About Us

The Articles of Faith express the basic theological beliefs of Calvary Memorial Church. They represent the teaching position of this church and are the basis for the theological qualification of our pastor, pastoral staff, elders, deacons, Sunday School teachers, and the missionaries supported by this church.

A. The Scriptures
We believe that the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, are the inspired Word of God and are therefore without error in the original writings.

We further believe that this inspiration is not in different degrees, but extends equally and fully to all parts of the Bible: historical, poetical, doctrinal and prophetical. We, therefore, believe in the absolute authority of the Bible in all matters of faith and practice.

John 10:35; II Timothy 3:16, 17; II Peter 1:21

B. The True God
We believe in one living and true God who is the Creator of heaven and earth; who is eternal, almighty, unchangeable, infinitely powerful, wise, just and holy.

We believe that the one God eternally exists in three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and that these three are one God, co-equal and co-eternal, having precisely the same nature and attributes, and worthy of precisely the same worship, confidence, and obedience.

Matthew 3:16, 17; Matthew 28:19, 20; Mark 12:29; John 1:14; Acts 5:3, 4; II Corinthians 13:14

C. God the Father
We believe in God the Father, Creator and Sustainer of all things, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. We believe that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men; that He hears and answers prayer; that He sent His Son into the world; that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Genesis 1:1; Psalms 7:9; Matthew 5:48; John 3:16; Acts 13:17-25; Acts 14:15-17; Acts 17:24-28

D. The Person and Work of Jesus Christ
We believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, that He was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, and is fully God and fully Man. We believe that our redemption has been accomplished solely by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, who was made to be sin, and made a curse for us, dying in our place that we might be forgiven. We believe that He died not only for our sins, but also for the sins of the entire world. We believe that He was raised from the dead in bodily form and that He ascended into heaven, where He sits at the right hand of God the Father interceding for us.

We believe in the personal, bodily, imminent and premillennial return of our Lord Jesus Christ for His Church and His subsequent millennial reign over restored Israel and the kingdoms of the world.

Luke 1:30-35; 2:7; John 1:1-4; Romans 9-11; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:13-19; Hebrews 1:1-3; I Peter 3:18; I Corinthians 15:3-7; Hebrews 7:25; Acts 1:11, 15:14-17; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; I John 2:2

E. The Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is not merely an influence, but a divine Person; that He is the source and power of all acceptable worship and service and is our abiding Counselor and Helper. We believe that the baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs at the moment of conversion and is that act whereby believers are united with Christ as part of His body; that the Holy Spirit permanently indwells all believers in Christ; that He will never depart from the Church nor from the weakest believer; that by His indwelling the believer is enabled to live a godly life.

John 14:16,17; 16:13-15; Acts 1:8; 5:3,4; Romans 8:9; I Corinthians 6:19; 12:13; Galatians 5:22,23

F. The Fall of Man
We believe that man, although created as an innocent being in the image of God, fell from his high and holy estate through Adam's act of disobedience. As a result, sin entered the human race, leaving mankind subject to the wrath of God, spiritually dead, inherently corrupt, and incapable of pleasing God apart from a work of divine grace. Thus all men are hopelessly lost apart from the salvation which is in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Genesis 1:27; 3:6-24; Romans 5:12, 19; Ephesians 2:13; Romans 3:8-18

G. The Way of Salvation
We believe that, due to universal death through sin, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless born again; that salvation is only by grace through faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ, and that all who receive the Lord Jesus Christ through faith are declared righteous by God and thereby become children of God.

We believe the Scriptures teach that regeneration, or the new birth, is that act of God by which the Holy Spirit imparts a new nature and a new spiritual life, not before possessed, and the person becomes a new creation in Christ Jesus. The mind is given a holy disposition and a new desire to serve God, the dominion of sin broken, and the heart transformed from a love of sin and self to a love of holiness and God.

As the believer walks in the power of the Holy Spirit, these new realities become evident in a life characterized by holiness, compassion and zeal.

Ephesians 2:1-10; John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Hebrews 9:22; John 3:1-18; II Corinthians 5:17; I Peter 1:18, 19

H. The Church
We believe the true Church of Jesus Christ had its historical beginning at Pentecost, that it is composed of all true believers in Jesus Christ, is the body and bride of our Lord, and is distinct from Israel.

We believe that since there is spiritual unity of all believers in Jesus Christ, it is our duty to love one another fervently, endeavoring at all times to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

We believe that the purpose of the church in the world is to glorify God through worship, prayer, teaching of the Word, observance of the ordinances, fellowship, the exercise of our gifts and talents, and the proclamation of the gospel both in our community and throughout the world.

Acts 2:1, 41-47; Romans 12:5; I Corinthians 12:12, 13; I Corinthians 10:32; Ephesians 1:22, 23; 4:3-6; Colossians 1:18; Colossians 3:14-15

I. The Ordinances
We believe the ordinances of the Church are two in number and constitute a scriptural means of public testimony for the church in this age. One is that of believer’s baptism in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit; and the other is the Lord’s Supper.

Matthew 26:27-30; I Corinthians 11:23-30; Matthew 28:19; Acts 16:30-33

J. Marriage and Family
We believe that marriage was ordained by God at creation as the sacred union of one man and one woman. All sexual relations must therefore be reserved for that union. Christian marriage is a representation of Christ’s relationship to His church. We also believe that children are a blessing from the Lord. Thus all human life is sacred and worthy of protection from the moment of conception. Genesis 1:26-28; 2:24; Psalm 127 & 128; 139:13-16; Matthew 19:1-10; I Corinthians 6:9-11; Ephesians 5:22-33; Hebrew 13:4

K. The Security of the Believer
We believe that those who have by faith trusted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are eternally secure and can never lose their salvation. We further believe it is the privilege of all believers to be assured of their salvation; that this assurance rests not in themselves, but in the promises of God; that the Scriptures teach that such as are truly regenerate, being born of the Spirit, will not utterly fall away and finally perish, but are kept by the power of God unto the day of salvation. We also believe that the doctrine of eternal security should lead to a life of love, gratitude and obedience to God.

John 6:39; 10:27-29; Philippians 1:6; I Peter 1:3-5; I John 2:19; Romans 11:29.

L. Sanctification
We believe the Scriptures teach that sanctification is the means by which, according to the will of God, we are made partakers of His holiness and that, as we practice our faith and walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit is manifested in our lives.

Galatians 5:22, 23; Colossians 3:8-12; II Corinthians 3:18; John 17:17; I Peter 3:18; I Thessalonians 3:12, 13; Ephesians 5:26; I Timothy 4:5; Hebrews 10:25

M. Future Reward and Punishment
We believe that at the moment of death, believers pass immediately into the presence of Christ and remain there in joyful fellowship with Him until the resurrection of the body at His second coming, after which they will be forever with the Lord in glory. We also believe that at the moment of death, the unsaved descend to Hell where they are kept under punishment until their bodies are raised at the final judgment, after which they will suffer everlasting conscious punishment separated from the presence of the Lord.

Acts 17:31; Matthew 25:31-46; II Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23; Revelation 20:11-15; John 14:1-3; 3:16; II Thessalonians 1:7-10; Revelation 21:1-5