OUR BELIEFS
1. About God
God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed in three personalities: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God.
Genesis 1:1,26,27, 3:22; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Corinthians 13:14
2. About Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven’s glory and will return again someday to earth to reign as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.
Matthew 1:22, 23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5; 14:10-30; Hebrews 4:14,15; 1 Corinthians 15:3,4; Romans 1:3,4; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Timothy 6:14,15; Titus 2:13
3. About the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son of God. He is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. He gives every believer a spiritual gift when they are saved. As Christians, we seek to live under His control daily.
2 Corinthians 3:17; John 16:7-13, 14:16,17; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 2:12, 3:16; Ephesians 1:13; Galatians 5:25; Ephesians 5:18
4. About the Bible
The Bible is God’s Word to us. It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. Because it is inspired by God, it is the truth without any mixture of error.
2 Timothy 3:15-16; 2 Peter 1:20,21; 2 Timothy 1:13; Psalm 119:105,160, 12:6; Proverbs 30:5
5. About Human Beings
People are made in the spiritual image of God, to be like Him in character. People are the supreme object of God’s creation. Although every person has tremendous potential for good, all of us are marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called “sin”. This attitude separates people from God and causes many problems in life.
Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6a; Romans 3:23; Isaiah 59:1, 2
6. About Salvation
Salvation is God’s free gift to us but we must accept it. We can never make up for our sin by self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God’s offer of forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin’s penalty. When we turn from our self-ruled life and turn to Jesus in faith we are saved. Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into his life by faith.
Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8,9; John 14:6, 1:12; Titus 3:5; Galatians 3:26; Romans 5:1
7. About the Church
We believe that the church is composed of all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. The local church is a body of believers who are voluntarily joined together and who meet together at regular times for prayer, worship and teaching of the Word, evangelism, fellowship, and discipleship.
Psalm 86:12; Matthew 16:18; John 17:4; John 17:20-26; Acts 2:42-47; Romans 8:28; 1 Corinthians 1:10; 1 Corinthians 10:31; Philippians 2:2; Colossians 1:18; Colossians 3:17
8. About Eternity
We believe that Jesus will come again and His church will be caught up to meet Him. People were created to exist forever, and all will be judged by God. We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is Hell. To be eternally in union with Him is eternal life. Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal existence. John 3:16; John 14:17; Romans 6:23; Romans 8:17-18; Revelation 20:15; 1 Corinthians 2:7-9
OUR PRACTICES
Baptism and Communion
Baptism and communion, sometimes called “ordinances”, are symbols of salvation. They are not essential for salvation, but we practice them in obedience to the Lord’s commands.
Matthew 28:19-20a; 1 Corinthians 11:23b-25
Healing
In the redemptive work of Christ, provision has been made for physical healing. According to the conditions described in His Word, God may bring about healing.
Matthew 15:30; Genesis 3:16-19; Job 2:7; Isaiah 53:4-5; James 5:14-15; Mark 6:13; Acts 10:38; 1 Peter 2:24
The Lord’s Day
Sunday is not the Old Testament Sabbath, but rather a remembrance of the day that Jesus rose from the dead. The first day of the week has been kept as the Lord’s Day since the early church.
John 20:19; Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2
Christian Stewardship
Christian stewardship involves the giving of our entire selves to the Lord including our time, talents, and material goods. While tithing (giving 10% of our income to the church) is an Old Testament law, we believe that it remains an important and Biblical principle for believers to practice in order to support Christ’s body, the church, as God commands.
Romans 12:1; Genesis 14:20; Matthew 23:23; Leviticus 26:30; Malachi 3:8; 2 Corinthians 8:9; 2 Corinthians 9:6-7; 1 Corinthians 16:2
Dedication of Children
We practice believer’s baptism a symbol of salvation, but we also recognize God’s love and concern for little children. Therefore, we encourage the formal dedication of little children to the Lord in a public service.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7; 1 Samuel 1:24-28; Matthew 19:13-15; Mark 10:14b-16
Marriage and the Home
Marriage is a sacred institution ordained by God as the union of one man and one woman until parted by death. Marriage is the foundation of the family and the Christian home, and accordingly, a believer should not be united with an unbeliever. In accordance with the Scriptures, the husband is to be the head of the home, but serves his family in love. Divorce is viewed in the Scripture as contrary to God’s will, although it is not an unforgivable sin. Christians are to do all they can through love and forgiveness to preserve the marriage bond.
Matthew 19:4-6; Genesis 2:24; Deuteronomy 7:3; 1 Corinthians 7:7, 39;
2 Corinthians 6:14-17; Ephesians 5:22-25; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Psalm 78:4-6; Colossians 3:18-21
High Standards in Christian Conduct
The Scriptures teach that Christians are not to conform to the world and its lifestyle, and so we encourage believers to set high standards in their actions. The Missionary Church asks that its members not hold membership in oath-bound, secret societies. Since the Scriptures also teach that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, we ask our members to abstain from anything that would injure their health or potentially influence their bodies in a negative way, such as the use of tobacco, intoxicating beverages, or illegal narcotics.
Romans 12:2; 1 Corinthians 6:12; Isaiah 5:22; 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 1 Timothy 2:9-10; 1 Peter 3:2-4; Proverbs 20:1
Attitude Toward Government
Civil government is ordained by God, and it is the duty of Christians to pray for those in authority over us and give due respect to them. If, however, the demands of civil law are in conflict with the will of God, Christians should obey God rather than man. We also believe that Scripture clearly teaches us to love our enemies, and so it is not fitting for the Christian to promote strife between nations, classes, groups, or individuals. In the area of military service and participation in war, however, we exercise tolerance and understanding, and respect the individual conscience.
Romans 13:1; 1 Peter 3:2-4; Matthew 22:21b