The Word of God

We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and that it has supreme authority in all manners of faith and conduct. (Joshua 1:8; Matthew 4:4; Acts 1:16; 4:24-25; Romans 3:2; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21)

The Trinity

We believe that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons; that these are equal in every divine perfection; and that they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence and redemption. (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 3:16,17; 28:19; Acts 5:3, 4; Ephesians 4:6; 1 Peter 1:1, 2)

God the Father

We believe in God, the Father, an infinite personal spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power, and love. We believe that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayers, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ. (Matthew 3:17; John 3:16; 15:7; Ephesians 1:3-6; 1 John 5:14-15)

Jesus Christ

We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles and teachings. We believe in His substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people, and personal visible return to earth. (Luke 1:35; John 1:1, 2, 14; Acts 1:9-11; Romans 8:34; Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 7:25, 9:24; 1 Peter 1:3-5; 1 John 2:1,2)

The Holy Spirit

We believe in the Holy Spirit who came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment, and to regenerate, sanctify, and empower all who believe in Jesus Christ. We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer at the moment of salvation in Christ and that He is an abiding helper, teacher, and guide. (John 16: 8-13; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; 2 Corinthians 3:6; Ephesians 1:13-14; 1 John 2:20, 27)

Angels, Demons, and Satan

We believe in the existence of heavenly beings called angels. They are innumerable and superior to man in intelligence and strength. They carry out the plan of God. We believe Satan is the tempter who exists to hinder faith and build a kingdom. We believe that demons are spirits (fallen angels) and subject to Satan and, as his servants, perform evil acts. We believe the final end of Satan and his demons will be the Lake of Fire. (2 Samuel 14:20; Psalm 103:20; Matthew 6:10; 12:25-27; Mark 5:1-15; Acts 5:3; 2 Peter 2:11; Jude 6; Revelation 20:10)

Regeneration

We believe that all men are sinners by nature and by choice and are, therefore, under condemnation. We believe that those who repent of their sins and trust Jesus Christ as Savior are regenerated by the Holy Spirit. (Genesis 1:26, 27; John 1:1; 3:16; Romans 3:22, 23; 5:12; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 1:7; 2:1-3, 12; Titus 3:5-6; 1 Peter 1:18, 19; 3:18)

The Church

We believe in the universal church, a living spiritual body of which Christ is the head and all regenerated persons are members. We believe in the local church, consisting of an assembly of believers in Jesus Christ, baptized on a credible profession of faith, and associated for worship, work and fellowship. We believe that God has laid upon the members of the local church the primary task of giving the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world. (Matthew 16:18; Acts 2:38-47; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; Ephesians 1:22, 23)

The Ministry – Spiritual Gifts

We believe that the Holy Spirit has equipped every believer with at least one spiritual gift. We believe the work of ministry is best conducted by all believers as they share the ministry through the experience of gifts given graciously by the Spirit. (1 Peter 4:10; Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:8-10; Ephesians 4:10-13)

We believe that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is the act whereby we are made members of the Body of Christ and there is but one spiritual baptism at the moment of salvation. (1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 4:4-6)

We believe that “Speaking in Tongues” is an ability to praise God in a spoken language that was never learned. Because God is not the author of confusion but of peace (1 Corinthians 14:33), where speaking in tongues divides the Body of Christ the Church, it is wrong. Therefore, there is to be no tongues speaking in public worship at MVC and those who privately practice this gift  (1 Corinthians 14:2) should not persuade or encourage others to do so. We desire all things be done properly and in an orderly manner.

Christian Conduct

We believe that a Christian should live for the glory of God and the well-being of his fellow men; that his conduct should be blameless before the world; that he should be a faithful steward of his possessions; and that he should seek to realize for himself and others the full stature of maturity in Christ. (John 14:21; Romans 12:1, 2; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 7:1; 1 John 2:15-17)

The Ordinances

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to the local church, baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water into the name of the triune God. We believe that the Lord’s Supper was instituted by Christ for commemoration of His death. We believe that these two ordinances should be observed and administered until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Matthew 3:6, 11; 26:26-28; Luke 22:14-20; Mark 14:22-24; Romans 6:3, 4; 1 Corinthians 11:23-29; Colossians 2:12, 13)

The Last Things

We believe in the personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth and the establishment of His Kingdom. We believe in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, the eternal life of the righteous and the endless suffering of the wicked. (Zechariah 14:4-11; Matthew 25:45, 46; John 5:29; 11:25, 26; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 3:20, 21; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9; Revelation 19:11-16; 20:1-6, 11-15)