The Bible:
We believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, giving a true history of the creation of heaven, earth, and humanity. It is inerrant and infallible.
We hold a fundamental view of the Bible: “The Bible is the only God-given authority which man possesses; therefore all doctrine, faith, hope, and all instructions for the church must be based upon and harmonize with the Bible” (Manual of the United Pentecostal Church, 19).
Pentecostal Faith:
We embrace the commonly held Pentecostal view that speaking in tongues is the initial sign of receiving the Holy Spirit, as depicted in the book of Acts.
We believe that salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, not by works. Faith in Jesus is the means by which a person is justified. At the same time, a sinner must believe the gospel; he is commanded to repent of his sinful life, to be baptized in water in the name of Jesus Christ, and to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues (Acts 2:38; 4:12; 8:12-17; 10:43-48; 19:1-6). Thus the various aspects of faith and obedience work together in God’s grace to reconcile us to God.
Oneness of God:
In distinction to the doctrine of the Trinity, we believe in the Oneness view of God. It views the Trinitarian concept of God, that of God eternally existing as three distinctive persons, as inadequate and a departure from the consistent and emphatic biblical revelation of God being one.
We believe that the one God who revealed Himself in the Old Testament as Jehovah revealed himself in His Son, Jesus Christ. Thus Jesus Christ was and is God. In other words, Jesus is the one true God manifested in flesh, for in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (John 1:1-14; I Timothy 3:16; Colossians 2:9).
While fully God, Jesus was also fully man, possessing a full and true humanity. He was both God and man. Moreover, the Holy Spirit is God with us and in us. Thus God is manifested as Father in creation and as the Father of the Son, in the Son for our redemption, and as the Holy Spirit in our regeneration.
Importance of the Family Unit:
We support the family unit as God’s primary institution. The Bible is clear about what God expects of the family and how it is to be accomplished. We believe that fathers have a tremendous responsibility to lead their family, and that parents should teach their children by their own example. Intentional discipleship within families is foundational in the Christian life. We encourage the teachings found in Deuteronomy 6:4-7, Ephesians 6:1-4, and Titus 2.
The Importance of the Local Church:
We believe in the assembling of ourselves together to meet for worship, prayer, fellowship, teaching, preaching, and testimony, and to actively engage in carrying out the Great Commission, according to Acts 2:38-42, 1 Corinthians 11:2, and Matthew 28:19-20. The church is also to equip the saints for the “work of the ministry” (Ephesians 4:12).