NewBranch Statement of Faith
A. THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. We believe that the Bible, consisting only of the Old and New Testaments and inspired by the Holy Spirit, is inerrant in the original manuscripts. It alone is the infallible and authoritative Word of God for all matters of faith, conduct and doctrine. (II Peter 1:20,21; II Timothy 3:16,17)
B. GOD. We believe in the triune God, Creator and Sovereign Lord of all that exists. He is infinite in His knowledge, presence, power and wisdom; perfect in love, holiness and justice. God is truly one, yet eternally self-existing in three distinct persons; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Each person of the Godhead is equal in being, nature and power. (Matthew 28:19; Romans 11:33-36)
C. THE PERSON AND WORK OF CHRIST. We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the promised Messiah of the Old Testament, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary at the appointed time. He is fully God and fully man without sin. He was crucified, died, buried, and on the third day He rose bodily. The shedding of His blood is sufficient for the salvation of all who believe, and only such as those who receive Jesus Christ are born of the Holy Spirit, and thus become children of God. Now He is seated at the right hand of the Father, making intercession for His people, and one day He will return bodily in power and great glory. (Matthew 1:18; Romans 8:33,34)
D. THE PERSON AND WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. We believe that the Holy Spirit is Himself God, the third person of the Trinity. He was sent into the world to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ and to convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. At the moment of conversion, the Spirit regenerates believers, indwells them and baptizes them into the body of Christ. He is given as a guarantee of their full inheritance. He imparts gifts to each Christian, as He chooses, for the edification of the Church. He fills and empowers believers as they submit to Him. (John 16:8-11; I Corinthians 12:1-13)
E. HUMAN NATURE. We believe Adam and Eve were created by a direct act of God in His own image. When they disobeyed God, they were judged and punished with physical and spiritual death. As descendants of Adam, all human beings inherit this sinful condition and its consequences, are guilty before God and are totally unable to approach God or to be reconciled to Him on their own merit. (Genesis 1:27; Romans 5:12)
F. SALVATION. We believe that salvation, found in Christ alone, provides forgiveness of sin and reconciliation to God. It was purchased by the sufficient, substitutionary atonement of Christ on the cross. Salvation is the gift of God’s grace, freely bestowed upon all who put their faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ at Calvary apart from human meritorious work. Through salvation, all believers receive the righteousness of Christ and eternal life. True believers persevere and their lives are to be characterized by spiritual growth. (John 3:16-21; Ephesians 2:8-10)
G. THE CHURCH. We believe that the Church is divinely ordained of God to fulfill His mission in the world. This Church, consisting of regenerated believers in Jesus Christ, under the headship of Christ, is expressed in local congregations of fellowshipping believers committed to making disciples who Biblically worship, fellowship, give, grow, serve, pray, and evangelize. The Church is called by God to make disciples of all nations and peoples and to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. (Acts 2:41-47; Hebrews 10:24,25)
H. FUTURE EVENTS. We believe in the visible and personal return of Jesus Christ in order to fulfill Biblical prophecy regarding future events. At death, the souls of those who have trusted Christ for salvation pass immediately into His presence and there remain in conscious bliss until the resurrection of the body at His coming for the Church, when soul and body of each believer will be reunited and shall remain in constant, conscious worship of Him and communion with Him and one another forever in glory. We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain in conscious misery after death until the final judgment, at which time those souls and bodies reunited shall be cast into the lake of fire, not to be annihilated, but to be eternally tormented in conscious punishment with no hope of God’s redeeming grace. (Luke 16:19-26; II Corinthians 5:3; Philippians 1:23; II Thessalonians 1:7-9; Revelation 14:10, 20:11-15).
I. ORDINANCES. We believe in a believer's baptism by immersion as a symbol of entrance into the body of Christ. It is a public declaration of one's faith and an act of obedience to Jesus Christ. We believe that Communion is a symbolic celebration and remembrance of our Lord's work of salvation. It is an act of worship and obedience that encourages the faith of believers. (Romans 6:1-6; I Corinthians 11:23-26)
J. MARRIAGE, GENDER & SEXUALITY. We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. We believe that marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture. God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and woman who are married to each other. We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of sexual immorality is sinful and offensive to God. (Genesis 2:18-25, Matthew 15:18-20; I Corinthians 6:9-10, 18, Hebrews 13:4)
Supplemental Affirmations - beliefs that must be shared by Elders and those serving in teaching roles
Mission & Values
Listen to Pastor Ken Rucker's sermon entitled "Mission, Vision, and Values"