We believe in THE IMPORTANCE OF THE LOCAL CHURCH: We believe that a New Testament church is a congregation of baptized believers associated by a 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 of ordination are pastors or elders and deacons, whose qualifications, claims and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures; we believe the true mission of the church is found in the “Great Commission”: first, to make individual disciples; second, to baptize the converts; third, to teach and instruct as He commanded. We do not believe in the reversal of this order; 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 every church is sole and only judge of the measure and method of its cooperation, on all matters of membership, policy, or government, of discipline, of benevolence, and the will of the local church is final. We are also a Baptist institution which holds to the historic Baptist distinctives in its doctrinal position.