statement of Faith

This Statement of Faith endeavors to summarize the essential beliefs shared by the Mount Carmel Board and Faculty. Although students are not required to be in complete agreement with it, they should be aware that these are truths to which the school continues to hold firmly.

GOD - We believe there is one sovereign, infinite, eternal God, existing in three persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - who are one in nature, attributes and perfection.

JeSUS CHRIST - We believe the Lord Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. In his incarnation he surrendered nothing of the divine essence, either in degree or kind; at the same time he accepted all the essential characteristics of humanity. He was born of a virgin and lived a sinless, perfect life. He was crucified and died as a sacrifice for sins and a substitute for sinners. He rose bodily from the dead and ascended to his Father's right hand where he now ministers and intercedes for believers.

HOLY SPIRIT - We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, un-derived, possessing all the attributes of personality and deity. We recognize his sovereign activity in creation, the incarnation, the written revelation, and the work of salvation.

SCRIPTURE - We believe the Bible is God's written revelation to man, verbally inspired of him equally in all parts, complete and without error in the original documents, accurate and authoritative in all matters, including those of faith and life, science and history.

MAN - We believe each member of the human race is sinful by nature and choice, and regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential for the salvation of man. Redemption is accomplished solely by the shedding of Christ's blood and salvation is by grace, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

CHRISTIAN LIFE - We believe every believer possesses eternal life and is sanctified and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and by him is empowered to live a godly life. The indwelling Holy Spirit works progressively in the heart and life of the believer towards true holiness of deed, word and thought, as the individual submits himself to the working of God. The believer is secure in salvation for all eternity. However, a believer can, through sin, lose his fellowship, joy, power, testimony and reward and incur the Father's discipline. Relationship is eternal, being established by new birth; fellowship, however, is dependent on obedience.

ETERNAL STATE - We believe there will be a resurrection of the believer to eternal life with God and of the unbeliever to judgment and eternal punishment apart from the presence of God.

THE CHURCH - We believe the church began with the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and is composed of all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. These believers are united to him and to one another by the indwelling Spirit. The church's calling, hope and destiny are heavenly, and its functions are to glorify God and to witness for Christ until his return. The local church is composed of believers who gather in Christ's name for teaching, fellowship, the Lord's Supper and prayer. Church government and discipline are the responsibility of the local church and are administered through a plurality of spiritual leaders.

GIFTS - We believe that God gives gifts to the church. Gifts are given to all believers that they may be equipped for work in His service and that the church may be built up. Gifts are to be exercised in the church in a fitting and orderly way.

ORDINANCES - We believe there are two Christian ordinances - baptism and the Lord's Supper. Baptism signifies to the Lord, to the church and to the world that, spiritually, the believer died with Christ, was buried with him and was raised with him to live a new life. The Lord's Supper was instituted by the Lord himself, to be celebrated by those who, through faith, have accepted Christ as Saviour and Lord. In the observance of the Lord's Supper, worshipping believers commemorate and proclaim the sacrificial death of Christ until he comes again.

LAST THINGS - We believe that the personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ for his church is imminent. This will be followed by the outpouring of Christ's Kingdom, which he will deliver up to the Father that God may be All in All.