-15, 20, 24

B. The local church:

We believe that the local church is a local representative body of the Church universal; that it is a body of believers that meet together to worship God, to receive instruction, to observe the Christian ordinances, and to render whatever service the gospel requires; and that the local church is autonomous, directly responsible to Christ, the Church’s head.

Acts 2:38; 41-47; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34; Ephesians 1:1-2; 4:11-16

We believe that local churches, while maintaining their autonomy, should fellowship and work together with true churches obedient to the Scriptures as needs and opportunities arise.

Acts 11:22; 2 Corinthians 8, 9; 3 John 10; 1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 12).

C. Separation:

We believe the Scriptures demand of the Church, corporately and individually, separation from this world’s unrighteous system, repudiation of those who teach false doctrine and who spread discord among the brethren, and corrective disassociation from professing brethren who are flagrantly disobedient; that the carrying out of these Scriptural directives is fundamental to the spiritual integrity and survival of the local church and of the individual believer; and that those professing Christian groups or individual that refuse to obey these commands are erring brethren and should be treated as such.

1 John 2:15-17; Ephesians 5:11; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Matthew 7:15-20; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15; Acts 20:28-30; Galatians 1:8-9; 2 Peter 2:1-3; 2 John 9-11; 1 Timothy 1:3-7; 1 Timothy 6:3-5; Deuteronomy 13:1-3; Romans 16:17; 1 Corinthians 5: 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 14-15; 1 Timothy 1:20

D. Ordinances:

We believe that the New Testament enjoins two ordinances and only two: baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

We believe that water baptism by immersion constitutes the public declaration of the believer’s union with Christ; that it symbolizes the believer’s cleansing from sin through identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection, which identification is accomplished by the spiritual baptism of the Holy Spirit, who incorporates the believer into the true spiritual Church; and that its spiritual meaning requires prior regeneration and conversion of the one being baptized.

Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:38, 41; Romans 6:3; 1 Corinthians 1:13, 15

We believe that the Lord’s Supper, pictures the believer’s communion with Christ, the bread and cup symbolizing Christ’s body and blood sacrificed on our behalf to deliver us from sin and death. It is to be observed in remembrance of Christ, looking forward to the day of His return; and that it is open to all true believers in right standing with God.

Matthew 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:17-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-34

E. Officers:

We believe that since the end of the time of the Apostles, the human officers of the Church function at a local level only, consisting of a plurality of elders, tending to the spiritual needs of the local body, and deacons as ministers to the needs of the church that do not require the direct involvement of the elders.

1 Timothy 3, 4:14, 5:17; Titus 1; Acts 6:1-6.; Romans 12:8; James 4:14-16; 1 Peter 5:3; Philippians 1:1; Acts 6

We believe that the Scriptures clearly demand high spiritual standards of the church officers and that each may exercise gifts associated with the other, within the framework of proper authority.

1 Timothy 3; Titus 1: Acts 6, 8 We believe that the Scriptures leave some room for differences of polity among local churches according to the specific needs of the individual assembly in a given time and place.

Titus 1:5; 1 Corinthians 7:17; 16:1, 4; Acts 15

We believe the mission of the Church is to evangelize the world, from local neighborhoods to the farthest reaches of the earth, and to make Christian disciples of those who believe, baptizing them in Christ.

Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 24:46-49; Acts 1:8

Section 9. Doctrine of Last Things:

A. The rapture of the Church:

We believe in the imminent bodily resurrection of deceased believers immediately followed by the catching away of living believers to meet the Lord Jesus in the air prior to a period of world tribulation followed by the millennial reign of Christ on earth.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 2 Thessalonians 2:1; 1 Corinthians 15:51-54

B. The Millennium:

We believe in a literal thousand-year reign of Jesus Christ upon this earth, during which Satan shall be bound and believers shall serve as administrators of Christ’s kingdom. We believe that Satan shall be loosed to mount a final unsuccessful rebellion against Christ and His people and shall be cast into the lake of fire, where the man of sin and the false prophet are, forever.

Revelation 20:1-10

C. The Judgment Seat of Christ:

We believe that Jesus Christ shall judge His people for reward or loss for their earthly works as to their sincere worth in furthering His kingdom; that He will not judge them for their sins due to their having been judged in His own body on the cross.

Romans 14:10; 2 Corinthians 5:10

D. Tribulation Judgment:

We believe in a literal future period of tribulation, during which God shall pour out judgment on the earth. We believe that the man of sin shall reign over most of the world, aided by the false prophet; that he shall persecute Israel and those who have accepted Christ during this period of time, especially during the last portion of it; and that both he and the false prophet shall be cast into the lake of fire after Armageddon.

Revelation 6-19.

E. The Great White Throne Judgment:

We believe the unbelievers of all ages whose names are not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life shall be sentenced by Christ to eternal punishment in the lake of fire.

Revelation 14:9-11; Revelation 20:11-15

F. Eternal State:

We believe that the redeemed of the ages, in glorified bodies, shall dwell with the triune God forever, to serve and to enjoy Him forever in perfect peace and happiness.

Revelation 21-22

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