About Us

What We Believe

We accept the Scriptures as our supreme and final authority, and hold the following as our understanding of Bible doctrine.

Doctrinal Statement

Founded on Scripture Alone

The Bible is the inspired, inerrant Word of God, our supreme and final authority in all matters of faith and practice. The articles below represent our understanding of what Scripture teaches. Hover over any scripture reference to read the verse.

If a belief surprises you or raises a question, we are always happy to talk. Reach out any time.

I

The Scriptures

We believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as verbally inspired of God and inerrant in the original writings, and that they are our supreme and final authority.

2 Tim. 3:16"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." 2 Pet. 1:21"For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." John 5:39"You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me." Ps. 19:7"The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple."
II

The Trinity

We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons; Father, Son and Holy Spirit, three in one, co-equal, which is the Trinity.

Matt. 28:19"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." 2 Cor. 13:14"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all." Deut. 6:4"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one." 1 John 5:7"For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree."
III

Jesus Christ

We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten of God, conceived of the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary.

Luke 1:35"The angel answered her, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy — the Son of God.'" John 1:14"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." Isa. 7:14"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." Matt. 1:23"Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us)."
IV

The Holy Spirit

We believe in the Holy Spirit, one of the three persons of the Trinity, who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He is the life of every believer, and He empowers the preaching and teaching of the gospel.

John 16:8"And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment." John 3:5–6"Jesus answered, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.'" Acts 1:8"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." Rom. 8:11"If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you."
V

Man, Created and Fallen

We believe that man was created in the image of God, that he sinned, and thereby incurred not only physical death, but spiritual death, which is separation from God, and that all human beings are born with a sinful nature and are sinners in thought, word, and deed.

Gen. 1:26–27"Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.' ... So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." Rom. 5:12"Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned." Rom. 3:23"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Eph. 2:1"And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked."
VI

Redemption Through Christ

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice, and that all who believe in Him are declared guiltless on the grounds of His shed blood.

1 Cor. 15:3"For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures." Isa. 53:5"But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed." Rom. 3:24–25"And are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith." 1 Pet. 3:18"For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God."
VII

Resurrection and Ascension

We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord, His ascension into heaven and His present life there as High Priest and Advocate for all believers.

1 Cor. 15:4"That he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures." Heb. 7:25"Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them." Acts 1:9"And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight." 1 John 2:1"My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."
VIII

The Return of Christ

We believe in the "blessed hope," the personal, premillennial, and imminent return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Titus 2:13"Waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ." 1 Thess. 4:16–17"For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command... And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air." Acts 1:11"Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven." Rev. 20:6"Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years."
IX

New Birth and Eternal Life

We believe that all who receive by faith the Lord Jesus Christ are born again of the Holy Spirit, and thereby they become children of God, and heirs of eternal life. This is a relationship in which they are eternally secure.

John 1:12"But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." John 3:3"Jesus answered him, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.'" John 10:28"I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand." Rom. 8:16–17"The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs — heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ."
X

Resurrection and Final Judgment

We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust, the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost, and the felicity of the saved, which demand heaven and hell.

John 5:28–29"Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment." Rev. 20:15"And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." Matt. 25:46"And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." Rev. 21:4"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."
XI

The Devil

We believe in the existence of a personal devil, who is still working in the world to destroy the souls of men and that he and all his angels and all who receive not Christ as their Saviour will eternally perish in the Lake of Fire.

1 Pet. 5:8"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." John 8:44"He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him." Rev. 20:10"And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur... and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever." Matt. 25:41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.'"
XII

The Church

We believe in the Church, the Body of Christ, whose mission is to preach the gospel to all the world with its endeavors being supported by the freewill gifts and offerings of the people.

Matt. 28:19–20"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." Eph. 1:22–23"And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all." Acts 2:42"And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers." 2 Cor. 9:7"Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."
XIII

The Ordinances

We believe that the ordinances of the Church, given by our Lord, are Baptism (by immersion following conversion) and the Lord's Table (communion).

Matt. 28:19"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Rom. 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 buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life." 1 Cor. 11:23–26"For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread... For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes." Acts 2:38"And Peter said to them, 'Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'"
Additional Distinctives

We Also Affirm

In addition to our doctrinal statement, Medina Community Church affirms the following positions as grounded in Scripture and held with conviction.

Marriage

We believe that marriage is a covenant between one man and one woman, designed by God from creation. It is a lifelong union, intended to reflect the relationship between Christ and His church. Husband and wife are equal in value and dignity before God, yet distinct in their roles, the husband called to lead, protect, and provide for his household with sacrificial love, and the wife called to submit to his leadership, nurturing and caring for the home and welcoming children as a gift from God. We do not recognize any other definition of marriage as consistent with Scripture.

Marriage is between one man and one woman. That is God's design from the beginning. It is a lifelong covenant, not a contract. Husband and wife are equally valuable before God but have different roles: the husband leads with sacrificial love, the wife submits to that leadership with dignity and strength. Children are a gift to be welcomed. We do not believe any other definition of marriage is consistent with the Bible.

Gen. 2:24"Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." Matt. 19:4–6"He answered, 'Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.'" Eph. 5:31–32"Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church."

Human Sexuality

We believe that sexual intimacy is God's gift, designed exclusively for a husband and wife within the covenant of marriage. Scripture is clear that fornication, adultery, homosexual conduct, bisexual behavior, incest, bestiality, the consumption of pornographic material in any form including visual media and written content, and any attraction or behavior directed toward minors all fall outside of God's revealed will and are contrary to His design for human flourishing. We affirm that God created humanity as male and female, and that biological sex is not separable from gender. Neither can be changed, redefined, or divorced from one's identity as God's image-bearer. The notion of gender as a social construct independent of biological sex is a modern invention without biblical warrant.

Sex is God's gift, designed for a husband and wife within marriage. Sexual activity outside of that, including fornication, adultery, homosexual conduct, and anything involving minors, is outside of God's design. God made people male and female, and biological sex and gender are not separate things that can be reassigned or redefined. We hold these convictions from Scripture, not cultural preference.

1 Cor. 6:18–20"Flee from sexual immorality... Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." Rom. 1:26–27"For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another." Gen. 1:27"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."

The Sanctity of Life

We believe that human life begins at conception and that every person bears the image of God from that moment. The taking of innocent human life is contrary to God's revealed will. We therefore affirm the full dignity and protection of all human life, from conception to natural death, and stand opposed to abortion and euthanasia as violations of that dignity.

Human life begins at conception. Every person bears the image of God from that moment. Taking innocent human life is wrong. We are opposed to abortion and euthanasia because every life, from the moment of conception to natural death, has dignity that comes from God and must be protected.

Ps. 139:13–16"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made... Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me." Jer. 1:5"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you." Gen. 9:6"Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image."

Church Leadership

We believe that the office of elder, including the lead pastor, is limited to men who meet the qualifications set forth in Scripture — a conviction rooted in the order of creation and the consistent witness of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation. This position is not a cultural relic but the settled teaching of the church throughout all of history. "Christian egalitarianism" is a modern construct without warrant in Scripture or historic Christianity. We joyfully affirm the vital and irreplaceable role of women in the life, ministry, and mission of the church.

The office of elder, which includes the lead pastor, is for men who meet the qualifications the Bible lays out. This is not a cultural holdover from a different era. It is what Scripture teaches from beginning to end and what the church has held throughout its history. We also firmly believe women are vital to the life and ministry of the church in ways that are genuine, meaningful, and irreplaceable.

1 Tim. 2:12-13"I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve." 1 Tim. 3:1-2"The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife..." Titus 1:6"If anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination."