WE BELIEVE
scripture is
god-breathed
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 TIMOTHY 3:16-17
MEET THE PASTOR
Pastor Kelvin has been at Covenant Baptist Church since 2012. He and his wife Gayle have been married for 41 years. They have been blessed with 5 children and 13 grandchildren. Kelvin graduated from Urbana University and Grace Theological Seminary and has pastored churches in Ohio, Illinois, and Arizona. He is passionate about applying God's Word to daily living through his teachings and messages.
“Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.”
1 TIMOTHY 4:16
What we believe
We believe that the Holy Bible, as originally written, was verbally inspired and the product of Spirit-controlled men, and therefore, has truth without any mixture of error for its matter. We believe the Bible to be the true center of Christian unity and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions shall be tried.
By “The Holy Bible”, we mean that collection of sixty-six books, from Genesis to Revelation, which as originally written is the complete, sufficient and final Word of God.
By “inspired” we mean that the books of the Bible were written by holy men of old, as they were moved by the Holy Spirit, in such a definite way that their writings were supernaturally and verbally inspired and free from error, as no other writings have ever been or ever will be.
The scripturesJohn 17:17 | 2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21
We believe there is one, and only one, living and true God, an infinite, intelligent Spirit, the Maker and Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth; inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy of all possible honor, confidence and love; that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, equal in every divine perfection and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption.
The True GodDeuteronomy 6:4; Jeremiah 10:10; 1 Corinthians 8:4-6 | 1 Kings 8:27; Job 12:13; Psalm 147:5 | Genesis 1:1; Exodus 20:11; Nehemiah 9:6 | Exodus 20:2-3; Deuteronomy 6:5; Revelation 4:11 | Matthew 28:19; Luke 3:21-22 | John 6:37,44; Titus 3:4-7
We believe in the eternal deity of the Father and that, as God, He is to be worshipped; that He was active in the creation; that prayer is properly addressed to Him; that He is the administrative head of the Trinity; that all good which comes to His children flows from Him; and that He is the final Judge of mankind.
God the FatherPsalm 90:1-2: Jeremiah 10:10 | Psalm 68:4; Psalm 150: John 4:23-24 | Genesis 1; Psalm 33:6-9; Isaiah 42:5 | Matthew 6:9 Matthew 26:39,42; Mark 13:32; John 5:36; 1 Corinthians 15:24 | Matthew 6:28-32, 7:11; 2 Corinthians 1:3-4; Ephesians 1:3; James 1:17 | Psalm 96:12b-13; Acts 17:31
We believe in both the true deity and the true humanity of Jesus Christ, two distinct natures inseparably joined in one Person, who is both the Son of God and God the Son. We believe that being of one nature with God the Father, He existed with the Father from eternity past; that He was active in the Creation of the universe and that He continues to this day the work of sustaining the universe in its day-to-day operation. We believe that this eternal Son of God became incarnate in the womb of the Virgin Mary, being miraculously conceived there solely by the power of the Holy Spirit, and that His entire earthly life was free from sin. We believe that since His crucifixion, physical resurrection and ascension, He sits at the right hand of God and is the Intercessor and Advocate for all Christians.
God the SONMatthew 17:5; John 4:24-26, 10:30-33 | John 1:14; Philippians 2:7-8; Hebrews 2:14 | John 8:56-59; Romans 1:3-4 | John 14:8-11 | John 1:1-2, 17:5 | John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:2 | Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3 | Matthew 1:20-23 | Luke 1:34-35 | 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 2:22; 1 John 3:5 | Luke 23:33-34, 24:1-8, 50-52 | Psalm 110:1 | Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25, 9:24; 1 John 2:1
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person; equal with God the Father and God the Son and of the same nature; that He was active in the creation; that in His relation to the unbelieving world, He restrains the evil one until God’s purpose is fulfilled;
that He convicts of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; that He bears witness to the Truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony; that He is the agent in the New Birth; that He seals, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies and helps the believer.
God the Holy spiritMark 1:8; Luke 1:35; John 1:32-33; Hebrews 9:14 | Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13-14 | Genesis 1:1-2 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8 | John 16:7-11 | Acts 5:30-32 | John 3:5-6 | John 14:16-17, 26; Romans 8:14-16, 26-27; Ephesians 1:13-14
We believe that Satan is a literal personality; that he was once holy, and enjoyed heavenly honors, but through pride and ambition to be as the Almighty, he fell and drew after him a host of angels; that he is now the malignant prince of the power of the air, and the unholy god of this world; that he is man’s great tempter, the enemy of God and His Christ, the accuser of the saints, the author of all false religions, the chief power back of the present apostasy, the lord of the anti-Christ, and the author of all the powers of darkness; that he is limited in his activity by the wisdom and power of God; that he is destined to final defeat at the hands of God’s Son, and to the judgment of an eternal justice in the Lake of Fire, a place prepared for him and his angels.
The Devil, or satanMatthew 4:10; Luke 4:1-13; 1Peter 5:8 | Isaiah 14:12; Ezekiel 28:14-15 | Isaiah 14:13-14; Ezekial 28:17 | Isaiah 14:15; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6 | Ephesian 2:2 | John 14:30 | Matthew 4:1-11; 1 Thessalonians 3:5 | Matthew 13:25, 37-39; Luke 22:3-4; 1 John 3:8 Zechariah 3:1; Revelation 12:7-10 | 2 Corinthians 11:13-15; 1 John 4:3 | Mark 13:21-22; 2 John 7 | Ephesians 6:11-12 | 2 Thessalonians 2:7 | 2 Thessalonians 2:8; 1 John 3:8b | Revelation 20:10 | Matthew 25:41
We believe in the Genesis account of creation; that it is to be accepted literally, and not allegorically or figuratively; that the entire universe was spoken into existence by our powerful God; that all animal and vegetable life was made directly by Him, and that His established law was that they should bring forth only “after their kind”.
The creationGenesis 1:1; Revelation 10:6 | Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31; Exodus 20:8-11 | Genesis 1:3, 6-7, 9, 11, 14-15, 24; Hebrews 11:3 | Genesis 1:11-12, 20-25 Genesis 1:11-12, 21, 24-25
We believe that man, created directly by God, is the crown of God’s creation, not only because he was made at the end of God’s creative activity and was given dominion over the rest of creation, but also because only man was created in God’s own image and likeness. We therefore believe in the sacredness of human life from the moment of conception. Thus, we also believe that only God who created man has the authority to decide, in accordance with the principles of His Word, when any given human life shall end.
We believe that maleness and femaleness is a part of what it means for man to be created in the image of God – the principle of unity in plurality.
We further believe in the family as the first human institution that God established, and that from the beginning God ordained that a family is formed when a man and a woman come together in marriage, with the presumed purpose of procreation.
We believe that man as originally created was innocent but by voluntary transgression fell from his sinless condition, in consequence of which all people are now sinners, by nature and by choice, and all are therefore under just condemnation, without defense or excuse.
The human raceGenesis 1:27, 2:7; Psalm 139:13-14; Jeremiah 1:5 | Genesis 1:26 | Exodus 1:15-17; Psalm 139:15-16 | Genesis 9:5-6; Deuteronomy 32:39; 1 Samuel 2:6; Job 14:5 | Genesis 1:27, 2:24 | Genesis 2:21-24, 4:1-2 | Genesis 1:26-31 | Genesis 3:1-6 | Romans 3:23, 5:12, 7:14-19 | Romans 1:18-20
We believe that election is the eternal purpose of God. According to which He graciously regenerates, sanctifies, and saves sinners; that being perfectly consistent with the free agency of man, it comprehends all the means in connection with the end; that it is the most glorious display of God’s sovereign goodness, being infinitely free, wise, holy, and unchangeable; that it utterly excludes boasting, and promotes humility, love, prayer, praise, trust in God, and active imitation of His free mercy; that it encourages the use of means in the highest degree; that it may be ascertained by its effects in all who truly believe the gospel; that it is the foundation of Christian assurance, and that to ascertain it with regard to ourselves demands and deserves the utmost diligence.
ElectionPsalm 4:3; Jeremiah 1:4-5; Luke 18:7; John 15:16; Romans 8:28-30; 2 Thessalonians 2:13 | Exodus 33:19; Romans 8:1-4; 1 Peter 1:1-2 | John 6:37-40; Acts 1:24-26, 13:48; Romans 11:2-6 | Romans 8:33-39, 9:23-24; Ephesians 1:3-6, 11; 1 Peter 2:9-10 | Romans 3:27; 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 | 1 Thessalonians 1:4-8 | Ephesians 3:11-12 | 2 Corinthians 13:5; 2 Peter 1:10-11
We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace, through the mediatorial offices of the Son of God, who by the appointment of the Father, freely took upon Himself our nature, yet without sin; that He honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and by His death made a full and vicarious atonement for our sins; that His atonement consisted not in setting us an example by His death as a martyr, but was a voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner's place, the Just dying for the unjust: Christ, the Lord, bearing our sins in His own body on the tree; that having risen from the dead, He is now enthroned in Heaven, and that uniting in His wonderful person the tenderest sympathies with divine perfection, He is in every way qualified to be a suitable, compassionate and all-sufficient Savior.
Atonement for sinActs 15:11; Ephesians 2:8 | John 3:16, 14:6; Acts 4:11-12, 13:38-39, 15:10-11 | Romans 3:24-25a; 1 John 4:10 | Philippians 2:6-7; Hebrews 2:14 | Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 2:21-22; 1 John 3:5 | Isaiah 53:9; John 8:46 | Isaiah 53:4-7 | 1 Corinthians 15:3; 2 Corinthians 5:21 | Hebrews 2:14; 1 Peter 3:18 | 1 Peter 2:24 11Mark 16:6; Acts 2:23-24 | Mark 16:19; Ephesians 1:20-21 | Hebrews 7:23-28
We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be born again; that the new birth is a new creation in Christ Jesus; that it is instantaneous and not a process; that in the new birth the one dead in trespasses and in sins is made a partaker of the divine nature and receives eternal life, the free gift of God; that the new creation is brought about in a manner beyond our comprehension, solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with divine truth, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the gospel; that its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance and faith and newness of life.
The new birthJohn 3:3, 6-7; 2 Corinthians 5:19 | 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 John 5:1 | Ephesians 2:1-3; Colossians 2:13; 2 Peter 1:4 | Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8 | John 3:6-8: Acts 16:30-34 | Romans 6:15-17; Galatians 5:25 | Galatians 5:22-24; 2 Peter 1:3-11
We believe that the great gospel blessing which Christ secures to such as believe in Him is justification;
That justification includes the pardon of sin, and the gift of eternal life on principles of His righteousness;
That it is bestowed not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done, but that His righteousness is imputed to us solely through faith in the Redeemer's blood.
JustificationIsaiah 53:11; Zechariah 13:1; Romans 5:10 | Romans 5:1, 9; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 2:16, 3:11
Faith & SalvationWe believe that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the only condition of salvation.
Acts 16:30-31; Romans 10:13
We believe the Scriptures teach that the blessings of salvation are made free to all by the gospel; that it is the immediate duty of all to accept them by a cordial, penitent and obedient faith, and that nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner on earth but his own determined depravity and voluntary rejection of the gospel, which rejection involves him in an aggravated condemnation.
Freeness of salvationIsaiah 55:1; Revelation 22:17 | Acts 17:30; Romans 16:26 | John 3:19 | John 3:18
We believe that a local church is a congregation of immersed believers, associated by covenant of faith and fellowship of the Gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, and exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word; that its officers are pastors and deacons, whose qualifications, claims, and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures. We believe the true mission of the church is the faithful witnessing of Christ to all men as we have opportunity. We hold that the local church has the absolute right of self-government, free from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations, and that the one and only superintendent is Christ, through the Holy Spirit; that it is Scriptural for true churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the Gospel; that each local church is the sole judge of the measure and method of its cooperation; that on all matters of membership, of polity, of government, of discipline, and of benevolence, the will of the local church is final.
The local churchActs 2:41-47 | 1 Corinthians 11:2, 23-29 | Ephesians 4:11-13 | Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:1, 8; Titus 1:5 | Acts 20:17-28; 1 Timothy 3:1-13, 5:17; Titus 1:5-9; Hebrews 13:17; 1 Peter 5:2-3 | Acts 15:13-18, 20:17-28 | Ephesians 1:22-23, 5:23-24; Colossians 1:18 | Ezra 4:1-4
We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion in water of a believer, in the Name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, with the authority of the local church, to show forth a solemn and beautiful emblem: our faith in the crucified, buried and risen Savior, with its effect in our death to sin and resurrection to a new life; that it is prerequisite to the privileges of a church relation and to the Lord’s supper. We do not recognize as valid any baptism performed under the authority of a church that does not meet the requirements for a New Testament church.
baptismMatthew 3:16; John 3:23; Acts 8:36-39 | Matthew 28:19 | Romans 6:1-12
We believe that the Lord’s Supper is the sacred use of bread and the fruit of the vine in which the members of the church are to commemorate together the death of the Lord Jesus Christ until He comes; that it should be preceded always by solemn self-examination.
The Lord’s SupperMatthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:14-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 | 1 Corinthians 11:17-22, 27-32
We believe that such only are real believers as endure unto the end; that their persevering attachment to Christ is the grand mark which distinguishes them from superficial professors; that a special providence watches over their welfare, and that they are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.
The Security of the SaintsJohn 4:14, 5:24; Hebrews 3:14 | 1 John 2:19, 9-10 | Psalm 73:23-24, 121:1-8; Matthew 6:26-33; Romans 8:28-30 | Jeremiah 32:40-41; John 6:37-40, 10:27-30; Romans 11:29; 1 Corinthians 1:7-9; Philippians 1:6; 1 Peter 1:3b-5; 1 John 5:18; Jude 24-25
We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that such only as through faith are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and sanctified by the Spirit of our God, are truly righteous in His esteem, while all such as continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight wicked, and under the curse, and that this distinction holds among men both in and after death, in the everlasting felicity of the saved and the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost.
The Righteous and the WickedGenesis 18:23-25; Proverbs 14:32, 15:8-9; Malachi 3:17-18; Matthew 25:34-46; Romans 6:17-18 | John 3:17-21; Acts 7:51-60; 1 John 3:7, 9 | Mark 16:15-16; John 15:6; 1 John 3:8, 10 | Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:11-15, 22:11-12
We believe that civil government is of divine appointment, for the interests and good order of human society; that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored, and obeyed, except in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ who is the only Lord of the conscience and the coming Prince of the Kings of the earth. We believe that God, who ordained civil government, still retains and exercises His sovereignty over civil government.
Civil government2 Samuel 23:3-4; Daniel 2:20-21; Romans 13:1-2 | Romans 13:3-7 | Matthew 22:20-21; 1 Timothy 2:1-2 | Daniel 3:14-18; Acts 4:18-20 | Daniel 2:21
We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ, after having risen from the dead literally and bodily, did physically ascend into Heaven to intercede on behalf of His people as our great and faithful High Priest and is seated at the right hand of God. We believe in His own time and in His own way God the Father will send the Lord Jesus Christ – personally, bodily, visibly, and in glory – back to earth as promised, that where He is, there we may be also. We believe in the bodily resurrection of all the lost to eternal damnation, forever to be separated from God, and we believe in the bodily resurrection of all believers to eternal bliss, forever to be with our Lord Jesus Christ. Those alive in Christ at the Second Coming will be changed in the twinkle of an eye, forever to be with the Lord.
The Resurrection, Return of Christ and Related EventsMatthew 28:1-6; Mark 16:1-6; Luke 24:1-8, 36-43; John 20:24-28; Acts 2:29-32; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 | Mark 16:19; Luke 24:51; Acts 1:9-11 | Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 2:1 | Hebrews 2:17, 5:9-10 | Hebrews 12:2; Revelation 3:21 | Acts 1:10-11; Hebrews 9:28; James 5:8 | John 14:3 | Matthew 13:38-42; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9 | 1 Corinthians 15:42-44 | 1 Corinthians 15:51-53; Philippians 3:20-21; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18
We believe in the principle and practice of tithing, not as a requirement of God’s law, but as a response to God’s grace. We believe that under grace, the Christian’s giving is not arbitrarily set at any percentage of income, but that 10% may well be a suggested minimum figure. We believe that Biblical examples, both suggest that our giving to the Lord is normally most wisely channeled through the giving priorities and program of our established local church.
The Grace of GivingRomans 6:14; 2 Corinthians 8:1-7, 9:6-8 | Matthew 23:23; Mark 12:41-44; Acts 4:34-37; 1 Corinthians 16:2; 2 Corinthians 8:10-12; Hebrews 7:2-4 | Acts 4:34-37; 2 Corinthians 8:1-7; Leviticus 27:30; Malachi 3:10
The preceding is taken from the Covenant Baptist Church Constitution.
Please contact the church office for a complete copy of the constitution.