CONSTITUTION 

CONFESSION OF FAITH

Having been led, as we believe by the Spirit of God, to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, and on the Profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, we do now in the presence of God, and angels, and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another, as one body in Christ. 

We engage, therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of the local church in knowledge, holiness, and comfort: to promote its prosperity and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline, and doctrines; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to support of the ministry, the expenses of the local church, the relief of the poor, and the spreading of the gospel through all nations.

We also engage to maintain family and secret devotions; to religiously educate our children; to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintance; to walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful to our engagements and exemplary to deportment; to avoid all tattling, backbiting, and excessive anger; to abstain from the sale and the use of all alcoholic beverages, and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the gospel of the grace of or Savior.

We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember each other in prayer; to aid each other in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and courtesy of speech; to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation; and mindful of the rules of our Savior to secure it without delay.

ARTICLES OF FAITH

GOD

We believe there is one and only one living and true God, an infinite Spirit, the maker and Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth; inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worth of all possible honor, confidence, and love; in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, equal in every divine perfection and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption. (Exodus 20:2-3; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Revelation 4:11; Deuteronomy 10:17)

We believe that Jesus Christ, God’s only Begotten Son was infinite God, co-existent and co-equal with the Father; that He condescended to man but in His incarnation never lost any of His Deity, that he was sinless and is the only Savior of mankind. (John 1:1-4; John 10:30; Hebrews 1:1-3)

THE HOLY SPIRIT

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, with God the Father and God the Son and of the same nature; that He was active in the creation; that in His relation to the unbelieving world He restrains the evil on until God’s purpose is fulfilled. He convicts of sin, of righteousness, and of Judgment; that He bears witness to the Truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony; that He is the agent in the New Birth; that He seals, sanctifies, and helps the believer. (John 14:15; Matthew 28:19; Hebrews 9:14; John 14:26; Luke 1:35; Genesis 1:1-3; John 16:8-11; Acts 5:30-32; John 3:5-6; Ephesians 1:13; Mark 1:8; John 1:22; Acts 11:16; Luke 24:49; Romans 8:16-26)

THE SCRIPTURES

We believe the King James Bible is inspired and this “Inspiration” is that extraordinary, supernatural influence exerted by the Holy Ghost on the writers of our Sacred Books, by which their words were rendered also the Words of God and, therefore, perfectly infallible. We believe it to be the true center of Christian union and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions, shall be tried. (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21)

SATAN, THE DEVIL

We believe in the personality of Satan, that he is the unholy god of this age, and the author of all powers of darkness, and is destined of the judgment of an eternal justice in the Lake of Fire. (Matthew 4:1-3; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 20:10)

CREATION

We accept the Genesis account of creation and believe that man came by the direction of God and not by any process of evolution. (Genesis, 1, 2; Colossians 1:16-17; John 1:3)

THE FALL OF MAN

We believe that man was created in innocence under the law of his maker, but by voluntary transgression fell from his sinless and happy state in consequence of which all mankind are now sinners, not only by birth, but by choice; and, therefore, under just condemnation without defense or excuse. (Genesis 3:1-6; Romans 1:18, 32, and 5:10-19)

VIRGIN BIRTH

We believe that Jesus was begotten of the Holy Ghost in a miraculous manner, born of Mary, a virgin, as no other man was ever born or can be born of woman, and that He is both the Son of God and God the Son. (Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-23; Luke 1:25; John 1:4)

ATONTMENT FOR SIN

We believe that the salvation of the sinner is wholly of Grace; through the mediatorial offices of the Son of God, who by the appointment of the Father, freely took upon Him our nature, yet without sin, honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and by His death made a full and vicarious atonement consisted not in setting us an example by death as a martyr, but was a voluntary substitution of himself n the sinner’s place, the Just dying for the unjust, Christ, the Lord, bearing our sin in His own body on the tree; that having risen from the dead, He is now enthroned in Heaven, and uniting in His wonderful person the tender sympathies with divine perfection. He is in every way qualified to be a suitable, a compassionate, and an all-sufficient Savior. (Ephesians 2:8; Acts 15:11; Romans 3:24-25; John 3:16; Matthew 18:11; Philippians 2:7; Hebrews 2:14; Isaiah 53:4-7; 1 John 4:10; 1 Corinthians 15:3; 2 Corinthians 4:21)

REGENERATION OR THE NEW BIRTH

We believe in order to be saved, sinners must be born again; the New Birth is a new creation in Christ Jesus; it is instantaneous and not a process; in the new birth the one dead in trespasses and in sin is made a partaker of the divine nature and receives eternal life; the free gift of God; the new creation is wrought in a manner above our comprehension, solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with divine truth, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the Gospel; its proper evidence papers in the Holy fruits of repentance and faith and newness of life. (John 3:3, 8; 2 Corinthians 5:17, 19; 1 John 3:6-7; Acts 16:30-31; 2 Peter 1:4; Romans 16:23; Ephesians 2:1; Colossians 2:13)

JUSTIFICATION

We believe the great Gospel Blessing which Christ secures to such as believe in Him is Justification; and Justification includes the pardon of sin, and the gift of eternal life, on principles of righteousness.

We believe it is bestowed not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done; but solely through faith in the Redeemer’s blood, His righteousness is imputed to us.

FAITH AND SALVATION

We believe faith, exercised unto repentance in the Lord Jesus Christ, is the only necessary condition of salvation.

THE LOCAL CHURCH

We believe a local church is a congregation of immersed believers, associated by covenant and fellowship of the Gospel, observing the ordinances of Christ, governed by His Word; its officers are pastors, deacons, whose qualifications, claims, and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures. 

We believe the true mission of the church is the faithful witnessing of Christ to all men as we have the opportunity. We hold the local church has the absolute right of self-government, free from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations; and the one and only superintendent is Christ though the Holy spirit; it is scriptural for true churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith for furtherance of the Gospel; and repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem or the USA (Luke 23:47). Each local church is the sole judge of the measure and method of its cooperation on all matters of membership, of policy of government, of discipline, of benevolence, the will of the local church is final. (Luke 23:47; Acts 2:41, 15:13-18, 20:17-28; 1 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 1:22-23, 4:11, 5:23-24; 1 Timothy 3:17; Colossians 1:18)

BAPTISM AND THE LORD’S SUPPER

We believe Christian Baptism is the immersion of the believer in water to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem of faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior, signifying or death to sin and resurrection to a new life, it is prerequisite to the privilege of church membership. 

We believe the Lord’s Supper is the commemoration of His death until He comes, and should be preceded always by solemn self-examination. Frequency shall be determined by the pastor. (Acts 8:26-39; John 3:23; Romans 6:3-5; Matthew 13:16; Colossians 2:12; 1 Corinthians 11:23-28)

THE SECURITY OF THE BELIEVER

We believe all who are truly born again are kept by God the Father for Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6, John 10:28-29; Romans 8:35-39; Jude 1) 

THE RESURRECTION, PERSONAL, VISIBLE, PREMILLENIAL RETURN OF CHRIST AND RELATED EVENTS

We believe in the following:

1) Bodily Resurrection (Matthew 28:6-7; Mark 16:6; Luke 24:2-6, 39; John 20:27; 1 Corinthians 15:4)

2) The Ascension (Acts 1:9-11, Luke 24:51; Mark16:19; Leviticus 3:21; Hebrews 5:9-10)

3) The High Priesthood (Hebrews 2:17, 5:9-10, 6:6; 1 Timothy 2:5; 1 John 2:1)

4) The Second Coming (John 14:3; Acts 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; James 5:6; Hebrews 9:28)

5) The Resurrection of the Righteous dead (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18; 1 Corinthians 15:42-44, 52)

6) The change of the living Christ (1 Corinthians 15:51-53; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Philippians 3:20-21)

7) The Throne of David (Luke 1:32; Isaiah 9:6-7; Acts 2:29-30)

8) The Millennial Reign (1 Corinthians 15:25, Isaiah 32:1, 11:4-5; Psalms 72:8; Revelation 20:6, 14)

IN ADDITION BE IT RESOLVED

We disapprove of Christians, members of Country Wide Prison Ministry, connecting themselves as being needless, profitless, and an offence and grief to many good people and not conducive to piety or Christian usefulness. To do so would disqualify anyone to hold any office or place of influence in Country Wide Prison Ministry.

We disapprove of the use of tobacco, drugs, and alcoholic beverages. The use of the same shall disqualify anyone to hold office or place of influence in Country Wide Prison Ministry.

We emphatically discountenance and condemn indulgence in any questionable practice such as all types of gambling, dances, and card gambling, detrimental to personal piety, and pernicious in its influence and its example to others.