Statement of Faith
God
We believe in one God, Creator of all things, holy, infinitely perfect, and eternally
existing in a loving unity of three equally divine Persons: the Father, the Son and the
Holy Spirit. Having limitless knowledge and sovereign power, God has graciously
purposed from eternity to redeem a people for Himself and to make all things new for
His own glory.
The Bible
We believe that God has spoken in the Scriptures, both Old and New
Testaments, through the words of human authors. As the verbally inspired Word of God,
the Bible is without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of His will for
salvation, and the ultimate authority by which every realm of human knowledge and
endeavor should be judged. Therefore, it is to be believed in all that it teaches, obeyed
in all that it requires, and trusted in all that it promises.
The Human Condition
We believe that God created Adam and Eve in His image, but
they sinned when tempted by Satan. In union with Adam, human beings are sinners by
nature and by choice, alienated from God, and under His wrath. Only through God’s
saving work in Jesus Christ can we be rescued, reconciled and renewed.
Jesus Christ: We believe that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, fully God and fully man,
one Person in two natures. Jesus—Israel's promised Messiah—was conceived through
the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life, was crucified under
Pontius Pilate, arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven and sits at the right
hand of God the Father as our High Priest and Advocate.
The Work of Christ
We believe that Jesus Christ, as our representative and substitute,
shed His blood on the cross as the perfect, all-sufficient sacrifice for our sins. His
atoning death and victorious resurrection constitute the only ground for salvation.
The Holy Spirit: We believe that the Holy Spirit, in all that He does, glorifies the Lord
Jesus Christ. He convicts the world of its guilt. He regenerates sinners, and in Him they
are baptized into union with Christ and adopted as heirs in the family of God. He also
indwells, illuminates, guides, equips and empowers believers for Christ-like living and service.
The Church
We believe that the true church comprises all who have been justified by
God's grace through faith alone in Christ alone. They are united by the Holy Spirit in the
body of Christ, of which He is the Head. The true church is manifest in local churches,
whose membership should be composed only of believers. The Lord Jesus mandated
two ordinances, baptism and the Lord’s Supper, which visibly and tangibly express the
gospel. Though they are not the means of salvation, when celebrated by the church in
genuine faith, these ordinances confirm and nourish the believer.
Christian Living
We believe that God's justifying grace must not be separated from
His sanctifying power and purpose. God commands us to love Him supremely and
others sacrificially, and to live out our faith with care for one another, compassion toward
the poor and justice for the oppressed. With God’s Word, the Spirit’s power, and fervent
prayer in Christ’s name, we are to combat the spiritual forces of evil. In obedience to
Christ’s commission, we are to make disciples among all people, always bearing
witness to the gospel in word and deed.
Christ’s Return
We believe in the personal, bodily and glorious return of our Lord
Jesus Christ. The coming of Christ, at a time known only to God, demands constant
expectancy and, as our blessed hope, motivates the believer to godly living, sacrificial
service and energetic mission.
Response and Eternal Destiny
We believe that God commands everyone
everywhere to believe the gospel by turning to Him in repentance and receiving the Lord
Jesus Christ. We believe that God will raise the dead bodily and judge the world,
assigning the unbeliever to condemnation and eternal conscious punishment and the
believer to eternal blessedness and joy with the Lord in the new heaven and the new
earth, to the praise of His glorious grace. Amen.
(EFCA 2019)
Our Creeds
Apostles Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth;
And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord;
who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven,
and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father almighty.
From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost,
the holy catholic Church*,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
Nicene Creed
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is,
seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father: through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.
Amen.
Athanasian Creed
Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith;
Which faith except everyone do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.
And the catholic faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity;
Neither confounding the persons, nor dividing the substance.
For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son and another of the Holy Spirit.
But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit is all one, the glory equal, the majesty co-eternal.
Such as the Father is, such is the Son and such is the Holy Spirit.
The Father uncreate, the Son uncreate, and the Holy Spirit uncreate.
The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Spirit incomprehensible.
The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Spirit eternal.
And yet they are not three eternals, but one eternal.
As also there are not three uncreated nor three incomprehensibles, but one uncreated and one incomprehensible.
So likewise the Father is almighty, the Son almighty, and the Holy Spirit almighty;
And yet they are not three almighties, but one almighty.
Sa the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God;
And yet they are not three Gods, but one God.
So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Spirit Lord;
And yet they are not three Lords, but one Lord.
For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every person by himself to be God and Lord;
so are we forbidden by the catholic religion to say: There are three Gods or three Lords.
The Father is made of none, neither created nor begotten.
The Son is of the Father alone; not made nor created, but begotten.
The Holy Spirit is of the Father and of the Son; neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.
So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits.
And in this Trinity none is afore, nor after another; none is greater, or less than another.
But the whole three persons are co-eternal, and co-equal.
So that in all things, as aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped.
He therefore that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity.
Furthermore it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe rightly the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
For the right faith is that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and man.
God of the substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and made of the substance of His mother, born in the world.
Perfect God and perfect man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting.
Equal to the Father as touching His Godhead, and inferior to the Father as touching His manhood.
Who, although He is God and man, yet He is not two, but one Christ.
One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking of the manhood into God.
One altogether, not by the confusion of substance, but by unity of person.
For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and man is one Christ;
Who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead;
He ascended into heaven, He sitteth on the right hand of the Father, God Almighty;
From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies;
And shall give account of their own works.
And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting, and they that have done evil into everlasting fire.
This is the catholic faith, which except a man believe faithfully, he cannot be saved.