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Statement of Faith

CONSTITUTION OF BIGHORN CANYON MINISTRIES, INC.

 

Preamble and Statement of Faith

BigHorn Canyon Ministries, Inc. (dba BigHorn Canyon Community Church), hereinafter “Church”, was formed as a fellowship of believers in the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Our supreme desire is to know Christ and be conformed to His image by the power of the Holy Spirit.

We believe the Holy Bible to be the inspired, infallible and authoritative Word of God and inerrant in the original writings.

We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three (3) persons: God, the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

We believe in the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, that He is fully God and fully human, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His 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.

We believe that all peoples without God’s forgiveness are lost and sinful and need to be saved from eternal separation from God that our sins create; and that humanity’s only hope of redemption is through the atoning death (the shed blood of Jesus Christ), the Son of God.

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

We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the unsaved; that they are saved unto the resurrection of life, and they that are unsaved into the resurrection of damnation.

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

We believe the Bible itself, as the inspired and infallible Word of God that speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind, is the sole and final source of all that we believe. For purposes of this Church, faith, doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline, our pastor is the Church’s interpretive authority on the Bible’s meaning and application.

Statement on Marriage, Gender and Sexuality

We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. (Gen 1:26-27.) Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person.

We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture. (Gen 2:18-25.) We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other. (1 Cor 6:18; 7:2-5; Heb 13:4.) We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman.

We believe that any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, and use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God. (Matt 15:18-20; 1 Cor 6:9-10.)

We believe that in order to preserve the function and integrity of the Church as the local Body of Christ, and to provide a biblical role model to the Church’s Members and the community, it is imperative that all persons employed by the Church in any capacity, or who serve as volunteers, agree to and abide by this Statement on Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality. (Matt 5:16; Phil 2:14-16; 1 Thess 5:22.)

We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. (Acts 3:19-21; Rom 10:9-10; 1 Cor 6:9-11.)

We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity. (Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31.) Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture nor the doctrines of the Church.

 

Facilities Use Policy

Purpose Statement

The Church facilities were provided through God’s benevolence and by the sacrificial generosity of Church Members. The Church desires that its facilities be used for the fellowship of the Body of Christ and to bring God glory. Although the facilities are not generally open to the public, we make our facilities available to approved non-Members as a witness to our faith, in a spirit of Christian charity, and as a means of demonstrating the Gospel of Jesus Christ in practice.

But facility use will not be permitted to persons or groups holding, advancing, or advocating beliefs or practices that conflict with the Church’s faith or moral teachings, which are summarized in, among other places, the Church’s Constitution and Bylaws. Nor may the Church facilities be used for activities that contradict, or are deemed inconsistent with, the Church’s faith or moral teachings. The pastor or his official designee, is the final decision-maker concerning use of Church facilities.

This restricted facility use policy is necessary for two important reasons. First, the Church may not in good conscience materially cooperate in activities or beliefs that are contrary to its faith. Allowing its facilities to be used for purposes that contradict the Church’s beliefs would be material cooperation with that activity, and would be a grave violation of the Church’s faith and religious practice. (2 Cor 6:14; 1 Thess 5:22.)

Second, it is very important that the Church presents a consistent message to the community, and that the Church staff and Members conscientiously maintain that message as part of their witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Allowing facilities to be used by groups or persons who express beliefs or engage in practices contrary to the Church’s faith would have a severe, negative impact on the message that the Church strives to promote. It could also cause confusion and scandal to Church Members and the community because they may reasonably perceive that by allowing use of our facilities, the Church agrees with the beliefs or practices of the persons or groups using its facilities.

Therefore, in no event shall persons or groups who hold, advance, or advocate beliefs, or advance, advocate, or engage in practices that contradict the Church’s faith use any Church facility. Nor may Church facilities be used in any way that contradicts the Church’s faith. This policy applies to all Church facilities, regardless of whether the facilities are connected to the Church’s sanctuary, because the Church sees all of its property as holy and set apart to worship God. (Col 3:17.)

Approved Users and Priority of Use

The pastor or official designee must approve all uses of Church facilities. Generally, priority shall be given to Church Members, their immediate families, and organized groups that are part of the ministry, organization, or sponsored activities of the Church. Church facilities and equipment will be made available to non-Members or outside groups meeting the following qualifications:

1. Groups or persons requesting facility use must affirm that their beliefs and practices and planned uses of the facilities are consistent with the Church’s faith and practice.

2. The group or person seeking facility use must submit a signed “Church Facility Reservation Request and Agreement” form.

3. The group or person seeking facility use must be willing to take responsibility for the facilities and equipment used and must agree to abide by the Church’s rules of conduct for facility use, as stated below and as described in any additional instructions by Church staff.