About us

What We Believe

Mission Statement:

1. One God
   We believe in one and only God, who is the Almighty, Creator and King of the universe. He has existed eternally in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. All three are one and together constitute the one God. Refer to these verses; Genesis 1:1, 26, 27 and 3:22 and Psalm 90:2 and Matthew 28:19 and 1 Peter 1:2 and 2 Corinthians 13:14
2. Jesus Christ
   We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is one with God. He was born in the flesh but did not exist because He was with God from eternity and was God. Jesus Christ lived a sinless life in His human dimension. By His death on the cross, He offered Himself as the only perfect and perfect sacrifice, but on the third day He rose from the dead to demonstrate His authority and dominion over sin and death. He ascended into the glory of heaven to return another day to rule the world as King of kings and Lord of lords. Refer to these verses; Matthew 1:22-23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:4-5, 14; 14:10-30; Hebrews 4:14-15; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Romans 13:4; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Timothy 6:14-15; Titus 2:13
3. The Holy Spirit
   We believe that the Holy Spirit is one with God and with the Son of God. He existed from eternity and is present in the world to make people aware of their need for Jesus Christ. The moment a person believes in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit indwells him, that is, the moment he believes he receives the baptism of the Holy Spirit that John the Baptist referred to, and receiving the Holy Spirit is not conditional on a second experience. The Holy Spirit indwells believers to equip them with the ‘divine power to live’ and the power to ‘understand spiritual truths’ to be a guide for the believer to do what is right. The Holy Spirit gives Christians spiritual gifts to equip them for ministry. But none of these gifts should be taught to them as a ‘faith requirement for all believers’. 2 Corinthians 17:3, John 16:7-13, 16:4, 17, Acts 1:8, 1 Corinthians 2:12, 3:16, Ephesians 1:13, 5:18, and Galatians 5:25
4. The Bible
   We believe that the Bible is God’s revelation to all mankind. It came to man through revelation and is free from all error and imperfection. The Bible was written under the spiritual guidance of the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit used the prophets and their God-given talents as instruments to accomplish this. The Bible is the only authoritative authority for our faith and practice. The Bible is powerful for faith in Christ and understanding His divine plan, and it is also a valuable guide for Christian living. See these verses; 2 Timothy 1:13 and 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20, 21; Psalm 119:105; Proverbs 30:5.
5. Man
   God created Adam in His own image and Adam walked before God. But when Adam committed the first disobedience, that is, eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he lost the ability to be present in the holiness of God and since then all humans from Adam's lineage have been born far from God, devoid of holiness and in the likeness of sinful Adam. The Word of God calls this distance spiritual death or sin. We are all born sinful, polluted, corrupt and disobedient to God. There is no one righteous, not even one. Genesis 1:27 and Psalms 8:3-6 and Isaiah 53:6 and 59:1,2 and Romans 3:23
6. Salvation
   is a free gift of God that must be received by each of us individually. We cannot, by our own efforts or good works, make up for the damage that sin has done to our nature. It is only by trusting and believing in Jesus Christ as the ‘gift of God for the forgiveness of sins’ that we can be freed from the penalty of sin. We are saved only when we turn from our ‘self-centered life’ and turn to Jesus Christ with heartfelt faith. The moment a person sincerely and faithfully accepts Jesus Christ into their life, their eternal life in Jesus Christ begins. This is the great grace of God and not because of good works. Romans 5:1; 6:23; Ephesians 2:8, 9; John 1:12; 6:14; Titus 3:5; Galatians 3:26; Romans 5:1
7. The Permanence of Salvation
   By faith in Jesus Christ, God grants us eternal life. For a true believer, eternal salvation is guaranteed. If someone is truly saved, it is not because of his good works, but salvation is God's covenant with him, and this is because of the great grace of God who made a covenant with the believer through the precious blood of Jesus Christ. So if God makes a covenant, He always keeps His covenant. As a result, if a person is saved, he cannot lose his salvation. The eternal and everlasting continuation of salvation is possible only by the grace and power of God, not by the efforts of the believer. Only the grace and power of God gives us this assurance and peace of mind. If a person has truly believed, he should know that all true believers stand firm in their faith until the end. John 10:28,29; 2 Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 7:25; 10:10,14; 1 Peter 1:3-5
8. Immortality
   Man was created for 'eternal life'. We will either live in 'eternal separation' from God, which is the result of sin. Or we will live in 'eternal union' with God, which is possible through forgiveness and salvation. 'Eternal separation' from God is hell, and 'eternal union' with God is heaven and eternal life. Heaven and hell are real places in 'eternal life'. John 3:16 and 14:17; Romans 6:23 and 8:17-18; Revelation 20:15; 1 Corinthians 2:7-9

Beliefs and faith are worthless if they are not followed by action. Based on the teachings of the Bible, we strongly urge the following seven actions that follow faith:

1. The Bible is our only authority “All Scripture is inspired of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” 2 Timothy 3:16 Since the Word of God is the only true and completely reliable authority, we believe in the Bible, both the Old and New Testaments, as the only governing authority for the faith and practice of the church. The Old Testament law, which includes the Mosaic Law, is still relevant to Christians today, provided it is understood and applied in accordance with the teachings of the New Testament (Romans 13:8-10). Therefore, we have accepted the Bible as our “guidebook for life.” When we want to make a decision, the first question that comes to our mind is: “What does the Bible say?” We read, study, and memorize the Bible every day. The Bible is the basis for our faith and practice.
2. Independence of local churches "He is the head of the body, the church. For he is the beginning..." "Colossians 1:18" Jesus Christ is the leader and head of our church, not any person, group, or religious organization. Although we cooperate and cooperate with other Christian groups, and this is a valuable work from our point of view, we believe that each local church should be self-governing and independent of any 'denominational control'. We believe that each local church should be governed by a body of elders or leaders, and that each of these elders should have the qualifications for church leadership (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-7; 1 Peter 5:1-4).
3. The Priesthood of Every Believer
   “…to Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood and made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” “Revelation 1:6” “You are ‘a chosen race,’ ‘a royal priesthood,’ ‘a holy nation,’ ‘a people for His own possession,’ that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” “1 Peter 2:9” The Bible says that every believer is called to ‘full-time Christian service,’ regardless of what talents he considers himself to have. As Christians, we should always be ready to serve and in the process of serving for the Kingdom of God, given the fact that ‘every believer is a minister.’ We do not need a priest to establish a relationship with God.
4.  Giving and Giving
   We believe that as members of the body of Christ in the local church, we should regularly attend worship and teaching meetings (Hebrews 10:25), and also support the church by giving our regular gifts. We Christians believe that because we are under God’s grace and in His new covenant today, not only a tithe of our possessions, but all our possessions belong to God. Of course, as it is written, we Christians believe that each one should do as he has decided in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:6-9)
5.  Baptism by immersion in water
   "Buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead." Colossians 2:12 Based on what the Bible commands and just as Jesus Christ himself was baptized, we also perform the act of baptism of believers by immersion in water.
6.  A Life Led by the Holy Spirit
   (Jesus Christ said) “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 We believe that ‘living as a Christian’ is possible only through the presence of ‘divine power and strength’ in us. Therefore, in our daily lives, we show ourselves to be more and more dependent on the ‘Spirit of God’. Every day, we ask the Holy Spirit to empower us to do the right things. We believe that we should live in the fullness of the Holy Spirit. The fullness of the Holy Spirit means completely surrendering ourselves to the guidance of the Holy Spirit of God. We believe that the Holy Spirit is the person of God and is not filled or emptied more or less, but the fullness of the Spirit of God is the measure of our devotion as believers. The more sensitive and obedient we are to the commands of the Spirit and our lives are guided by Him, the more we live in the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
7.  Sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ
   “…Always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you…” 1 Peter 3:15 We believe that every Christian has a responsibility to share the “good news of salvation” with others whom God brings into their lives. We personally share the good news of Jesus Christ with others and invite our friends to the Lord’s church.

In addition to this statement of faith, Mojdeh also affirms the Apostles’ Creed.

Because we work among Muslims, we join with the Nicene Creed and the Athanasian Creed in our doctrine of the Trinity.

In respect to our view of the Bible, we affirm the: Chicago Declaration on the Inerrancy of the Bible

Introduction

The authority of the Bible is a fundamental issue for the Christian church in this and every age. Those who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are called to demonstrate the reality of their discipleship by humble and faithful obedience to the written Word of God. Deviation from the Bible in faith or conduct is disloyalty to our Lord. In order to fully understand and properly acknowledge the authority of the Bible, it is essential that we accept its integral truth and reliability.
The following statement is a reaffirmation of the inerrancy of the Scriptures, which clarifies our understanding of them and warns us against denying them. We acknowledge that to deny the Word is to reject the witness of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit and to fail to follow the claims of God’s own Word as the expounder of the true Christian faith. We consider it our solemn duty to make this affirmation in the face of the lapses that have occurred among other Christians from the truth of the inerrancy of the Word of God, as well as the widespread misunderstanding of this doctrine in the world.
This statement consists of three parts: a summary of the statement, paragraphs on affirmations and refutations, and appendices on interpretation. This statement was prepared during a three-day consultation in Chicago. The signatories of this statement and the related paragraphs intend, by affirming their firm conviction of the inerrancy of the Scriptures, not only to encourage but also to challenge themselves and all Christians to a greater appreciation and understanding of this doctrine. We recognize the limitations of a document prepared in a short and compact conference, and therefore do not claim that this statement has the authority of a creed. However, we are glad that the discussion and dialogue deepen our convictions, and we pray that the statement we have signed will be used for the glory of our God and for the edification of the church in its faith, life, and mission. We present this statement not in a spirit of controversy but in humility and love, and it is our intention that, by God’s grace, this same spirit will be maintained in all the discussions that will take place around our statements. We are happy to acknowledge that many who deny the inerrancy of the Bible do not demonstrate the consequences of this denial in their other beliefs and conduct, and we are aware that we who profess this doctrine often deny it by not conforming our thoughts and actions, our traditions and customs, to the Word of God.
We invite anyone who sees reason to correct the statements in this statement regarding the Bible to present their response in light of the Scriptures, the same Word that we follow in our sermons as being infallible. Obviously, our testimony is not infallible, and we would be grateful for any help that would help us strengthen our testimonies to the Word of God.

A short statement

1. 1. 1. God, who is the truth and the only truth, inspired the Holy Scriptures, in order to reveal himself to lost humanity through Jesus Christ as Creator and Lord, Redeemer and Judge. The Holy Scriptures are God's testimony to himself.
         2. The Holy Scriptures, which are the Word of God, were written by men who were equipped and guided by the Holy Spirit, and have infallible divine authority in all that they deal with: they are to be believed as God's instructions in matters that are approved by him, and obeyed as God's command in all that he asks and commands of us, and as a guarantee of all that he promises.
         3. The Holy Spirit, the divine author of the Holy Scriptures, on the one hand confirms it by his own inward testimony, and on the other opens our minds to understand it.
         4. The sacred texts, whether given in their entirety or word for word by God, are free from error and mistake in every teaching. What the Word testifies to about God's saving grace in the lives of individuals is no less than what it says about God's work in creation, the events of world history, the literary origin of the Word itself under God's supervision.
         5. If the infallibility of the whole Word is in any way limited or ignored, or if it is changed to suit existing facts that are contrary to the biblical view, the authority of the Bible will inevitably be undermined, and such errors bring great harm both to the individual and to the church.
         
         

Confirmations and denials

Article 1
We affirm that the Bible is to be accepted as the authoritative word of God.
We deny that the Bible derives its authority from the Church, tradition, or any other human source.
Article 2
We affirm that the Bible is the supreme written moral law by which God binds the conscience, and that the authority of the Church is subordinate to the authority of the Bible.
We deny that creeds, councils, or declarations have an authority greater than or equal to the authority of the Bible.
Article 3
We affirm that the entire written word of God is revelation given by God.
We deny that the Bible is only a witness to revelation, or that it is revealed only in the encounter (of the reader) with that revelation, or that its validity depends on human response.
Article 4
We affirm that God, who created man in His own image, used language as a means of revelation.
We deny that man's language, because he is a creature, is so limited as to be inadequate for the transmission of divine revelation.
We also deny that the corruption of human culture and language through sin hinders the work of God's inspiration.
Article 5
We affirm that God's revelation in the Bible is progressive.
We deny that this later revelation, which may have perfected earlier revelations, has corrected or contradicted them.
We also deny that a revelation of moral laws was given after the completion of the New Testament writings.
Article 6
We affirm that the whole of the Bible and all its parts, down to the very words of its original text, were given by divine inspiration.
We deny that the inspiration of the Bible includes only its totality and not its details, or conversely some of its details and not its totality.
Article 7
We affirm that inspiration was the act by which God, through the Spirit of God, gave us His Word through human writers. The origin of the Bible is divine. The nature of divine inspiration remains largely a mystery to us.
We deny that the process of inspiration can be reduced to the level of human insight or to any state in which our consciousness is heightened.
Article 8
We affirm that God, in His inspired act, used the distinctive personalities and literary styles of the writers He chose and prepared.
We deny that God, in using the writers in the use of the words He chose, overcame their personalities.
Article 9
We affirm that inspiration, while not conferring absolute knowledge, guarantees a true and trustworthy expression of all the matters to which the writers of the Bible were entrusted to speak and write.
We deny that the mortality or fall of these writers has necessarily or in any way introduced distortion or falsity into the Word of God.
Article Ten
We expressly affirm that inspiration is assigned only to the original text of the manuscripts, which in the providence of God can be ascertained from the extant manuscripts with great accuracy and truth.
We also affirm that manuscripts and translations of the Bible are the word of God to the extent that they faithfully represent the original.
We deny that the essential elements of the Christian faith are affected by the absence of the original manuscripts. We also deny that this absence invalidates or invalidates the claim to inerrancy of the Bible.
Article 11
We affirm that the Bible, given by divine inspiration, is inerrancy, so that far from misleading us, it is true and reliable in all the matters it deals with.
We deny that it is possible that the Bible is both inerrancy and error in its claims. Inerrancy and inerrancy may be distinct, but they are not separate.
Article 12
We affirm that the Bible is entirely free from all falsehood, fraud, or deception.
We deny that the inerrancy and inerrancy of the Bible is limited to spiritual, religious, or redemptive themes and does not include claims in the areas of history and science.
We also deny that scientific hypotheses about the history of the earth, if properly applied, can invalidate the Bible’s teaching on creation and the flood.
Article 13
We affirm that the use of the theological term inerrancy of the Bible is exclusively in connection with the complete accuracy of the Bible.
We deny that it is proper to evaluate the Bible according to standards of truth and error that are foreign to its use or purpose.
Furthermore, we deny that such biblical phenomena as lack of modern technical accuracy, irregularity of grammar or spelling, descriptions derived from observation of nature, false reporting, use of exaggeration or rounding of figures, thematic arrangement of items, multiple subjects given in parallel accounts (in different books), or free quotations, negate the inerrancy of the Bible.
Article Fourteen
We affirm the unity and internal coherence of the Bible.
We deny that the claims of some that there are errors and discrepancies that have not yet been resolved distort the true claims of the Bible.
Article Fifteen
We affirm that the doctrine of the inerrancy of the Bible is rooted in the Bible’s teaching on inspiration.
We deny that Jesus’ teachings about the Bible can be rejected because of its compatibility with his environment or his natural human limitations.
Article 16
We affirm that the doctrine of the inerrancy of the Bible has been an integral part of the faith of the Church throughout its history.
We deny that the doctrine of the inerrancy of the Bible is a doctrine invented by scholastic Protestantism or a reactionary position advanced in response to higher (literary-historical) criticism.
Article 17
We affirm that the Holy Spirit bears witness to the Scriptures and assures believers of the truth of the written Word of God.
We deny that this testimony of the Holy Spirit operates apart from or against Scripture.
Article 18
We affirm that the text of Scripture is to be interpreted by grammatical and historical interpretation, taking into account its literary forms and devices, and that Scripture interprets Scripture.
We deny the legitimacy of any treatment of the text or attempt to find a source beyond it that would lead to relativization, elimination, or discounting of its teachings or to the rejection of its claims to authorship.
Article 19
We affirm that the confession of the full, infallible, and inerrant authority of Scripture is essential to the correct understanding of the whole Christian faith. We also affirm that such confession should lead to a greater conformity to the image of Christ.
We deny that such confession is necessary for salvation. However, we further deny that the inerrancy of the Bible can be rejected without dire consequences, both for the individual and for the church.