Our Beliefs

We are traditionally Wesleyan yet pledge to no denomination. We believe our call as a body of believers is to care for for our community and each other, proclaiming the Truth, showing love, and growing in our faith to show others the goodness of God.

I believe in God the Father Almighty, creator of Heaven and Earth:  In Genesis 1, we read that God created the universe in six days. He created humankind in Their image (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.) He established covenants with His people. The Old Testament covenants are with Noah: God gave His promise not to eradicate humankind with an earth-covering flood. Abraham and his son Isaac: His faithfulness to God’s promise to make him the father of many nations. Moses: God promised to restore His people and bring them into the land promised to their ancestors as long as they obeyed the laws that Moses established. Those first ten laws, known as the Ten Commandments, are still relevant for all humankind today. David: A Messiah who would make right the wrong done by humanity and restore our brokenness for His holiness through the Son.

 I believe in Jesus Christ, His Only Son, Our Lord:  Jesus is both Fully Human and Fully Divine. We read in John 1:1 that Jesus Christ existed since the beginning, ruling as a part of the Holy Trinity. He is the Word-made flesh.  As we read in the Old Testament, Jesus came to Fulfill the Law and the Prophets. Jesus sent His Spirit, the Holy Spirit, who inspired those who authored the Written Word of God, which is the Bible. In Colossian 1:16, Jesus was given all power and complete reign over the entire universe and spiritual realm.

Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary: He is the Incarnate, which means He was born Human, united with the mind of God. Mary’s lineage fulfilled the prophecy that the Messiah would be a son (or descendant) of David. Many prophecies were fulfilled, as we find in the Gospel writings.

He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried: He was the sacrifice for the sins of all humanity. Substitutionary Atonement: He paid the price to atone for our sins. He died so that through our faith in Him and Him alone, we would not have to taste eternal death. His death fulfilled the prophecies of the Suffering Servant, as found in various prophetic writings in the Old Testament, particularly Isaiah 53 and David’s Psalm 22.

He descended to the Dead: We believe in the Spirit Realm, which means that evil deities exist in the darkness, such as demons, devils, and Satan, also known as Lucifer. We believe holy deities, such as various kinds of angels, reside with the Triune God. According to Ephesians 6, God has given us armor, such as His written word, Christ’s Word, and the Holy Spirit, to fight off the powers of darkness. When Jesus descended, He proved His power over the forces of darkness, the power of Satan, and all things of Hell. All souls who did not know Jesus yet strived for holiness in God the Father were set free, tearing the veil between humankind and the Holy One. Now, we can commune with God through His Son, Jesus Christ.

On the third day, He rose from the dead: We serve a Risen Savior alive now and forever. Unlike other religions, we declare our God to be a living, currently active God who plays a part in the lives of His followers. Therefore, we proclaim that the Triune God is the only God and not equal to but above all other deities and belief structures.

He ascended into Heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty: His Ascension is as important as His death and resurrection (Colossians 3). Jesus is the Prophet of all prophets, the Priest of all priests, and the King of all kings. Jesus is alive and sits at the Father’s right hand. We believe in the effectiveness of prayer. The Church is called to be priests of Christ and intercede on behalf of others (1 Peter 2, Matthew 18). From there, He shall come to judge the living and the dead. The Church must spread the good news; time is short. Christ will judge everyone on the final day, Judgement Day. Jesus will return for His Bride, the Church. The Church is all those who have professed Jesus as Lord and Savior and live holy, as He is Holy.

I believe in the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is the third extension of God within those who profess Christ as their Savior and Lord. The Holy Spirit resides with all those who belong to the Church. Only through the guidance of the Holy Spirit can we do the will of God. Therefore, the church body should be in prayerful agreement on decisions as long as they are open and seeking God’s will above their own. There is power in prayer. God’s people can talk to Him and intercede for themselves and others. If the Holy Spirit is in us, then God is with us. The Holy Spirit does provide divine signs and wonders. Healings of the mind and body are possible and can happen through prayer and the faith of God’s people. The demonically possessed need Jesus; the Holy Spirit gifts certain ones who can cast out evil, but only in the name of Jesus Christ.

The Holy Catholic Church: The word catholic is Latin for the entire congregation. Therefore, we believe we are brothers and sisters to those who profess Jesus as Lord worldwide. The Christian Church has a long history and a victorious future through our King Jesus. As a church, we understand that the Jewish traditions, as outlined in Scripture, the Holy Bible is a precursor to the New Covenant and is to be honored as such. Therefore, we may celebrate Passover Seder in remembrance of the Lord’s Last Supper and other such traditions for educational purposes. However, when Jesus came, the Early Christians started new traditions, which we still use as resources, tools, and liturgy for worship and discipleship. The Christian Calendar begins with the first Sunday of Advent (usually the first Sunday of December) and ends on Christ the King Sunday (at the end of November.)

We celebrate many holidays in between as long as they have long-standing practices in the Christian Tradition and are based on Scripture. We celebrate the seasons of Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, Pentecost, and Kingdomtide in that order with worship liturgy, song, discipleship, and study. Those who profess Christ as Lord are Saints and ascend to the Great Cloud of Witnesses when we die. We honor those who were great Prophets and Teachers of the Church throughout time. Some may have been declared saints by the Catholic Church, such as St. Patrick and St. Nicholas. Others like John and Charles Wesley have helped us understand theology.

All persons are created with a purpose by God. Those in the church have gifts, skills, and passions that help us do ministry work together. In Ephesians chapter 4, we read that some are apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers. We believe these gifts apply to all, regardless of race, age, or gender. This chapter also describes teamwork within the body of Christ, where each person is unified in faith, and their unique gifts and passions are celebrated.

The Communion of Saints—The Forgiveness of Sins: We regularly celebrate two Sacraments as a Body of Christ, including Holy Communion, at least once a month. We remember the sacred acts of Jesus Christ our Lord for all persons and for all time. We share in this remembrance as a Body of Christ on the unified mission of sharing the Gospel however and wherever God directs us.

We celebrate Baptism with water and celebrate the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. We believe it is appropriate to baptize the infants of those dedicated to the Christian faith and the Church. However, this is not to replace the person
recognizing their need for forgiveness and transformation in Jesus Christ.

We also believe it is appropriate to baptize those who have recently repented, professed their complete faith in Christ, and wish to dedicate their lives to Him and grow in their discipleship. However, we understand that Baptism is genuinely given by God, not by a pastor or church. Baptism is done only after prayer and discernment with the person or family and the lead pastor. Only God can forgive sins and know the heart of a person. We recognize sprinkling, pouring, and immersion as appropriate methods of conducting water baptism. We implore the Holy Spirit to always be present with us as a church and individually, as promised. This is the outpouring or Baptism of the Holy Spirit. There are other blessed events in the lives of the believers, such as weddings, funerals, dedications, stewardship, and testimonies.

The Resurrection of the Body and the Life Everlasting: All Souls go on for eternity. However, those who reject Christ as Savior are cast out of eternity with God. This is known as the second death. At the Second Coming of Christ. Those who profess Christ as their Lord will receive their new resurrected bodies, unlike anything else. The souls of those who die before the second coming are alive in the heavenly realm, waiting for Christ to return to Resurrect His Bride, the Church.  However, if someone dies without giving their life to Christ, they will experience Hell, which is a separation from God’s presence, peace, and light.