Our Beliefs
MARRIAGE & THE FAMILY
We believe marriage is a provision of God wherein one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others enter into a lifelong relationship through a marriage ceremony that is recognized by the church and legally sanctioned by the state. Marriage establishes a "one-flesh" relationship that goes beyond a physical union and is more than either a temporary relationship of convenience intended to provide personal pleasure or a contract that binds two people together in a legal partnership. Marriage establishes an emotional and spiritual oneness that enables both partners to respond to the spiritual, physical and social needs of the other. It provides the biblical context for the procreation of children. Marriage is to be an exclusive relationship that is maintained in purity. It is intended by God to be a permanent relationship. It is a witness to the world of the relationship between Christ and His church. Marriage requires a commitment of love, perseverance and faith. Because of its sanctity and permanence, marriage should be treated with seriousness and entered into only after counsel and prayer for God's guidance. Christians should marry only those who are believers. An individual who becomes a believer after marriage should remain with his/her partner in peace, and should give witness to the Gospel in the home. The Bible holds family life as a position of trust and responsibility. The home is a stabilizing force in society, a place of nurture, counsel, and safety for children. Marriage can only be broken by porneia, which is understood as marital unfaithfulness involving adultery, homosexuality, or incest. While the Scriptures give evidence that the marriage vow and "one-flesh" union are broken by such acts and therefore recognize the breaking of the marriage relationship, the Scriptures do recommend that the most desirable option would be reconciliation.
(Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:5-6; Malachi 2:15; Genesis 2:18; 1 Corinthians 7:2-5; Hebrews 13:4; Ephesians 5:3, 26, 27; Ephesians 5:25, 31, 32; 2 Corinthians 6:1, 14, 15; 1 Corinthians 7:12-14, 16; Ephesians 6:4; Matthew 5:32; 19:9; Ephesians 4:32)
DIVORCE
We believe divorce is not God's intention. It is God's concession to the "hardness of men's hearts." We, therefore, discourage divorce by all lawful means and teaching. Our objective is reconciliation and the healing of the marital union wherever possible. Marital unfaithfulness should not be considered so much an occasion or opportunity for divorce but rather an opportunity for Christian grace, forgiveness, and restoration. Divorce in our society is a termination of a marriage through a legal process authorized by the State. While the Church recognizes this legal process as an appropriate means to facilitate the permanent separation of spouses, the Church restricts the idea of divorce, in the sense of dissolution of marriage, to reasons specified in Scripture.
The weight of the biblical record is negative and the explicit statement is made, "God hates divorce." Divorce is more than an action of the courts which breaks the legal contract between partners in a marriage. It is also the fracture of a unique human relationship between a male and a female. Divorce has profound consequences for the children. Divorce is evidence of the sinful nature expressed in human failure. Jesus gives one explicit cause for the dissolution of marriage: porneia or marital unfaithfulness. Where all attempts at reconciliation have failed and a divorce has been finalized, we extend Christ's love and compassion.
(Matthew 19:8; Malachi 2:16)
REMARRIAGE
We believe remarriage is the union, legally sanctioned by the State, of one man and one woman, one or both of whom have been previously married. It is regarded as acceptable in Scripture in the event of the death of a former spouse. It is also regarded as acceptable if there has been sexual immorality on the part of the former partner or if the former partner has remarried.
TITHING
We believe tithing was divinely instituted by God under the old covenant and was compulsory upon the people who worshiped God. Under the new covenant we are not bound by arbitrary laws; but the principles of right and wrong, as expressed by the law, are fulfilled in the believer's life through grace. Grace should produce as much as or more than law demanded. Regular systematic giving is clearly taught in the New Testament. It is known as the grace of giving. The gauge or rule of this systematic giving is defined in the Old Testament, known as the law of tithing. All Christians should conscientiously and systematically tithe their income to God.
(Leviticus 27:30-32; Malachi 3:10; 2 Corinthians 9:6-15)