What We Believe
At Teays Valley Church, our beliefs are rooted in the Bible and centered on Jesus Christ. The following statements provide a brief summary of our core beliefs. For a more detailed explanation, we affirm the Baptist Faith and Message 2000.
The Scriptures
We believe the Bible was written by men who were divinely inspired by God. It is completely true, trustworthy, and without error in everything it teaches. Scripture reveals God’s plan of salvation, points us to Jesus Christ, and is our final authority for what we believe and how we live.
God
We believe there is one living and true God who created, sustains, and rules over everything. God eternally exists as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each Person is fully God, yet there is only one God.
God the Father
We believe God the Father lovingly rules over His creation and directs history according to His perfect purposes. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, holy, loving, and good. Through faith in Jesus Christ, believers are adopted into God’s family and may know Him as Father.
God the Son
We believe Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, lived without sin, and perfectly obeyed the Father. Jesus died on the cross as our substitute, rose bodily from the grave, ascended into heaven, and will return personally and visibly.
God the Holy Spirit
We believe the Holy Spirit is fully God. He reveals truth, convicts people of sin, gives new life, and lives within every believer. He exalts Jesus Christ and empowers the church for worship, spiritual growth, evangelism, service, and mission.
Humanity
We believe every person is created by God, in the image of God, and possesses dignity and value. God created humanity as male and female. Through Adam’s sin, humanity became sinful and separated from God, leaving every person in need of the salvation found only in Jesus Christ.
The Church
We believe the local church is a congregation of baptized believers who covenant together under the lordship of Jesus Christ. The church gathers for worship, biblical teaching, fellowship, prayer, discipleship, service, and mission. Its biblical offices are pastors and deacons, and while both men and women are gifted for ministry, the office of pastor is reserved for biblically qualified men.
Last Things
We believe Jesus Christ will return personally, visibly, and victoriously. The dead will be raised, and every person will stand before God in judgment. Those who are in Christ will live forever with the Lord, while those who reject Christ will experience eternal separation from God in hell.
God’s Purpose of Grace
We believe salvation begins and ends with the grace of God. God graciously calls, saves, sanctifies, and keeps His people. Those who have truly been saved by Christ are secure in Him and will persevere in faith until the end.
Evangelism and Missions
We believe every follower of Jesus and every local church is called to make disciples of all nations. We are to share the gospel clearly, live faithfully, serve compassionately, and call people to repentance and faith in Christ. We desire to be witnesses for Jesus in Teays Valley, throughout Ohio, across our nation, and to the ends of the earth.
Salvation
We believe salvation is God’s gracious gift and cannot be earned through good works, religious activity, or personal effort. Jesus secured salvation through His sinless life, sacrificial death, and victorious resurrection. Everyone who repents of sin and trusts in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is forgiven, made new, and given eternal life.
Baptism and the Lord’s Supper
We believe baptism is the immersion of a believer in water as an act of obedience to Christ. It publicly pictures the believer’s faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus and the beginning of a new life in Him. The Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act through which believers remember Christ’s sacrifice and look forward to His return.
Cooperation
We believe churches can accomplish more for God’s kingdom when they work together around the truth of the gospel. We gladly cooperate with like-minded churches, associations, networks, and ministries to support missions, church planting, ministry training, and compassionate service. These partnerships serve the local church but do not exercise authority over it.
Stewardship
We believe everything we have belongs to God and has been entrusted to us for His glory. Christians are called to faithfully use their time, abilities, spiritual gifts, finances, and possessions to advance the gospel and serve others. Generous giving is an act of worship and a joyful response to God’s grace.
The Family
We believe God created the family as the foundational institution of human society. Marriage is a lifelong covenant between one man and one woman, with both husband and wife equally created in the image of God. Husbands are called to lovingly and sacrificially lead their families, while wives are called to graciously support and respect their husbands. Children are a blessing from God from the moment of conception, and parents are responsible for teaching and demonstrating the gospel in their homes.