EVANGELICAL
To be an evangelical church first and foremost means that we strive to be faithful to and centered upon the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ as God has revealed it in Holy Scripture (Rom 1:1-7; 1 Cor 15:3-4). God saved us through the gospel; he continues to transform us by the same gospel; and he means for the gospel to set the priorities of all we are both in confession and in practice (1 Cor 9:19-23; 15:1-2; Col 1:23). Historically speaking, this also means we uphold the essential truths of the Christian faith – such as the existence of the triune God, the complete deity and humanity of Jesus Christ, his virgin conception, his incarnation as the eternal Son of God, the pervasive sinfulness of all humanity, Christ’s substitutionary death as the only way of salvation, his physical resurrection, his sure and bodily return, salvation by God’s grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, and the infallibility and divine authority of the Bible – and seek to walk humbly in accordance with them.
REFORMED
To be reformed means that we stand with those saints throughout church history who joyfully affirm that God, the world’s Creator and King, is at the center of the gospel. The Bible reveals that God designs, preordains, creates, and controls everything to achieve his eternal purpose in Jesus Christ, so that he may receive all praise (Rom 16:25-27; Eph 1:9-10; 2 Tim 1:9). That is especially true in how God saves us: in our natural state, fallen people lack all power to believe the gospel; in love, God freely and unconditionally chose to redeem a countless multitude of sinners through Christ; with unwavering devotion, Christ died as an atoning substitute for their sins, securing them for eternal glory; and with unconquerable power, the Holy Spirit ensures that all of these so chosen not only believe the gospel, but also persevere till appearing before the presence of God’s glory. In short, being Reformed means being thoroughly God-centered in our view of God’s world and his purpose in grace, so that our hearts cannot help but worship, “To God alone be the glory!”
BAPTIST
To be a Baptist church refers to our convictions about what the Scriptures teach on the nature, practice, and priorities of a local church (also known as our “ecclesiology”). At the very least, that means we affirm the autonomy of the local church, maintain regenerate church membership, employ the priesthood of all believers, and celebrate the two ordinances of Believers’ Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
ELDER-LED
To be an elder-led church refers to how we practice church leadership. Subjecting ourselves to the Scriptures, our conviction is that each local church recognizes, affirms, and submits to the leadership of biblically qualified elders (Eph 4:11-16; 1 Tim 3:1-7; Tit. 1:5-9; 1 Pet 5:1-4; Heb 13:7,17). These elders (also called pastors) provide the spiritual oversight of the congregation through prayerful submission to God’s Word which expresses itself in the regular discipleship, leadership, protection and care of God’s flock. The elders lead the church but are ultimately held accountable both to God and to the congregation. Thus, we practice congregational authority under the spiritual leadership of the elders (Acts 15:2-6,22; 1 Tim 5:19-20; cf. Matt 18:17).
COMPLEMENTARIAN
To be complementarian means that we view men and women as created in the image of God and therefore being equal in both value and dignity, yet that in creation God designed men and women to have different roles within marriage and the church. These roles are designed by God and called ‘very good’ and are not the result of the Fall, but predate the Fall (Gen 1:26-31). In marriage, God calls husbands to lovingly lead and care for their wives, as Christ loved the church and died for her. God calls wives to lovingly submit to the leadership of their husbands, as to the Lord (Eph 5:22-33). In the church, God has called and equipped all believers for ministry and service in his kingdom, but has, in his wisdom, uniquely called and limited the office of elder to men (1 Tim 2:12, 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9).