Berean Church welcomes everyone who desires to worship God and fellowship with our church family, regardless of their personal religious beliefs.  However, as every other church, we have certain beliefs to which we are committed.  

The following is the first half of the Doctrinal Statement of Berean Church.  The second half, which is covered in a separate publication, identifies several doctrines that distinguish us from other evangelical churches in the community.  You may receive a copy of the complete Doctrinal Statement by contacting the church office.  To safeguard the beliefs upon which Berean Church was founded it is required that the members of the governing Board, the Sr. Pastor and the Associate Pastor be in agreement with both halves of the Doctrinal Statement.   But, other than for those holding these leadership positions, agreement with the second half of the Doctrinal Statement is not required for membership at Berean Church.  However, the beliefs discussed below are foundational truths and/or essential to salvation, therefore agreement and commitment to these truths is required of every person.

THE BIBLE
THE WORD OF GOD

By His Holy Spirit God worked through the human authors of Scripture to ensure that when they wrote was exactly as He desired.  He did not dictate the Bible to them, but from their various languages and vocabularies guided them to choose the exact words by which they expressed His truth (11 Peter 1:21).  In this way God insured that even though they were fallible men, what they wrote was completely without error.  Although none of their original manuscripts exist, there is so little variation among ancient copies, we can be confidant that in a good English translation we possess the very Word of God.  Because this is so, we need to receive the written Word of God as having the same authority as if we were to hear God audibly speak it (II Timothy 3:16a).  We accept it as revealing the only way of salvation, and as being the basis of all faith and practice for both our individual lives and for Berean Church.  (II Timothy 3:16b-17).

THE NATURE OF GOD
ONE GOD IN THREE PERSONS

We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons, a Tri-unity (Trinity) comprised of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.  We believe that each is a person distinct from the others, but inseparable, coequal and coeternal.  We are not polytheists (those who believe in more than one god), and we are not Unitarians (who believe in one god, but deny the deity of God the Son and God the Holy Spirit), neither are we modalists (those who believe in one god who has revealed himself in three different ways).  We do not profess to be able to explain the Trinity, but find it taught clearly in Scripture (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; John 10:30-33; II Corinthians 13:14).  That the nature of God is beyond the ability of our human intellects to fully grasp does not bother us.  As someone has written, “A god small enough for our minds would not be big enough for our needs.”

THE PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST
GOD MADE FLESH

We believe that before His entrance into the world, Jesus Christ existed in heaven from eternity past, in full equality with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. It was in that distant past that the members of the Godhead determined among themselves, that God the Son would enter the world, becoming human, to provide a way for us to be saved from the guilt and penalty of our sins.  To facilitate His birth, the Holy Spirit miraculously conceived His physical body in the womb of the Virgin Mary.  By coming into the world God the Son did not set aside His deity, but added humanity to it.  He was and is the most unique person of all time, the God-man, true deity and true humanity combined in one person.  Only someone who is both God and man could bridge the rift that sin has created between God and us.   (Luke 1:35; John 1:1,14; Philippians 2:6-9; Romans 1:3-4)  

THE PERSON OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
GOD WITH US

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person existing as co-equal and co-eternal with God the Father and God the Son.  His function is to convict unbelievers of their sin and condemnation before God, and to convince them that they need Christ to save them.  It is only as He regenerates the spirits of unsaved people that they are able to understand the Gospel and trust in Christ.  In those He does regenerate the Spirit produces saving faith; He baptizes them into eternal union with Christ; seals them in that relationship for time and eternity; indwells them; equips them for service; and empowers them to live a godly life. (Acts 5:3-4; John 16:7-8; Titus 3:5; I Corinthians 12:13;  Ephesians 1-14; 3:16-19;  Galatians 5:5; II Corinthians 3:18)  

HUMANITY
SPIRITUALLY DEAD IN SIN

We believe that God created the first man and woman in His own spiritual image and likeness.  They were created to know Him, to enjoy His friendship, experience His love and His wisdom, and to serve Him.   But as a consequence of disobedience to God our parents lost their relationship with Him. They lost it not only for themselves but also for their descendants.  We have all inherited from our parents a nature of rebellion against God.  The Bible calls this nature and it’s works “spiritual death”.  Spiritual death is complete estrangement from God.  It is our total inability to approach God or to please Him in any way.   Just as physical death makes it impossible to have a relationship with someone, spiritual death separates us totally and completely from the life of God.  As spiritually dead men and women, we can do nothing to earn God’s favor.  This is the spiritual “birth defect” with which each of us entered the world, estranged from God by our very nature, which fact we have long since confirmed by committing sins of our own.  We are sinners both by nature and by choice, and unable to do anything to improve our standing before God.  

SALVATION
BY GRACE ALONE, THROUGH FAITH ALONE, IN CHRIST ALONE

Because our position relative to God is one of spiritual death, it follows both logically and Biblically that if we are to be saved from the penalty due our sins, it must be entirely a work of God.  Therefore the basis of salvation is entirely God’s Grace, love we don’t deserve (Ephesians 2:8-8; Titus 3:4-6).  The means of salvation is faith, trust in God and not our own efforts (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:4-6).  And the object of faith is Jesus Christ, His sacrifice and resurrection. (Romans 3:23-25).  

ETERNAL SECURITY  
IT’S NOT “ETERNAL LIFE” IF YOU CAN LOSE IT

While it is possible to be saved and not understand the Biblical teaching of eternal security to deny the doctrine is a corruption of the Gospel because it means that salvation is ultimately dependent upon some work of man.  To deny the security of the believer is a denial of salvation by “grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.”  The fact is that we did not deserve salvation the day we received it, and since then there has not been a single day that we have deserved to keep it.  The continuance of salvation has nothing more to do with any work of ours than our receiving it did.  If salvation is received as a gift by faith, but only maintained by either good works or avoiding certain sins, then we would only arrive in heaven through our own efforts, and would have something to boast about, “but not before God.” (Romans 8:1; 28-39;  John 10:28-29;  I John 5:11-13).