1. We believe in the divinely inspired Word of God, including the longer canon as confirmed in the Septuagint version of the Old Testament. These are the foundations for our faith and practice.
2. We believe in the literal, special creation of the existing space-time universe and its basic systems, as indicated in Genesis.
3. We believe in the Eternal Godhead who has revealed Himself as One God existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; distinguishable but indivisible.
4. We believe and uphold the four ecumenical creeds of the Ancient Apostolic fathers. These teachings were formalized into creedal statements through a series of ecumenical councils. We fully embrace the Apostles, Nicene-Constantinopolitan, and Athanasius in union with these councils.
5. We believe in the Father, the fountainhead of the Holy Trinity. From the Father, the Son is begotten before all ages, and all time. It is from the Father that the Holy Spirit eternally proceeds. God the Father created all things through the Son, in the Holy Spirit, and we are called to worship Him. The Father loves us and sent His Son to give us everlasting life.
6. We believe in the Only eternally begotten Son of God-Christ Jesus, The Only Messiah and Savior of the World born of the Blessed Virgin Mary whom we hold as Theotokos.
7. We believe in the Holy Spirit, one of the Persons of the Holy Trinity, and is one in essence with the Father. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of life, Who proceeds from the Father, Who, together with the Father and the Son, is worshipped and glorified. He is called the "promise of the Father", given by Christ as a gift to the Church, to empower the Church for service to God, to place God's love in our hearts, and to impart spiritual gifts and virtues for Christian life and witness. We believe in the biblical promise that the Holy Spirit is available to all believers after conversion Holy Spirit. We are to grow in our experience of the Holy Spirit for the rest of our lives.
8. We believe in Ancestral Sin, the sin committed by Adam and Eve. While everyone bears the consequences of the first sin, the foremost of which is death, only Adam and Eve are guilty of that sin. Humans are born innocent.
9. SIN:
The term "SIN" is defined as "missing the mark." This concept is echoed by Saint Paul, who declared, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). As humans, we sin when we misuse the good things that God has blessed us with, ultimately failing to fulfill His purposes for us. When we sin, we become separated from God (Isaiah 59:1, 2) and spiritually lifeless (Ephesians 2:1). However, through His Son, God took on our humanity, and since He was without sin, He "condemned sin in the flesh" (Romans 8:3). Through His mercy, God forgives our sins when we confess and turn away from them, empowering us to triumph over sin in our lives. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).
10. SALVATION:
The gift of SALVATION is a divine blessing that frees us from sin and death and brings us into eternal communion with Christ. After hearing Peter's sermon on the Day of Pentecost, some asked how to achieve salvation. Peter responded by instructing them to "repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38). These three steps mark the beginning of the journey towards salvation: 1) repentance, 2) baptism, and 3) receiving the Holy Spirit. Repentance means changing our mindset, turning away from our past sins, and committing ourselves to Christ. Baptism symbolizes our rebirth and union with Christ. Receiving the Holy Spirit empowers us to live a new life in Christ, nurtured by the Church, and conformed to God's image.
Salvation requires faith in Jesus Christ, for we cannot save ourselves through good deeds. Salvation is an ongoing, lifelong process that involves "faith working through love." Christ's death and Resurrection have already saved us, but we must also participate actively in our salvation through faith in our union with Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit. Salvation is also future-oriented as we await Christ's glorious Second Coming when we will be fully saved.
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11. BAPTISM
Baptism is the place where we unite with Christ, serving as the second gateway to experiencing salvation through the cleansing waters of baptism. According to the teachings of Apostle Paul in Romans 6:1-6, baptism grants us the gift of Christ's death and Resurrection, providing us with true forgiveness for our sins and inspiring us to live a sanctified life in union with Christ.
However, in modern times, some individuals consider baptism a mere "outward sign" of faith in Christ, a view not supported by the Bible or history. Others view it as a perfunctory act of obedience to Christ's command (Matthew 28:19, 20), while some outright reject baptism's role in salvation. Orthodox-Pentecostals, however, assert that these contemporary interpretations deprive sincere believers of baptism's essential assurance - the assurance that they are united with Christ and part of His Church.
12. We believe that justification is a word used in the Scriptures to mean that in Christ, we are forgiven and actually made righteous in our living. Justification is not a once-for-all, instantaneous pronouncement guaranteeing eternal salvation, regardless of how wickedly a person might live from that point on. Neither is it merely a legal declaration that an unrighteous person is righteous. Rather, justification is a living, dynamic, day-to-day reality for the one who follows Christ. The Christian actively pursues a righteous life in the grace and power of God granted to all who continue to believe in Him.
13. We believe that sanctification is being set apart for God. It involves us in the process of being cleansed and made holy by Christ in the Holy Spirit. We are called to be saints and grow in God’s likeness. Having been given the gift of the Holy Spirit, we actively participate in sanctification. We cooperate with God; we work together with Him, so that we may know Him, becoming by grace what He is by nature, also known as the process of Theosis.
14. We believe that all the Gifts of the Holy Spirit are active today and available to uplift all true believers.
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15. We believe there are three main Sacraments: Water Baptism, Sealing of the Holy Spirit, and the Lord's Supper. These sacraments bring the believer into full participation and identification with the essence of the Gospel message revealed through Christ: His Death (Lord’s Supper), Burial (Baptism), and Resurrection/Ascension (Sealing of the Holy Spirit) are reaffirmed through the participation of these means of grace.
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16. We believe water baptism is full immersion for both adults and infants. Baptism is the way in which a person is united to Christ. The experience of salvation is initiated in the waters of baptism. The Apostle Paul teaches in Romans 6: 1-6 that we experience Christ's death and resurrection in baptism. In it, our sins are truly forgiven, and our union energizes us with Christ to live a holy life. Currently, some consider baptism only an "outward sign" of belief in Christ. This innovation has no historical or biblical precedent. Others reduce it to a mere perfunctory obedience to Christ's command. Still, others, ignoring the Bible completely, reject baptism as a vital factor in salvation. We maintain that these contemporary innovations rob sincere people of the most important assurances that baptism provides – namely, that they have been united to Christ and are part of His Church.
17. We believe that the Lord’s Supper, also known as Holy Communion, or the Eucharist, is the Real Presence of Christ in the Lord's Supper. Because Jesus said of the bread and wine at the Last Supper, "This is my body", "This is my blood", and "Do this in remembrance of Me", His followers believe - and do - nothing less. In the Eucharist, we partake mystically of Christ's Body and Blood, which impart His life and strength to us. The celebration of the Eucharist was a regular part of the Church's life from its beginning. Early Christians began calling the Eucharist "the medicine of immortality" because they recognized the great grace of God that was received in it.
18. We believe that the sealing of the Holy Spirit (Chrismation) is a time when the Holy Spirit is given as a distinct gift to man after conversion and regeneration; as uniformly expressed in the Gospels, Acts and the Epistles; that He was promised by the Father, and was, and is, given through Jesus Christ to the church in a unique sense; not as an automatic gift at conversion, nor as an one-time gift to the church, but as a free gift available to individual believers throughout every generation since Pentecost; that at this baptism, the Holy Spirit indwells believers as He did in the early church, manifesting His divine presence by give each one the continuous ability to speak in languages they have never learned, and that these languages are for the purpose of edification, prayer and praise, not for preaching; that the primary purpose of this baptism is to empower God’s people to be faithful witnesses of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth; provided that they grieve not, quench not, nor disobey the Holy Spirit within them; This is what it means to be sealed by the Holy Spirit.
19. We believe in and uphold the Sanctity of Life. All Life begins at the moment of conception up to natural death.
21. We believe in and uphold the sacredness of Marriage and Family Life. Our firm belief is that marriage is a union of an adult man and an adult woman who join each other in love out of consent, and to bring forth children. The family is the first unit of the church.
