Rev. Kenneth W. Tunch, Senior Pastor
Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church
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THE SCRIPTURES
inspired in the sense that holy men of God “were moved by the Holy Spirit” to write the very words of
Scripture.
We believe this divine inspiration extends equally and fully to all parts of the writings—historical, poetical,
doctrinal, and prophetical—as appeared in the original manuscripts.
We believe the whole Bible, in the originals, is therefore without error.
We believe all the Scriptures center about the Lord Jesus Christ in His person and work in His first and
second coming, and hence that no portion, even of the Old Testament, is properly read, or understood,
until it leads to Jesus.
We also believe all the Scriptures were designed for our practical instruction.
Scripture References: Mark 12:26, 36; 13:11; Luke 24:27, 44; John 5:39; Acts 1:16; 17:2–3; 18:28; 26:22–
23; 28:23; Rom. 15:4; 1 Cor. 2:13; 10:11; 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:21
THE GODHEAD
We believe the Godhead eternally exists in three persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—and
that these three are one God, having precisely the same nature, attributes, and perfections, and worthy of
precisely the same homage, confidence, and obedience.
Scripture References: Matt. 28:18–19; Mark 12:29; John 1:14; Acts 5:3–4; 2 Cor. 13:14; Heb. 1:1–3; Rev. 1:
4–6
MAN, CREATED AND FALLEN
We believe man was originally created in the image and after the likeness of God. He fell through sin and
as a consequence of his sin, lost his spiritual life becoming dead in trespasses and sins becoming subject
to the power of the devil.
We also believe this spiritual death, or total depravity of human nature, was transmitted to the entire
human race of man, the Man Christ Jesus alone being excepted; and hence every child of Adam is born
into the world with a nature which not only possesses no spark of divine life, but is essentially and
unchangeably bad apart from divine grace.
Scripture References: Gen. 1:26; 2:17; 6:5; Pss. 14:1–3; 51:5; Jer. 17:9; John 3:6; 5:40; 6:35; Rom. 3:10–
19; 8:6–7; Eph. 2:1–3; 1 Tim. 5:6; 1 John 3:8
SALVATION ONLY THROUGH CHRIST
We believe that, owing to universal death through sin, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless born
again; and that no degree of reformation however great, no attainments in morality however high, no
culture however attractive, no baptism or other ordinance however administered, can help the sinner to
take even one step toward heaven; but a new nature imparted from above, a new life implanted by the
Holy Spirit through confession of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, is absolutely essential to salvation, and
only those thus saved are sons of God.
We believe our redemption was accomplished solely by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, who was made
to be sin and was made a curse for us, dying instead; and that no repentance, no feeling, no faith, no
good resolutions, no sincere efforts, no submission to the rules and regulations of any church, nor all the
churches that have existed since the days of the Apostles can add in the very least degree to the value of
the blood, or to the merit of the finished work wrought for us by Jesus who united in His person true and
proper deity with perfect and sinless humanity.
Scripture Reference: Lev. 17:11; Isa. 64:6; Matt. 26:28; John 3:7–18; Rom. 5:6–9; 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 3:13; 6:
15; Eph. 1:7; Phil. 3:4–9; Titus 3:5; James 1:18; 1 Pet. 1:18–19, 23.
We believe the new birth of the believer comes only through faith in Christ and repentance is a vital part of
believing, and is in no way, in itself, a separate and independent condition of salvation; nor are any other
acts, such as confession, baptism, prayer, or faithful service, to be added to believing as a condition of
salvation.
Scripture Reference: John 1:12; 3:16, 18, 36; 5:24; 6:29; Acts 13:39; 16:31; Rom. 1:16–17; 3:22, 26; 4:5;
10:4; Gal. 3:22
THE EXTENT OF SALVATION
We believe when an unregenerate person exercises that faith in Christ which is illustrated and described
as such in the New Testament, he passes immediately out of spiritual death into spiritual life, and from the
old creation into the new; being justified from all things, accepted before the Father according as Christ
His Son is accepted, loved as Christ is loved, having his place and portion as linked to Him and one with
Him forever.
Though the saved one may have occasion to grow in the realization of his blessings and to know a fuller
measure of divine power through the yielding of his life more fully to God, he is, as soon as he is saved, in
possession of every spiritual blessing and absolutely complete in Christ, and is therefore in no way
required by God to seek a so-called “second blessing,” or a “second work of grace”.
Scripture References: John 5:24; 17:23; Acts 13:39; Rom. 5:1; 1 Cor. 3:21–23; Eph. 1:3; Col. 2:10; 1 John
4:17; 5:11–12
SANCTIFICATION
We believe sanctification, which is a setting-apart unto God, is threefold: It is already complete for every
saved person because his position toward God is the same as Christ’s position. Since the believer is in
Christ, he is set apart unto God in the measure in which Christ is set apart unto God.
We believe, however, that he retains his sin nature, which cannot be eradicated in this life. Therefore,
while the standing of the Christian in Christ is perfect, his present state is no more perfect than his
experience in daily life. There is, therefore, a progressive sanctification wherein the Christian is to “grow in
grace,” and to “be changed” by the unhindered power of the Spirit.
We believe also that the child of God will yet be fully sanctified in his state as he is now sanctified in his
standing in Christ when he shall see his Lord and shall be “like Him”.
Scripture Reference: John 17:17; 2 Cor. 3:18; 7:1; Eph. 4:24; 5:25–27; 1 Thess. 5:23; Heb. 10:10, 14; 12:
10
ETERNAL SECURITY
We believe that, because of the eternal purpose of God toward the objects of His love, because of His
freedom to exercise grace toward the meritless on the ground of the propitiatory blood of Christ, because
of the very nature of the divine gift of eternal life, because of the present and unending intercession and
advocacy of Christ in heaven, because of the immutability of the unchangeable covenants of God,
because of the regenerating, abiding presence of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of all who are saved, we
and all true believers everywhere, once saved shall be kept saved forever.
We believe, however, that God is a holy and righteous Father and that, since He cannot overlook the sin
of His children, He will, when they persistently sin, chasten them and correct them in infinite love; but
having undertaken to save them and keep them forever, apart from all human merit, He, who cannot fail,
will in the end present every one of them faultless before the presence of His glory and conformed to the
image of His Son.
Scripture Reference: John 5:24; 10:28; 13:1; 14:16–17; 17:11; Rom. 8:29; 1 Cor. 6:19; Heb. 7:25; 1 John
2:1–2; 5:13; Jude 24
THE CHURCH, A UNITY OF BELIEVERS
We believe all who are united to the risen and ascended Son of God are members of the church which is
the body of Christ, which began at Pentecost and is completely distinct from Israel. Its members are
constituted as such regardless of membership or non membership in the organized churches of earth.
We believe by the same Spirit all believers in this age are baptized into, and thus become, one body that
is Christ’s, whether Jews or Gentiles, and having become members one of another, are under solemn duty
to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, rising above all sectarian differences, and loving one
another with a pure heart fervently.
Scripture Reference: Matt. 16:16–18; Acts 2:42–47; Rom. 12:5; 1 Cor. 12:12–27; Eph. 1:20–23; 4:3–10; Col.
3:14–15
THE GREAT COMMISSION
We believe it is the explicit message of our Lord Jesus Christ to those whom He has saved that they are
sent forth by Him into the world even as He was sent forth of His Father into the world.
We believe that, after they are saved, they are divinely reckoned to be related to this world as strangers
and pilgrims, ambassadors and witnesses, and that their primary purpose in life should be to make Christ
known to the whole world.
Scripture References: Matt. 28:18–19; Mark 16:15; John 17:18; Acts 1:8; 2 Cor. 5:18–20; 1 Pet. 1:17; 2:11
THE ETERNAL STATE
We believe, at death, the souls of those who have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation pass
immediately into His presence and there remain in conscious bliss until the resurrection of the glorified
body when Christ comes for His own, whereupon soul and body reunited shall be associated with Him
forever in glory; but the souls of the unbelieving remain after death conscious of condemnation and in
misery until the final judgment of the great white throne at the close of the millennium, when soul and body
reunited shall be cast into the lake of fire, not to be annihilated, but to be punished with everlasting
destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power.
Scripture References: Luke 16:19–26; 23:42; 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23; 2 Thess. 1:7–9; Jude 6–7; Rev. 20:11–15
inspired in the sense that holy men of God “were moved by the Holy Spirit” to write the very words of
Scripture.
We believe this divine inspiration extends equally and fully to all parts of the writings—historical, poetical,
doctrinal, and prophetical—as appeared in the original manuscripts.
We believe the whole Bible, in the originals, is therefore without error.
We believe all the Scriptures center about the Lord Jesus Christ in His person and work in His first and
second coming, and hence that no portion, even of the Old Testament, is properly read, or understood,
until it leads to Jesus.
We also believe all the Scriptures were designed for our practical instruction.
Scripture References: Mark 12:26, 36; 13:11; Luke 24:27, 44; John 5:39; Acts 1:16; 17:2–3; 18:28; 26:22–
23; 28:23; Rom. 15:4; 1 Cor. 2:13; 10:11; 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:21
THE GODHEAD
We believe the Godhead eternally exists in three persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—and
that these three are one God, having precisely the same nature, attributes, and perfections, and worthy of
precisely the same homage, confidence, and obedience.
Scripture References: Matt. 28:18–19; Mark 12:29; John 1:14; Acts 5:3–4; 2 Cor. 13:14; Heb. 1:1–3; Rev. 1:
4–6
MAN, CREATED AND FALLEN
We believe man was originally created in the image and after the likeness of God. He fell through sin and
as a consequence of his sin, lost his spiritual life becoming dead in trespasses and sins becoming subject
to the power of the devil.
We also believe this spiritual death, or total depravity of human nature, was transmitted to the entire
human race of man, the Man Christ Jesus alone being excepted; and hence every child of Adam is born
into the world with a nature which not only possesses no spark of divine life, but is essentially and
unchangeably bad apart from divine grace.
Scripture References: Gen. 1:26; 2:17; 6:5; Pss. 14:1–3; 51:5; Jer. 17:9; John 3:6; 5:40; 6:35; Rom. 3:10–
19; 8:6–7; Eph. 2:1–3; 1 Tim. 5:6; 1 John 3:8
SALVATION ONLY THROUGH CHRIST
We believe that, owing to universal death through sin, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless born
again; and that no degree of reformation however great, no attainments in morality however high, no
culture however attractive, no baptism or other ordinance however administered, can help the sinner to
take even one step toward heaven; but a new nature imparted from above, a new life implanted by the
Holy Spirit through confession of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, is absolutely essential to salvation, and
only those thus saved are sons of God.
We believe our redemption was accomplished solely by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, who was made
to be sin and was made a curse for us, dying instead; and that no repentance, no feeling, no faith, no
good resolutions, no sincere efforts, no submission to the rules and regulations of any church, nor all the
churches that have existed since the days of the Apostles can add in the very least degree to the value of
the blood, or to the merit of the finished work wrought for us by Jesus who united in His person true and
proper deity with perfect and sinless humanity.
Scripture Reference: Lev. 17:11; Isa. 64:6; Matt. 26:28; John 3:7–18; Rom. 5:6–9; 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 3:13; 6:
15; Eph. 1:7; Phil. 3:4–9; Titus 3:5; James 1:18; 1 Pet. 1:18–19, 23.
We believe the new birth of the believer comes only through faith in Christ and repentance is a vital part of
believing, and is in no way, in itself, a separate and independent condition of salvation; nor are any other
acts, such as confession, baptism, prayer, or faithful service, to be added to believing as a condition of
salvation.
Scripture Reference: John 1:12; 3:16, 18, 36; 5:24; 6:29; Acts 13:39; 16:31; Rom. 1:16–17; 3:22, 26; 4:5;
10:4; Gal. 3:22
THE EXTENT OF SALVATION
We believe when an unregenerate person exercises that faith in Christ which is illustrated and described
as such in the New Testament, he passes immediately out of spiritual death into spiritual life, and from the
old creation into the new; being justified from all things, accepted before the Father according as Christ
His Son is accepted, loved as Christ is loved, having his place and portion as linked to Him and one with
Him forever.
Though the saved one may have occasion to grow in the realization of his blessings and to know a fuller
measure of divine power through the yielding of his life more fully to God, he is, as soon as he is saved, in
possession of every spiritual blessing and absolutely complete in Christ, and is therefore in no way
required by God to seek a so-called “second blessing,” or a “second work of grace”.
Scripture References: John 5:24; 17:23; Acts 13:39; Rom. 5:1; 1 Cor. 3:21–23; Eph. 1:3; Col. 2:10; 1 John
4:17; 5:11–12
SANCTIFICATION
We believe sanctification, which is a setting-apart unto God, is threefold: It is already complete for every
saved person because his position toward God is the same as Christ’s position. Since the believer is in
Christ, he is set apart unto God in the measure in which Christ is set apart unto God.
We believe, however, that he retains his sin nature, which cannot be eradicated in this life. Therefore,
while the standing of the Christian in Christ is perfect, his present state is no more perfect than his
experience in daily life. There is, therefore, a progressive sanctification wherein the Christian is to “grow in
grace,” and to “be changed” by the unhindered power of the Spirit.
We believe also that the child of God will yet be fully sanctified in his state as he is now sanctified in his
standing in Christ when he shall see his Lord and shall be “like Him”.
Scripture Reference: John 17:17; 2 Cor. 3:18; 7:1; Eph. 4:24; 5:25–27; 1 Thess. 5:23; Heb. 10:10, 14; 12:
10
ETERNAL SECURITY
We believe that, because of the eternal purpose of God toward the objects of His love, because of His
freedom to exercise grace toward the meritless on the ground of the propitiatory blood of Christ, because
of the very nature of the divine gift of eternal life, because of the present and unending intercession and
advocacy of Christ in heaven, because of the immutability of the unchangeable covenants of God,
because of the regenerating, abiding presence of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of all who are saved, we
and all true believers everywhere, once saved shall be kept saved forever.
We believe, however, that God is a holy and righteous Father and that, since He cannot overlook the sin
of His children, He will, when they persistently sin, chasten them and correct them in infinite love; but
having undertaken to save them and keep them forever, apart from all human merit, He, who cannot fail,
will in the end present every one of them faultless before the presence of His glory and conformed to the
image of His Son.
Scripture Reference: John 5:24; 10:28; 13:1; 14:16–17; 17:11; Rom. 8:29; 1 Cor. 6:19; Heb. 7:25; 1 John
2:1–2; 5:13; Jude 24
THE CHURCH, A UNITY OF BELIEVERS
We believe all who are united to the risen and ascended Son of God are members of the church which is
the body of Christ, which began at Pentecost and is completely distinct from Israel. Its members are
constituted as such regardless of membership or non membership in the organized churches of earth.
We believe by the same Spirit all believers in this age are baptized into, and thus become, one body that
is Christ’s, whether Jews or Gentiles, and having become members one of another, are under solemn duty
to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, rising above all sectarian differences, and loving one
another with a pure heart fervently.
Scripture Reference: Matt. 16:16–18; Acts 2:42–47; Rom. 12:5; 1 Cor. 12:12–27; Eph. 1:20–23; 4:3–10; Col.
3:14–15
THE GREAT COMMISSION
We believe it is the explicit message of our Lord Jesus Christ to those whom He has saved that they are
sent forth by Him into the world even as He was sent forth of His Father into the world.
We believe that, after they are saved, they are divinely reckoned to be related to this world as strangers
and pilgrims, ambassadors and witnesses, and that their primary purpose in life should be to make Christ
known to the whole world.
Scripture References: Matt. 28:18–19; Mark 16:15; John 17:18; Acts 1:8; 2 Cor. 5:18–20; 1 Pet. 1:17; 2:11
THE ETERNAL STATE
We believe, at death, the souls of those who have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation pass
immediately into His presence and there remain in conscious bliss until the resurrection of the glorified
body when Christ comes for His own, whereupon soul and body reunited shall be associated with Him
forever in glory; but the souls of the unbelieving remain after death conscious of condemnation and in
misery until the final judgment of the great white throne at the close of the millennium, when soul and body
reunited shall be cast into the lake of fire, not to be annihilated, but to be punished with everlasting
destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power.
Scripture References: Luke 16:19–26; 23:42; 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23; 2 Thess. 1:7–9; Jude 6–7; Rev. 20:11–15
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