New Testament Baptists hold to the landmark doctrines of the Holy Bible, especially the New Testament teachings concerning 1) the doctrine of Christ Jesus, 2) the doctrine of preservation of the Holy Bible, and 3) the doctrine of the Church. The Holy Bible says this concerning these landmarks.

"Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set." (Prov 22:28) "Cursed be he that removeth his neighbour's landmark. And all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed be he that maketh the blind to wander out of the way. And all the people shall say, Amen." (Deut 27:17-18)

A New Testament Baptist is one who believes in a supernatural Bible, which tells of a supernatural Christ, Who had a supernatural birth, Who spoke supernatural words, Who performed supernatural miracles, Who lived a supernatural life, Who died a supernatural death, Who rose in supernatural power, Who ascended in supernatural splendor, Who intercedes as a supernatural priest and Who will one day return in supernatural glory to establish a supernatural kingdom on the earth.

THE BIBLE IS INSPIRED:

We believe that all the words of the Holy Bible are given by inspiration of God; that the Scriptures came not by the will of man, but men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost; that when these spoken words were written down God Inspired them; that all life is imparted by the breath of God and that this life giving breath is called, inspiration; that the Word of God is living and therefore able to impart life both to translations and to those who receive the Word by faith when the Holy Spirit reveals their meanings to them.

Job 32:8; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Jeremiah 36:4; Hebrews 4:12; 1 Peter 1:23; James 1:18; Romans 10:17; John 3:5-8, 17:17; Titus 3:5; Ephesians 1:13; Genesis 2:7, 7:22; Job 27:3, 33:4; Proverbs 20:27; Isaiah 42:5

THE KING JAMES BIBLE:

We believe that the originally written Scriptures have conveyed God's inspired words into other languages; that God has preserved the inspired words from the original tongues by providentially insuring to us verbal equivalence; that providentially prepared language and cultural translations are inspired and alive in the same way that the Autographs were inspired and alive; that the King James Bible was translated from the original tongues (Hebrew, Aramaic and Konei Greek) into English from an eclectic collection of inspired Scripture fragments and manuscripts which were preserved through God's divine providence first through the Hebrew people and later in the church of the living God (ancient Baptists) and that it was diligently compared to former translations (English, Old Latin, etc.); that the Authorized Version translators were not moved by the Holy Spirit in the same way as the original prophets were, but that they were God's gifted instruments in selecting and translating the inspired texts and words to give God Word to the English speaking peoples; that in English the Authorized King James Version IS the perfect, preserved, infallible, inspired, living Word of God.

Proverbs 21:1; 2 Timothy 3:16; Romans 3:1-2; 1 Timothy 3:15; Job 32:8; 1 Peter 1:23, 25; Hebrews 4:12, 7:1-2; John 1:38, 42, 9:7; 1 Corinthians 12:10, 14:5, 26

THE BIBLE IS PRESERVED:

We believe that the inspired words of the Bible are eternally settled in heaven and that they are perfectly preserved on earth and in time from the generation they were written forever.

Psalm 12:6-7, 33:11, 100:5, 119:89, 152, 160; Matthew 5:17-18, 24:35; John 10:35; Isaiah 40:8, 59:21; 1 Peter 1:23-25; Revelation 22:18-19

THE BIBLE IS INERRANT:

We believe that the Bible is pure, having truth for its matter without any admixture of error and that it's prophecies are sure.

Proverbs 15:26, 30:5-6; Psalm 12:6, 33:4, 119:160; Ephesians 1:13; Colossians 1:5; Ezekiel 12:25, 22:14, 24:14; Isaiah 42:9, 44:7, 46:9-10; John 13:19; Romans 7:12

THE BIBLE IS COMPLETE:

We believe that the sixty-six books of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, is the only complete and final revelation of the will of God to man.

1 Corinthians 13:8-12; James 1:25; Jude 3; Revelation 22:18

THE PURPOSE OF THE BIBLE:

We believe that the Bible was written as a testimony to Christ Jesus, the Son of God, so that believing in Him we might have life; that the Bible was written for our learning, comfort, hope and admonition; that it was written to be a blessing from God; that it written for the church to contend for and keep (protect); that the Bible was written to be obeyed; that the Bible was written to judge the unbelieving.

John 5:39, 46, 14:15, 21, 24, 15:10, 20, 20:31; Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:11; Psalm 1:1-3, 19:7-11, 119:11, 98, 105, 130; Luke 11:28; Revelation 1:3, 3:8, 10; Ephesians 6:17; Jude 3; 1 John 2:5; 1 Timothy 3:15, 6:14; Deuteronomy 4:2; Luke 24:27, 44; Matthew 28:20; John 12:48

THE BIBLE IS THE STANDARD:

We believe that the Bible is the true center of Christian union and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions should be tried.

Isaiah 8:20; Romans 3:4; James 1:21-25; Psalm 19:7-11; Revelation 22:18-19

CORRUPTIONS OF THE BIBLE:

We believe that Satan has been in the business of corrupting the words of God from the beginning; that his slaves have been hard at the work of Bible corruption throughout the millennia (the most notorious of which are Origen [AD 184-254] and Eusebius [AD 260-340], and more recently the popes, Westcott & Hort, et al); that God gave the strongest of warnings against adding or subtracting from His Holy Word; that most, if not all, modern versions except the Authorized King James Version are corrupted.

Genesis 3:1-5; Luke 4:9-12; 2 Corinthians 2:17, 4:2, 11:13-15; Jeremiah 23:29-32; Revelation 22:18-19

THE GODHEAD:

"For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one." -- 1 John 5:7

We believe that there is one, and only one, living and true God, Jehovah, who is an infinite, holy, omniscient, all powerful Spirit, the maker and supreme ruler of heaven and earth; inexpressibly glorious in holiness and worthy of all possible honor, confidence and love; that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Word and the Holy Ghost, equal in every divine perfection, and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption, the Father having planned it, the Word accomplished it and the Holy Spirit publishes it.

Genesis 17:1; Exodus 20:2-3; 15:11; Psalm 83:18; 90:2; 147:5; Jeremiah 10:10; Matthew 28:19; Mark 12:30; John 4:24; 10:30; 15:26; 17:5; Acts 5:3-4; Romans 11:23; 1 Corinthians 12:10-11; 8:6; 12:4-6; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 2:18; 4:6; Philippians 2:5-6; 1 Timothy 1:17; 1 John 5:7; Revelation 4:8, 11

GOD THE FATHER:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world ..." (Ephesians 1:3-4)

We believe that God the Father is good and unchanging; that He was active in the creation; that He has only one begotten Son who He sent into the world as a witness; that He sealed, sanctified and gave all things into the hands of His Son, Jesus Christ, yet it pleased the Father to bruise His Son and lay on Him the iniquity of us all and He made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him; that the Father raised Jesus up from the dead; that He bares witness to His Son; that He is active in the New Birth of believers having from before the foundation of the world chosen them to salvation according to His foreknowledge of their belief of the Truth; that He judges without respect of persons; that He draws, sanctifies and enables sinners to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints and bestows His love them; that believers can worship the Father only in spirit and in truth; that the Father will one day raise the dead.

Psalm 34:8, 145:9; Luke 18:19; James 1:17; Hebrews 1:2, 6:16, 10:5; Psalm 2:7; John 1:14, 18, 3:16, 18, 5:23, 36, 6:27, 8:18, 10:36, 13:3; Isaiah 53:6, 10; 2 Corinthians 5:21 Romans 10:9; 1 John 4:9, 14, 5:9-11; 1 Peter 1:2-3, 17; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Ephesians 1:3-4; John 17:17; James 1:18; John 6:44; Colossians 1:12; Jude 1; 1 John 3:1; John 4:23-24, 5:21

GOD THE WORD:

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." -- John 1:1

We believe that the Word is a divine person; that He was active in creation; that Jesus Christ is the Word made flesh; that Jesus Christ was begotten of the Father and the Holy Ghost in a miraculous manner; born of Mary, a virgin, as no other man was ever born or can ever be born of a woman and that He is both the Son of God, and God, the Son; that Jesus is the last Adam who was born to redeem what the first Adam lost; that Jesus did not yield to Satan's will, but lived a sinless life and gave His life and blood for a ransom and satisfying sacrifice; that He secured eternal life for those who trust in Him; that He only mediator between God and men who is presently interceding for believers; that Jesus as the Word is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty; that He is coming again to rule and reign; that He is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords who will judge the living and the dead.

John 1:1-3, 14; Hebrews 10:4-10; Genesis 3:15; Psalm 2:7; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Mark 1:1; Luke 1:35; Galatians 4:4; 1 Corinthians 15:45-47; Matthew 4:2-11; 1 John 3:5; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 2:6-9; Mark 10:45; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Hebrews 1:3, 7:25; Romans 5:-8-9; 1 John 5:20; 1 Timothy 6:14-15; Revelation 1:8, 18, 17:14, 19:11-13, 16; 2 Timothy 4:1 GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT:

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, equal with the Father and the Word and of the same nature; that He was active in the creation; that in His relation to the unbelieving world He restrains the evil one until God's purpose is fulfilled; that He convicts of sin, of judgment and of righteousness; that He bears witness to the Truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony; that He is the agent in the New Birth; that He seals, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies and helps the believer.

Genesis 1:13; Matthew 3:11; 28:19; Mark 1:8; Luke 1:35; 3:16; 24:49; John 1:33, 3:5-6, 14:16-17, 26, 15:26-27, 16:8-11,13, Acts 5:3-4, 30-32; 11:16; Romans 8:14, 16, 26-27; Ephesians 1:13-14; 2 Thessalonians 2:7, 13; Hebrews 9:14; 1 Peter 1:2

We believe that Satan was once holy, and enjoyed heavenly honors; but through pride and ambition to be as the Almighty, fell and drew after him a host of angels; that he is now the malignant prince of the power of the air, and the unholy god of this world. We hold him to be man's great tempter, the enemy of God and His Christ, the accuser of the saints, the author of all false religions, the chief power back of the present apostasy; the lord of the antichrist, and the author of all the powers of darkness - destined however to final defeat at the hands of God's own Son, and to the judgment of an eternal justice in hell, a place prepared for him and his angels.

Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:14-17; Matthew 4:1-3; 13:25; 25:41; 27:39; Mark 13:21-22; Luke 22:3-4; John 14:30; Ephesians 2:2; 2Corinthians 11:13-15; 1Thessalonians 3:5; 2Thessalonians 2:8-11; 1Peter 5:8; 2Peter 2:4; 1John 2:22; 3:8; 4:3; 2John 7; Jude 6; Revelation 12:7-10; 13:13-14; 19:11,16,20; 20:1-3,10

We believe in the Genesis account of creation, and that it is to be accepted literally, and not allegorically or figuratively; that man was created directly in God's own image and after His own likeness; that man's creation was not a matter of evolution or evolutionary change of species, or development through interminable periods of time from lower to higher forms; that all animal and vegetable life was made directly and God's established law was that they should bring forth only "after their kind."

Genesis 1:1, 11, 24, 26-27; 2:21-23; Exodus 20:11; Nehemiah 9:6; Jeremiah 10:12; John 1:3; Acts 4:24; 17:23-26; Romans 1:20; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 11:3; Revelation 10:6

We believe that man was created in innocence under the law of his Maker, but by voluntary transgression fell from his sinless and happy state, in consequence of which all mankind are now sinners, not by constraint, but of choice; and therefore under just condemnation without defense or excuse.

Genesis 3:1-6,24; Ezekiel 18:19-20; Romans 1:18,20,28,32; 3:10-19; 5:12,19; Galatians 3:22; Ephesians 2:1,3

We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that such only as through faith are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and sanctified by the Spirit of our God, are truly righteous in His esteem; while all such as continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight wicked, and under the curse, and this distinction holds among men both in and after death, in the everlasting felicity of the saved and the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost.

Genesis 18:23; Proverbs 11:31; 14:32; Malachi 3:18; Matthew 7:13-14; 25:34; Luke 9:26; 16:25; John 8:21; 12:25; Acts 10:34-35; Romans 1:17; 6:16-18,23; 7:6; 1Corinthians 15:22; Galatians 3:10; 1Peter 4:18; 1John 2:7,29; 5:19

JESUS ONLY:

Now we know that what things soever the Law saith, it saith to them who are under the Law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the Law is the knowledge of sin. But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the Law, To redeem them that were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. Jesus saith [to all], I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.

Romans 3:19-20; Galatians 4:4-5; John 14:6; Acts 4:12; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Isaiah 53:6; Romans 5:9-10; Hebrews 7:25

THE ATONEMENT FOR SIN:

We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace, through the mediatorial offices of the Son of God, Who by appointment of the Father, freely took upon Him our nature, yet without sin, honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and by His death made a full and vicarious atonement for our sins; that His atonement consisted not in setting us an example by His death as a martyr, but was the voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner's place, the Just dying for the unjust, Christ, the Lord, bearing our sins in His own body on the tree; that, having risen from the dead, He is now enthroned in heaven and uniting in His wonderful person the tenderest sympathies with divine perfection, He is in every way qualified to be a suitable, a compassionate and an all sufficient Savior.

Isaiah 53:4-7,11-12; Matthew 18:11; John 3:16; 10:18; Acts 15:11; Romans 3:24-25; Galatians 1:4; Ephesians 2:8; Philippians 2:7-8; Hebrews 2:14; 7:25; 9:12-15; 12:2

THE FREENESS OF SALVATION

We believe that God's electing grace; that the blessings of salvation are made free to all by the gospel; that it is the immediate duty of all to accept them by a cordial, penitent and obedient faith; and nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner on earth but his own inherent depravity and voluntary rejection of the gospel; which rejection involves him in an aggravated condemnation.

Isaiah 55:1; Matthew 11:28; John 3:15-18, 36; 5:40; 6:37; 1 John 2:2; Hebrews 2:9; Acts 2:38; Romans 8:29-30; 10:13; 1Corinthians 15:10; Ephesians 2:4-5; Colossians 3:12; 1Thessalonians 1:4; 1 Timothy 1:15; Titus 1:1; 1 Peter 1:2; Revelation 22:17 REPENTANCE AND FAITH

We believe that Repentance and Faith are solemn obligations, and also inseparable graces, wrought in our souls by the quickening Spirit of God; thereby, being deeply convicted of our guilt, danger and helplessness, and of the way of salvation by Christ, we turn to God with unfeigned contrition, confession and supplication for mercy; at the same time heartily receiving the Lord Jesus Christ and openly confessing Him as our only and all-sufficient Savior; that Repentance and Faith are the universal method of receiving the Saviour and His salvation.

Psalm 51:1-4, 7; Isaiah 55:6-7; Mark 1:15; Luke 12:8; 18:13; Acts 2:37-38; 20:21; Romans 10:9-11, 13; John 1:12-13; James 1:21

JUSTIFICATION

We believe that the great gospel blessing which Christ secures to such as believe in Him is Justification; that Justification includes the pardon of sin, and the gift of eternal life on principles of righteousness; that it is bestowed not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done; but solely through faith in the Redeemer's blood, His righteousness is imputed unto us.

Isaiah 53:11; Habakkuk 2:4; Zechariah 13:1; Acts 13:39; Romans 1:17; 4:1; 5:1-9; 8:1; Galatians 3:11; Titus 3:5-7; Hebrews 10:38

THE NEW CREATION

We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be born again; that the new birth is a new creation in Christ Jesus; that it is instantaneous and not a process; that in the new birth the one dead in trespasses and in sins is made a partaker of the divine nature and receives eternal life, the free gift of God; that the new creation is brought about in a manner above our comprehension, not by culture, not by character, nor by the will of man, but wholly and solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with divine Truth, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the gospel; that its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance and faith and newness of life; that the new birth is the universal way of salvation in every dispensation.

Luke 5:27; John 1:12-13; 3:3, 6-7; Acts 2:41; Romans 6:23; 2 Corinthians 5:17, 19; James 1:18, 21; 1 Peter 1:23; 2 Peter 1:4; Galatians 5:22; Ephesians 1:13, 2:1, 10; 5:9; Colossians 2:13; 1 John 5:1; Deuteronomy 30:6; Jeremial 4:4 Ezekiel 11:19, 18:31, 36:26

SANCTIFICATION

We believe that believers are called to holiness; that we are sanctified by God the Father through His Truth in the name of the Lord Jesus; that we are sanctified through the offering of the body and blood of Jesus Christ once for all; that God hath from the beginning chosen us to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth; that God's sanctification of the believer occurs at the moment of regeneration and is repeated through yielding to God and His Word of Truth; that we are to sanctify the Lord God in their hearts and follow holiness by yielding ourselves as servants to God always ready to do good works; that all believers that receive Christ in repentance and faith are sanctified in Him, and called to be saints, and that we receive an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.

Jude 1; Ephesians 5:26; Titus 3:5; John 13:10, 17:17, 19; Hebrews 2:11, 10:10, 14, 12:14, 13:12; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Romans 6:19, 22, 15:16; 2 Timothy 2:21; 1 Peter 1:2, 3:15; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4, 7, 5:23-24; 1 Corinthians 1:2, 1:30, 6:11; Acts 20:32, 26:18

PRESERVATION

We believe that God preserves every born again believer; that the believer changes his standing before God from His enemy to His child when he trusts in the blood of Jesus Christ; that enduring or perseverance to the end has nothing to do with the salvation of the soul, but that one is saved by grace through faith, it is the gift of God; that Jesus Christ knows how to deliver the godly and it is He who keeps the child of God; that all things work together for good to them whom God foreknew before the foundation of the world would receive Christ and predestinated them to be conformed to the image of Jesus, these He calls, justifies and glorifies.

Jude 1, 24; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; Romans 5:1, 10; Hebrews 7:25; 2 Timothy 1:12; 2 Peter 2:9; 2 Timothy 4:18; Psalm 121:7-8; John 6:39, 10:28-29; 1 Peter 1:3-5; 1 Corinthians 1:7-8; Romans 8:28-31, 38-39; Ephesians 1:4; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Philippians 1:6; 1 Peter 1:5

CHRIST FOREORDAINED:

We believe that Christ was foreordained before the foundation of the world to shed His precious blood, but was manifest in these last times for us, having been delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, and by wicked hands was crucified and slain, the just for the unjust; that the Book of Life and the Kingdom were prepared before the foundation of the world.

Acts 2:22-23, 3:18, 15:18; 1 Peter 1:18-20; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Revelation 13:8, 17:8; Matthew 25:34; Isaiah 53

ELECTION UNTO ETERNAL LIFE:

We believe that God would have all men to come to the knowledge of the Truth and that He is not willing that any should perish, but that He will not force this will on any; that He elects to salvation according to His foreknowledge of one's belief of the Truth and that He recorded the names of believers in the Lamb's book of life from the foundation of the world accordingly; that God predestinates believers according to this foreknowledge to be conformed to the image of His Son Jesus; that God calls, justifies and glorifies these believers; that God's special Providence watches over His children and that they are kept by His power unto eternal salvation..

2 Peter 3:9; Ezekiel 18:31, 33:11; 1 Timothy 2:3-4; Matthew 11:28-29; John 1:12-13; James 1:21; 2 Thessalonians 2:10-13; 1 Peter 1:2; Ephesians 1:4; Revelation 17:8, 21:27; Psalm 69:26-28; Romans 8:29-30; John 10:28-29; Philippians 1:6, Colossians 1:21-22

THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD:

We believe that God's Providence affirms His absolute lordship over His creation as opposed to the false idea of chance or fate; that absolutely nothing takes God by surprise; that nothing occurs outside of God's permissive will; that He guides the events of history through foreknowledge and by direct intervention; that He is in total control and no foe can thwart Him; that He carefully oversees His prophetic plan.

Isaiah 46:10; Romans 8:28; 9:22; Matthew 5:45, 10:29-30; Acts 3:13, 4:28, 14:16; Genesis 45:5, 50:20; Luke 1:52; Psalm 2:4, 4:8, 66:7, 75:6-7, 103:19, 121:3, 147:8-9; Exodus 7:3, 11:10; Joel 2:25; 1 Samuel 2:7-8; Daniel 2:21, 44, 4:17, 35, 9:24-27; Proverbs 8:16, 16:33, 21:1; Deuteronomy 8:18

DEFINITION OF THE TRUE CHURCH:

We believe that the true church is a congregation of baptized believers associated by a covenant of faith and fellowship of the gospel, said church being the pillar (propagator) and ground (citadel) of the Truth (God's Word) [1]; observing the ordinances of Christ (baptism and the Lord's supper); governed by His laws (the New Testament); exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word; that its officers of ordination are pastors or elders whose qualifications, claims, and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures.

1 Timothy 3:15; Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8, 2:41-42, 6:5-6, 13:1-3, 14:23, 15:22-23, 20:17-28; 1 Corinthians 5:11-13; 6:1-3; 11:2; 12:4, 8-11; Ephesians 4:11; 1 Timothy 3:1-13

THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH:

We believe that there is no such thing as either a universal (catholic) visible or invisible church on this earth; that a church that has never assembled is not a church, because it cannot meet, observes no ordinances and has no duties; that even though believers, both living and dead, are spiritually seated together in heavenly places in Christ we will not physically assemble until the Rapture; that what is referred to by many as the universal invisible church is in reality the church in prospect, Christ's future church that will one day assemble in Heaven; that this Church is called Church of the Firstborn and will be made up of all the saved of this Church Age.

Ephesians 1:20-23, 2:6, 5:23-27; Colossians 1:18-22; Hebrews 12:22-24; Luke 22:18; Revelation 1:19, 4:1.

THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH:

We believe that the true mission of the church is found in the Great Commission: 1st, make individual disciples among all nations by teaching them Scriptural salvation; 2nd, edify the church by adding believers to it by baptism; 3rd, further edify them by teach them all the counsel of God, especially that they should observe (watch over or preserve) [2] every word of God's Truth; that this order is not to be reversed. The command to give the gospel to the world is clear and unmistakable and this Commission was given to the local church.

Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:47; John 20:21; Acts 1:8, 2:41-42, 13:1-3, 14:23, 26-27, 20:17-28; 1 Timothy 3:15; Romans 10:13-15; 1 Corinthians 11:2

ORDINANCES OF THE CHURCH:

We believe that there are but two church ordinances: baptism and the Lord's supper: That Christian baptism is the immersion in water of a believer, in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, with the authority of the local church, to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem our faith in the crucified, buried and risen Savior, with its effect in our death to sin and resurrection to a new life; that it is prerequisite to the privileges of a church relation and to the Lord's supper, in which the members of the local church, by the sacred use of bread and the fruit of the vine are to commemorate together the dying love of Christ; preceded always by solemn self-examination.

Matthew 3:6; 3:16; 28:19-20; John 3:23; Acts 2:41-42; 8:36-39; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians 5:11-12, 11:23-28; Colossians 2:12

RESTORATION & DISCIPLINE OF CHURCH MEMBERS:

We believe that the members of the church should strive for righteousness and holiness; that attempt should be made to restore erring members before discipline begins; that discipline is a three fold process: 1st one on one council; 2nd, admonishment and reproof before witnesses; 3rd, rebuke before the local church; that if the offender truly repents at any point during the three fold process or afterwards forgiveness and restoration are to be granted; that errors requiring discipline are clearly indicated in Scripture: fornication, covetousness, idolatry, railing, drunkenness, extortion, heresy and disobedience to the Word.

Galatians 3:1-2; James 5:19-20; Matthew 18:15-20; 1 Corinthians 5:1-7, 11-12; 2 Corinthians 2:6-7; 1 John 1:9; 2 Timothy 3:16; Proverbs 28:13; 1 Timothy 5:20; 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15; Romans 16:17; Titus 3:10

SOVEREIGNTY OF THE CHURCH:

We believe that Jesus Christ is preeminent in the local church; that it has absolute right of self government under His headship, free from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals, organizations, or of civil government; that Christ supervises and instructs His church through the Holy Spirit and by His Word; that it is Scriptural for true churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the Gospel; that every church is the sole and only judge of the measure and method of its cooperation; on all matters of membership, of policy, of government, of discipline, of benevolence, the will of the local church is final.

Mark 12:17; Ephesians 1:22-23, 5:23-24; Colossians 1:18; Matthew 18:18; John 20:23

STEWARDSHIP IN THE CHURCH:

We believe that Scriptural giving is one of the fundamentals of the Faith; that we are to bring our gifts into the storehouse (the common treasury of the church) upon the first day of the week; that believers should give both tithes and offerings; that the tithe is one tenth of a believers income and that one gives offerings according as he purposes in his heart after prayerful consideration; that the tithe is for the work of the church locally and offerings are for special works of the church including missions.

Malachi 3:8, 10; Matthew 23:23; Hebrews 7:2-4; Leviticus 27:30; 1 Corinthians 16:2; 2 Corinthians 8:7, 9:7; Philippians 4:15-19; Acts 4:34-37

We believe that civil government is of divine appointment, for the interests and good order of human society; that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored and obeyed; except only in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ; who is the only Lord of the conscience, and the coming Prince of the kings of the earth.

Exodus 18:21-22; 2Samuel 23:3; Psalm 72:11; Daniel 3:17-18; Matthew 10:28; 22:21; 23:10; Acts 4:19-20; 23:5; Romans 13:7; Philippians 2:10-11; Titus 3:1; 1Peter 2:13-14,17

We believe in and accept the sacred Scriptures upon these subjects at their face and full value. Of the Resurrection, we believe that Christ rose bodily "The third day according to the Scriptures"; that He ascended "to the right hand of the throne of God"; that He alone is our "merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God"; "that this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven," bodily, personally, and visibly; that the "dead in Christ shall rise first"; that the living saints "shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump"; "that the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David"; and that "Christ shall reign a thousand years in righteousness until He hath put all enemies under His feet."