Statement of Belief and Practice
About God - We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons, namely the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, He loves each individual personally and has a divine plan for every life.
About Jesus - We believe that Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God, conceived of the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary. We believe that Jesus was tempted in every way yet lived a sinless life. We believe that He was physically crucified, buried, and rose from the dead in three days, and that He ascended to heaven and today is at the right hand of the Father as the Intercessor. We believe in His imminent, personal, second coming as the Judge of all the souls that have ever lived. We believe that His Name is the only way to the Father, whether in prayer or for salvation.
About the Holy Spirit - We believe the Holy Spirit to be equal in the Godhead with the Father, and the Son of God-Jesus. We believe that the work of the Holy Spirit is to convict the world of sin, effect the new birth, give guidance in life for continued cleansing and sanctification, empower for service, and enable the saints for perseverance in faith and holiness. We also believe in baptism with the Holy Ghost is subsequent to a clean heart.
About the Word of God - We believe in the complete inspiration of the bible, and that every word is the inspired, infallible Word of God, and that every soul will be judged according to the word of God. We believe the Word is God and God is the Word; God being revealed in the written Word by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
About Sin - We believe in the Genesis account of creation; that the universe was created in six literal (24) hour days. We believe that by the Breath of God man became a living soul that will never die, but due to the sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden, all mankind is inherently born with a sinful nature, estranged from God, and in need of redemption.
About Salvation - We believe that salvation (justification, regeneration, the new birth) only comes by faith in the shed blood of Jesus on the Cross of Calvary and that faith produces repentance from sin, Salvation is a free gift of God, given by His vast, abundance grace.
About Baptism - We believe that baptism is an outward sign, subsequent to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. We believe that those who have experienced genuine salvation by faith in Jesus will seek believer’s baptism; we believe it to be imperative to be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, as Jesus commanded. We believe that immersion is the Biblical application.
About the Church - We believe the church is the assembly of those that have been called out of sins darkness into His marvelous light. We believe the book of Acts was written as an account of the activity of the detail's beginnings of the Church, and also serves as a template or blueprint for the desires of God for His Bride. We believe that the New Testament Church continues still today as a living organism, Jesus Christ being the Head, by those who trust in His Holy Spirit, to guide them into all truth.
About Membership - After the above has happened and is affirmed in individual lives, that all those that attend regularly at The Ekklesia in Harlan shall be acknowledged as members and be treated as such in accountability and in function of serving Christ and serving others via offices and work in the congregation according to their maturity in the faith and by the call of God.
About Church Leadership - We hold and affirm Ephesians 4:11-16 to be the standard in function and application for the New Testament Church. We believe that the offices of Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, and Teacher shall chart the direction of the church. Their job descriptions are available for further review.
About Gifts of the Spirit - We believe that all the gifts given to the church by the Holy Ghost are still the desire of God for to be used by the church to declare His glory and power. We acknowledge that, as in anything created and given by God, Satan has presented abuse and counterfeit of them to individuals near or abroad in the past. However, that does not nullify necessity or effective use of them in their proper function.
About Biblical Tithing - We believe that a life that has been given to the Lordship of Jesus Christ holds nothing as its own, but rather that all is the Lord’s, and the individual is only the trustee of the things given. That is evidenced by bringing the tithes (first tenth) into the storehouse, by which the needs of the congregation and community may be effectively met. We believe that the Word of God teaches that offerings and alms are in addition above the first tenth. The New Testament is very clear, that any form of giving is to be done cheerfully.
Regarding Practical Living and Lifestyle - We appreciate the faith that was delivered to the saints from Bethlehem to Calvary to Pentecost by our Savior, Jesus Christ. Our forefathers since then, link us all the way back to that time. We deeply appreciate their interpretation and teaching given and handed down to us, and believe closely with the 1963 Confession of Faith, finding it weak or incomplete in only a few key areas. We have made some revisions which are reflected in the statements above.
Human Sexuality: We believe that God has given to us the gift of sexuality which must be exercised only within the boundaries of covenanted, lifelong, and heterosexual marriage. Intimate sexual relationships outside of marriage and sexual relationships between persons of the same sex are immoral and sinful. Specifically, we believe the Bible condemns homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, pornography, and other forms of licentiousness as sinful perversions of the divine gift of sexuality. (1 Corinthians 5, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, Revelation 21:8).
Family and Relationship: We believe that God has instituted the family as the foundational unit of human society, and it begins with the legitimate marriage of one man and one woman. We believe that death is the only separation allowed by Almighty God for remarriage. Within the marriage structure, as He has ordained, parents are responsible to instruct their children in Christian faith and conduct, to set before them godly and consistent examples of the same, and in every way to “bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” In the ordering of family life, Scripture requires: “Wives submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord . . . husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it . . . children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.” Ephesians 5:22-33, Ephesians 6:1-4, Colossians 3:20-21
Male and Female Order in the Church: We believe that God made man and woman with distinct and unique gifts and callings. Each has the blessing of opportunity for salvation, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and for ministry. We do believe the scripture teaches that man is called and set forth to be the leader and teacher in the church and that woman is to be under man’s authority. We believe it is unbiblical for women to be in leadership, to preach, or teach in a position outside of ministry to women or to children. 1 Corinthians 14:34-38, 1 Timothy 2:11&12, 1 Peter 3:1-6
Human Life: The sanctity and dignity of human life demands respect for all human life, especially in its most vulnerable stages and conditions. We believe that human life begins at conception, and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified and unexcused taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the physical or mental wellbeing of the mother are acceptable.
We further believe that the killing of the weak, the physically challenged, the mentally ill, or the aged, whether by a deliberate act or by coercing or assisting a person to commit suicide is immoral and sinful in the eyes of Almighty God (Psalm 139:13-16, Jeremiah 1:5). We completely decry the use of medications and vaccines that are derived from stem cells and/or tissues that are derived from aborted fetuses. We encourage our congregants to strongly research the use of medicines and vaccinations and fully understand the purpose behind them. We live in a world that is aligned with the god of this age, but we are called to life; a life that is separated unto the God of the Holy Scriptures.
Addendum to Statement of Faith: The Statement of Faith does not exhaust the extent of our faith. The Bible itself is the sole and final source of all that we believe. We do believe, however, that the foregoing Statement of Faith accurately represents the teaching of the Bible and, therefore, is binding upon all Board Trustees, officers, employees, and activities of the organization. 2 Timothy 3:16&17, 1 Peter 1:19-21
About Jesus - We believe that Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God, conceived of the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary. We believe that Jesus was tempted in every way yet lived a sinless life. We believe that He was physically crucified, buried, and rose from the dead in three days, and that He ascended to heaven and today is at the right hand of the Father as the Intercessor. We believe in His imminent, personal, second coming as the Judge of all the souls that have ever lived. We believe that His Name is the only way to the Father, whether in prayer or for salvation.
About the Holy Spirit - We believe the Holy Spirit to be equal in the Godhead with the Father, and the Son of God-Jesus. We believe that the work of the Holy Spirit is to convict the world of sin, effect the new birth, give guidance in life for continued cleansing and sanctification, empower for service, and enable the saints for perseverance in faith and holiness. We also believe in baptism with the Holy Ghost is subsequent to a clean heart.
About the Word of God - We believe in the complete inspiration of the bible, and that every word is the inspired, infallible Word of God, and that every soul will be judged according to the word of God. We believe the Word is God and God is the Word; God being revealed in the written Word by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
About Sin - We believe in the Genesis account of creation; that the universe was created in six literal (24) hour days. We believe that by the Breath of God man became a living soul that will never die, but due to the sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden, all mankind is inherently born with a sinful nature, estranged from God, and in need of redemption.
About Salvation - We believe that salvation (justification, regeneration, the new birth) only comes by faith in the shed blood of Jesus on the Cross of Calvary and that faith produces repentance from sin, Salvation is a free gift of God, given by His vast, abundance grace.
About Baptism - We believe that baptism is an outward sign, subsequent to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. We believe that those who have experienced genuine salvation by faith in Jesus will seek believer’s baptism; we believe it to be imperative to be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, as Jesus commanded. We believe that immersion is the Biblical application.
About the Church - We believe the church is the assembly of those that have been called out of sins darkness into His marvelous light. We believe the book of Acts was written as an account of the activity of the detail's beginnings of the Church, and also serves as a template or blueprint for the desires of God for His Bride. We believe that the New Testament Church continues still today as a living organism, Jesus Christ being the Head, by those who trust in His Holy Spirit, to guide them into all truth.
About Membership - After the above has happened and is affirmed in individual lives, that all those that attend regularly at The Ekklesia in Harlan shall be acknowledged as members and be treated as such in accountability and in function of serving Christ and serving others via offices and work in the congregation according to their maturity in the faith and by the call of God.
About Church Leadership - We hold and affirm Ephesians 4:11-16 to be the standard in function and application for the New Testament Church. We believe that the offices of Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, and Teacher shall chart the direction of the church. Their job descriptions are available for further review.
About Gifts of the Spirit - We believe that all the gifts given to the church by the Holy Ghost are still the desire of God for to be used by the church to declare His glory and power. We acknowledge that, as in anything created and given by God, Satan has presented abuse and counterfeit of them to individuals near or abroad in the past. However, that does not nullify necessity or effective use of them in their proper function.
About Biblical Tithing - We believe that a life that has been given to the Lordship of Jesus Christ holds nothing as its own, but rather that all is the Lord’s, and the individual is only the trustee of the things given. That is evidenced by bringing the tithes (first tenth) into the storehouse, by which the needs of the congregation and community may be effectively met. We believe that the Word of God teaches that offerings and alms are in addition above the first tenth. The New Testament is very clear, that any form of giving is to be done cheerfully.
Regarding Practical Living and Lifestyle - We appreciate the faith that was delivered to the saints from Bethlehem to Calvary to Pentecost by our Savior, Jesus Christ. Our forefathers since then, link us all the way back to that time. We deeply appreciate their interpretation and teaching given and handed down to us, and believe closely with the 1963 Confession of Faith, finding it weak or incomplete in only a few key areas. We have made some revisions which are reflected in the statements above.
Human Sexuality: We believe that God has given to us the gift of sexuality which must be exercised only within the boundaries of covenanted, lifelong, and heterosexual marriage. Intimate sexual relationships outside of marriage and sexual relationships between persons of the same sex are immoral and sinful. Specifically, we believe the Bible condemns homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, pornography, and other forms of licentiousness as sinful perversions of the divine gift of sexuality. (1 Corinthians 5, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, Revelation 21:8).
Family and Relationship: We believe that God has instituted the family as the foundational unit of human society, and it begins with the legitimate marriage of one man and one woman. We believe that death is the only separation allowed by Almighty God for remarriage. Within the marriage structure, as He has ordained, parents are responsible to instruct their children in Christian faith and conduct, to set before them godly and consistent examples of the same, and in every way to “bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” In the ordering of family life, Scripture requires: “Wives submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord . . . husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it . . . children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.” Ephesians 5:22-33, Ephesians 6:1-4, Colossians 3:20-21
Male and Female Order in the Church: We believe that God made man and woman with distinct and unique gifts and callings. Each has the blessing of opportunity for salvation, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and for ministry. We do believe the scripture teaches that man is called and set forth to be the leader and teacher in the church and that woman is to be under man’s authority. We believe it is unbiblical for women to be in leadership, to preach, or teach in a position outside of ministry to women or to children. 1 Corinthians 14:34-38, 1 Timothy 2:11&12, 1 Peter 3:1-6
Human Life: The sanctity and dignity of human life demands respect for all human life, especially in its most vulnerable stages and conditions. We believe that human life begins at conception, and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified and unexcused taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the physical or mental wellbeing of the mother are acceptable.
We further believe that the killing of the weak, the physically challenged, the mentally ill, or the aged, whether by a deliberate act or by coercing or assisting a person to commit suicide is immoral and sinful in the eyes of Almighty God (Psalm 139:13-16, Jeremiah 1:5). We completely decry the use of medications and vaccines that are derived from stem cells and/or tissues that are derived from aborted fetuses. We encourage our congregants to strongly research the use of medicines and vaccinations and fully understand the purpose behind them. We live in a world that is aligned with the god of this age, but we are called to life; a life that is separated unto the God of the Holy Scriptures.
Addendum to Statement of Faith: The Statement of Faith does not exhaust the extent of our faith. The Bible itself is the sole and final source of all that we believe. We do believe, however, that the foregoing Statement of Faith accurately represents the teaching of the Bible and, therefore, is binding upon all Board Trustees, officers, employees, and activities of the organization. 2 Timothy 3:16&17, 1 Peter 1:19-21
