The Church

The Church

We believe in the universal church as the Body of Christ, which includes all of the redeemed of all the ages, believers from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation. We believe in the local body of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the two ordinances of Christ, maturing in wisdom and character, exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word, and seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth. Each congregation and each member is accountable to Jesus Christ and His will as revealed in Scripture. The scriptural officers of a local church are elders and deacons. While both men and women are gifted for service in ministry, the office of elder is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.

(Matthew 16:15-19; 18:15-20; Acts 2:41-42,47; 5:11-14; 6:3-6; 13:1-3; 14:23,27; 15:1-30; 16:5; 20:28; Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 3:16; 5:4-5; 7:17; 9:13-14; 12; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 3:8-11,21; 5:22-32; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:18; 1 Timothy 2:9-14; 3:1-15; 4:14; Hebrews 11:39-40; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Revelation 2-3; 21:2-3)