The Church
We believe the Church universal began at Pentecost with the baptism of the Holy Spirit and consists of all those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ is the Head of the Church, called His Body. The local church is a body of believers in Christ who are joined together under scriptural leadership for the worship of God, for edification through the Word of God, for prayer, for fellowship, for the proclamation of the Gospel, and for observance of the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper. Matthew 16:16-18; Acts 1:4-5; 2:42-47; 11:15-16; Romans 12:5; Ephesians 1:20-23; Philippians 1:1; 1 Corinthians 12:13; 1 Timothy 3:15.