Pastor James W. Bowers
As ministers and Christian workers together for voluntary and cooperative fellowship and service in the Church, we have taken  in hand and set forth a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us (Luke 1:1). Praying that there will be no harmful or divisive differences in the Church, that peace and harmony will abide, and that we may be all of the same mind and judgment speaking the same thing in love, with one voice glorifying God, edifying His people, and giving Christian witness to the world (1 Corinthians 1:10 and Acts 2:42).

 

1) SCRIPTURES – We believe the Bible is the inspired word of God, the product of holy men of old who spoke and wrote as they were moved on by the Holy Ghost (2 Peter 1:21). We accept the new covenant, as recorded in the New Testament, as our infallible guide in matters pertaining to salvation, conduct, and doctrine. All scriptures are given by the inspiration of God and are profitable for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works (2 Timothy 3:15-17). We believe that the KING JAMES VERSION of the Bible should be used because we should all be speaking from the same source.

 

2) THE GODHEAD – Our God is one, but manifested in three: the Father, the Son/Word, and the Holy Ghost (1 John 5:7). God the Father is greater than all (John 14:28). No man has seen God but the begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father. He hath declared him (John 1:18). The Son is the Word made flesh, the only begotten and has existed from the beginning (John 1:1, John 1:14, John 1:18, and Philippians 2:6). The Holy Ghost proceeds forth from God the Father (John 14:26 and John 15:26) and is eternal (John 14:16), being promised by Christ from the Father to all believers (John 14:16-18).

 

3) MAN’S FALL AND REDEMPTION – Man is a created being made in the likeness and image of God (Genesis 1:26-27), but through Adam’s transgression and fall, sin has entered into the world (Romans 5:12). For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). As it is written, there is none righteous, no not one (Romans 3:10). Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was manifested to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). Salvation is the gift of god to man separate from the works and law, and is made operative by Grace through Faith in Jesus Christ, producing works acceptable to God (Ephesians 2:8).

 

4) NEW BIRTH AND ETERNAL LIFE – Man’s first step toward salvation is a godly sorrow that worketh repentance (2 Corinthians 7:10). The new birth is necessary to all men (John 3:3-8), and produces eternal life with God (1 John 5:12). We believe that eternal life with God in heaven is the reward of the righteous (Matthew 24:12 and Mark 13:13), and that everlasting banishment from the presence of the Lord, unending torture, and Hell is the fate of the lost (Matthew 25:46, Psalm 9:17 and Revelation 21:7-8). We believe that sanctification occurs at the time of the new birth (1 Corinthians 1:30, Hebrews 10:10, 14 and 1 Peter 1:2).

 

5) BAPTISM OF THE HOLY GHOST AND FIRE – The Baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire (Matthew 3:11) is a gift from God and promised through the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 1:4-5) to all believers in this dispensation. The Baptism is received subsequent to the new birth (Acts 1:8, Acts 2:4 and Acts 2:39). The Baptism of the Holy Ghost is accompanied with the speaking in other tongues as the spirit gives the utterance.

 

6) THE CHURCH – The true church is the body of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 12:1-10), with Christ being the head (Colossians 2:19). Its earthly constituents are men and women born of the spirit, living holy lives, and striving to do the will of God. To the church is delegated the various gifts and offices by the Holy Ghost (1 Corinthians 12:1-10), necessary for the successful fulfillment of Christ’s great commission to the Church as given to the disciples (Matthew 28:19 and Mark 16:15-20).

 

7) WATER BAPTISM – Baptism in water by immersion is a direct commandment given of our Lord (Matthew 28:19) and is for believers only (Acts 2:41 and Acts 8:37). Baptism is the answer of a good conscience toward God. The ordinance is a symbol of the Christian identification with Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection (1 Peter 3:21 and Romans 6:4-5). The church recognizes water baptism. We recommend baptism following the open confession that the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is your Lord and that you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 10:9-13). We baptize in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost (Matthew 28:19).

 

8) THE LORD’S SUPPER AND FOOT WASHING – The ordinance of the Lord’s Supper is a commandment of our Savior and, being a memorial of his death, is strictly limited to Christian believers only (1 Corinthians 11:24-30). We believe in the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper among all of God’s people. The Lord said that we ought to wash one another’s feet (John 13:14). We believe that, in following this commandment, we shall keep ourselves humble before the Lord.

 

9) DIVINE HEALING – Healing is for the physical ills of the human body and is wrought by the power of God through the prayer of faith. Healing is provided for the atonement of Christ and is for everyone who will accept it (James 5:14-15).

 

10) MINISTRY – God, through the Holy Ghost, calls such as He desires to serve as Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers (Ephesians 4:11 and 1 Corinthians 12:27-31). He equips us with the knowledge and understanding to perform each calling by the Holy Ghost. Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called (1 Corinthians 7:20). We pray that our Ministers, “all of the above”, will preach and teach, not adding to or taking away any part of the Word of God (Revelation 22:18-19).

 

11) TITHES – We believe that all Christians, including ministers, should bring tithes into the storehouse (Malachi 3:10-11). We believe today’s church is that storehouse, ministering to the financial and spiritual needs of the poor, the widows, the fatherless, and receiving spiritual blessings. “But this I say, he which soweth sparingly shall also reap sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: For God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye always, having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:6-8).

 

12) RESSURRECTION OF THE SAINTS – We believe in the Pre-Millennial coming of our Lord, coming in the clouds, to catch away His Bride. “The dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air:” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready” (Revelation 19:7).

 

13) FINAL JUDGMENT – We believe in the Great White Throne Judgment of the lost, “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works” (Revelation 20:12). “…And they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:13-19). The lake of fire is literal and eternal. “And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: …Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:32-34 and 41).

 

14) CHURCH BUSINESS – The Pastor, in concurrence with the Deacons, will oversee the day to day operation of the church. The Deacons are appointed elders who will be responsible for all aspects of the church, from making decisions of who will minister in the church to the allocations of church funds. All major decisions that are made will be presented to the body for approval. We believe this to be scriptural in both the Old and New Testament (Numbers 11:10-16 and Acts 6:3).