Join us sundays at 9AM & 10:45AM IN PERSON OR LIVE ONLINE

Core Doctrine

We believe in these eight foundational truths:

  1. The Authority and Inerrancy of Scripture. We believe the Bible, as revealed to us in the Old and New Testaments, is our final authority and without error in its original manuscripts.(Matthew 5:17-18, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:20-21, Hebrews 4:12-13, Psalm 119)
  2. The Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We believe in One God who exists eternally as three co-equal, fully divine persons, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Deuteronomy 6:4, Matthew 28:19, 2 Corinthians 13:13)
  3. The Full Deity and Humanity of Jesus. We believe that Jesus Christ is God Incarnate, both fully God and fully human at the same time and forever. (John 1:1-18, John 20:28, Titus 3:4-6)
  4. The Dignity and Depravity of the Human Race. We believe that every person has inherent worth and value because they are created in the image of God, and yet that every person is a sinner by nature and by choice and unable to justify themselves before God based on their own good deeds. As a result, all human beings are completely corrupt, alienated from God, and subject to His wrath. (Genesis 1:27, Psalm 14:2-3, Romans 1:18, Romans 3:9-20)
  5. The Substitutionary Atonement and Bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ. We believe that Jesus died in our place for our sins, was buried, and then was physically resurrected to new life. (1 Corinthians 15:3-4, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Romans 5:8, Romans 1:4)
  6. Salvation by Grace Alone through Faith Alone in Christ Alone. We believe that people are reconciled to God and reborn to eternal life by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ and not as the result of any human efforts. (Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 3:21-31)
  7. The Necessity of the Holy Spirit for the Christian Life. We believe that ongoing dependence on the indwelling Holy Spirit is necessary for the believer to walk in holiness and fruitful ministry. (Galatians 5:24-25, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Romans 8:5-11)
  8. The Future Physical Return of Christ. We believe that Jesus Christ will return to the earth in the future to finalize His work of redemption and restoration. (Revelation 1:7, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, 2 Peter 3:1-13)

Secondary Issues:

In these issues, we strive for leadership clarity and membership unity:

  1. Baptism: Wells Branch Community Church baptizes new believers by immersion after believing in Christ. We believe that baptism is the outward sign of an inward reality, and that the practice of the New Testament is “believer’s baptism.” Because of that, we don’t baptize infants. We require baptism by immersion to be a member. We do acknowledge that in Christian tradition for hundreds of years, infant baptism was the accepted practice. However, in submission to the elders we ask all members to be baptized by immersion and not to be divisive over this issue.
  2. Church Government: Wells Branch Community Church is an elder-led church. We believe the local church is best served when led by a plurality of godly men who seek to follow Jesus together and provide spiritual care and guidance for the congregation (see 1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9, Acts 14:23, 20:25-31, 1 Timothy 5:17-20, 1 Peter 5:1-4, James 5:14-15 for more information on the role of elder).
  3. Gender Roles: Wells Branch Community Church affirms the equal value/worth/dignity of men and women as created in God’s image (Genesis 1) AND hold to distinct roles for men and women in the home and the church. We are complementarian in our view of gender roles (Ephesians 5:21-32, Colossians 3:18-19, 1 Timothy 3:1-7, 1 Timothy 2:11-12, 1 Corinthians 11:4-5, and 1 Corinthians 14:34-35).
  4. Spiritual Gifts: Wells Branch Community Church is a continuationist church under the sufficiency of Scripture. We believe that all the spiritual gifts listed in the New Testament exist today (none have ceased), but that we are not receiving new revelation today that is on the same level as Scripture. God warns us in multiple places in the Bible not to add or take away from the Scriptures. God has given us everything we need to know in the Bible, and the Spirit leads and guides His people primarily from the Scriptures.
  5. Marriage and Sexuality: Wells Branch Community Church defines Christian marriage as a life-long covenant between one man and one woman to be faithful to one another and follow God’s design for the marriage roles. God designed sexual intimacy for a marriage relationship and does not endorse or condone it in any other context (see Genesis 2:18-25, Matthew 19:1-12, and Ephesians 5:22-33). 
  6. Divorce and Remarriage: We believe that divorce is not God’s desire for any marriage (see Matthew 19:6) If a couple gets divorced, they must not remarry another person, but only seek to be reconciled to their spouse (see 1 Corinthians 7:10-11). God allows divorce and remarriage to another person in the cases of adultery or abandonment. For a more thorough explanation, see our position paper on Marriage and Divorce.

Tertiary Issues

In these issues, we seek compassion and understanding:

  1. End Times: Wells Branch Community Church is officially premillennial and dispensational in our eschatology, but we don’t have unanimous agreement even among our pastors and elders on the finer points of end-times theology. Because of the difficulty of the Biblical passages that speak to the return of Christ and the diversity of historical positions present in the church, we give our members freedom to hold differing convictions in this area as long as they are not divisive within the congregation.
  2. Worship Style: Wells Branch Community Church is contemporary in our worship style and open to using modern technology to enhance our experience of God’s truth in worship. The form of our worship (style) will continue to change as we adapt to new tools and means for encountering God. While the forms will change, the functions will remain the same in obedience to Scripture (the public reading and preaching of God’s Word, singing, sacraments, confession, prayer, etc.).
  3. Philosophy of Education: The families of Wells Branch Community Church use all kinds of strategies to educate their children. Some homeschool, others use private schools, and others use public schools. As church members, we have agreed to support each other in our schooling decisions. At the end of day, whatever schooling method parents use, they are still called by God to be the primary disciplers of their children.
  4. Politics: Wells Branch Community Church doesn’t take official positions on political candidates. While political issues will be addressed as needed from Scripture, the pulpit of Wells Branch will not be used for political purposes. The members of Wells Branch are asked to represent Christ well in their public tone and debate of political issues, and to be careful to not alienate people who are investigating the gospel.