McCormack
Elder Gary Hardison
Although labels are sometimes detrimental, they are occasionally helpful in identifying the major beliefs for which a particular church stands. While the following labels or terms are not exhaustive of the particular beliefs adhered to by our church, we hope that they are helpful in understanding us better. First of all, we are Reformed in the way that we view the wo
rld and the Bible. This means that we consider ourselves to have historically descended from those churches of the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century. We believe in the absolute sovereignty of the Almighty God, "Sola fide" (salvation by grace through faith alone) and "Sola Scriptua" (the Scriptures alone). Secondly, we are orthodox in our theology. This means that we accept the Bible as the inerrant and authoritative source of all that we believe and teach. Furthermore, we have no standard outside the Bible by which we judge its authority. It is completely self-authenticating. Creeds, councils, and statements of belief, although highly useful in understanding the Scripture, may contain error. The Bible alone is the only inspired test for orthodoxy. Thirdly, we are Presbyterian in our form of church government. In our case, this means that we are ruled by elders. We believe that the Bible emphasizes two important principles of church government: plurality and representative. Multiple elders are chosen by God and recognized by the congregation to represent the people. Our elders are responsible for the teaching, spiritual oversight, and discipline of individual members. We believe that elder rule is the form of government that best illustrates the principle that Jesus Christ, alone, is the Head of His Church. Fourthly, we are an independent Bible church with reference to denominational affiliation. This means that we are not part of an official denominational structure. We use the designation "independent", however, simply for a lack of a more descriptive term. In reality, we are not independent of other Christians at all. We are "interdependent" with other like-minded believers, regardless of their denominational affiliation. Finally, we consider ourselves Bereans. This is in reference to those in the church at Berea, who "received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so" (Acts 17:11). We are eagerly open to be taught by God's Word. However, we also are continually searching the Scriptures to test if what we have seen or heard accurately reflects what the Scriptures teach.
