Constitution of the Mountain Home Bible Church

(as amended September, 1987)

Article I - Name and Purpose

A. The name of this church shall be the Mountain Home Bible Church.

B. The purpose of this church shall be to provide a place and program for:

1. A united worship of God.

2. The mutual edification of the believers through the preaching and teaching of the whole Word of God.

3. A cooperative evangelism of the lost through the preaching of the Gospel and participation in a world-wide missionary program.

4. The fellowship of God=s people.

5. A concerted defense and proclamation of the Faith.

6. A combined effort in benevolent activities.

Article II - Membership

A. Each member of this church must be a born-again believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, having received Him as Personal Savior.

B. Each member shall agree to abide by the rules and regulations of this church as expressed in its Constitution and By-Laws.

Article III - Government

A. This church shall be independent of all organizations that may compromise its autonomy.

B. This church shall be governed by the Board and the Congregation.

1. The Board

a. Shall consist of officers elected by the Congregation designated as Board members in the By-Laws.

b. Shall supervise the execution of the affairs, the program and the purpose of the Church.

c. Shall be responsible to the Congregation in all matters as its representative.

d. Shall be the final authority in matters that are not resolved by the Constitution or By- Laws.

2. The Congregation

a. Shall consist of all the active members of the church.

b. Shall elect church officials as required by the By-Laws.

Article IV - Doctrinal Statement

A. Each member of this church shall agree with the following doctrines of the Faith:

1. The Holy Scriptures

The Bible is the verbally (1) inspired (2) infallible (3) Word of God (4) which has been written by godly men divinely appointed (5) and carried along by the Holy Spirit (6).

It is the supreme authority in all matters.

2. The Godhead

God is triune; eternally existing in three persons (8), Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (9). The three persons are co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and have the same attributes and perfections (10).

3. The Person and Work of Christ

The Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God (11). He became man without ceasing to be God (12), having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary (13) in order that He might reveal God (14) and redeem sinful man (15).

He lived a sinless life (16). He performed miracles (17). He voluntarily died (18) on the cross (19) and shed His blood (20) as a vicarious (21) atoning (22) sacrifice for sin (23).

He was physically resurrected from the dead (24). He ascended to heaven (25) and is now exalted (26) at the right hand of God (27) as the High Priest (28) and advocate of the believers (29).

4. The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is a person (30) who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment (31). He is the supernatural agent in regeneration (32), baptizing all believers into the body of Christ (33), indwelling (34) and sealing them until the day of redemption (35).

He is the divine Teacher who guides believers into all truth (36). He fills believers who are fully yielded to Him (37).

5. The Spiritual Condition of Mankind

Man was created in the image of God (38) without sin (39). When the first man Adam sinned, all mankind sinned in him (40), and thus condemnation (41) and death (42) passed upon all men.

Consequently, all men are by nature children of disobedience and wrath (43), are spiritually dead (44), separated from God by reason of sin (45), in need of reconciliation with God (46), and spiritually lost (47). The total nature of man is corrupt (48), and of himself, man is utterly unable to remedy his lost condition (49).

6. Salvation

Salvation is the gift of God (50) brought to man by grace (51). It is received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (52). Man=s works play no part in the attaining of salvation (53), but are rather, an evidence of saving faith (54).

7. The Believer and Sin

Although believers are those who have renounced sin (55), they need to reckon themselves dead to sin (56) because they still have a sin nature (57) and are still susceptible to sin (58). But believers need not sin (59) for God has provided a means of victory (60) through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (61), the blood of Christ (62), and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. (63).

Believers do not, and cannot live in uninterrupted practice of sin (64). The consequences of sin in a believer=s life is not condemnation (65) but chastening (66).

8. Separation

The believer=s walk should be separate from the world, for he has been saved out of the world (67), and although he is still in the world (68), he is not of the world (69).

Therefore, he should not love the world (70), should not be conformed to this world (71), and should deny worldly lusts (72). Believers should also separate themselves from spiritual apostasy and error (73).

9. Missions

Believers are witnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ in the world (74) and have the responsibility to participate in the program of preaching the Gospel to every creature (75).

10. The Church

The church is composed of those who call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (76); that is, those who are saved (77), born-again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ (78).

The word Achurch@ in the Scriptures is many times used in a universal sense to refer to all believers (79),and more often in a limited sense to refer to believers in a given locality (80)

11. Satan

Satan, also called the devil (81), is a person (82), the author of sin (83), the cause of the fall of man (84). He is the enemy of God (85) and the adversary of God=s people (86). He is a liar (87), a deceiver (88), and a tempter (89). His final destiny shall be eternal torment in the lake of fire (90).

12. Second Coming

There will be a literal second coming to earth of our Lord Jesus Christ.

13. The Eternal State

All men shall experience bodily resurrection (91) and judgment (92). The final destiny of the saved is eternal life in the presence of the Lord (93), and of the unsaved, eternal conscious shame and condemnation in the lake of fire (94).

Believers who die pass immediately into the presence of the Lord (95).

B. Each member of this church shall agree that nothing contrary to the following doctrines shall be taught by this church:

1. The Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers

Those who are saved (96) are given eternal life and shall never perish (97). They are kept by God=s power (98) and thus are secure in Christ forever, for they cannot be removed from His protecting hand (99). This assurance of eternal security cannot be used as an excuse for sin in the life of a believer (100).

2. Spiritual Gifts

God gives a spiritual gift or gifts to every believer (101). These gifts are diverse (102) and God distributes them to each believer as it pleases Him (103), as is appropriate to each one (104), and exclusive of any merit on their part (105).

The gifts are given for the benefit (106) and service (107) of others as a demonstration of the manifold grace of God (108). God never regrets having given it (111). Spiritual gifts are worthless if not administered with love (112).

Tongues

The gift of tongues is not a spiritual gift that any or all believers should expect or be expected to experience (113).

Therefore, since all believers are baptized by the Spirit (114) and all believers are commanded to be filled with the Spirit (115), speaking in tongues cannot be a sign of either activity of the Holy Spirit, and is indeed, not a sign to believers at all (116).

3. The Coming of Christ

All believers, living and dead shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air (119) before the great tribulation that is coming upon the earth (120).

The date of the Lord=s coming is unknown (121), therefore believers should always live in readiness for that event (122). Following the Arapture@ and the great tribulation, the Lord Jesus Christ shall return to the earth with the believers (123) and shall establish His millennial kingdom (124).

4. Ordinances

Every believer should be baptized (125) by immersion (126) as a testimony of his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (127). Every believer should participate in the celebration of the Lord=s Supper (128), the elements of which are symbols of the broken body and the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ (129).

C. This church does not undervalue or set aside any doctrine taught in the Holy Scriptures that is not mentioned in this Article, but does recognize that an agreement concerning doctrines that have been described is important to the effective working out of its aims.

Article V - Finance

A. This church shall meet its financial obligations through the voluntary offerings of its members and friends and shall not resort to assessed pledges or commercial activities to raise money.

B. Designated offerings shall be employed as designated unless the Board deems the project to be unworthy, unnecessary, impractical, etc., in which case the donation shall either be returned to the donor or re-designated to a project mutually acceptable to the donor and Board.

Article VI - Dissolution

Should this church terminate for any reason, after the current indebtedness has been paid, the remaining assets shall be given to the Independent Fundamental Churches of America providing it is still in conformity with our doctrinal beliefs.

Article VII - Amendments

This Constitution may be amended at any properly called meeting by the approval of 2/3 of all the voting members, provided it has been published at least three weeks previously.

Doctrinal Statement Scriptures

1. Jer. 1:9

2. II Tim. 3:16

3. John 17:17

4. I Thess. 2:13

5. Amos 7:14,15

6. II Pet. 1:20,21

7. II Tim. 3:16,17

Rom. 3:4

8. John 1:1,2

Gen. 1:1,2

Heb. 9:14

9. Matt. 28:19

II Cor. 13:14

10. Deut. 6:4

John 10:30

Acts 5:3,4

11. John 1:1,14,18

12. John 1:14

13. Matt. 1:20-23

14. John 17:6

15. Titus 2:14

16. I Pet. 2:22

17. Mark 2:8-12

18. John 10:18

19. Phil. 2:8

20. Luke 22:20

21. Rom. 5:6,8

22. Rom. 5:11

23. Heb. 9:26

24. I Cor. 15:20

John 20:24-27

25. Acts 1:9-11

26. Phil. 2:9

27. Heb. 10:12

28. Heb. 4:14

29. I John 2:1

30. I Cor. 2:11

I Cor. 12:11

31. John 16:7-11

32. John 3:5-6

Titus 3:5

33.I Cor. 12:13,27

34. John 14:17

I Cor. 3:16

35. Eph. 4:30

36. John 16:13

I John 2:20

37. Eph. 5:18

Acts 4:31

38. Gen. 2:26

39. Gen. 3:5

40. Rom. 5:12,19

41. Rom. 5:18

42. I Cor. 15:22

43. Eph. 2:2,3

44. Eph 2:1

II Cor. 5:14

45. Isa. 59:2

46. II Cor. 5:19

47. Luke 19:10

II Cor. 4:3

48. Isa. 1:5,6

Rom. 3:9-18

49. Rom. 7:15-24

50. Rom. 6:23

51. Eph. 2:8

52. Eph. 2:8

Acts 16:31

53. Titus 3:5

Eph.2:9

54. Eph. 2:10

James 2:18

55. Rom. 6:2

56. Rom. 6:11

57. I John 1:8

58. I John 2:1b

59. I John 2:1a

60. I Cor. 10:13

61. I John 4:4-5

62. Rev. 12:11

63. Gal. 5:16,18

64. I John 3:9

65. Rom. 8:1

John 5:24

66. Heb. 12:5-8

67. John 17:6

68. John 17:11

69. John 17:14

70. I John 2:15

71. Rom. 12:2

72. Titus 2:12

73. II Tim. 3:1-5

II Cor. 6:14-7:1

II John 9-11

74. Acts 1:8

John 17:18,21,23

75. Matt. 28:19-20

Mark 16:15

I Cor. 15:34

76. I Cor. 1:2

77. Rom. 10:13

78. Acts 4:12

Acts 16:31

John 1:12,13

John 3:3

79. Col. 1:18,24

80. Col. 4:15,16

81. Rev. 12:9

82. II Cor. l1:14

John 8:44

83. I John 3:8

84. Gen. 3:1-6

Gen. 3:13-16

Rev. 12:9

85. Matt. 13:39

86. I. Pet. 5:8

87. John 8:44

88. Rev. 12:9

89. Mark 1:13

I Cor. 7:5

90. Rev. 20:10

91. John 5:28

92. Rom.14:10-12

II Cor. 5:10

Rev. 20:11-13

93. Dan. 12:2

John 5:29

I Thess. 4:17

94. Dan. 12:2

John 5:29

Rev. 20:14,15

95. II Cor. 5:1-8

Phil. 1:23

96. John 10:7,9,14

97. John 10:27,28

98. I Pet. 1:5

99. John 10:28,29

100.Rom13:13-14

Rom. 14:16

Titus 2:11-15

101. I Cor. 12:7,11

I Pet. 4:10

102. I Cor. 12:4

Rom. 12:6

103. I Cor. 12:11

104. I Cor. 12:11

105. Rom 12:6

106. I Cor. 12:7

107. I Pet. 4:10a

108. I Pet. 4:10b

109. I Tim. 4:14

II Tim. 1:6

110. I Cor. 14:29-33

111. Rom. 11:29

112. I Cor. 13:1-2

113. I Cor. 12:8-30

114. I Cor. 12:13

115. Eph. 5:18

116. I Cor. 14:22

117. I Cor. 14:1-5,19,

23-25

118. I Cor. 14:28

119. I Thess. 4:13-18

120. Matt. 24:21

Rev. 7:14

I Thess. 5:9

Rev. 3:10

121. Matt. 24:36

Matt. 25:13

122. Matt. 24:42, 44

123. I Thess. 5:6

James 5:8

Acts 1:11

Jude 14

Rev. 19:15

Rev. 20:6

124. Rev. 19:15

Rev. 20:6

125. Matt. 28:19

126. Mark 1:10

Acts 8:36-39

127. Acts 19:4-5

128. Matt. 26:27

I Cor. 10:16-17

I Cor. 11:28

129. I Cor. 11:24-26