The following was taken from the Berean Bible Church Covenant and Constitution

CHURCH COVENANT

As members of Berean Bible Church, having received the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, 1 and being in agreement with this church's constitution, we do solemnly and joyfully enter into this Covenant with one another as one body in Christ.2

We covenant therefore, with the Holy Spirit's guidance,3 to walk together in Christian love,4 to strive for the spiritual advancement of this church,5 to faithfully attend its worship services,6 to support its ordinances,7 disciplines,8 and doctrines,9 to obey those who have the rule over us in this church,10 and to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of its ministries.11

We also covenant to watch over one another in brotherly love,12 to remember each other in prayer,13 to aid each other in sickness and distress,14 to cultivate Christian sympathy and courtesy,15 to be slow to take offense,16 but always ready for reconciliation, and mindful of the commandments of our Savior, to secure it without delay.17

We further covenant with the Lord's help to endeavor to put away from us all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour, evil speaking, and malice, to be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving one to another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven us,18 to maintain family19 and personal devotions,20 to bring our children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord,21 to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances,22 to walk circumspectly in the world,23 to be just in our dealings,24 faithful in our engagements,25 and exemplary in our deportment,26 to abstain from all appearances of evil,27 to abstain from all habits that do not glorify God in our bodies,28 and to be zealous in our efforts to do all to the glory of God29 in advancing the kingdom of our Savior.30

1John 1:12  2I Cor. 12:12  3John 16:13  4Eph. 5:1-2  5Eph. 2:21  6Heb. 10:25  7Matt. 28:19-20;  I Cor. 11:24-25  8Rom. 16:17;  II Thess. 3:6  9I Tim. 4:13  10I Thess. 5:12-13;  Heb. 13:17  11I Cor. 9:7-14;  Gal. 6:6  12I Thess. 4:9  13Eph. 6:18  14Gal. 6:10  15I Cor. 12:25-26  16Rom. 12:16  17Matt. 5:23-24;  Matt. 18:15-18  18Eph. 4:31-32  19Deut. 11:18-20  20Matt. 6:6  21Eph. 6:4  22Mark 5:19  23Matt. 5:16;  Eph. 5:15  24Rom. 12:17  25Eph. 4:25  26Eph. 5:8  27I Thess. 5:22  28I Cor. 6:19-20  29I Cor. 10:31  30I Thess. 1:7-10

CONSTITUTION

PREAMBLE

We who are trusting in the sufficiency of the Lord Jesus Christ's redemptive work on Calvary's cross for our salvation and are following Him in the walk of faith, believe He has called us together, and do commit ourselves as He enables to establish an obedient New Testament church, a church true to the Word of God and separated from all that is opposed to the Word of God. We endeavor to follow the example of the early church at Berea where the people "...received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so" (Acts 17:11). A New Testament church founded upon theWord of God is God's chosen method for this age, the instrument through which He works and blesses. To this end we adopt this Constitution as a declaration of our convictions, so that we may carry on the Lord's work decently and in order (I Cor. 14:40).

ARTICLE 1. NAME

The name of this church shall be Berean Bible Church.

ARTICLE 2. PURPOSE

The purpose of the Berean Bible Church shall be for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, for the salvation of souls, for the defense of the faith, and for the support of worldwide missions.1 This purpose shall be pursued with the objective of full obedience to the will of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is Founder and Head of the Church,2 as determined by a prayerful, daily, and conscientious study of the Holy Scriptures.3

1Eph. 4:12  2John 14:15;  Col. 1:18  3Acts 17:11

ARTICLE 3. DOCTRINAL STATEMENT

Section 1. The Holy Scriptures - We believe the Holy Scriptures, comprised of the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, are the Word of God,1 given by verbal, plenary inspiration, the final authority for faith and life, inerrant in the original writings,2 infallible, and God-breathed.3 Furthermore, we believe that since the Bible was written to be understood,4 it is to be interpreted in a straightforward literal manner. Where symbols and figures of speech are used, they are made obvious from the context and are to be interpreted in a manner consistent with their use throughout the Bible.5

1II Pet. 3:15-16  2Matt. 5:18  3II Tim. 3:16-17  4II Pet. 1:19-21  5I Cor. 2:13

Section 2. The Godhead - We believe in one, and only one, true and living God,1 eternally existing in three persons -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory2 and each being omnipotent,3 omniscient,4 omnipresent,5 and perfect.6 We believe that by the Triune God all things were created and are in heaven and earth, visible and invisible.7

1Deut. 6:4  2Matt. 28:19;  Matt. 3:16-17;  II Cor. 13:14;  John 10:30  3Dan. 4:35  4Psalm 147:5  5Jer. 23:23-24;  Matt. 28:19-20  6I Pet. 1:15-16  7Gen. 1:1;  Gen. 1:26-27; Col. 1:16

Section 3. The Person and Work of the Father - We believe that God the Father is sovereign ruler1 over everything and that He becomes the believer's Father at the new birth.2 God the Father so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to become our only means of salvation.3 Other works of the Father include the sending of the Holy Spirit to indwell the believer forever at conversion4 and answering the believer's prayers5 and the prayers of the lost for salvation.6

1Rev. 19:6  2Gal.4:4-7  3John 3:16;  John 8:42;  Acts 4:12  4John 14:16  5John 16:23-24  6Luke 18:13-14

Section 4. The Person and Work of the Son, Jesus Christ - We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God.1 He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary2 in order that He might reveal God3 and redeem sinful men.4

He lived a sinless human life, perfectly fulfilling the divine law, and then offered Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of every man.5 He died on the cross, shedding His precious blood, in full substitution and atonement for the sins of the whole world.6 He was buried, and on the third day He arose bodily from the dead7 to live forevermore.

He later ascended bodily into heaven8 where, exalted at the right hand of the Father, as High Priest, He now continually fulfills the ministry of Mediator, Intercessor, and Advocate for those who put their trust in Him.9

1John 1:1-2,14  2Luke 1:35  3John 1:18  4Titus 2:14  5I Tim. 2:6;  I Peter 2:24  6Rom. 3:24-25;  Eph. 1:7;  I John 2:2  7I Cor. 15:3-4  8Acts 1:9-11  9Phil. 2:9;  Rom. 8:34; Heb. 9:24;  Heb. 7:25

Section 5. The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit - We believe that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, co-equal with the Father and Son, who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment.1 He is the supernatural Agent in regeneration,2 baptizing all believers into the Body of Christ,3 indwelling, and sealing them unto the day of redemption.4

We also believe that He keeps and empowers believers day by day. He makes intercession for them,5 is the divine teacher of the Word of God,6 and is the guide for our daily life.7 It is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the Spirit.8

1John 16:8-11  2John 3:6-8  3I Cor. 12:13  4I Cor. 3:16;  Eph. 1:13  5Rom. 8:26-27  6John 16:12-13  7Rom. 8:14  8Eph. 5:18

Section 6. Creation - We believe that God created the heavens and the earth, including all life, by direct act in six literal, solar, sequential days and not by any process of evolution. We also believe that all life reproduces after its own kind, and therefore we reject the theory known as theistic evolution.

Gen. 1-2;  Ex. 20:11;  Col. 1:16-17;  John 1:3

Section 7. The Person and Work of Satan - We believe that Satan is a created being who fell from his state of perfection because of pride and rebellion against God.1 He thus became the author of sin, the leader of all the powers of darkness, the cause of the Fall,2 and the accuser of the brethren.3 He is the unholy god of this age,4 and he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire prepared for him and his angels.5

1Isaiah 14:12-17  2Gen. 3:1-7  3Rev. 12:7-11;  Job 1:6-12  4Matt. 4:1-11;  II Cor. 4:2-4  5Rev. 20:10

Section 8. The Nature of Man - We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God for the purpose of mutual love and fellowship with his Creator.1 Through Adam's sin of willful disobedience, the race fell, bringing guilt and spiritual and physical death to the whole human race.2 We believe that all men inherit a sinful nature,3 are totally depraved, are alienated from a Holy God, are under His just condemnation, and are utterly unable by themselves to remedy their lost condition.4

1Gen. 1:26-27  2Rom. 5:12-19  3Rom. 5:12;  Psalm 51:5  4Rom. 3:10-12;  Eph. 2:1-3

Section 9. Salvation - We believe in the single substitutionary sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on Calvary to redeem sinners, One for all and once for all.1 Therefore, salvation is by grace through faith, without merit, without works, and without ordinances.2 All who receive the Lord Jesus Christ by personal faith as Savior are thereby born again and have eternal life through the indwelling Christ.3 Salvation thus includes deliverance from the penalty of sin in one's life, and ultimately from the presence of sin in heaven with Christ.4

We believe that those who do not believe on the name of Jesus Christ, after reaching the age of accountability,5 are condemned already and will suffer eternally for their sins.6

1II Cor. 5:15;  Heb. 10:10;  I Peter 1:18-19  2Eph.2:8-10;  John 3:3-5;  Eph. 1:7  3John 1:12  4Col. 1:13;  Eph. 1:7;  Jude 24  5II Sam.12:23  6John 8:24

Section 10. The Eternal Security of the Believer - We believe that all the redeemed are kept by God's power and are thus secure in Christ forever.1 We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God's Word2 which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh.3

1John 10:27-30  2Rom. 8:38-39  3Gal. 5:13;  Titus 2:11-15

Section 11. Sanctification of the Believer - We believe in the positional sanctification of each believer in Christ at the time of salvation.1 We also believe in a practical sanctification which is progressive, depending upon the believer's appropriation of divine means by the work of the Holy Spirit through the Scriptures, and all without a second work of grace.2

1John 17:17;  Eph. 1:13  2I Cor. 1:2;  Phil. 2:13

Section 12. The Priesthood of all Believers - We believe that Christ is our great High Priest, and through Him every born again person has direct access into God's presence without the need of a human priest.1 The believer has the right and responsibility to personally study and interpret the Scriptures guided by the Holy Spirit.2

1Heb. 10:19-25;  I Tim. 2:5  2I Cor. 2:10-13

Section 13. The Two Natures of the Believer - We believe that every saved person possesses two natures,1 with provisions made for victory of the new spiritual nature over the old sin nature through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.2 All claims to the eradication of the old nature in this life are unscriptural.3

1Gal. 5:16-25;  Rom. 7:18-25  2Eph. 4:22-24  3I John 1:10

Section 14. Separation of the Believer - We believe that all the saved should live in a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord.1 Separation unto God2 and from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices, and associations is commanded by God.3

1Rom. 12:1-2;  14:13  2James 4:8  3II Tim. 3:1-5;  I John 2:15-17; II John 9-11;  II Cor. 6:14-7:1;  Titus 2:12

Section 15. Spiritual Gifts - We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowment of all His gifts1 and that gifts of evangelists, pastors, and teachers are sufficient for the perfecting of the saints today.2 We believe that the working of sign miracles, prophesying, and speaking in tongues gradually ceased as the New Testament Scriptures were completed and their authority became established.3 We believe that God does hear and answer the prayer of faith for the sick and afflicted in accordance with His own will.4

1I Cor. 12:4-11;  Rom. 12:6-8  2Eph. 4:7-12  3I Cor. 13:8  4John 15:7;  I John 5:14-15;  James 5:13-16

Section 16. The Marriage Union - We believe that marriage is a picture of the relationship of Christ to His espoused bride, the Church.1 God ordained marriage, and "for this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife; and they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder."2

1Eph. 5:21-33  2Mark 10:7-9

Section 17. The Church - We believe that the Church, which is the body and the espoused bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born again believers of this present age.1 We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures.2

This local church is an assembly and fellowship of members of the True Church, is independent and self-governing under its ascended Head, the Lord Jesus Christ.3

1Eph. 1:22-23;  5:25-27;  I Cor. 12:12-14;  II Cor. 11:2  2Acts 14:27;  Acts 20:17;  I Tim. 3:1-13;  Titus 1:5-11;  Acts 2:47  3Col. 1:18;  Eph. 5:23

Section 18. Ordinances - We believe that Christ gave only two ordinances to the Church to be observed until He comes.

A. The Lord's Supper was given an an ordinance to believers by the Lord Himself for a remembrance of Him and to show His death until He comes. This ordinance should not be taken unadvisedly, but with a prayerful examination of one's life.

Matt. 26:26-29;  Luke 22:19-20;  I Cor. 11:23-29

B. Believer's baptism was established by Christ Himself while He was here on earth1 and was commanded of us as a part of the Great Commission.2 It is to symbolize the believer's death to the old life of sin and his spiritual resurrection to the new life in Christ.3 We believe immersion is the only scriptural mode of baptism.4

It must be understood that there is no saving power in baptism,5 but it is a means for believers to obediently give a clear testimony of their death, burial, and resurrection with Christ.6

1Matt. 3:13  2Matt. 28:19  3Rom. 6:1-13;  Acts 2:41;  8:12;  9:18;  10:47-48  4Mark 1:10;  Acts 8:38-39  5Titus 3:5  6Col. 2:12-13

Section 19. Separation of the Church - We believe that the Lord commands the Church, as well as individuals, to "come out from among them and be ye separate," and to avoid the unequal yoke with unbelievers.1 Therefore, this church does not affiliate with the National Council of Churches, the World Council of Churches, nor with any organizations that are associated with or have fellowship with apostate, neo-evangelical, or ecumenical movements. We believe the Scriptures teach that we are to: (a) try them,2 (b) mark and avoid them,3 (c) rebuke them,4 (d) have no fellowship,5 (e) withdraw ourselves,6 (f) receive them not,7 (g) have no company with them,8 (h) reject them,9 and (i) separate ourselves.10

1II Cor. 6:14-18  2I John 4:1  3Rom. 16:17  4Titus 1:13  5Eph. 5:11  6II Thess. 3:6  7II John 10-11  8II Thess. 3:14  9Titus 3:10  10II Cor. 6:17

Section 20. Dispensationalism - We believe in the dispensational view of the Bible interpretation but reject the extreme teaching known as "Hyper-Dispensationalism," which rejects Communion1 and water baptism2 as Scriptural means of testimony for the Church in this age.

1I Cor. 11:23-26  2Matt. 28:19-20;  Acts 2:41-42;  Acts 18:8;  Eph. 4:5

Section 21. Missions - We believe that because all men everywhere without Christ are lost and bound for eternal punishment in Hell, and because men cannot believe in Him of whom they have never heard, therefore, we are debtors to all men and have the responsibility of giving them the Gospel.1 Jesus left us the command that we should all be witnesses for Him, and should take the Good News of the Gospel to every place where men are to be found.2 We believe that to carry out this command we must ourselves be witnesses by word and life to all lost men around us,3 and we must support by prayer and financial aid those who go out under Biblically sound missionary agencies to represent our Lord in other parts of the world.4

Section 22. Civil Government - We believe that civil government is of divine appointment1 and that all government officials are to be prayed for and conscientiously honored.2 All civil authorities and laws are to be obeyed, except in things directly opposed to the Word of God.3

We believe that church and state should be separate,4 but that scriptural principles should not be excluded from government. No ecclesiastical group or denomination should be preferred above another by the state, and the state should not impose taxes for the support of any form of religion.

1Rom. 13:1-7  2Matt. 22:21;  I Tim. 2:1-3  3Acts 5:29;  Acts 4:18-20;  Titus 3:1;  I Peter 2:13-14  4Matt. 22:21

Section 23. Christ's Return and the Last Things - We believe in the bodily, personal, pre-tribulation, pre-millennial, imminent coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in the air to catch away both the dead and alive in Christ.1 It is not possible to know the date of His coming, but every Christian should live in earnest expectation of this "Blessed Hope."2

We believe that between His coming for His saints and His coming with His saints, believers will be in Heaven and will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ,3 to be judged, not for salvation but for "the things done in his body...whether it be good or bad."4 This judgment will cleanse and purify the Church as the Bride in preparation for the Marriage Feast of the Lamb.5 Simultaneously, on the earth there will be a seven-year period known as the tribulation during which God's wrath will be poured out on the earth and its inhabitants.6

Following this, we believe in the visible, majestic, bodily return of the Lord in glory with His saints to the earth to reign for a thousand years.7 During this Millennium, Satan will be bound in the bottomless pit, and the earth will be in peace and harmony.8

When the thousand years has expired, Satan will be loosed for a little season and he will "go out to deceive the nations" and "to battle," after which God will cast him and his followers into the Lake of Fire.9 This will be followed by the second resurrection when the spiritually dead will stand before the Great White Throne Judgment.10

1I Thess. 4:13-18  2I Thess. 5:1-2;  Titus 2:13;  Acts 1:6-7;  Matt. 24:44  3Rom. 14:10-12  4II Cor. 5:10  5Rev. 19:7-9  6Matt. 24:21-22;  Dan. 9:27  7Rev. 20:6;  Isa, 11;  Jude 14;  Acts 1:11;  Zech. 14:1-9;  Rev. 19:11-21;  Matt. 24:29-30  8Rev. 20:1-3  9Rev. 20:7-10  10Rev. 20:11-15

Section 24. The Eternal State - We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men; the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment.1 We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, "absent from the body and present with the Lord."2 There, in conscious bliss, they await the first resurrection when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord, enjoying the fellowship for which they were created.3

We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious torment until the second resurrection.4 At that time, with soul and body reunited, they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire,5 not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment.6

1Matt. 25:46;  John 5:28-29  2II Cor. 5:8  3I Thess. 4:16-17;  John 11:25-26  4Luke 16:19-26  5Rev. 20:10-15  6Matt. 25:41-46;  II Thess. 1:7-9;  Mark 9:43-48