It is the testimony of Scripture – both Old and New Testaments - and of the Christian Church that God is Triune. The biblical revelation testifies that there is only one God and that He exists eternally in three distinct and co-equal divine Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
A. God the Father
God the Father is the Creator and sustainer of all things, who created the universe in love to respond to Himself. He created man (both male and female) in His own image for fellowship, and calls them back to Himself through Christ after the rebellion and fall of mankind.
B. The Son
Jesus Christ is eternally God. He was together with the Father and the Holy Spirit from the beginning, and through him all things were made. For man’s redemption He left heaven and was born from the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit.
C. The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and with the Son as God. He is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. The Christian seeks to live under His control daily.
The Scriptures
We affirm that the Bible, in its entirety, is the inspired Word of God. As the Word of God, the Bible is the ultimate and final authority on all matters that it affirms: either positively or negatively. The Bible—both Old and New Testaments—contains everything that the believer needs to know for salvation, and is capable of thoroughly equipping the believer to live the life that God has called them to live. We believe that the Scriptures are wholly without error in their original manuscripts and that the canon of Scripture is closed; therefore, the 66 books contained in the Bible are all of the inspired books from God and cannot be added to or subtracted from. All doctrine and teaching is only as authoritative as it is faithfully representative of the true and intended teaching of God’s inspired and inerrant Word.
The Atonement
We affirm that Jesus Christ exclusively bore the wrath of God and the penalty due to those who have failed to obey God’s holy Law—in its entirety—in the place of those who appropriate this vicarious death and substitutionary payment by faith. Healing of the body, soul and spirit is provided for in the atonement as well as all of God’s provision for His saints, but these must be appropriated by the individual through faith. We believe that the whole world has fallen short of God’s standard of righteousness necessary to gain entrance into heaven, and that Jesus the Christ is the sole means of salvation. Through faith, all who believe are declared righteous on the basis of Christ’s life, death and resurrection in fulfillment of the Scriptures on the believer’s behalf by the Just and Holy Judge of the Universe.
Salvation
The Word of God declares clearly that salvation is a free gift of God, based on the merits of the death of His Son, and is appropriated by faith. Salvation is appropriated by personal repentance, belief on the Lord Jesus (justification), and personal acceptance of Him into one’s life as Lord and Savior (regeneration). The new life in Christ includes the privileges of adoption and inheritance in the Kingdom of God’s beloved Son. Salvation is an act of free will in response to God’s personal love for mankind. It is predestined in the sense that God, through His omniscience, foreknew those who would choose Him. It is secure in the eternal unchanging commitment of God, who does not lie and is forever the same. True salvation will produce an active lifestyle of loving obedience and service to Jesus Christ our Savior.
The Christian Life
We believe that the Scriptures portray the life of the saint in this world to be one of balance between what is declared about us as Christians (by God) and what is given to us according to our faith and maturity (by God). Hence God’s provision for His children is total and the promises are final and are forever. The shortcomings of the individual and of the Church are because of the still progressing work of God in bringing about holiness (sanctification) in the lives of the saints. The Christian life is filled with trials, tests, and warfare against a spiritual enemy. For those abiding in Christ until their death or His return, the promises of eternal blessing in the presence of God are assured. To remain faithful through all circumstances of life requires dependence upon the Holy Spirit and a willingness to die to personal desires and passions.
Baptism and the Lord’s Supper
The Word of God describes two perpetual ordinances of the Lord Jesus Christ for the Church. The first, baptism, is the outward sign of what God has already done in the individual’s life, and is a public testimony to all that the person belongs now to Jesus. Baptism allows believers to identify with Jesus and is performed in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Lord’s Supper is a commemoration of the death of the Lord and is done in remembrance of Him until He comes again, and is a sign of our participation in Him. Both institutions are restricted to those who are believers.
Eschatology / End Times
We affirm the bodily, personal, second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ will physically and visibly return to earth for the second time to establish His kingdom. This will occur at a date undisclosed by the Scriptures. We affirm the final judgment which will determine the eternal status of both the saints and the unbelievers, according to their relationship with Jesus Christ. We affirm with the Bible the final state of the New Heavens and New Earth.
Core Values
While it is impossible to capture every value of every member of BCC, the following Core Values are at the top of the list for our church as an organization.
1. Great Commission
2. Great Commandment
3. Word and Spirit centered
4. Prayer
5. Worship