This Church accepts the Bible as the revealed will of God, the all-sufficient rule of faith and practice, and for the purpose of maintaining general unity of statements of faith. 

Section 1. We believe the Bible to be inspired, the only infallible, authoritative word of God. In keeping with this affirmation, we hold that: 

(a) God created mankind to reflect His image thus making human life of inestimable 

worth in all stages and conditions from conception through natural death (Genesis 1:26-27). As such life is a gift, an expression of God’s love to each person and is to 

be valued as such (Psalm 139:13-16). 

(b) God created the human race male and female (Genesis 1:27, 2:21-23, 5:2; Matthew 19:4; Mark 10:6). All conduct with the intent to adopt a gender other than one’s birth gender is immoral and therefore sin (Deuteronomy 22:5). 

(c) God has established marriage as a lifelong, exclusive relationship between one man and one woman (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-6; Mark 10:7-9; Ephesians 5:31-32). All intimate sexual activity outside the marriage relationship, whether heterosexual, homosexual, or otherwise, is immoral and therefore sin (Exodus 20:14, 17, 22:19; Leviticus 18:22-23, 20:13, 15-16; Romans 1:18-31: I Corinthians 6:9-10, 15-20; 1 Timothy 1:8-11; Hebrews 13:4; Jude 7).

Section 2. We believe there is one eternal, almighty, and perfect God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 

Section 3. We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory. 

Section 4. We believe that for the salvation of lost and sinful men, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential. 

Section 5. We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by those whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life. 

Section 6. We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation. 

Section 7. We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Section 8. This statement of the “Tenets of Faith and Doctrine” does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. As affirmed, the Bible speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind and is the sole and final source of all that we believe. Fresh Encounter Church’s final interpretive authority on the Bible’s meaning and application as it relates to faith, doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline rests with the Executive Pastoral Leadership made up of the Pastor-President and the Vice-President of the Board of Directors. 

Section 9. Statement of Marriage. 

We believe marriage is defined in the Bible as a covenant, a sacred bond between one (1) man and one (1) woman instituted by and publicly entered into before God (“Biblical Definition of Marriage”). Because of the longstanding importance of the Biblical Definition of Marriage to humans and their relationships and communities, and, most importantly, the fact that God has ordained that marriage be between one (1) man and one (1) woman, as clearly conveyed in God’s inerrant Scriptures, including for example in Matthew 19:4-6 where in speaking about marriage Jesus referred to the fact that “he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,” the Church hereby creates this policy, which shall be known as the “Marriage Policy.” 

Under this Church’s Marriage Policy, the Biblical Definition of Marriage is the only definition of marriage that will be recognized or accepted. No elder, officer, employee, servant, agent, or any person, corporation, organization, or entity under the direction or control of this Church shall commit any act or omission, or make any decision whatever, that would be inconsistent with, or that could be perceived by any person to be inconsistent with, full support of this Church’s Marriage Policy and strict adherence to the Biblical Definition of Marriage rather than any alternative to the Biblical Definition of Marriage. 

This Church’s Marriage Policy specifically prohibits acts or omissions including but not limited to permitting any Church assets or property, whether real property, personal property, intangible property, or any property or asset of any kind that is subject to the direction or control of the Church, to be used in any manner that would be or could be perceived by any person to be inconsistent with this Church’s Marriage Policy or the Biblical Definition of Marriage, including but not limited to permitting any church facilities to be used by any person, organization, corporation, or group that would or might use such facilities to convey, intentionally or by implication, what might be perceived as a favorable impression about any definition of marriage other than the Biblical Definition of Marriage. 

We believe this Church’s Marriage Policy is based upon God’s will for human life as conveyed to us through the Holy Scriptures, upon which this Church has been founded and anchored, and this Marriage Policy shall not be subject to change through popular vote; referendum; prevailing opinion of Church Members or the general public; influence of or interpretation by any government authority, agency, or official action; or legal developments on the local, state, or federal level.