What We Believe
THE BIBLE
We believe that the Bible is the Word of God and contains one harmonious and
sufficiently complete system of doctrine. We believe in the full inspiration of
the Word of God. We hold the Word of God to be the only authority in all matters
and assert that no doctrine can be true or essential, if it does not find a
place in this Word.
THE FATHER
We believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Author and Creator of all things. The
Old Testament reveals God in diverse manners, by manifesting his nature,
character, and dominions. The Gospels in the New Testament give us knowledge of
God the “Father” or “My Father”, showing the relationship of God to Jesus as
Father, or representing Him as the Father in the Godhead, and Jesus himself that
Son (St. John 15:8, 14:20). Jesus also gives God the distinction of “Fatherhood”
to all believers when he explains God in the light of “Your Father in Heaven”
(St. Matthew 6:8).
THE SON
We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Second person in the Godhead of
the Trinity or Triune Godhead. We believe that Jesus was and is eternal in his
person and nature as the Son of God who was with God in the beginning of
creation (St. John 1:1). We believe that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin
called Mary according to the scripture (St. Matthew 1:18), thus giving rise to
our fundamental belief in the Virgin Birth and to all of the miraculous events
surrounding the phenomenon (St. Matthew 1:18-25). We believe that Jesus Christ
became the “suffering servant” to man; this suffering servant came seeking to
redeem man from sin and to reconcile him back to God, his Father (Romans 5:10).
We believe that Jesus Christ is standing now as mediator between God and man (I Timothy 2:5)
THE HOLY GHOST
We believe the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity,
proceeds from the Father and the Son, is of the same substance, equal to power
and glory, and is together with the Father and the Son, to be believed in,
obeyed, and worshipped. The Holy Ghost is a gift bestowed upon the believer for
the purpose of equipping and empowering the believer, making him a more
effective witness for service in the world. He teaches and guides one into all
truth (John 16:13; Acts 1:8, 8:39)
THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY GHOST
We believe that the Baptism of the Holy Ghost is an experience subsequent to
conversion and sanctification and that tongue-speaking is the consequence of the
baptism in the Holy Ghost with the manifestations of the fruit of the spirit
(Galatians 5:22-23; Acts 10:46, 19:1-6). We believe that we are not baptized
with the Holy Ghost in order to be saved (Acts 19:1-6; John 3:5). When one
receives a baptismal Holy Ghost experience, we believe one will speak with a
tongue unknown to oneself according to the sovereign will of Christ. To be
filled with the Spirit means to be Spirit controlled as expressed by Paul in
Ephesians 5:18-19. Since the charismatic demonstrations were necessary to help
the early church to be successful in implementing the command of Christ, we
therefore, believe that a Holy Ghost experience is mandatory for all men today.
MAN
We believe that man was created holy by God, composed of body and soul. We believe
that man, by nature, is sinful and unholy. Being born in sin, he needs to be
born again, sanctified and cleansed from all sins by the blood of Jesus. We
believe that man is saved by confessing and forsaking his sins, and believing on
the Lord Jesus Christ, and that having become a child of God, by being born
again and adopted into the family of God, he may, and should, claim the
inheritance of the sons of God, namely the baptism of the Holy Ghost.
SIN
Sin, the Bible teaches, began in the angelic world (Ezekiel 28:11-19; Isaiah
14:12-20), and is transmitted into the blood of the human race through
disobedience and deception motivated by unbelief (I Timothy 2:14). Adam’s sin,
committed by eating of the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge of good
and evil, carried with it permanent pollution or depraved human nature to all
his descendants. This is called “original sin.” Sin can now be defined as a
volitional transgression against God and a lack of conformity to the will of
God. We, therefore, conclude that man by nature, is sinful and that he has
fallen from a glorious and righteous state from which he was created, and has
become unrighteous and unholy. Man, therefore, must be restored to his state of
holiness from which he has fallen by being born again (St. John 3:7).
SALVATION
Salvation deals with the application of the work of redemption to the sinner with his
restoration to divine favor and communion with God. This redemptive operation of
the Holy Ghost upon sinners is brought about by repentance toward God and faith
toward our Lord Jesus Christ which brings conversion, faith, justification
regeneration, sanctification, and the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Repentance is
the work of God, which results in a change of mind in respect to man’s
relationship to God. (St. Matthew 3:1-2, 4:17; Acts 20:21).
Faith is a certain conviction wrought in the heart by the Holy Spirit, as to the truth
of the Gospel and a heart trust in the promises of God in Christ (Romans 1:17,
3:28; St. Matthew 9:22; Acts 26:18). Conversion is that act of God whereby He
causes the regenerated sinner, in his conscious life, to turn to Him in
repentance and faith (II Kings 5:15; II Chronicles 33:12-13; St. Luke 19:8, 9;
Acts 8:30). Regeneration is that act of God by which the principle of the new
life is implanted in man, and the governing disposition of soul is made holy and
the first holy exercise of this new disposition is secured. Sanctification is
that gracious and continuous operation of the Holy Ghost, by which He delivers
the justified sinner from the pollution of sin, renews his whole nature in the
image of God and enables him to perform good works (Romans 6:4;5:6; Colossians 2:12; 3:1).
ANGELS
The Bible uses the term “angel” (a heavenly body) clearly and primarily to denote
messengers or ambassadors of God with such scripture references as Revelations
4:5, which indicates their duty in heaven to praise God (Psalm 103:20), to do
God’s will (St. Matthew 18:10) and to behold his face. But since heaven must
come down to earth, they also have a mission to earth. The Bible indicates that
they accompanied God in the Creation, and also that they will accompany Christ
in His return in Glory.
DEMONS
Demons denote unclean or evil spirits; they are sometimes called devils or demonic
beings. They are evil spirits, belonging to the unseen or spiritual realm,
embodied in human beings. The Old Testament refers to the prince of demons,
sometimes called Satan (Adversary) or Devil, as having power and wisdom, taking
the habitation of other forms such as the serpent (Genesis 3:1). The New
Testament speaks of the Devil as Tempter (St. Matthew 4:3) and it goes on to
tell the works of Satan, The Devil, and Demons as combating righteousness and
good in any form, proving to be an adversary to the saints. Their chief power is
exercised to destroy the mission of Jesus Christ. It can well be said that the
Christian Church believes in Demons, Satan, and Devils. We believe in their
power and purpose. We believe they can be subdued and conquered as in the
commandment to the believer by Jesus. “In my name they shall cast out Satan and
the work of the Devil and to resist him and then he will flee (WITHDRAW) from
you.” (St. Mark 16:17).
THE CHURCH
The Church forms a spiritual unity of which Christ is the divine head. It is
animated by one Spirit, the Spirit of Christ. It professes one faith, shares one
hope, and serves one King,. It is the citadel of the truth and God’s agency for
communicating to believers all spiritual blessings. The Church then is the
object of our faith rather than of knowledge. The word “CHURCH” or “EKKLESIA”
was first applied to the Christian society by Jesus Christ in St. Matthew 16:18,
the occasion being that of his benediction of Peter at Caesarea Philippi.
THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST
We believe in the second coming of Christ; that He shall come from heaven to earth,
personally, bodily, visibly (Acts 1:11; Titus 2:11-13; St. Matthew 16:27; 24:30;
25:30; Luke 21:27; John 1:14, 17; Titus 2:11) and that the Church, the bride,
will be caught up to meet Him in the air (I Thessalonians, 4:16-17). We admonish
all who have this hope to purify themselves as He is pure.
THE FIVE FOLD MINISTRY
We believe in the five fold ministry of The Apostles according to Ephesians 4:
11-12 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and
some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of
the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
DIVINE HEALING
We believe in and practices Divine Healing. It is a commandment of Jesus to the
Apostles (St. Mark 16:18). Jesus affirms his teachings on healing by explaining
to His disciples, who were to be Apostles, that healing the afflicted is by
faith (St. Luke 9:40-41). Therefore, we believe that healing by faith in God has
scriptural support and ordained authority. St. James’ writings in his epistle
encourage Elders to pray for the sick, lay hands upon them and to anoint them
with oil, and that prayers with faith shall heal the sick and the Lord shall
raise them up. Healing is still practiced widely and frequently in the Church
and testimonies of healing in our Church testify to this fact.
MIRACLES
We believe that miracles occur to convince men that the Bible is God’s Word. A
miracle can be defined as an extraordinary visible act of Divine power, wrought
by the efficient agency of the will of God, which has as its final cause the
vindication of the righteousness of God’s word. We believe that the works of
God, which were performed during the beginnings of Christianity, do and will
occur even today where God is preached, Faith in Christ is exercised, The Holy
Ghost is active, and the Gospel is promulgated in the truth (Acts 5:15; 6:8;
9:40; Luke 4:36, 7:14-15; 5:5-6; St. Mark 14:15).
THE ORDINANCES OF THE CHURCH
It is generally admitted that for an ordinance to be valid, it must have been
instituted by Christ. When we speak of ordinances of the church, we are speaking
of those instituted by Christ, in which by sensible signs the grace of God in
Christ, and the benefits of the covenant of grace are represented, sealed, and
applied to believers, and these in turn give expression to their faith and
allegiance to God.
A. THE LORD’S SUPPER (HOLY COMMUNION)
The Lord’s Supper symbolizes the Lord’s death and suffering for the benefit and in
the place of His people. It also symbolizes the believer’s participation in the
crucified Christ. It represents not only the death of Christ as the object of
faith which unites the believers to Christ, but also the effect of this act as
the giving of life, strength, and joy to the soul. The communicant by faith
enters into a special spiritual union of his soul with the glorified Christ.
B. WATER BAPTISM
We believe that Water Baptism is necessary as instructed by Christ in St. John 3:5,
“UNLESS MAN BE BORN AGAIN OF WATER AND OF THE SPIRIT.” However, we do not
believe that water baptism alone is a means of salvation, but is an outward
demonstration that one has already had a conversion experience and has accepted
Christ as his personal Savior. As Pentecostals, we practice immersion in
preference to “SPRINKLING” , because immersion corresponds more closely to the
death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord (Colossians 2:12). It also
symbolizes regeneration and purification more than any other mode. Therefore, we
practice immersion as our mode of Baptism. We believe that we should use the
Baptismal Formula given us by Christ for all “…IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, AND OF
THE SON, AND OF THE HOLY GHOST.” (St. Matthew 28:19
We believe that the Bible is the Word of God and contains one harmonious and
sufficiently complete system of doctrine. We believe in the full inspiration of
the Word of God. We hold the Word of God to be the only authority in all matters
and assert that no doctrine can be true or essential, if it does not find a
place in this Word.
THE FATHER
We believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Author and Creator of all things. The
Old Testament reveals God in diverse manners, by manifesting his nature,
character, and dominions. The Gospels in the New Testament give us knowledge of
God the “Father” or “My Father”, showing the relationship of God to Jesus as
Father, or representing Him as the Father in the Godhead, and Jesus himself that
Son (St. John 15:8, 14:20). Jesus also gives God the distinction of “Fatherhood”
to all believers when he explains God in the light of “Your Father in Heaven”
(St. Matthew 6:8).
THE SON
We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Second person in the Godhead of
the Trinity or Triune Godhead. We believe that Jesus was and is eternal in his
person and nature as the Son of God who was with God in the beginning of
creation (St. John 1:1). We believe that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin
called Mary according to the scripture (St. Matthew 1:18), thus giving rise to
our fundamental belief in the Virgin Birth and to all of the miraculous events
surrounding the phenomenon (St. Matthew 1:18-25). We believe that Jesus Christ
became the “suffering servant” to man; this suffering servant came seeking to
redeem man from sin and to reconcile him back to God, his Father (Romans 5:10).
We believe that Jesus Christ is standing now as mediator between God and man (I Timothy 2:5)
THE HOLY GHOST
We believe the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity,
proceeds from the Father and the Son, is of the same substance, equal to power
and glory, and is together with the Father and the Son, to be believed in,
obeyed, and worshipped. The Holy Ghost is a gift bestowed upon the believer for
the purpose of equipping and empowering the believer, making him a more
effective witness for service in the world. He teaches and guides one into all
truth (John 16:13; Acts 1:8, 8:39)
THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY GHOST
We believe that the Baptism of the Holy Ghost is an experience subsequent to
conversion and sanctification and that tongue-speaking is the consequence of the
baptism in the Holy Ghost with the manifestations of the fruit of the spirit
(Galatians 5:22-23; Acts 10:46, 19:1-6). We believe that we are not baptized
with the Holy Ghost in order to be saved (Acts 19:1-6; John 3:5). When one
receives a baptismal Holy Ghost experience, we believe one will speak with a
tongue unknown to oneself according to the sovereign will of Christ. To be
filled with the Spirit means to be Spirit controlled as expressed by Paul in
Ephesians 5:18-19. Since the charismatic demonstrations were necessary to help
the early church to be successful in implementing the command of Christ, we
therefore, believe that a Holy Ghost experience is mandatory for all men today.
MAN
We believe that man was created holy by God, composed of body and soul. We believe
that man, by nature, is sinful and unholy. Being born in sin, he needs to be
born again, sanctified and cleansed from all sins by the blood of Jesus. We
believe that man is saved by confessing and forsaking his sins, and believing on
the Lord Jesus Christ, and that having become a child of God, by being born
again and adopted into the family of God, he may, and should, claim the
inheritance of the sons of God, namely the baptism of the Holy Ghost.
SIN
Sin, the Bible teaches, began in the angelic world (Ezekiel 28:11-19; Isaiah
14:12-20), and is transmitted into the blood of the human race through
disobedience and deception motivated by unbelief (I Timothy 2:14). Adam’s sin,
committed by eating of the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge of good
and evil, carried with it permanent pollution or depraved human nature to all
his descendants. This is called “original sin.” Sin can now be defined as a
volitional transgression against God and a lack of conformity to the will of
God. We, therefore, conclude that man by nature, is sinful and that he has
fallen from a glorious and righteous state from which he was created, and has
become unrighteous and unholy. Man, therefore, must be restored to his state of
holiness from which he has fallen by being born again (St. John 3:7).
SALVATION
Salvation deals with the application of the work of redemption to the sinner with his
restoration to divine favor and communion with God. This redemptive operation of
the Holy Ghost upon sinners is brought about by repentance toward God and faith
toward our Lord Jesus Christ which brings conversion, faith, justification
regeneration, sanctification, and the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Repentance is
the work of God, which results in a change of mind in respect to man’s
relationship to God. (St. Matthew 3:1-2, 4:17; Acts 20:21).
Faith is a certain conviction wrought in the heart by the Holy Spirit, as to the truth
of the Gospel and a heart trust in the promises of God in Christ (Romans 1:17,
3:28; St. Matthew 9:22; Acts 26:18). Conversion is that act of God whereby He
causes the regenerated sinner, in his conscious life, to turn to Him in
repentance and faith (II Kings 5:15; II Chronicles 33:12-13; St. Luke 19:8, 9;
Acts 8:30). Regeneration is that act of God by which the principle of the new
life is implanted in man, and the governing disposition of soul is made holy and
the first holy exercise of this new disposition is secured. Sanctification is
that gracious and continuous operation of the Holy Ghost, by which He delivers
the justified sinner from the pollution of sin, renews his whole nature in the
image of God and enables him to perform good works (Romans 6:4;5:6; Colossians 2:12; 3:1).
ANGELS
The Bible uses the term “angel” (a heavenly body) clearly and primarily to denote
messengers or ambassadors of God with such scripture references as Revelations
4:5, which indicates their duty in heaven to praise God (Psalm 103:20), to do
God’s will (St. Matthew 18:10) and to behold his face. But since heaven must
come down to earth, they also have a mission to earth. The Bible indicates that
they accompanied God in the Creation, and also that they will accompany Christ
in His return in Glory.
DEMONS
Demons denote unclean or evil spirits; they are sometimes called devils or demonic
beings. They are evil spirits, belonging to the unseen or spiritual realm,
embodied in human beings. The Old Testament refers to the prince of demons,
sometimes called Satan (Adversary) or Devil, as having power and wisdom, taking
the habitation of other forms such as the serpent (Genesis 3:1). The New
Testament speaks of the Devil as Tempter (St. Matthew 4:3) and it goes on to
tell the works of Satan, The Devil, and Demons as combating righteousness and
good in any form, proving to be an adversary to the saints. Their chief power is
exercised to destroy the mission of Jesus Christ. It can well be said that the
Christian Church believes in Demons, Satan, and Devils. We believe in their
power and purpose. We believe they can be subdued and conquered as in the
commandment to the believer by Jesus. “In my name they shall cast out Satan and
the work of the Devil and to resist him and then he will flee (WITHDRAW) from
you.” (St. Mark 16:17).
THE CHURCH
The Church forms a spiritual unity of which Christ is the divine head. It is
animated by one Spirit, the Spirit of Christ. It professes one faith, shares one
hope, and serves one King,. It is the citadel of the truth and God’s agency for
communicating to believers all spiritual blessings. The Church then is the
object of our faith rather than of knowledge. The word “CHURCH” or “EKKLESIA”
was first applied to the Christian society by Jesus Christ in St. Matthew 16:18,
the occasion being that of his benediction of Peter at Caesarea Philippi.
THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST
We believe in the second coming of Christ; that He shall come from heaven to earth,
personally, bodily, visibly (Acts 1:11; Titus 2:11-13; St. Matthew 16:27; 24:30;
25:30; Luke 21:27; John 1:14, 17; Titus 2:11) and that the Church, the bride,
will be caught up to meet Him in the air (I Thessalonians, 4:16-17). We admonish
all who have this hope to purify themselves as He is pure.
THE FIVE FOLD MINISTRY
We believe in the five fold ministry of The Apostles according to Ephesians 4:
11-12 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and
some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of
the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
DIVINE HEALING
We believe in and practices Divine Healing. It is a commandment of Jesus to the
Apostles (St. Mark 16:18). Jesus affirms his teachings on healing by explaining
to His disciples, who were to be Apostles, that healing the afflicted is by
faith (St. Luke 9:40-41). Therefore, we believe that healing by faith in God has
scriptural support and ordained authority. St. James’ writings in his epistle
encourage Elders to pray for the sick, lay hands upon them and to anoint them
with oil, and that prayers with faith shall heal the sick and the Lord shall
raise them up. Healing is still practiced widely and frequently in the Church
and testimonies of healing in our Church testify to this fact.
MIRACLES
We believe that miracles occur to convince men that the Bible is God’s Word. A
miracle can be defined as an extraordinary visible act of Divine power, wrought
by the efficient agency of the will of God, which has as its final cause the
vindication of the righteousness of God’s word. We believe that the works of
God, which were performed during the beginnings of Christianity, do and will
occur even today where God is preached, Faith in Christ is exercised, The Holy
Ghost is active, and the Gospel is promulgated in the truth (Acts 5:15; 6:8;
9:40; Luke 4:36, 7:14-15; 5:5-6; St. Mark 14:15).
THE ORDINANCES OF THE CHURCH
It is generally admitted that for an ordinance to be valid, it must have been
instituted by Christ. When we speak of ordinances of the church, we are speaking
of those instituted by Christ, in which by sensible signs the grace of God in
Christ, and the benefits of the covenant of grace are represented, sealed, and
applied to believers, and these in turn give expression to their faith and
allegiance to God.
A. THE LORD’S SUPPER (HOLY COMMUNION)
The Lord’s Supper symbolizes the Lord’s death and suffering for the benefit and in
the place of His people. It also symbolizes the believer’s participation in the
crucified Christ. It represents not only the death of Christ as the object of
faith which unites the believers to Christ, but also the effect of this act as
the giving of life, strength, and joy to the soul. The communicant by faith
enters into a special spiritual union of his soul with the glorified Christ.
B. WATER BAPTISM
We believe that Water Baptism is necessary as instructed by Christ in St. John 3:5,
“UNLESS MAN BE BORN AGAIN OF WATER AND OF THE SPIRIT.” However, we do not
believe that water baptism alone is a means of salvation, but is an outward
demonstration that one has already had a conversion experience and has accepted
Christ as his personal Savior. As Pentecostals, we practice immersion in
preference to “SPRINKLING” , because immersion corresponds more closely to the
death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord (Colossians 2:12). It also
symbolizes regeneration and purification more than any other mode. Therefore, we
practice immersion as our mode of Baptism. We believe that we should use the
Baptismal Formula given us by Christ for all “…IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, AND OF
THE SON, AND OF THE HOLY GHOST.” (St. Matthew 28:19