Adopted June 27th, 2021

From the time of the Apostles to today, Christians have laid out doctrine (beliefs) in brief, definitive statements. As those who know God, we believe it necessary to set forth in a concise fashion the cornerstone truths of our church as guided by Scripture. Our Statement of Faith summarizes essential Christian beliefs, shows unity in Christ, and guards the church from error.

All who join RCHD are required to affirm the RCHD Statement of Faith. Once we as members agree to the statement, we are responsible for believing and living in accordance with it.

We believe the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the inspired Word of God, inerrant in the original writings, complete as a revelation of God’s will for salvation, and the supreme and final authority in all matters to which they speak. (II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:4; John 10:35b; Proverbs 30:5-6)  

We believe in one God, creator and sustainer of all things, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit; that these are equal in every divine perfection and that they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence and redemption. (Ephesians 4:4-6; John 1:1-3; John 14:9-11, 16-17, 26; Mark 1:9-11)  
 
We believe in God the Father, an infinite, personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power, and love.
 
We believe He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ. (John 4:24; John 3:16; Matthew 6:9-13; Acts 4:12; John 14:6)  
 
We believe that Jesus Christ is God’s only son, and has precisely the same nature, attributes and perfections as God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.
 
We believe further that He is not only true God, but true man, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.  
 
We also believe in His sinless life, His substitutionary atonement, His bodily resurrection from the dead, His ascension into heaven, and His priestly intercession on behalf of His people. (Matthew 1:18-25; Isaiah 7:14; John 1:1-14; II Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 2:5-8; Hebrews 9:11-15, 24-28; Titus 2:11-14; Acts 1:1-11; I Corinthians 15:3-8, 12-28; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 20:1-6)  
 
We believe in the Holy Spirit, His personality, and His work in regeneration, sanctification, and preservation.  His ministry is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ and implement Christ’s work of redeeming the lost and empowering the believer for godly living and service. (John 16:7-11; Romans 8:1-17; Titus 3:4-7)  

We believe God created man, male and female, in the image of God and free from sin.  We further believe man is a sinner by nature and choice, and is therefore spiritually dead.  We also believe that those who are regenerated by the Holy Spirit, profess faith in Jesus Christ, and repent of sin are redeemed from this spiritual death. (Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 3:10-20, 23; Romans 5:12, 17, 19; Romans 6:23; Acts 2:21,38; Titus 3:4-7; Ephesians 1:13-14)  

We believe in salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.  We further believe that this salvation is based upon the sovereign grace of God and was paid for by the death of Christ on the cross and is received by man through faith, apart from any human merit, works, or ritual.  We further believe salvation results in righteous living, good works, and proper social concern.  (Ephesians 2:1-9; James 2:14-26; James 1:27)  

We believe that the supreme task of every believer is to glorify God; that their conduct should be blameless before the world; that they should be faithful stewards of their possessions; and that they should seek to realize for themselves the full stature of maturity in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3-4; I Corinthians 6:19-20; I Peter 2:12; Malachi 3:10; II Corinthians 8:7; Ephesians 4:13-16; Genesis 2:18-25)  

We believe that marriage is a gift from God and finds it’s only true meaning as laid out by God in the scriptures.  Marriage, as instituted by God, is the joining of one biological man and one biological woman in an exclusive union. (Genesis 2:19-25; Matthew 19:4-6).
 
We believe that God’s purposes in instituting marriage include the mutual help of husband and wife, procreation, and the prevention of certain forms of immorality.  As such we believe that sexual intimacy only rightly exists within the union of marriage as instituted by God and that this union is to be held in honor and kept pure. We believe that the marriage of believers is to be a God glorifying illustration of Christ and His Church (Genesis 1:28, 2:18; 1 Corinthians 7:2, 9; Ephesians 5:31-32; Hebrews 13:4)

We believe that the church is the spiritual body of which Christ is the head.  We believe that the true church is composed of all persons who are regenerated by the Holy Spirit, have professed faith in Jesus Christ, and have repented of sin.  We believe that this body expresses itself in local assemblies whose members have been immersed upon a credible confession of faith and have associated themselves for worship, for instruction, for evangelism, and for service.  We believe that each local church is self-governing in function, and must be free from interference by any ecclesiastical or political authority.  
We believe the ordinances of the local church are believer’s baptism by immersion, and the Lord’s supper.  (Matthew 16:16-18; I Corinthians 12:12-30; Matthew 28:18-20; I Corinthians 3:16-1711:23-32)  

We believe that the Great Commission given by the Lord Jesus in Matt. 28:18-20, to make disciples of people from all nations and baptize them is a command to everyone who is a part of the Body of Christ. We are called to proclaim the gospel to every tribe, tongue, people and nation and teach them the full counsel of God. We are then to gather them into local bodies of believers (churches) so that they can live a vibrant and obedient life within the body of Christ and fulfill the ministry God has given them. We believe in praying for, raising up and sending out believers onto the mission field in fulfillment of this Great Commission (Acts 1:8; Rev. 5:9; Eph. 4:11-16; 1 Peter 4:7-11; Romans 12:1-13; Luke 10:2; Romans 10:14-15).

We believe in Christ’s personal, visible, future return from heaven; the bodily resurrection of the saved and lost; the eternal existence of all men either in heaven or hell; in divine judgments, rewards and punishments.  (Hebrews 9:27; II Corinthians 5:10; John 14:1-4; Revelation 20-22).