Mission Philosophy

Believers in Jesus Christ are entrusted with fulfilling the Great Commission (Matt. 28 19-20). Therefore, it follows that the local church must make fulfilling the Great Commission a priority for its members. Missions ministry ought to be a vital and integral part of each local church ministry rather than the special province of "Missions Professional" or "Parachurch" organizations.

A missionary is a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ, who is called by God to a lifetime of service outside of the vicinity of their local church. The primary objectives of the missionary are the teaching and preaching of God's Word, the discipling of believers, and the establishment of New Testament churches. The proper motivation for missions is a desire to serve the Lord out of gratitude and obedience.

Missionaries must have strong, stable, and Biblical families. Missionaries must have a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures, and have complete confidence in them, so that they can live out the principles of God's Word in their individual lives and communicate all the revealed Word of God to others. Missionaries must be clear in their understanding of the whole purpose of God to avoid teaching a "sanctified tradition”. Missionaries are called to a lifetime of service; they are not to dabble in ministry, but are to fulfill the ministry.

The missionary must trust the Word of God for counsel in all areas of life, rather than rely on the resources and methodology of secular sociology, psychology, or anthropology, which are often in conflict with Scripture. The whole counsel of God must be taught regardless of peculiar cultural hostilities toward particular doctrines. God's Word judges and applies to every person and every culture. There is no provision in Scripture for an "American theology," an "Asian theology," an "African theology," or any other theology that adds to what God has revealed about Himself in His Word.

As missionaries work, they must stress the universal hopeless condition of everyone and the hope for all mankind is found only in Christ. Missionaries must function as active leaders, equal with the elders of the receiving church, rather than impartial observers and advisors. While acknowledging cultural distinctives, missionaries must not divide the body of Christ into "indigenous" bodies composed of specific tribal groups or cultural and past religious traditions that erect new barriers within Christ's church. In a true local body of Christ, missionaries, expatriates, and nationals should all exercise their spiritual gifts in that assembly.

The Church is commissioned to make disciples of all the nations. The challenge is to do so consistent with all of God's revealed Word.

Doctrinal Statement

1. We believe the Bible is the verbal (every word) and plenary (complete) inspired Word of God as contained in the original manuscripts. We employ a literal, grammatical/historical method of interpretation as opposed to an allegorical and mystical interpretation.

2. We believe there is but one God, eternally existing in three Persons; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

3. We believe in the Deity of Christ, His virgin birth, the shedding of His blood for the atonement of His elect, His bodily resurrection, His ascension, His return for the Church before His wrath is poured out on a rebellious world, and His establishment of His kingdom on earth which He will rule from Mount Zion.

4. We believe in the existence of a personal devil, Satan, who was created perfect, but willfully sinned and became the arch enemy of God and His creation. The ultimate defeat of Satan has been accomplished through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The New Testament does not instruct believers to command or bind Satan and his demons. Satan is to be resisted by the believer through steadfast obedience to the Word of God and with confidence in God's loving sovereignty.

5. We believe that all people are by nature sinful and lost and that regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential for salvation. We believe that one is justified solely by grace through faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ, that one is totally unable in themselves to yield to the Gospel, and that only God in His sovereign wisdom, love, and power, works to achieve the salvation of His chosen people.

6. We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells, sanctifies, gifts, and empowers believers for service, enabling them through obedience to the Word of God to live lives of increasing holiness. Signs and wonders were given in the apostolic era to authenticate and confirm the apostles' message. Today Scripture is the sole test of the validity of one's message. In the last days Satan will use signs and wonders to deceive many.

7. We believe that the believer is eternally saved and that those who die in unbelief are eternally lost.

8. We believe in the literal Biblical account of creation.

9. We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female, and that these two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image of God.

10. We believe that God created marriage to be exclusively the union of one man and one woman, and that intimate sexual activity is to occur exclusively within that union.

11. We believe in Christian baptism and that the Lord's table is the commemoration of His death until He comes.

12. We believe that the supreme mission of the Church is to glorify God and to preach the Gospel making disciples throughout the world.