HEAVEN AND HELL
We believe in a literal Heaven and a literal Hell and that all those who place their faith, hope and trust in Jesus Christ will spend eternity in Heaven with the Lord, while those who reject Jesus’ free gift of salvation will spend eternity separated from the Lord. (Psalm 9:17; Matthew 5:3, 5:22, 18:9 and 25:31-34; Mark 9:42-49; Luke 12:5; John 3:18; Hebrews 12:23; 1 Peter 1:4; Revelation 14:10-11 and 20:11-15)
PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE
We believe in the Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church where all believers will meet the Lord in the air and be taken out of this world prior to the Tribulation that will come upon the earth. (Isaiah 26:20; Matthew 24:29-31; Luke 21:36; Romans 1:18, 5:9; 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 4:13-16 and 5:9; 2 Peter 2:7-9; Revelation 3:10, 5:7-10 and 7:13-14)
THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS CHRIST
We believe in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, which is His personal, visible return to earth and the establishment of His millennial kingdom, in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment and eternal blessing of the righteous and endless separation of the wicked. (Matthew 16:27; Acts 1:11; Revelation 19:11-16, 20:11-15)
MARRIAGE, GENDER, AND SEXUALITY
We believe in the creation and God as the Creator. We believe that God created mankind and that He created them male and female. As such, He created them different so as to complement and complete each other. God instituted monogamous marriage between male and female as the foundation of the family and the basic structure of human society. For this reason, homosexuality, and all other “sexual preferences” or “orientations” are unnatural, sinful, and unacceptable to God. Accordingly, this ministry will not perform any marriage ceremonies between two individuals of the same sex. It will not condone or recognize such same-sex marriages civil unions, or domestic partnerships even if the state passes laws that provide for recognition of such unions. Agape Christian Fellowship facilities and property shall only host weddings between one heterosexual, natural born man and one heterosexual, natural born woman. We believe that marriage is exclusively the legal union of one genetic male and one genetic female sanctioned by the state and evidenced by a marriage ceremony. We also believe that legitimate Biblical sexual relations are exercised solely within marriage. Hence, sexual activities such as, but not limited to, adultery, fornication, premarital sex, incest, polygamy, homosexuality, transgenderism, bisexuality, cross-dressing, pedophilia, and bestiality are inconsistent with the teachings of the Bible and the Church. Further, lascivious behavior, the creation, viewing and/or distribution of pornography and efforts to alter one’s physical gender or gender-related appearance are incompatible with a true Biblical witness. (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-6; John 4:16-18; Romans 1:18-32; I Còrinthians 5:11, 6:9-11, 6:18-20, 7:1-3 and 7:8-9; Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 5: 21-31)
We believe that every person be treated with compassion, love, kindness, and respect, and be afforded the dignity that is inherently theirs by virtue of being made in God’s image. (Genesis 1:26-27; Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31) Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated, and are neither in accord with Scripture nor the doctrines of Agape Christian Fellowship.
We believe that in order to preserve the function and integrity of Agape Christian Fellowship as the local Body of Christ, and to provide a Biblical role model to the community it serves, it is imperative that all persons employed by Agape Christian Fellowship in any capacity or who serve as volunteers agree to abide by this Statement on Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality. (Matthew 5:16; Philippians 2:14-16; 1 Thessalonians 5:22)
HUMAN LIFE
We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life. (Psalm 139)
This Statement of Faith, Character, Belief and Ordinances do not exhaust the extent of Agape Christian Fellowship’s beliefs. The Bible itself, as the inspired and infallible Word of God that speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind, is the sole and final source of all that we believe. For purposes of our faith, doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline, the Senior Pastor and Board of Elders is Agape Christian Fellowship’s final interpretive authority on the Bible’s meaning and application.
OVERALL CHURCH CONDUCT
As a Bible believing church, we desire to exemplify our faith by living out our Christian conduct (1 Timothy 3:14-16, 4:7-16, Philippians 1:27-30, 1 Peter 1:13-19, 2 Peter 3:11-12). We believe that God creates each person unique and makes them either genetic male or genetic female (Genesis 1:26-28). Thus, we believe that males and females should be respected as such and live out our lives as well as our faith through Biblical standards (Romans 12:9-13).
THE ORDINANCES
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to the local church: water 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 baptism signifies and symbolizes Christian life begun. We believe that the Lord’s supper was instituted by Christ for commemoration of His death and signifies Christian life continued. We believe that these two ordinances should be observed and administered until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Matthew 28:19; Acts 10:47-48; Romans 6:4.