We believe that every believer who receives salvation is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, who regenerates and raises them to new life in Christ.

Romans 8:9
"You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him."

However, we also affirm that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a normative secondary experience, distinct from the Spirit’s indwelling at salvation, through which the Holy Spirit bestows spiritual gifts upon the believer for empowerment in ministry.

Acts 1:5, 8
"For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now... But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

This outpouring of the Spirit equips believers with spiritual gifts as described in Scripture:

1 Corinthians 12:4-11
"Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit... To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge... to another faith... to another gifts of healing... to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy... to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills."

While we believe that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a valuable experience for all believers, we affirm that it does not always occur separately from salvation or water baptism. There are instances where believers receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit at conversion or at the time of baptism. However, Acts 19:1-7 demonstrates that not all believers immediately receive this baptism:

Acts 19:2, 6
"And he said to them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’ And they said, ‘No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit’... And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying."

Thus, while the baptism of the Holy Spirit is not an exclusive or uniform experience for all believers, we affirm its ongoing relevance and necessity for the empowerment of the Church.We do not see ourselves as independent from the historic Church but as a continuation of the Spirit’s work over the past 2,000 years.

We affirm and embrace the sacraments of Baptism and the Eucharist, instituted by Jesus Christ. The word "sacrament" means a sacred action, and we understand sacraments as outward signs of inward spiritual truths.

We believe that participation in the sacraments must be both intentional and personal. Because of this, we affirm believers' baptism by full immersion, as an individual cannot partake of sacramental grace on another’s behalf.

Baptism is a visible proclamation of the Gospel. We believe baptism represents three key truths:

1. Baptism is in Christ

2. Baptism is into His death

3. Baptism is burial with Him into death

The Scriptures affirm this understanding:

Mark 16:16
"Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned."

Romans 6:3-4
"Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."

When a believer is baptized:

• Standing in the water represents Christ’s death on the cross.

• Being submerged represents His burial in the tomb.

• Being raised from the water represents His resurrection to new life.

Colossians 2:12 further affirms this:
"Having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead."

Through baptism, we become part of the Body of Christ, His Church:

1 Corinthians 12:12-13
"For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit."

The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life. The word "Eucharist" comes from the Greek eucharistia, meaning thanksgiving.

The Eucharist Commemorates the Cross

Jesus instituted the Eucharist as the means by which we remember His sacrifice:

1 Corinthians 11:24-26
"And when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after supper, he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes."

The Eucharist is Participation in Christ

In the Eucharist, we partake in the body and blood of Christ:

1 Corinthians 10:16
"The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?"

The Eucharist Unites the Church

Through the Eucharist, we are united as one body in Christ:

1 Corinthians 10:17
"Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread."

The Real Presence of Christ

We believe that Christ is truly present in the Eucharist—not as a mere symbol but as a real participation in His life. However, we do not define the mystery of His presence according to any single theological explanation. Instead, we affirm that, in partaking of the Eucharist, the bread and wine become unto us the Body and Blood of Christ.

John 6:56
"Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him."

Thus, in the Eucharist, we not only remember Christ’s sacrifice but also experience deep communion with Him.