We believe that the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, known as “The Bible”, are the Word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original autographs, and the infallible rule of faith and practice. The Bible is therefore, both the foundation and the operational basis on which the Corporation is governed. We believe that these Holy Scriptures supersede any earthly law that is contrary to this Word of God. [Isa. 28:13; Neh. 8:8; Jn. 17:17; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; Heb. 4:12; 1 Pet. 1:23-25; 2 Pet. 1:21]

We believe that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in a tri-unity of persons; God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit; co-equal in power and glory; that this triune God created all things, upholds all things, and governs all things. [Gen. 1:1; Deut. 6:4; Mat. 28:19; Jn. 10:30; Heb. 9:14]

As to the person of God the Father, we believe He is an infinite, personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love; that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of mankind; that He hears and answers prayers, and that He saves from sin and death all those who come to Him through the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ, God the Son. [Deut. 33:27; Ps. 90:2; Ps. 102:27; Jn. 4:24; 1 Tim. 1:17; Titus 1:3]

As to the person of God the Son, we believe our Lord Jesus Christ was conceived by God the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. We believe in His sinless life, in His miracles and teachings, in His substitutionary atoning death, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of God the Father in Heaven, in His perpetual intercession for His people, and in His personal, visible return to the Earth. [Mat.1:18, 20, 3:17; Mk. 1:11; Lk. 1:31-35, 3:22; Jn. 1:1, 3:16-18,

34-36; Isa. 7:14; Mic. 5:2; Mat. 1:23; Mk. 16:19; Lk. 1:34-35, 3:22; Jn. 1:1-2, 8:58, 11:25; 1 Cor.

15:3-4; Heb. 1:8; 1 Jn. 1:2; Rev. 1:8]

As to the person of God the Holy Spirit, we believe He came forth from God the Father and God the Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment; to regenerate, sanctify and

empower for ministry, including the biblical exercise of His spiritual gifting, all who believe in Jesus Christ. [Acts 1:8; 2 Cor. 3:18; Jn. 16:8-11; Rom. 15:13-16; Heb. 9:14; Rom. 12:6-8; 1

Cor. 12-14; Eph. 4:11]

We believe in the present ministry of God the Holy Spirit, who indwells every believer in Jesus Christ, and that He is an abiding helper, teacher, and guide, through whom the Word of God is revealed. [Jn. 14:16-17, 16:8-11]

We believe in one Church community, the living spiritual body of which the Lord Jesus Christ is the head, and all who are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are ‘members’. (1 Cor. 12:12-13; Eph. 4:15-16]

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ committed two ordinances to the Church: (1) Water Baptism by full immersion, as a testimony of conversion, and (2) the Communion Ceremony to remember His atoning sacrifice for us all. We also believe in the laying on of hands for empowerment by God the Holy Spirit; for healing of the sick; for the ordination of Pastors and Elders; and for the appointment of Deacons. [Mat. 28:19; Acts 2:38; 1 Cor. 11:23-26; Acts 6:6,

8:17; 1 Tim. 4:14]

We believe in what is termed “The Apostle’s Creed” as embodying the fundamental facts of the Christian Faith. [ELLC 1988]

We believe that the human race was created as genetic male/man, and genetic female/ woman, by direct acts of God; that marriage has been established by God; therefore, marriage is a sacred covenantal union between one man and one woman, for life. We also believe that legitimate sexual relations are to be exercised solely within marriage, according to God’s Word. Hence, sexual activities such as, but not limited to, adultery, fornication, incest, polygamy, homosexuality, transgender, bisexuality, cross-dressing, pedophilia and bestiality are inconsistent with the teachings of the Bible and the Church. Further, lascivious behavior, the creation, viewing and/or distribution of pornography, and efforts to alter one’s gender, are not compatible with a truly biblical worldview. [Gen. 2:24; 1 Cor. 5:11, 6:9, 6:18-20, 7:1-3, 7:8-9; Rom.

1:18-32]

We believe that the solemnizing of a marriage is a sacred and profound event that shall be entered into, only where the proposed covenantal union is in compliance with the Word of God;

we also believe that the solemnizing of a marriage between men or women of the same gender is contrary to the Word of God and is considered a sin by God. [Gen. 2:18-24; Lev. 20:13]

We believe that all people are sinners by nature, and therefore are under condemnation. We believe that the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ is the only means of salvation. We believe that God regenerates and saves those who respond in faith and repentance to the biblical gospel, confessing Jesus Christ as Lord. We also believe in the preservation of the genuine believer’s place in Christ, by God the Holy Spirit. [Rom. 3:10; 1 Jn. 1:8; Rom. 3:23; Jn. 3:18; Rom. 6:23; Rom. 5:8; 1 Cor. 15:3-4; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Pet. 3:18; Jn. 3:16-17; 2 Cor. 7:10; Jn. 14:6; 1

Tim. 2:5; Eph. 2:8-9; Rom. 10:8-13; Jn. 1:12-13; Rom. 8:30; Eph. 1:13-14]

We believe in the Rapture of the Church, where all believers will meet the Lord Jesus Christ in the air, then be taken out of this world prior to the Great Tribulation judgments that will come upon the Earth. [Mat. 24:29-31; Lk. 21:36; Rom. 1:18, 5:9; 1 Cor. 15:51-52; 1 Thess. 1:10,

4:13-17, 4:13-17, 5:9; 2 Pet. 2:7-9; Rev. 5:7-10, 7:13-14]

We believe in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, which is His personal, visible return to Earth and the establishment of His Millennial Kingdom. [Mat. 24:27, 29-31; 1 Thess. 3:13; Heb. 9:28; Rev. 1:7, 19:11-13; Rev. 20:4-6; Dan. 2:44; Isa. 9:6-7; Heb. 1:8]

We believe in the bodily resurrection of both the saved and the lost to final judgment; where those that are saved unto the resurrection of eternal life with God in a literal Heaven, and where those that are lost unto the resurrection of eternal suffering without God in a literal Hell. [ Dan. 12:2; Mat. 25:31-46; Rom. 14:10-12; 2 Cor. 5:10; Heb. 9:27; Rev. 20:11-15; 1 Pet. 1:3;

Rev. 3:5; Mat. 7:22, 13:40-42; 2 Thess. 1:7]

[All Bible references are from the New King James Version (NKJV) unless otherwise stated)