The Scriptures

We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the verbally inspired Word of God, the final authority for faith and life, inerrant in the original writings, infallible and God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:21; Matthew 5:18; John 16:12-13).

The Godhead

We believe in One Triune God, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – Co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections (Deut. 6:4; 2 Cor. 13:14).

The Person and Work of Christ

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men (John 1:1-2, 14; Luke 1:35).

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and, that our justification is made sure by his literal, physical resurrection from the dead (Rom. 3:24-25; 1 Pet. 2:24; Eph. 1:7; 1 Pet. 1:3-5).

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to heaven, and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate (Acts 1:9-10; Heb. 9:24; Heb. 7:25; Rom. 8:34; 1  John 2:1-2).

The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and, that He is the supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling, and sealing them unto the day of redemption (John 16:8-11; 2 Cor. 3:6; 1 Cor. 12:12-14; Rom. 8:9; Eph. 1:13-14).

We believe that He is the Divine Teacher who guides believers into all truth; and, that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the Spirit (John 16:13; 1 John 2:20, 27; Eph. 5:18).

The Total Depravity of Man

We believe that Man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam’s sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God; and, that man is totally depraved, and of himself utterly unable to remedy his lost condition (Gen. 1:2, 6, 27; Rom. 3:22-23, Rom. 5:12; Eph. 2:1-3, 12).

Salvation

We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by repentant man through personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 3:19; Eph. 2:8-10; John 1:12; Eph. 1:7; 1 Pet. 1:18-19).

The Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers

We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and thus are secure in Christ forever (John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Rom. 8:1; 8:38-39; 1 Cor. 1:4-8; 1 Pet. 1:5).

We believe that is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word, which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh (Rom. 13:13-14; Ga. 5:13; Titus 2:11-15).

The Two Natures of the Believer

We believe that every saved person possesses two natures, with provision made for victory of the new nature over the old nature through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, and, that all claims to the eradication of the old nature in this life are unscriptural (Rom. 6:13; Rom. 8:12-13; Gal. 5:16-25; Eph. 4:22-24; Col 3:10; 1 Pet. 1:14-16; 1 John 3:5-9).

Separation

We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord; and, that separation from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices and associations is commended by God (2 Tim. 3:1-5; Rom. 12:1-2; 14:13; 1 John 2:15-17; 2 John 9-11; 2 Cor. 6:14-7:1).

Missions

We believe that it is the obligation of the saved to witness by life and by word to the truths of Holy Scripture and to seek to proclaim the gospel to all mankind (Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8; 2 Cor. 5:19-20).

The Ministry of Spiritual Gifts

We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowment of all His gifts; and, that the gifts of evangelists, pastors, and teachers are sufficient for the perfecting of the saints today; and, that speaking in tongues and the working of sign miracles gradually ceased as the New Testament Scriptures were completed and their authority became established (1 Cor. 12:4-11; 2 Cor. 12:12; Eph. 4:7-12; 1 Cor. 13:8).

We believe that God does hear and answer the prayer of faith, in accord with His own will, for the sick and afflicted (John 15:7; 1 John 5:14-15).

The Church

We believe that the church, which is the body and the espoused bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born-again persons of this present age (Eph. 1:22-23; 5:25-27; 1 Cor. 12:12, 14; 2 Cor. 11:2).

We believe that the establishment and continuance of local church is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures (Acts 14:27; 20:17; 1 Tim. 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11).

Ordinances

Baptism. We believe immersion to be the New Testament form of baptism to be administered upon the personal acceptance and public confession of Christ as Savior. Baptism in our church, therefore, shall be administered by immersion only. We believe Christ Himself established and commended the ordinance to symbolize the believer’s death to the old life of sin and his spiritual resurrection to the new life in Christ (Acts 2:41; 8:12; 9:18; 10:47-48; Rom. 6:3-6). We believe that neither water baptism nor any particular form of its administration is required for membership in the body of Christ. Therefore, for believers who have already been baptized and apply for membership the mode of baptism shall be a matter of conscience between them and the Lord.

The Lord’s Supper. We believe that the Lord’s Supper is an ordinance instituted by the Lord Jesus Christ to be observed by the redeemed in remembrance of His Death until He comes again. it is not to be considered in any way to be the literal body and blood of Christ (1 Cor. 11:23-26; Luke 22:19-20).

Dispensationalism

We believe in the dispensational view of Bible interpretation, but reject the extreme teaching known as “Hyper-Dispensationalism” such as the teaching which opposes either the Lord’s Table or water baptism as a Scriptural means of testimony for the church in this age (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-43; 18:8; 1 Cor. 11:23-26).

The Personality of Satan

We believe that Satan is a person, the author of sin and the cause of the fall; that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man; and, that he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire (Job 1:6-7; Isaiah 14:12, 17; Matt. 25:41; Rev. 20:10).

The Second Advent of Christ

We believe in that “blessed hope,” the personal, imminent, pretribulation, and premillenial coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for His redeemed ones; and, in His subsequent return to the earth, with His saints, to establish His Millennial Kingdom (1 Thess. 4:13-18; Zech. 14:4-11; Rev. 19:11-16; 20:1-6; 1 Thess. 1:10; 5:9; Rev. 3:10).

The Eternal State

We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment (Matt. 25:46; John 5:28-29; 11:25-26; Rev. 20:5-6, 12-13).

We believe that the souls of the redeemed are at death absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection, when spirit, soul and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord (Luke 23:43; Rev. 20:4-6; 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil 1:23; 3:21; 1 Thess. 4:16-17).

We believe that the souls of the unbelievers remain after death in conscious misery until the second resurrection. With soul and body reunited, they shall appear at the Great White Throne of Judgment and shall be cast into the Lake of fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment (Luke 16:19-26; Matt. 25:41-46; 2 Thess. 1:7-9; Jude 6-7; Mark 9:43-48; Rev. 20:11-15).

Associations

We believe that the Church should not associate its name, by giving support of any kind, with any who do not believe and obey the Word of God, (1 Cor. 5:1-13; 2 Cor. 6:14-18; Eph. 5:5-11; 2 John 7-10) or with any who maintain supportive connections with any who do not believe and obey the Word of God (Matt. 18;15-17; Rom. 16:17; 2 Thess. 3:1-15; Titus 3:8-11; 2 John 11).

Marriage

We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God (Gen 1:26-27; Psa. 139:13-16).

We believe God established marriage as an institution whereby one man and one woman unite in a single, exclusive, covenant commitment (Gen 2:18-25; Matt. 19:4-6; Mal. 2:14) which is normally recognized by human government (Rom. 13:1; Matt. 22:21), but is based primarily on divine law.

We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other (1 Cor. 6:18; 7:2-5; Heb. 13:4; John 4:17-18). We believe that forms of sexual immorality include non-consensual sexual misconduct (Deut. 22:25-27), adultery (Exod. 20:14; Heb. 13:4; Matt. 5:28), fornication (Heb. 13:4; 1 Thess. 4:3; Gal. 5:19; Eph.5:3; Col. 3:5), sexual activity between persons of the same sex (Gen. 19:1-7; Lev. 18:22; 20:13; Deut. 23:17-18; Judges 19:22-23; 1 Kings 14:24; 15:12; 22:46; Romans 1:21-32; 1 Cor. 6:9; 1 Tim. 1:10), polygamy (Matt. 19:4-6; 1 Cor. 7:11), bestiality (Exod. 22:19; Lev. 18:23; 20:15-16; Deut. 27:21;), incest (Lev. 20:11-21; 1 Cor. 5:1), and use of pornography (Matt. 5:28).

We believe God offers full and free forgiveness through Jesus Christ to all who will repent of these sins and turn in faith to Him for forgiveness (Acts 3:19-21; Acts 17:30; Rom 10:9-10; 1 Cor. 6:9-11; 1 John 1:8-9).

We, the members of the Morrow Bible Church do covenant together, God helping us, that as strangers and pilgrims we will abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; that we will put away from us all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, and be kind one to another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven us; that as we have opportunity we will do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith; that we will remember them which have the rule over us, who speak unto us the Word of God; and that we will give as God hath prospered us; not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loveth a cheerful giver.

I. Prospective missionary candidates should be able to give full assent to the statement of faith contained in our church constitution.

II. Such candidates should hold sympathetically and without reserve, the position of their home church with respect to complete separation from apostasy and any entanglements therewith. Those who could go as easily and without compunctions of conscience under the old-line denominational mission boards, could hardly qualify as taking the position of Morrow Bible Church in matters of Biblical separation. The Official Board will take into consideration the work and testimony of the individual in the home field as an indication of his or her attitude toward Scriptural separation.

III. It shall be expected that our prospective missionary candidates, desiring the prayerful and financial support of their home church, shall seek to go to the fields of their call under such missionary boards and agencies free from all connections with the World Council of Churches, the National Council of Christian Churches, and the National Association of Evangelicals or such other organizations as may work in harmony therewith.

The facilities of Morrow Bible Church were provided through God’s grace and by the sacrificial generosity of God’s people. The church desires that its facilities be used for the exaltation of God, edification of God’s people, and evangelism of the lost.

In no event shall persons or groups who hold, advance, or advocate beliefs, or advance, advocate, or engage in practices that contradict the statement of faith use any church facility. Nor may church facilities be used in any way that contradicts the statement of faith. This policy applies to all church facilities, regardless of whether the facilities are connected to the church’s sanctuary, because the church sees all of its property as holy and set apart to worship God (Prov. 3:6; Col. 3:17; Rom. 14:6-8; 1 Cor. 10:31).

The board of Elders must approve all uses of church facilities. Generally, priority shall be given to church members, their immediate families, and organized groups that are part of the ministry or sponsored activities of the church.

We use the King James Version as our standard translation for public settings to provide unity in memorization, public reading, and preaching. We have chosen the KJV because of its reliability as a translation and continued widespread acceptance among English-speaking Christians.

We believe the original writings were completely inspired and inerrant, and that copies and translations are only reliable insofar as they accurately reflect these original documents.

We believe God has preserved His Word for us today, but we cannot identify one set of manuscripts or a particular translation as perfectly preserved. Because the original writings are not available and there is no perfectly preserved single copy of those writings, we affirm the usefulness of manuscript comparison in determining the very best reading for a translator to use. While seeking to warn against the poor translation methods of many modern versions, we affirm the usefulness of good modern translations for Christians today.