The Bible:
We believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, giving a true history of the creation of heaven, earth, and humanity. It is inerrant and infallible.
We hold a fundamental view of the Bible: “The Bible is the only God-given authority which man possesses; therefore all doctrine, faith, hope, and all instructions for the church must be based upon and harmonize with the Bible” (Manual of the United Pentecostal Church, 19).
Pentecostal Faith:
We embrace the commonly held Pentecostal view that speaking in tongues is the initial sign of receiving the Holy Spirit, as depicted in the book of Acts.
We believe that salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, not by works. Faith in Jesus is the means by which a person is justified. At the same time, a sinner must believe the gospel; he is commanded to repent of his sinful life, to be baptized in water in the name of Jesus Christ, and to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit with the initial sign of speaking in other tongues (Acts 2:38; 4:12; 8:12-17; 10:43-48; 19:1-6). The ultimate evidence of the Holy Spirit working in the life of each believer will be the fruit of the Spirit, the gifts of the Spirit and a walk in the Spirit. Thus the various aspects of faith and obedience work together in God’s grace to reconcile us to God.
Oneness of God:
We believe in the one ever-living, eternal God; infinite in power, holy in nature, attributes and purpose; and possessing absolute, indivisible deity. Before the incarnation, this one true God manifested Himself in various ways. In the incarnation, He manifested Himself in the Son, who walked among men. As He works in the lives of believers, He manifests Himself as the Holy Spirit. “The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord.” (Mark 12:29, Deuteronomy 6:4) “One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” (Ephesians 4:6)
We believe the one true God, Jehovah of the Old Testament, took upon Himself the form of man, and as the Son of man was born of the virgin Mary. “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” (2 Timothy 3:16) “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.” (John 1:11) This one true God was manifest in the flesh, that is, in His Son Jesus Christ. “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them.” (2 Corinthians 5:19)
We believe that “in [Jesus] dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” (Colossians 2:9) “For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell.” (Colossians 1:19) Therefore, Jesus in His humanity was man; in His deity He was and is God. His flesh was the lamb, or the sacrifice of God for our sins. He is the only mediator between God and man. “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 2:5)
Importance of the Family Unit:
We support the family unit as God’s primary institution. The Bible is clear about what God expects of the family and how it is to be accomplished. We believe that fathers have a tremendous responsibility to lead their family, and that parents should teach their children by their own example. Intentional discipleship within families is foundational in the Christian life. We encourage the teachings found in Deuteronomy 6:4-7, Ephesians 6:1-4, and Titus 2.
The Importance of the Local Church:
We believe in the assembling of ourselves together to meet for worship, prayer, fellowship, teaching, preaching, and testimony, and to actively engage in carrying out the Great Commission, according to Acts 2:38-42, 1 Corinthians 11:2, and Matthew 28:19-20. The church is also to equip the saints for the “work of the ministry” (Ephesians 4:12).