Our Purpose and Mission

The church is a creation of God (Acts 20:28; 1 Corinthians 3:9, 17; 15:9), founded and owned by Jesus Christ—“I will build My church” (Matthew 16:18)—and directed and energized by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 10:17; 12:5–27; Romans 12:4–5). Therefore, it is the church’s joy to look to God to explain His design for the church and His mission for it. God’s mission for the church proves to have several parts.

The mission of the church is to make disciples.
Just before Jesus returned to heaven, He commissioned His disciples this way: “Going into all the world, make disciples of all nations by baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you” (literal translation of Matthew 28:19–20a). A disciple is a follower, someone who attaches himself to his leader. Therefore, we reason, Jesus sent the church on its mission to acquaint people in every place with Himself. As the church makes disciples, people can admire, worship, trust, follow, and obey Jesus as their Savior and Lord. The church’s members, having become enamored of Jesus Christ, assemble around Him as Master, Leader, Savior, and Friend. Our joyful mission is to put Him on display to every nation.
 
The mission of the church is to glorify Christ.
Paul wrote, “In Christ we were also chosen … in order that we … might be for the praise of His glory” (Ephesians 1:11–12). Part of God’s purpose for the church is to exalt Jesus Christ by the way that the church lives and by what it does. Christ designed His church to represent His supernatural, life-saving work to the world. In His church, Christ shows to the world what a freed and forgiven people can be—people who are satisfied with God as the result of Christ’s joyful, triumphant self-sacrifice. He has planned the church’s values to be His values. He expects its lifestyle to reflect His character (2 Corinthians 6:14—7:1; Ephesians 5:23–32; Colossians 1:13, 18; 1 Timothy 3:15). As the moon reflects the sun, so the church is to reflect the glory of God to a dark world.
 
The mission of the church is to build up the saints. The church is to encourage and comfort its individual members (1 Thessalonians 5:11; 2 Corinthians 13:11). “There should be no division in the body, but . . . its parts should have equal concern for each other” (2 Corinthians 12:25). Jesus is the chief cornerstone, and the church is likened to a building “joined together and [rising] to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit” (Ephesians 2:19–22; see also 4:4–25). Jesus Christ designed His Church to showcase God’s family on earth, so that the pagan world can see how God builds His family around Jesus Christ and how that family cares for one another (see Mark 3:35 and John 13:35).
 
 
 

What We Believe

Our Statement of Faith

What We Believe

FoP – STATEMENT OF FAITH                           

The Holy Bible is the inspired word of God and is the basis for any statement of faith.  The Church subscribes to the doctrinal statement of “The Baptist Faith and Message” as adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention in 1963 and as amended in 1998 and 2000.  We band ourselves together as a body of baptized believers in Jesus Christ personally committed to sharing the good news of salvation to lost mankind.  The ordinances of the church are Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.  

Derived primarily from the Baptist Faith and Message (2000) and the Second London Baptist Confession (1689).

  1. The Bible. The 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, commonly known as the Holy Bible, are the Word of God, given by the inspiration of God and are the only sufficient, certain and authoritative rule of all saving knowledge, faith and life.

Deuteronomy 4:1-2; 17:19; Psalms 19:7-10; 119:11,89,105,140; Isaiah 40:8; Jeremiah 15:16; Luke 21:33; 24:44-47; John 5:39; 16:13-15; 17:17; Acts 17:11; Romans 15:4; 16:25-26; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 1:1-2; 4:12; 1 Peter 1:25; 2 Peter 1:19-21.

  1. God. There is one and only one God, the Creator, Preserver and Ruler of all things; being in and of Himself perfect in all His attributes; and to Him alone do all creatures owe the highest love, reverence, and obedience.

Psalm 115:3; John 4:24; Romans 11:33-36; 1 Timothy 1:17; 6:15-16; *See also references for The Trinity

  1. The Trinity. God has revealed Himself as existing eternally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; each possessing for themselves distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence or being.
  2. God the Father–Genesis 1:1; Exodus 3:14; 6:2-3; Deuteronomy 6:4; 32:6; Isaiah 43:3,15; 64:8; Jeremiah 10:10; 17:13; Matthew 6:9ff.; 7:11; 23:9; 28:19; Mark 1:9-11; John 5:26; 14:6-13; 17:1-8; Acts 1:7; Romans 8:14-15; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 4:6; Hebrews 12:9; 1 Peter 1:17.
  3. God the Son–Psalms 2:7ff.; 110:1ff.; Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Matthew 1:18-23; 3:17; 11:27; 16:16; 17:5; 28:19; Mark 1:1; Luke 1:35; 22:70; John 1:1-18,29; 10:30,38; 11:25-27; 14:7-11; 17:1-5, 21-22; Acts 1:9; 2:22-24; 9:4-5,20; Romans 1:3-4; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 15:28; 2 Corinthians 5:19-21; Galatians 4:4-5; Ephesians 3:11; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:13-22; 2:9; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; 3:16; Titus 2:13-14; Hebrews 1:1-3; 7:14-28; 13:8; 1 Peter 2:21-25; 1 John 3:2; 4:14-15; 5:9; 2 John 7-9; Revelation 1:13-16; 5:9-14; 12:10-11; 19:16.
  4. God the Holy Spirit–Genesis 1:2; Judges 14:6; Psalms 51:11; Joel 2:28-32; Matthew 1:18; 3:16; 4:1; 12:28-32; 28:19; Luke 1:35; John 14:16-17, 26; 15:26; 16:7-14; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4,38; 5:3; 10:44; 13:2; 15:28; 16:6; 19:1-6; Romans 8:9-11,14-16,26-27; 1 Corinthians 2:10-14; 12:3-11; Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30; 1 Thessalonians 5:19; 2 Peter 1:21; 1 John 5:6-8; Revelation 22:17.
  5. Man. Man is the special creation of God, made in His own image. He created them male and female as the crowning work of His creation. The gift of gender is thus part of the goodness of God’s creation. In the beginning man was innocent of sin and was endowed by his Creator with freedom of choice. By his free choice man sinned against God and brought sin into the human race. Through the temptation of Satan man transgressed the command of God and fell from his original innocence whereby his posterity inherit a nature and an environment inclined toward sin. Therefore, as soon as they are capable of moral action, they become transgressors and are under condemnation. Only the grace of God can bring man into His holy fellowship and enable man to fulfill the creative purpose of God. The sacredness of human personality is evident in that God created man in His own image, and in that Christ died for man; therefore, every person of every race possesses full dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love.

Genesis 1:26-30; 2:5,7,18-22; 3; 9:6; Psalms 1; 8:3-6; 32:1-5; 51:5; Isaiah 6:5; Jeremiah 17:5; Matthew 16:26; Acts 17:26-31; Romans 1:19-32; 3:10-18,23; 5:6,12,19; 6:6; 7:14-25; 8:14-18,29; 1 Corinthians 1:21-31; 15:19,21-22; Ephesians 2:1-22; Colossians 1:21-22; 3:9-11.

  1. Providence. God has from eternity decreed and permitted all things that come to pass, and that He perpetually upholds, directs, and governs all creatures and all events so as not to destroy the moral agency or responsibility of intelligent creatures, yet so, as the sinfulness thereof proceeds only from the creatures and not from God, Who, being most holy and righteous, neither is nor can be the author or approver of sin.

Psalms 135:6; Proverbs 16:33; Isaiah 46:10-11; 55:10; Lamentations 3:37-38; Matthew 10:29-31; Acts 2:23; 4:27-28; Romans 8:28; Ephesians 1:11; Hebrews 1:3.

  1. Election. Election is the gracious purpose of God, according to which He regenerates, justifies, sanctifies, and glorifies sinners. It is consistent with the free agency of man and comprehends all the means in connection with the end. It is the glorious display of God’s sovereign goodness, and is infinitely wise, holy, and unchangeable. It excludes boasting and promotes humility.

All true believers endure to the end. Those whom God has accepted in Christ, and sanctified by His Spirit, will never fall away from the state of grace, but shall persevere to the end. Believers may fall into sin through neglect and temptation, whereby they grieve the Spirit, impair their graces and comforts, and bring reproach on the cause of Christ and temporal judgments on themselves; yet they shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.

Genesis 12:1-3; Exodus 19:5-8; 1 Samuel 8:4-7,19-22; Isaiah 5:1-7; Jeremiah 31:31ff.; Matthew 16:18-19; 21:28-45; 24:22,31; 25:34; Luke 1:68-79; 2:29-32; 19:41-44; 24:44-48; John 1:12-14; 3:16; 5:24; 6:44-45,65; 10:27-29; 15:16; 17:6,12,17-18; Acts 20:32; Romans 5:9-10; 8:28-39; 10:12-15; 11:5-7,26-36; 1 Corinthians 1:1-2; 15:24-28; Ephesians 1:4-23; 2:1-10; 3:1-11; Colossians 1:12-14; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14; 2 Timothy 1:12; 2:10,19; Hebrews 11:39–12:2; James 1:12; 1 Peter 1:2-5,13; 2:4-10; 1 John 1:7-9; 2:19; 3:2.

  1. The Fall. God originally created humanity in His own image, and free from sin; but, through the temptation of Satan, humanity willfully transgressed the command of God, and fell from his original holiness and righteous innocence; and through this fall all of humanity (i.e., each individual at conception, except the Lord Jesus) inherits a nature corrupt and wholly opposed to God and His moral law, and are under the just condemnation of God, and that as soon as any person becomes capable of moral action, they do become willful transgressors.

Genesis 1:26-31; 2: 7,18-22; 3; 9:6; Psalm 51:3-5; Isaiah 6:5; Matthew 16:26; Acts 17:26-31; Romans 1:19-32; 3:10-18,23; 5:12, 19; 7:14-25; Ephesians 2:1-22; Colossians 1:21-22.

  1. The Mediator. Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, is the divinely appointed mediator between God and humanity; having taken upon Himself the very nature of a man, yet without sin, He perfectly fulfilled all the demands of the Law, suffered and died upon the cross, for the salvation of sinners; He was buried, and raised from the dead by the power of God on the third day; He ascended to Heaven where He sits at the right hand of the Father and lives to make intercession for His people; He is the only Mediator, the Prophet, Priest and King of the Church, and Sovereign of the universe.

Isaiah 42:1; 53:10; Matthew 1:22-23; 28:18; Luke 1:33; John 1:14, 18; 3:34; 5:22, 27; 10:15-16; Acts 2:36; 17:31; Romans 5:10; 8:3, 34; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 4:4-7; Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:19, 21; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 2:14-18; 7:25-26; 9:24; 1 Peter 1:19-20; 3:18.

  1. Regeneration. Regeneration, or the new birth, is a work of God’s grace whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus. It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace.

Ezekiel 36:26-27; John 1:13; 3:3-8; Acts 10:44; 2 Corinthians 4:13; Ephesians 2:5, 8-10; Colossians 2:13; James 1:17-18; 1 Peter 1:3, 23.

  1. Repentance. Repentance is a genuine turning from sin toward God.

Psalms 119:128; Isaiah 55:7; Zechariah 12:10; Matthew 4:17; Mark 1:4, 14-15; Luke 3:8; 5:32; 15:7; 24:47 Acts 11:18; Romans 2:4; 13:12-14; 2 Corinthians 7:10; 2 Timothy 2:25; 2 Peter 3:9.

  1. Faith. Faith is the acceptance of Jesus Christ and commitment of the entire personality to Him as Lord and Savior.

Luke 17:5; John 1:12; 3:16-18; Acts 15:11; 16:31; 20:32; Romans 1:17; 3:21-31; 4:16-22; 10:14-17; 2 Corinthians 4:13; Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 2:8-10; 6:16; Philippians 1:29; Hebrews 6:11-12; 11; 1 Peter 2:2; 2 Peter 1:1.

  1. Justification. Justification is God’s gracious and full acquittal upon principles of His righteousness of all sinners who repent and believe in Christ. Justification brings the believer unto a relationship of peace and favor with God.

Genesis 15:6; Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:16-17; 3:21-4:25; 5:6-9, 17-19; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 2:16, 21; 3:6-8, 10-11, 24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Philippians 3:8-9; 1 Peter 3:18.

  1. Sanctification. Sanctification is the experience, beginning in regeneration, by which the believer is set apart to God’s purposes, and is enabled to progress toward moral and spiritual maturity through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in him. Growth in grace should continue throughout the regenerate person’s life.

1 Corinthians 1:2, 30; 6:11; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Hebrews 2:11; 10:10, 14; 13:12; 1 Peter 1:2.

  1. Glorification. Glorification is the culmination of salvation and is the final blessed and abiding state of the redeemed.

Philippians 3:20–21; 1 John 3:2; 1 John 3:3; Romans 8:18; 2 Corinthians 4:17; Romans 5:2; 1 Corinthians 13:12; 1 Corinthians 15:51; 1 Corinthians 15:53.

  1. The Church. A New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the two ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, 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 operates under the Lordship of Christ. Scripture describes the duties and responsibilities of Elders and Deacons. While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, Elders and Deacons must be men.

The New Testament speaks also of the eternal Body and Bride of Christ, composed of Jews and Gentiles, which includes all the redeemed of all the ages, believers from every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation, which will assemble in future glory.

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; 12:22-23; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Revelation 2-3; 21:2-3.

  1. Baptism. Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer’s faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, the believer’s death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. It is a testimony to his faith in the final resurrection of the dead. Being a church ordinance, it is prerequisite to the privileges of church membership and to the Lord’s Supper.

Matthew 3:13-17; 28:19-20; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22; John 3:22-23; 4:1-2, Acts 2:41; 8:35-39; 16:30-33; Romans 6:3-5; Colossians 2:12.

  1. The Lord’s Supper. The Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby members of the church, through partaking of the bread and the fruit of the vine, memorialize the death of the Redeemer and anticipate His second coming.

Matthew 26:26-30; Mark 14:22-26; Luke 22:14-20; 1 Corinthians 10:16, 21; 11:17-34.

  1. The Lord’s Day & The Sabbath. The church is to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ and hold congregational meetings, as a matter of preference, not of law, on the first day of the week. In Jesus Christ all believers find their Sabbath rest at all times, according to his fulfillment of the entirety of the Law.

Exodus 20:8-11; Matthew 12:1-13; 28:1-8; Mark 2:23-28; 16:1-7; Luke 6:1-10; 24:1-7, 21, 33-36; John 20:1, 19-20; Acts 20:7; Romans 14:5-10; I Corinthians 16:1-2; Colossians 2:16-17; 3:16; Revelation 1:10.

  1. The Priesthood of Believers. Every believer, empowered by the Holy Spirit, is called to a priesthood of service and devotion to God, through our great High Priest, Jesus Christ. As priests of God, all believers possess the authority, responsibility, and privilege to proclaim the gospel and to enter God’s presence through prayer.

Romans 12:1; Galatians 3:28; Colossians 3:11; Hebrews 10:19-25; 13:10-16; 1 Peter 2:5-10.

  1. Liberty of Conscience. God alone is Lord of the conscience and that he has left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men, which are anything contrary to or in excess of his Word; the consciences of believers may be rightly bound by civil authorities in so far as they are under the greater authority of God; additionally, believers ought to, out of mutual love, avoid needlessly offending each other’s consciences.

Acts 4:19; Romans 14:1-15:6; 1 Corinthians 8; Galatians 5:13; Colossians 2:16-23; James 4:12.

  1. The Intermediate State & the Resurrection. After death all bodies return to dust; the spirits of those who belong to Christ then rest with God (in conscious bliss), and the spirits of the unbelievers are reserved in punitive darkness (in conscious torment) until the judgment; at the last day the bodies of all people, both just and unjust, will be raised.

*See references for The Last Things for inclusion of passages concerning the Resurrection of the dead as many of these go hand in hand.

  1. The Last Things. The future personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth to establish His eternal heavenly Kingdom is confirmed. We believe in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, the eternal blessedness of the righteous, and the eternal damnation of the wicked.

God has appointed a Day when he will judge the world by Jesus Christ; on that Day, those who trust in Christ will be granted everlasting life and unbelievers will be condemned to everlasting punishment in the lake of fire. While each unbeliever will be held accountable for each and every sin committed, each believer, having no condemnation in Christ, will receive rewards based on their service to the Lord during their lifetime.

Ecclesiastes 12:14; Isaiah 2:4; Daniel 7:13-14; Matthew 7:21-23; 16:27;19: 27-28; 24:27, 30, 36, 44; 25:31-46; 26:64; Mark 8:38; 9:43-48; Luke 12:40,48; 16:19-31; 17:20-37; 21:25-28; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:11; 17:31; Romans 14:10-12; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 15:24-28,35-58; 2 Corinthians 5:1-10; Philippians 3:20-21; Colossians 3:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 5:1-10; 2 Thessalonians 1:3- 2:12; 1 Timothy 6:14; 2 Timothy 4:1,8; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 9:27-28; James 5:8; 2 Peter 3:3-13; 1 John 2:28; 3:2; Jude 14; Revelation 20:1-22:13.                                                                

The statement of faith does not exhaust the extent of our faith. The Bible itself, as the inspired and infallible Word of God that speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind, is the sole and final source of all that we believe.  For purposes of church doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline, the Pastor/Elders are the church’s final interpretive authority on the Bible’s meaning and application.