THE GODHEAD:
We believe in the one true God who is an intelligent, sovereign, spiritual and personal Being; perfect, infinite, and eternal in His being, holiness and love, wisdom and power; absolutely separate from and above the world as its Creator, yet everywhere present in the world as the Upholder of all things. He is revealed to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, three distinct persons but without division of nature, essence or being, and each having a distinct ministry in God's relation to His creation and people (Genesis 1:1 ; Exodus 15:11; Psalm 83:18, 139:7-9; Matthew 28:19; John 10:30, 15:26).
THE PERSON AND WORK OF CHRIST:
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man. This redemption He accomplished by voluntarily giving Himself as a sinless substitutionary sacrifice on the cross, thereby satisfying God's righteous judgments against sin. After substantiating the accomplishment of that redemption by His bodily resurrection from the grave, He ascended to the right hand of His Father where He intercedes on behalf of those who have received Him as Savior (John 1:1,2,12,14,18; Luke 1:34,35; Romans 3:24-26, 8:34; Galatians 4:4,5; Hebrews 4:14-16; 1 John 2:1,2).
THE PERSON AND WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT:
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Divine Person who convicts the world of sin; that He alone brings new life to those who are spiritually dead; that He baptizes all believers into the one true Church, which is the Body of Christ; that He indwells them permanently, seals them unto the day of redemption, bestows spiritual gifts upon them, and fills those who are yielding to Him (John 16:7-11; 1 Corinthians 12:13; John 14:16,17; Ephesians 4:30, 5:18).
We believe that the apostolic age of signs and the gifts of healings, miracles and tongues ceased with the ministry of the apostles chosen personally by Christ and with the completion of the written Word of God. We believe that speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the baptism nor the filling of the Spirit. The gifts which remain are sufficient for the ministry and the perfecting of the Church today. We believe that God does hear and answer the prayer of faith, according to His will, for the sick and afflicted (Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12-14; Ephesians 4:11-16; James 5:14,15).
THE CONDITION OF MAN:
We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, in innocence and without sin. But in Adam's sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature, became spiritually dead and alienated from God, and man of himself is incapable of remedying his lost and depraved condition (Genesis 1:26, 3:1-24; Romans 3:10-18, 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3).
SALVATION:
We believe that salvation is the gift of God's grace. It cannot be gained by meritorious works, but is freely bestowed upon all who repent of their sins and who put their faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ at Calvary. All who so trust the Savior are forgiven of their sins and born into the family of God by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:7, 2:8-9; John 1:12, 3:14, 10:28,29; Romans 8:1; Titus 3:5).
SECURITY, ASSURANCE AND RESPONSIBILITY:
We believe that all the saved - those in whom God has accomplished His transforming work of grace - are kept by His power and are, thus, secure in Christ forever. It is their privilege to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation. However, this assurance is not the occasion for sin, for God in holiness cannot tolerate persistent sin in His children and in infinite love He corrects them. True faith in Christ is expressed by a fruitful, God-pleasing life (John 10:27-29; Romans 8:29-39; 1 John 5:33; Ephesians 2:10; Romans 12:1,2; Philippians 2:16).
THE CHURCH:
We believe that the true Church, called in the Scripture the Body of Christ, is a spiritual organism into which every person who has trusted Jesus Christ for salvation in this present age has been baptized by the Holy Spirit. The Scripture also teaches the importance of the local church, that a New Testament church is a local assembly of born-again baptized believers united in organization to practice New Testament ordinances, to meet together for worship, prayer, fellowship, teaching, exhortation and a united testimony, and to actively engage in carrying out the Great Commission.
We believe also in the independence and autonomy of the local church, that each New Testament church is free to govern itself without ecclesiastical interference, and should cooperate with other New Testament churches as the Holy Spirit leads; that it is responsible to follow the pattern of the New Testament church and is directly accountable to God.
We further believe the ordinances given to the Local Church are two, baptism and the Lord's Supper, that Baptism is by immersion of believers, thus portraying the death, burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ; that the Lord's Supper is the partaking of the bread and cup by the believer as a continuing memorial of the broken body and shed blood of Christ.
(Ephesians 1:22; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Acts 2:41,42; Matthew 28:19,20; Acts 6:1-5, 13:1-3; Matthew 26:26-30; 1 Corinthians 11:23, 24; Acts 8:38,39)
ANGELS:
We believe that angels are powerful spirit beings who are distinct from human beings. Some angels carry out the purposes of God, while others who are "fallen angels" serve Satan, who is a fallen angel himself (Hebrews 1:14; Psalm 8:5; 2 Peter 2;11; 2 Corinthians 11:14; Matthew 25:41).
THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST:
We believe in the second coming of Christ, that His coming in the air to rapture His Church, which is our blessed Hope, is imminent: that when He has first by resurrection of the dead and translation of the living removed from the earth His waiting Church, He will then pour out the righteous judgments of God upon the unbelieving world and afterwards descend with His Church and establish His glorious and literal kingdom over all the nations for a thousand years (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; James 5:8; Hebrews 10:37; Jude 14,15; Revelation 19:11-16, 20:4-7).
THE ETERNAL STATE:
We believe that at death the souls of those who have trusted Christ for salvation pass immediately into His presence and there remain in remain in conscious bliss until the resurrection of the body at His coming for the Church, when soul and body reunited shall be associated with Him forever in glory.
We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain after death in conscious misery until the final judgment of the great white throne at the close of the millennium, when soul and body reunited shall be cast into the lake of fire, not to be annihilated, but to he separated from God in conscious punishment forever (Luke 16:19-26; 2 Corinthians 5:8: Philippians 1:23; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9; Revelation 20:11-15).
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In March of 1982, the Rev. Bill Rogers arrived in Ponca City to assume his role as first pastor. His ministry, which lasted until June of 1984, helped lead the church to its first church home at 600 North 1st Street. After his departure, John Lagle became the interim pastor until the arrival of the Rev. Larry Harris in August of 1986. He has now served in this position for over 20 years.
Because of the urgent need for larger and more permanent facilities, the Pioneer Bible Church relocated during April of 1989 to the corner of Third and Chestnut streets, its present location. The church also owns property at 310 North 4th Street and 307 North 3rd Street, which is used to fulfill its ministry goals.
Pioneer Bible Church claims no denominational affiliation, is independently governed, and stands firm on the fundamental elements of biblical Christianity.