To equip believers for service and to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ

- The Bible: We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible and inerrant, authoritative Word of God.

- The Trinity: We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

- Jesus Christ: 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.

- Man’s fallenness, and need of salvation: We believe that all mankind is lost and sinful and that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Additionally, we believe that regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential for salvation.

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

- The end: We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto resurrection of eternal life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of eternal damnation.

- Church unity: We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ. believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible and inerrant, authoritative Word of God.

- On Marriage: We believe, based on the teaching of Scripture in both Old and New Testaments that marriage is an institution ordained by God from the foundation of the world, and intended as a lifelong union of one man and one woman. This idea is supported by the account of creation in Genesis chapters 1 and 2. Genesis 1:26-28 provides that God created man in his own image, both male and female. The passage indicates that a unity of one man and one woman is in some way necessary to fully represent the image of God in mankind.

Genesius chapter 2 provides a more detailed account in which God created the first man, Adam, and decided that it was not good for him to be alone (Genesis 2:18). God indicated that he would make “a suitable helper for him.” God brought all the animals to Adam, but none of them was a suitable helper for him, so God then created Eve, the first woman, from part of Adam himself. God did not create a second man to be Adam’s helpmate, or an assortment of multiple women, but one woman. Together they were man and wife and had “no shame” or sin in their union with each other (Genesis 2:15-25). 

Jesus, the fully divine and fully human incarnation of God and Lord of his church, reaffirmed the teaching of the Old Testament when he said, as recorded in Matthew 19:4-6, “Haven’t you read, he replied, that at the beginning the Creator made them male and female and said for this
reason a man a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” The apostle Paul, writing authoritatively under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, states in Ephesians 5:22-23 that marriage is not merely a human institution, but is a special divine metaphor that is supposed to illustrate the union of Christ and the church. For this reason also, only a union between a man and a woman can be a proper marriage because a union between two men, two women, or one man and multiple women or any collection of people could not properly illustrate the relationship between Christ and his church. 

Our church follows what the Bible reveals as the “sure foundation” of the teachings of Jesus Christ and his apostles (Matthew 7:24-29 and 1 Corinthians 14:37). The church is called to teach and practice these teachings and is not at liberty to depart from them. Though we strive to
live peaceably with all people and to obey legitimate government authority, in instances involving matters as foundational as marriage, we must ultimately obey God rather than man if the two come into conflict (Acts 4:18-22).

- On Weddings: In accordance with the above-described beliefs and our belief in the need to practice these beliefs: no pastor or member of DCC shall perform a legal wedding service (which requires the officiant to sign a marriage license) either within or outside of our church facilities.  Additionally, no pastor or member of the church staff shall officiate at any ceremony designed to celebrate, promote, create, or approve any other type of union.  The facilities of this church may only be used for non-legal marriage ceremonies that approve, honor, and support marriages of one man and one woman (gender at birth). No member of the church enter into any other type of union without being subject to church discipline.

As a reformed congregation, we affirm the biblical fidelity of the following:    

1) The ancient, ecumenical creeds, particularly:
        a) The Apostles Creed (AD second-third century)
        b) The Nicene Creed (AD 325/381), and
        c) The Chalcedonian Definition (AD 451), and

2) The commonly accepted reformational doctrinal summaries:
        a) The TULIP (summarized from the Canons of Dort, 1519):
            i) Total Depravity: Sin has radically ruined us so that we can’t please God in our actions, and are slaves of sin until Jesus sets us free.
            ii) Unconditional Election: Out of the fallen world of men and women, God has chosen some to be recipients of salvation, not because of                                   anything they’ve done but entirely because of his grace given from eternity.
            iii) Limited Atonement: The purpose of Jesus’ death on the cross was not to make salvation possible, but to be an actual payment for the sins of the elect, so that they will definitely have forgiveness and eternal life with God.

            iv) Irresistible Grace: Those chosen in Christ eternally and paid for by Christ will come to faith in due time, as the Holy Spirit has the ability to work willingness and belief in them, without forcing them. This is sometimes called effective or effectual calling.
            v) Perseverance of the Saints: Those chosen, paid for, and effectively called will endure in their faith until they die or Jesus returns, whichever comes first. If they don’t endure but fall away completely, it is safest to assume that they didn’t really believe in the first place.

    b) The so-called Five Solas, a summary of protestant distinctives based in latin:
        i. Sola Scriptura: Scripture alone (no church tradition) is the church’s ultimate authority.
        ii. Sola Gratia: Our salvation is chosen, paid for, given, and kept by God’s grace alone, not by our own efforts or works.
        iii. Sola Fide: Our justification, that is, how we’re made right with God through Christ’s death, is received by faith alone, without the addition of any works.
        iv. Solus Christos: Our salvation consists entirely in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone, not in the church or any other institution.
        v. Soli Deo Gloria: The ultimate end of all things, especially our salvation, is that God would be glorified as the Giver and Keeper of all good things. 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