the purpose of dec

The purpose of this church is to worship and honor God as Father and Jesus Christ its Lord and Savior, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  This will be done by:

1. Corporate services of worship and prayer.

2. Christ-centered instruction in the Scripture.

3. Development of the local body of believers to a place of spiritual maturity, faithful service, and mutual love and concern.

4. Visible expression of concern for the total person in the local community with emphasis on meeting spiritual needs.

5. Support and encouragement of the worldwide Christian ministry.

For more about our beliefs as they relate to our purpose, please feel free to read the below statement of faith.

statement of faith

durham evangelical church

A.  God - We Believe:

1. In God, Who is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

2. In God the Father, perfect in holiness, infinite in wisdom, measureless in power. He concerns Himself in human affairs; He hears and answers prayer; and He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.

3. In Jesus Christ, the eternal and only begotten Son of God, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin, Mary. He is truly God and truly man. He was tempted in all points as all mankind, yet was without sin. He made atonement for the sins of the world by His death. He conquered death by His bodily resurrection. He ascended into heaven, and He presently ministers as High Priest and Advocate. He will visibly return for His church, and will establish His kingdom.

4. In the Holy Spirit, the eternal Spirit of God, whose ministry is to convince the world of sin, righteousness and judgment; to impart new birth, to glorify Jesus Christ; and to baptize, seal, sanctify, teach, comfort, and give spiritual gifts to those who believe in Jesus Christ.

 B.  Scriptural Authority - We believe:

1. That the Bible is God's Word, that it was written by men divinely inspired, and that it is the supreme and infallible authority in all matters of faith and conduct.

 C.  Man and His Salvation - We believe:

1. That men and women were created in the image of God and that they chose to sin and thereby incurred both physical and spiritual death. Thus by our nature, choices, and deeds we are all sinners and, apart from Christ, shall be forever separated from God.

2. That the Lord Jesus Christ died as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice for the sins of mankind according to the Scriptures. All who believe on Him are thereby justified on the basis of His shed blood.

3. That salvation is by grace through faith, not by works, and that all who receive by faith Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are born again of the Holy Spirit, thereby becoming children of God, rejoicing forever in God's presence.

4. That both the just and the unjust shall be resurrected in body, the just to everlasting life in the presence of the Lord and the unjust to everlasting punishment.

 D.  The Church - We believe:

1. In the church universal, a living spiritual body of which Christ is the Head and of which all believers in Christ are members.

2. In the local church, a faithful reflection of the church universal gathered in a local setting, of which Christ is the head and believers in Christ are the members.

3. That the primary purpose of the local church is to make disciples of Jesus-- evangelizing the lost through the proclamation of the Gospel, and maturing the saints through teaching, worship, fellowship, and service.

4. That every believer in Jesus Christ is to follow the example and command of the Lord in observing the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper.