Statement of Faith

1. The Word of God - We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and that it has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct. (2 Tim. 3:16,17; 2 Peter 1:20,21; Mark 13:31; John 8:31,32; Romans 15:4; Acts 20:32; Heb. 4:12)

2. The Trinity - We believe that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons, that these are equal in every divine perfection, and that they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence and redemption. (Gen. 1:1,2,26; Isa. 44:6-8; Deut. 6:4; John 1:1-3; Matt. 28:19; Eph. 4:5,6; 2 Cor. 13:14)

3. God the Father - We believe in God, the Father, an infinite, personal spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. We believe that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of each person, that He hears and answers prayer, and He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ. (Luke 10:21,22; Matt. 23:9; John 3:16-18; 6:27; Romans 1:7; 1 Tim. 1:1,2; 2:5,6; 1 Peter 1:3)

4. Jesus Christ  - We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles and teachings. We believe in His substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people, and personal visible return to earth. (Matt. 1:18-25; Mark 10:45; Luke 1:26-38; John 1:1; 20:28; Romans 8:3,4; 3:21-26; 2 Cor. 5:21; John 20:30,31; 1 Peter 1:18,19)

5. The Holy Spirit - We believe in the Holy Spirit who came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgement, and to regenerate, sanctify, empower, and gift all who believe in Jesus Christ. We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells all who believe in Christ, and that He is an abiding helper, teacher and guide. (John 14:15-17, 26; 15:26,27; 16:7-15; Romans 8:9,26,27; 1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19; Gal 5:22-26; Eph 1:11-14)

6. Regeneration - We believe that all people are sinners by nature and by choice and are, therefore, under condemnation. We believe that those who repent of their sins and trust in Jesus Christ as Savior are regenerated by the Holy Spirit. (Gen. 3; Eze. 36:26; John 1:13, 3:1-36, 5:24, 8:12, 10:26; Rom. 5:8-9; Titus 3:5; 2 Cor 5:17; Eph. 2:8; 1 Peter 1:23)

7. The Church - We believe in the universal Church, a living spiritual body of which Christ is the head and all regenerated persons are members. We believe in the local church, consisting of a company of believers in Jesus Christ, baptized on a credible confession of faith, and associated for worship, work and fellowship. We believe that God has laid upon the members of the local church the primary task of living a life of worship, nurturing the body of believers and giving the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world. (Eph. 2:19-22; Rom. 12:4-5; Acts 2:42-47; Col. 1:17-20; Hebrews 10:23-25; 1 Tim 3:14-15; 1 Peter 2:4-5) 

8. Christian Conduct  - We believe that Christians should live for the glory of God and the well-being of others, that their conduct should be blameless before the world; that they should be faithful stewards of their possessions; and that they should seek to realize for themselves and others the full stature of maturity. (1 Cor. 10:31; Rom 12:1-3; Heb 12:1-2; John 14:15, 23-24; 1 John 2:3-6; 2 Cor. 9:6-9; Col. 1:9-14)

9. The Ordinances  - We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to the local church: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We believe that Christian baptism is the public declaration of a believer’s faith in Christ alone for the forgiveness of their sins. We believe that immersion of the believer in water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is the richest expression of the New Testament example. We believe that the Lord’s Supper was instituted by Christ for commemoration of His death. We believe that these two ordinances should be observed and administered until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Matt. 26:26-28, 28:18-20; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:19-20; John 3:5; Rom. 6:3-5; 1 Cor. 10:26, 11:23-26; Acts 2:38; 1 Peter 3:21)

10. Religious Liberty  - We believe that every human being has direct relations with God and is responsible to God alone in all matters of faith, that each church is independent and must be free from interference by an ecclesiastical or political authority, and therefore Church and State must be kept separate as having different functions, each fulfilling its duties free from the dictation or patronage of the other. (1 Tim. 2:5; Rom. 14:12; John 17:3)

11. Church Cooperation - We believe that local churches can effectively promote the cause of Jesus Christ by cooperating with one another in a denominational organization. Such an organization, whether a regional or district conference, exists and functions by the will of the churches. Cooperation in a conference is voluntary and may be terminated at any time. Churches may likewise cooperate with interdenominational fellowships on a voluntary basis. (Acts 15:36, 41; 1 Corinthians 16:1; Rev. 1:4)

12. The Last Things. - We believe in the personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth and the establishment of His Kingdom. We believe in the resurrection of the body, the final judgement, the eternal joy of the righteous, and the endless suffering of the wicked.(Matt. 16:27; Mark 14:62; John 14:3; Acts 1:11; Phil. 3:20-21; 1 Thes. 4:15; 2 Tim. 4:1; Titus 2:13; 1 Cor. 4:5; 15; 2 Thes. 1:7-10; Rev. 20:4-6, 11-15)

13. Humanity - We believe God created humankind immutably as male and female to reflect and bear His image. As such, human beings of every ethnicity, age, and ability, as well as the pre-born deserve dignity, protection, honor, respect, and Christian love. God’s image in all humankind has become distorted and humankind’s relationship with God has become disrupted due to Adam and Eve’s free choice to sin. (Genesis 1:26-27; Psalm 139:13-14; Romans 1:18-27; 5:12; Colossians 3:12-14; Titus 3:1-5; Revelation 7:9)

14. Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality - We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning and that is a lifelong union of one man and one woman into “one-flesh” sanctioned by God as defined in Scripture. We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other. We believe God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female, and these distinct, complementary genders together reflect the nature of God. To reject one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within one. No leader of Community Fellowship Church shall perform, officiate, or participate in any ceremony that is contrary to this belief. (Gen. 1:26-27; 2:18-25; Matt. 19:4-6; Mark 10:6-9; 1 Cor. 6:18; 7:2-5; Eph. 5:21-33; Heb. 13:4)

15. Sanctity of Human Life - We believe all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through death. We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life. (Gen. 1:26-27; 9:5-6; Exodus 21:12-32; Leviticus 19:14, 32; Psalm 139; Matt 6:26, 10:26-31)