1. I believe the Church consists of all believers in Christ Jesus from its inception on the day of Pentecost to the coming of the Lord. New members are added as a result of their baptism in the Holy Spirit at the initial point of salvation. (1 Thess. 4:14-17; 1 Cor. 12:13)

2. I believe the Church is a body distinct from the nation of Israel. God has not, is not, and will not fulfill promises made to Israel through the Church. The Church does, however, enjoy the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham that he would be a blessing to all peoples. (Gal. 6:16; Rom. 9:3-5; 11:25-28; Gal. 3:16-19)

3. I believe the Church is not a single denomination nor only all individuals involved in a local congregation. Any individual who holds a biblically accurate view of Christ’s crucifixion–the need for it and the purpose of it–and His resurrection is a part of the Church. (Rom. 10:9; 1 Cor. 12:14, 21)

4. I believe the Church should function in three primary capacities: to evangelize the heathen, to disciple believers, and to worship God. Every local congregation is responsible for fulfilling these three roles. (Rom. 10:14-15; Matt. 28:19-20; Deut. 10:20)

5. I believe the local congregation has the authority and responsibility to discipline its members for gross sins or false doctrine. The goal of this discipline is repentance and not chastisement; once repentance takes place, no further disciplinary measures should be taken but instead movement towards restoration. For sin committed in private, Jesus’ model for confrontation should be employed. For sin committed in public, the guilty person should be confronted publicly. (1 Cor. 5:4-5; 1 Tim. 1:20; 2 Cor. 2:7-11; Matt. 18:15-17; Gal. 2:11-16)

6. I believe the Church should participate in two sacraments as instituted by the Lord Jesus: Communion and believer's baptism. Holy Communion, or the Lord’s table, should be taken together with other believers in remembrance of Christ’s broken body and shed blood. Water baptism should be participated in by each believer as an outward testimony of his or her faith in Christ as Savior and Lord. Neither of these sacraments are grace-conveying, nor are they necessary for salvation. (1 Cor. 11:20, 23-26; Matt. 28:19; Acts 2:38, 41; 8:36-39)

7. I believe the leaders of the local congregation ought to consist of elders and deacons, with Christ as the head. These leaders should have the approval of their congregation and should function as instructors and servants, respectively. The biblical qualifications for leadership are mandatory, flexible only according to interpretation. These leaders must all be male because Adam was formed first and he was not the one deceived, and because of the curse. (Acts 20:7, 6:3-6; 1 Tim. 3:1-12; Titus 1:6-9; 1 Tim. 2:12-14; Gen. 3:16)

8. I believe the local congregation may worship God in any way it sees fit. The expression of an attitude of worship pales in importance compared to the attitude itself. (2 Sam. 6:5, 14-15, 20-22)

9. I believe God has given gifts to the Church in the forms of men and of supernatural abilities, for the purposes of preparation for doing good works and of edification. Some of these gifts have been given only for a specific period while others continue throughout the Church Age. (Eph. 4:11-12; 1 Cor. 14:26, 15:8-9, 13:8-10)