CBC Doctrinal Statement
We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the verbally and plenary inspired Word of God. The sixty–six books, from Genesis to Revelation, are the complete and divine revelation of God to man. These Scriptures, being God–breathed, are inerrant, infallible and therefore the final authority for all faith and practice. We further believe that God gave the words of Scripture without error in the original autographs and that He has promised to preserve His Words. We embrace the Authorized Version as the best translation of the preserved Word of God from the Hebrew Masoretic (OT) and the Received Text (NT). As such, the King James Version of the Scriptures shall be used for all preaching, teaching, Bible study and memorization by this church (II Samuel 23:1–2; Psalm 12:6–7; 119: 89; Isaiah 40:8; Matthew 24:34–35; Mark 13:31; Acts 1:16; 28:25; 5:29; II Timothy 3:16,17; Hebrews 1: 1; 11 Peter 1:19–21)
Section B—Dispensationalism
We believe that the Scriptures interpreted in their natural, literal, grammatical and historical sense reveal divinely determined dispensations or rules of life which define man’s responsibilities in successive ages. These dispensations are not ways of salvation, but rather are divinely ordered stewardships by which God directs man according to His purpose. Three of these dispensations—Law, Grace, and the Kingdom—are the subjects of detailed revelation in Scripture (Genesis 1:28; I Corinthians 9:17; II Corinthians 3:9–18; Galatians 3:13–25; Ephesians 1:10; 3:2–10; Colossians 1:24–25, 27; Revelation 20:2–6).
Section C—God
We believe that the Godhead exists eternally in three, co–equal persons; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and these are one God (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 45:21,22; Jeremiah 10:10; Matthew 28:19, John 1: 1–3; Acts 5:3–4; II Corinthians 13:14; Hebrews 1:1–3).
Section D—Jesus Christ
We believe in the true deity and humanity of Jesus Christ, His miraculous birth—conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, His sinless life, His sacrificial atonement for the sins of the whole world by His vicarious death, His bodily resurrection, His ascension into heaven, His perpetual intercession on behalf of the saints, and His personal, bodily and visible return to the earth (Isaiah 7:14; Luke 1:26–35; John 1:14; Romans 5:1,11; I Corinthians 15:1,4; I Thessalonians 4:13–18; Revelation 20:6).
Section E—Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the third Member of the Godhead; that He is a divine Person equal with the Father and Son; that His ministry is to uplift and glorify Christ, to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, to regenerate, indwell, seal, enlighten, empower, and comfort the saved—the evidence of His presence in the life of the believer being the fruit of the Spirit (John 3:6; 14:26; 16:7–11; Acts 1:8; Romans 8:9; II Corinthians 3:18; Galatians 4:6; 5:22–25; Ephesians 1:13–14; 4:30; 5:18; II Thessalonians 2:7).
Section F—Satan
We believe that Satan is a person, a fallen angel, the perpetrator of the fall of man, and the god of this age; he is also a defeated foe and his destiny is eternal punishment (Genesis 3:1–7; Job 1,2; II Corinthians 4:4; Hebrews 2:14; Revelation 20:7–10).
Section G—Salvation
We believe that all men are sinners by nature and by choice and therefore are lost and depraved; that salvation is by grace, a free gift of God, and is eternally possessed by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; that whosoever will may choose to reject or receive Jesus Christ; that all who receive Jesus Christ are forgiven of all sin by His atoning blood; that genuine faith includes true repentance and that those who believe on Jesus Christ are born from above, become adopted sons of God and as His elect, are predestined to become like His Son. We further believe that the reception of salvation is characterized by a godly sorrow for sin and a transformed life (Genesis 3:1–7; John 1:11–13; Romans 5:12–19; II Corinthians 5:17; 7:8–10; Ephesians 1:3–4,7; 2:8–10; John 10:28; Romans 8:28–39; 1 Peter 1:2).
Section H—Eternal Security and Assurance
We believe that all the truly redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever. We further believe that it is the duty of every child of God to pursue a life of obedience and holiness that will result in the enjoyment of personal assurance of salvation (John 6:37–40; 10:27–30; Romans 8:1, 38–39; I Corinthians 1:4–8; Philippians 1:6; I Timothy 1:12; Titus 2:11–15; I Peter 1:4–5; II Peter 1:8–10).
Section I—The Church
We believe that the plan of God for this age is to evangelize the world through the establishment of New Testament local churches; that these churches are organized, localized, visible, assemblies of born–again, baptized believers who meet together for worship, preaching, prayer, fellowship, teaching, discipline and to actively engage in carrying out the Great Commission; that the ordinances of the local church are two: the Lord’s Supper and believer’s baptism by immersion; that the local church is to be separate from the State as well as all ecumenical groups and unequal yokes (Matthew 22:21; 28:19–20; Mark 16:15–16; Acts 2:41–42; 4:18–20; 5:29; Romans 6:3–13; I Corinthians 5:5; 7; 11:23–29; Ephesians 1:22–23; 5:27; Colossians 1:12–14,18; 2:12–13; I Timothy 2:1–3; 3:15; II Timothy 1:13).
Section J—Baptist Convictions
We believe eight distinctives best represent our biblicist, Baptist convictions based on God’s Word:
*Separation of Church and State—a free church in a free state (Matthew 23:8; Acts 23:1; 24:16)
*Priesthood of the Believer—Believers have direct access to God (Hebrews 4:14–16; I Peter 2:5,9)
*Autonomy of the Local Church—free to govern itself under Jesus Christ as its sole Head (Matthew 18:15–17; Acts 6:1–6; I Peter 5:2)
*Regenerate Church Membership—necessity of the New Birth (Acts 2:41–47; I Corinthians 4:15; Ephesians 5:11–12)
*Two Symbolic Ordinances—Believers are not obedient until scripturally baptized and regularly observing the Lord’s Supper as an ongoing memorial (Matthew 28:19–20; Acts 8:37–39; I Corinthians 11:23–32)
*Individual Soul Liberty—the right to personal interpretation and belief (Acts 5:28–29; Romans 14:3–5)
*Absolute Authority of the Bible—the whole counsel of God’s Word is essential and the only rule for faith and practice (Isaiah 8:20; I Peter 1:23–25)
*Two Scriptural Officers—Pastor (s) and deacons (I Timothy 3:1–14; Titus 1:1–10)
Section K—Separation
We believe that all the saved are called unto a life of separation from worldly and sinful practices, immodesty, immorality and impurity unto a holy, and God–pleasing walk of obedience; that all true believers will separate from apostasy, doctrinal compromise, and from disobedient brethren (Luke 12:51; Romans 12: 1–2; II Corinthians 6:14–18; Ephesians 5:11–12; I Thessalonians 4:1–10; II Thessalonians 3:14–15; James 4: 4; 1 John 2:16).
Section L—The Future
We believe in the imminent return of our Lord Jesus Christ, the pre–tribulational rapture of the saints, the judgment seat of Christ, the great tribulation followed by the earthly, physical, one–thousand year reign of Christ, the great white throne judgment, and the creation of a new heaven and a new earth (Zechariah 14:4–21; Matthew 24:29,30,42; Acts 1:9–11; John 14:1–4; I Thessalonians 4:13–18; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 9:28; Revelation 1:7; 20:1–6).
Section M—Eternity
We believe in the bodily resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust; the eternal conscious punishment of the lost in Hell and the eternal joy of the saved in Heaven (Daniel 12:1–2; Matthew 25:31–46; I Corinthians 15:22–24; Revelation 20).
Section N—Creation
We believe that God created the universe in six literal, 24–hour periods of time called “days”. We reject evolution, the Gap Theory, the Day–Age Theory, and Theistic Evolution as unscriptural theories of origin (Genesis 1–2; Exodus 20:11).
Section 0—Family Relationships
We believe that men and women are spiritually equal in position before God, but that God has ordained distinct and separate spiritual functions for men and women in the home and the church. The husband is to be the leader of the home, and men are to be the leaders of the church. Accordingly, only men are eligible for licensure and ordination to the ministry by the church. We further believe that God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. The husband is to love his wife as Christ loves the church. The wife is to submit herself to the scriptural leadership of her husband as the church submits to the headship of Christ. Children are an heritage from the Lord. Parents are responsible for teaching their children spiritual and moral values and leading them through consistent lifestyle example and appropriate discipline, including scriptural and corporal correction (Genesis 1:26–28; Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 6:4–9; Psalm 127:3–5; Proverbs 19:18; 22:15; 23:13–14; Mark 10:6–12; I Corinthians 7:1–16; Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 5:21–33; 6:1–4; Colossians 3:18–21; I Timothy 2:8–15; 3:4–5,12; Hebrews 13:4; I Peter 3:1–7).
Section P—Human Sexuality
We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one’s gender by surgery or appearance. We further believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man with one woman (Genesis 2:24–25; 19:5; 26:8–9; Leviticus 18:1–30; Romans 1:26–30; 7:2; I Corinthians 5:1; 6:9; 7:10; Ephesians 5:22–23; I Thessalonians 4:1–8; Hebrews 13:4).
Section Q—Marriage and Divorce
We believe that God disapproves of and forbids divorce and intends marriage to last until one of the spouses dies. Although divorced and remarried persons or divorced persons may hold positions of service in the church and be greatly used of God for Christian service, they may not be considered for the offices of pastor or deacon (Malachi 2:14–17; Matthew 19:3–12; Romans 7:1–3; I Corinthians 7; I Timothy 3:2; 12; Titus 1:6).
Section R—Abortion
We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn, human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the mental well–being of the mother are acceptable (Job 3:16; Psalm 51:5; 139:14–16; Isaiah 44:24; 49:1, 5; Jeremiah 1:5; 20:15–18; Luke 1:44).
Section S—Lawsuits Between Believers
We believe that Christians are prohibited from bringing civil lawsuits against other Christians or against the church to resolve personal disputes. We believe that the church possesses all the resources necessary to resolve personal disputes between members. We do believe, however, that a Christian may seek compensation for injuries from another Christian’s insurance company as long as the claim is pursued without malice or slander (I Corinthians 6:1–8; Ephesians 4:31–32).
Section T—Missions
We believe that God has given the local church a great commission to proclaim the Gospel to all nations so that there might be a great multitude from every nation, tribe, ethnic group, and language group who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. As ambassadors of Christ we must use all available means to go to the foreign nations and not wait for them to come to us (Matthew 28:19–20; Mark 16:15–16; Luke 24:46–48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; II Corinthians 5:20).
Section U—Giving
We believe that every Christian, as a steward of that portion of God’s wealth entrusted to him, is obligated by Scripture to support his local church financially. We believe that God has established the tithe (one tenth of gross income) as a basis for giving, but that every Christian should also give other offerings sacrificially and cheerfully to the support of the church, the relief of those in need, and the spread of the Gospel world–wide. We believe that a Christian relinquishes all rights to direct the use of the tithe offering once the gift has been made (Genesis 14:20; Proverbs 3:9–10; Malachi 3:8–12; Acts 4:34–37; I Corinthians 16:2; II Corinthians 9:6–7; Galatians 6:6–8; Ephesians 4:28; 1 Timothy 5:17–18; 1 John 3:17).