1.     INSPIRATION OF THE SCRIPTURES: We believe in the verbal inspiration of the Bible, both the Old and New Testaments. 2 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 4: 12, 1 Peter 1:25, and 2 Peter 1: 19-21.

 

2.     GOD: We believe in one God revealed in three persons: The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. Matthew 3:16-17, 29:19; John 17. We believe in God the Father, creator of heaven and earth. Genesis 1-3.

 

3.     MAN: We believe that man in his natural state is a sinner, lost, undone, without hope and without God. Romans 3:19-23; Galatians 3:22; Ephesians 2:1-12.

 

4.     DIVINITY AND HUMANITY OF CHRIST JESUS: We believe that Jesus is God come in the flesh and that He is both divine and human. Acts 2:36, 3:14-15; Luke 1:26-38; Philippians 2: 5-12; and John 4: 1-3. We believe He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary (Matt. 1:18), lived a sinless life (2 Cor. 5:21), suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, was buried, and descended to hell (Eph. 4:9).

 

5.     BLOOD ATONEMENT: We believe in the saving power of the blood of Jesus and His imputed righteousness. Ephesians 1:3-15; Romans 5:1-11, 4:1-9; and Acts 4:12.

 

6.     BODILY   RESURRECTION: We believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. Luke 24: 39-43 and John 20:24-29.

 

7.     ASCENSION: We believe that Christ Jesus ascended and now sits at the right hand of the Father and is presently engaged in building heaven and interceding for the saints. John 14:1-6, Hebrews 1:1-3, and Romans 8:34.

 

8.     SECOND COMING: We believe in the visible, bodily return of Christ Jesus to this earth to rapture His church (Bride) and judge the world. Acts: 1:10-11; James 5:8; 1 Thessalonians 43: 13-18; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; and Revelation 1:7.

 

9.     SALVATION: We believe that the terms of salvation are repentance toward God for sin and a personal heartfelt faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, which results in regeneration of the person. This salvation is entirely by grace of our Lord and not of works. Works are excluded except as FRUIT of salvation. Ephesians 2: 8-10; Romans 4:1-5, & 5:1; and Acts 3:19-20.

 

10.  CHURCH: We believe the church of the Lord Jesus Christ is a body of believers who have been baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, who assemble to worship, carry forth the great commission, and minister as the Holy Ghost leads. Matthew 16:18, 28: 19-20; Acts 20: 28; Acts 2: 40-47; 1 Timothy 3:15; and Ephesians 5:22-32.

 

11.  ORDINANCES: We believe that the two ordinances of the church are Water Baptism and the Lord's Supper.

 

A.    Baptism:  Baptism in water in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost! A symbol of the identification with Jesus Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. Matthew 3:15-16, 28:19-20; Acts 8:38; Romans 6:1-4.

 

B.    The Lord's Supper:  A memorial of the death, resurrection and second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Luke 22:13-20.

 

12.  SEPARATED LIFE: We believe that the believers should seek, as the early disciples did, to practice the separated life from the world and to Christ and set standards of conduct which will exalt our Lord and His Church. Romans 12:1-3; 2 Corinthians 6:17; Ephesians 5:11; and Galatians 2:30.

 

13.  HOLY LIVING (MARRIAGE, GENDER, AND SEXUALITY):  We believe that God wonderfully creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God (Gen. 1:26-27). Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person. We believe that marriage has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union as defined in scripture (Gen. 2:18-25). We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other (1 Cor. 7:2-5; Heb. 13:4). We believe that God has forbidden sexual activity outside of marriage. We believe that any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexual and bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, and the use of pornography) are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex, offensive to God, demeaning to human relationships, and damaging to individual health, wellbeing, and relationship with God. Matthew 15:18-20; 1 Corinthians 6:9-20, Genesis 2:24, 19:5, 13, 26:8-9; Leviticus 18:1-30; Romans 1:26-29; 1 Corinthians 5:1, 6:9; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8; and Hebrews 13:4.

 

We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ (Acts 3:19-21; Rom. 10:9-10; and Luke 6:46). We believe, through the enabling power of the Holy Spirit, we are not prisoners of our nature. Sin can be overcome and behavior can be transformed. Such is the hope of God’s Word (Gal. 5:16-24; Phil. 4:13). We believe that, in the same way we have received God’s mercy and forgiveness for our sins, every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity (Mark. 12:28-31; Luke 6:31; John 8:1-11). Such are the Christ-like responses that lead people to repentance. This is the essence of the gospel and the great commission and commandment. Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with scripture nor the doctrines of the Endeavor Church. Matthew 5:16; Philippians 2:14-16.

 

14.  LAWSUITS BETWEEN BELIEVERS: We believe that Christians are prohibited from bringing civil lawsuits against other Christians or the church to resolve personal disputes. We believe the church possesses all the resources necessary to resolve personal disputes between members. 1 Corinthians 6:1-8 and Ephesians 4:31-32.

 

15.  HEAVEN AND HELL: We believe the Scriptures clearly set forth the doctrines of eternal punishment for the lost and eternal bliss and service for the saved: Hell for the unsaved and Heaven for the saved. John 14:1-3; Matthew 25:34, 41:46; and Luke 16:19-31.

 

16.  HOLY SPIRIT: We believe the Holy Spirit to be the third person of the trinity whose purpose in the redemption of man is to convict men of sin, regenerate the repentant believer, guide the believer into ALL truth, indwell and give gifts to believers as He wills, that the manifestations of the Holy Spirit will operate in present day churches which yield to the Lord. Luke 11:13; John 14:16-17; and John 7:37-39. We believe that the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance is for all believers as promised by John the Baptist (Matt 3:11) and Jesus (Acts 1,4,5 &6) and Peter (Acts 2:38-41), and was witnessed by the early disciples of Christ. Acts 2:14; 10:44-47 & 19:1-6. We believe that this baptism or fullness will result in a deeper expression of spiritual fruit (Gal. 5:22-23, a greater growth in Christlikeness (2 Cor. 3:18), a genuine manifestation of spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 12:1-11), and a more effective prayer life (Rom. 8:26-27).

 

17.  DIVINE HEALING: We believe that God has used doctors, medicines, and other material means for healing and that Divine Healing was provided for in the Atonement (Isaiah 53:5) and may be appropriated by the preachers (James 5:14-16), laying on of hands by the believers (Mark 16:18), by the prayers of an anointed man gifted for healing the sick.

 

18.  PRIESTHOOD OF BELIEVERS (Rev. 1:6): We believe in soul liberty and individual freedom, that no individual, however important in ecclesiastical rank, has any right to go between a soul and his God, and that no government should interfere with the conscientious belief and practice of the individual as long as his liberties do not interfere with the liberties of others. Each person must believe for himself, obey for himself, be baptized for himself; and answer to his Creator for himself.

 

19.  GOVERNMENT OF CHURCH: We believe that the local church has a right to govern itself under the Lordship of Christ Jesus and when it deems best for the life of the church and testimony of the Lord may discipline in the spirit of love any member who departs from the doctrines set forth in the articles or whose conduct is contrary to the spirit and practice of this body.

 

20.  ORDAINED OFFICERS: We believe that all pastors of the church should be ordained, including the pastor, associate pastor, emeritus pastors, and children’s or youth pastors. Evangelists, teachers, apostles, and prophets may be ordained, but their work is with many churches or the whole body of Christ and are not therefore ordained officers of the local church. (Eph. 4:11).

 

The Pastor's ministry is to oversee the work of the Church (not overlord), feed the body on the living bread, and watch over and care for the spiritual welfare of the membership. A Pastor is also to do the work of an evangelist. 1 Peter 5:1-4 and Hebrews 13:7-17.