We Affirm Our Faith In The Bible:
	We believe the Bible to be the inspired and only infallible written Word Of God.
	We Affirm Our Faith In God:
	We believe that there is One God, eternally existent in three Persons;
	God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
	We Affirm Our Faith In The Blessed Hope:
	We believe in the Blessed Hope, which is the rapture of the Church Of God,
	which is in Christ at His return.
	We Affirm Our Faith In Repentance:
	We believe that the only means of being cleansed from sin, is through repentance,
	faith in the precious Blood of Jesus Christ, and being baptized in water.
	We Affirm Our Faith In Salvation:
	We believe that regeneration by the Holy Ghost is absolutely essential
	for personal salvation.
	:We Affirm Our Faith In Jesus Christ:
	We believe that the redemptive work of Christ on the cross provides
	healing for the human body in answer to believing in prayer.
	We Affirm Our Faith In The Holy Ghost:
	We believe that the baptism in the Holy Ghost, according to Acts 2: 4,
	is given to believers who ask for it.
	We Affirm Our Faith In Sanctification:
	We believe in the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit, by whose indwelling,
	the Christian is enabled to live a Holy and separated life in this present world, Amen.

 

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 that one will speak with an

unknown 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 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 the 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

its descendents.  This is called the "original sin".  Sin can now be described 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).

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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 1:22; 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 the 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 Revelation 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 has to 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.

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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 or 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, 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 all believers all spiritual blessings.  The church

then is the object of our faith rather than of knowledge.  The name of our Church,

"CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST" is supported by I Thessalonians 2:14 and other passages in

the Pauline Epistles.  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 Phillippi.                                                                  

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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; 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.

 

Divine Healing

The Church of God In Christ believes 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 of God In Christ, and testimonies

of healing in our Church testify to this fact.

 

Miracles

The Church of God In Christ believes that miracles occur to convince men that the Bible is God's Word.

A miracle can be described 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 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; 6:40; 9:40; Luke 4:36, 7:14 - 15,5:5 - 6;

St. Mark 14:15).                                                                       

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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 and allegiance

to God.  The Church of God in Christ recognizes three ordinances as having been instituted by

Christ himself and therefore, binding upon the church practice.

 

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 enters

by faith into a special spiritual union of his soul with the glorified Christ.

 

B} Feet Washing

Feet Washing is practiced and recognized as an ordinance in our Church because Christ, by His

example, showed that humility characterized greatness in the Kingdom of God, and that service,

rendered to others gave evidence that humility, motivated by love, exists.  These services are

held subsequent to the Lord's Supper; however, its regularity is left to the discretion of the

Pastor in charge.

 

C} 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)

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