A very natural question arises when people browse our website: they want to know what denomination we are and what our doctrinal statement is. These are common and almost expected ways religious groups have of identifying and categorizing themselves. Perhaps the following will serve as an answer to that type of question.

We are not affiliated with any denomination, but seek only, under the headship of Christ, to contend for the faith once delivered to the saints. Our hearts are open to all of God's elect remnant who desire to be ready for the soon return of our Lord.

You will find it difficult, if not impossible, to fit us into any religious category. Our "doctrinal statement" is the Bible. We actively acknowledge Christ as the Head of His Body, the Church and look to Him to feed the sheep from the Word as we have need.

Even Paul, with all the revelation he had, said, "We know in part, and we prophecy in part." (I Cor. 13:9). Prov. 4:18 says, "But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day." The mistake men have made has been to establish rigid systems of doctrinal interpretation out of their partial understanding. Thus we have at least hundreds of doctrinal systems at serious variance with one another. Which shall we believe? Which set of "religious glasses" shall we use when we read the word?

Religion wants to fit us with glasses; the Lord wants to open our eyes. Religion, if it shows us the word at all, shows it to us through a filter of tradition. The Lord wants us to be free to preach and believe the word as it is.

What happens with doctrinal traditions is that they become a substitute for the word. Instead of preachers being called and taught of the Lord to minister as He reveals and anoints, they are trained to become defenders and promoters of their tradtition. Even where they may believe some true things, all to often, the truth is dead and ineffective.

[ The above is credited to a Christian brother, Phil Enlow of The Midnight Cry Messenger. His comments were entitled: "What is Your Doctrinal Statement?" Midnight Cry Messenger is a publication of Midnight Cry Ministries, Southern Pines, NC. It appeared in the April-May-June 2000 Issue. I'd like to invite you to read a little of his book entitled: "Light In This Present Darkness." If you get just 'a taste,' I think you'll want to read the whole book (SMILE). The link is found on the Main Page...click below! ]

We offer this as a proposed Statement of Faith. The basic principles for rule and discipline of the church as well as for its articles of faith, are recorded in the Word of God. Any statement of faith or operating policy should be in harmony with those principles. Based on this premise:

WE BELIEVE:

1. The Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, to be the inspired Word of God, the complete revelation of His Will for the salvation of men, and the Divine and final authority for all Christian faith and life.

2. In One God, creator of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in Three Persons; Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

3. That Jesus Christ is the Son of God, truly God and truly Man, conceived of the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary. He died on the cross, a sacrifice for our sins according to the Scriptures. He was resurrected bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven where at the right hand of the Majesty on High, He now is our High Priest and Advocate.

4. That the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. He is working in the regeneration of sinners, the sanctification of believers, to indwell, instruct and empower for godly living and Christian service.

5. That man was created in the image of God, but through disobedience he became a lost sinner, and only through regeneration can salvation and reconciliation with God be obtained through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

6. That the true Church is composed of all redeemed persons who through saving faith in Jesus Christ are united together in the one body of Christ of which He is the Head. We believe in the royal priesthood of believers and in the exercise of spiritual gifts in the church.

7. That water baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper are ordinances to be observed by the church.

8. We believe in the Kingdom of God as proclaimed and established by our Lord Jesus Christ during His earthly ministry, and as perpetuated by His apostles.

9. We believe in the Personal Second Coming of Christ. We believe in the resurrection of the dead, the final judgment of all mankind, the eternal reward and everlasting life of the believers and the eternal punishment of the unbelievers.

We want to make it clear that we believe the Word of God. Needless ta say, we probably don't understand everything perfectly. It is our desire to obtain a clearer understanding, and as the Holy Spirit reveals to us, we want to "walk in greater light".