At MPC we stand on the truth of the word of God. The word of God is true
whether we believe it or not. As has been said. God said it. That settles it!


The Bible is the Word of God. It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. Because it was inspired by God, the Bible is the supreme source of truth for all Christian belief and practice (See 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Psalm 119:105, 160, 12:6 Proverbs 30:5). We believe the Bible—from the Old Testament to the New Testament—is the inspired Word of God. We also hold that it serves as the highest and authoritative source of truth for all matters of Christian belief, practice, and life. It is complete We believe it is entirely accurate in its facts, history, and spiritual truth. We also affirm what Jesus declares in Revelation 22 beginning in verse 18—that if anyone adds to the words of this book, there will be consequences from God, and likewise, as stated in verse 19, for anyone who takes anything away from it. In other words, we do not affirm belief in the “prophetic word.”


God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He is one God in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God is infinite and personal, holy and loving, forgiving and just. (See Genesis 1:1; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Corinthians 13:14). We believe God is
the Creator of the universe and of everything in it, including all that exists in the heavenly realms. We believe God is one God in three persons: the Father (the will), the Holy Spirit (the power of God), and the Son (Creator and Savior of the world). We believe the Triune God is
infinite and personal—holy, loving, forgiving, all-powerful, and just. We also affirm that when Jesus said, “Do not fear the one who can kill the body, but fear the One who can destroy both body and soul,” He was speaking of the Father.


The Holy Spirit is God’s presence in the world today. He is present to make people aware of
their need for Jesus Christ. He comes to live in every believer at the moment of conversion, and provides power for living, understanding of spiritual truth and personal guidance. The Holy
Spirit also gives every believer spiritual gifts which are to be used in ministry to others. (See
John 16:7-13; 14:16-17; Acts 1:8; I Corinthians 2:12; 3:16; 12:4-7; Ephesians 1:13-14; 5:18) We
believe the Holy Spirit is the presence of God in the world (Jesus is presently seated at the right
hand of the Father). We believe that we are sealed with the Spirit at the moment we place our faith in the only means of salvation—Jesus Christ. We fully affirm all the gifts of the Spirit and believe that the fruit of the Spirit is evident in our lives through His work within us. However, we do not believe that the gift of tongues is evidence of the Spirit’s presence in a person. If you disagree, we encourage you to read 1 Corinthians 14 in its entirety and seek understanding from God.


Human Beings are created by God in his image. They are the supreme object of God's creation. Although every person has tremendous potential for good, all are marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called "sin". This attitude separates people from God and causes them to miss God’s plan for their lives. (See Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6; Romans (3:23) We believe that all people are created in the image of God and uniquely bear this distinction within all of creation. We believe God has given humanity free will, along with great potential for good. However, every person is affected by a disposition of disobedience toward God—this
is sin. Sin has two consequences: it separates us from God, and it ultimately leads to death. This is painful because humans were created for eternal existence—either forever separated from God through sin and personal choice (a state the Bible calls “hell”), or forever in God’s presence in heaven through salvation (explained below).
(See John 3:16; Romans 6:23; Philippians 3:20-21; 1 John 2:25; 5:11-13; Revelation 20:15)


Salvation is a gift received from God. We can never make up for our sins by self-improvement
or good works, so we must place our faith in Jesus Christ as God’s provider of forgiveness. This faith involves committing one’s life to Jesus as Lord (our boss). (See John 1:12; 14:6; Romans 3:21-26; 6:23; 10:9-13; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5) We believe that our salvation is a gift from God and is secure—not sustained by our own effort, but by His grace and power. At the same time, we do not take this lightly. Though salvation is freely given, it came at great cost: Jesus lived a pure and sinless life as the perfect Lamb of God and endured a brutal death for our sake. We are not worthy on our own, but through His salvation, we are made worthy. (See John 5:24; 10:27-29; 2 Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 7:25; 10:10-
14; 1 Peter 1:3-5)


The Church is the Body of Christ on earth. The term “church” has both a universal meaning (all
Christians of all time) and a local meaning (individual congregations like MPC). Each local
church is responsible for establishing its own boundaries based on its interpretation of the Bible and for discerning how it can best contribute to fulfilling God’s purposes on earth. (See 1 Corinthians 16:19; Ephesians 1:22-23; 1 Timothy 5:17) We believe the Church is not a
perfect place made up of perfect people. Rather, it is a community where believers
gather to grow in their relationship with God and with one another through service and
the study of Scripture. It is also a place where those who do not yet believe are
welcomed. While we are not perfect, the God who saved us is perfect. We are not
striving for perfection, but we do seek to pursue holiness.


Sainthood is not relegated to a select few believers who have performed extraordinary
acts. We believe sainthood is obtained by all believers through one extraordinary act,
namely Christ crucified in the place of sinners. It is by placing faith in Christ that one
obtains sainthood. Saint is the term used by the early church to describe a believer.
We do not believe saints in heaven presently intercede for us. We affirm that there is
only one mediator between God and man, that is Christ. (1 Corinthians 1:2, 1 Timothy
2:5, Philippians 4:21, Romans 16:2)


Mary was an extraordinary woman. We believe she was chosen by God to carry our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as a young virgin. However, we believe she did not remain
a virgin after Jesus’ birth, nor does she have the ability to redeem herself or others.
These beliefs are rooted in Roman Catholic tradition rather than Scripture. While she is
honored as a saint, she—like all saints—does not presently intercede on our behalf, nor
is she considered the mother of all believers. (See sainthood, Luke 1:42, John 19:26-
27)


Marriage We believe that marriage is established by God, not created by human
design. It is a sacred and profound union—what Jesus described as a mystery—in
which two individuals become one. We hold to Jesus’ teaching that “as it was in the
beginning” remains true today: God created humanity male and female, each essential
to the other, equal in value yet distinct in role.Therefore, we believe that marriage is a bond meant solely between one man and one
woman. God said it – we believe it that settles it. We also do not believe that common-law marriage—cohabitation outside of a biblical,
covenantal relationship—meets God’s standard for marriage. (See Genesis 1:27, Genesis 2:4-24, Matthew 19:4-6)


The Tribulation and Return of Christ – We believe that immediately following the
removal of the Church from the earth (John 14:1–3; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18), a time of
great tribulation will come upon the world as God’s judgment on an unbelieving humanity (Jeremiah 30:7; Daniel 9:27; 12:1; 2 Thessalonians 2:7–12; Revelation 16).
These judgments will culminate in the return of Christ to the earth (Matthew 24:27–31;
25:31–46), at which time both the living and the dead will stand before Him in judgment
(Daniel 12:2–3; Revelation 20:4–6).