"And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity." 2 Peter 1:5-7
DOCTRINAL POSITION
At Sumter Christian School, students receive so much more than an ordinary education. We pride ourselves on creating a unique, exciting environment that embraces all types of learners and promotes growth both academically and spiritually.
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Sumter Christian School is honored to have students from many area churches in the student body. Although Sumter Bible Church with its various ministries is not affiliated with any denomination, we do embrace a baptistic position, fully delineated in the Sumter Bible Church Constitution.
Parents may be assured that other positions are not presented in a poor light, nor is there any desire to use the classroom to proselytize students for Sumter Bible Church. The majority of time spent in Bible instruction is devoted to emphasizing prayer, Bible study, witnessing, giving, fellowship, character, and godliness based on chapter-by-chapter exposition, doctrinal, and biographical instruction.
A truly Christian school is characterized first by a faculty composed entirely of born-again Christians. Each is also certified by the South Carolina Association of Christian Schools.
Secondly, the curriculum is thoroughly biblical: it is based on a biblical philosophy and incorporates Scriptural applications in the presentation of all subject matter. Thirdly, the student body is predominately Christian. Many students are professing Christians, and none are hostile to Bible teaching and behavior standards.
Our primary goal of maintaining a spiritual community in the pursuit of academic goals is the feature which distinguishes Sumter Christian School from public and other independent schools.
Parents who accept the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the Jehovah's Witnesses, or certain oriental religions, seldom choose to enroll their children in Sumter Christian School. The school's emphasis on the cardinal doctrines of Scripture would produce severe conflicts in the child's mind regarding the absolute nature of truth and would create a potential source of friction between parents and school staff.
Articles of Faith
Members of Sumter Bible Church subscribe to the following Articles of Faith:
1. THE SCRIPTURES: We believe that the Old and New Testaments are verbally inspired by God, that they are inerrant in the original manuscripts, and that they are the final authority for faith and practice. We believe that a natural interpretation of their contents reveals several dispensations which, if disregarded, lead to much confusion and error. We reject the claim that any other than the sixty-six canonical books are inspired or that translations of the original texts are inspired. We believe that the King James Version is the best and most reliable English translation. Though we may reference other translations and read them alongside the KJV for support or clarification, we prefer that speakers use only the KJV as the basis for their preaching and teaching. (I Thessalonians 2:13; I Timothy 3:16,17; II Peter 1:20,21; Matthew 5:18; Galatians 3:13-25; Ephesians 3:2-10; Revelation 22:18,19)
2. THE GODHEAD: We believe that the Godhead exists eternally in three persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), and that these three are one God having precisely the same nature and attributes. (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 3:16,17; II Corinthians 13:14)
Father: We believe that God the Father is a spirit, possessing unchanging attributes and a definite nature. He is eternal, omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. His nature is holy, just, merciful, and loving. While His holiness and justice demand a penalty for sin. His mercy and love sent the Savior to pay the price of that sin. (John 4:24; Deuteronomy 4:35; Psalm 90:2; Genesis 17:1; Psalm. 139:7-10; 147:5; Isaiah 6:3; Deuteronomy 32:4; 1 John 4:8)
Son: We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ exists eternally. We believe in His incarnation by means of the Virgin Birth: His sinless life, His death on the Cross as a substitutionary atonement for sin: His literal bodily resurrection from the dead: His present ministry of intercession in Heaven; and His personal return to earth. (John 1:1,2,14; Hebrews 1:8; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18,23; Hebrews 4:15; Romans 5:8; Hebrews 9:26; I Corinthians 15:4-8; Matthew 28:6; Hebrews 7:24,25; Romans 8:34; Matthew 24:30,31; Acts 15:13-18)
Holy Spirit: We believe that the Holy Spirit convicts men of sin, regenerates, baptizes at salvation, indwells, seals, and sets believers apart unto a holy life, empowers them for service, and leads them into all truth. We believe that speaking in tongues and the other sign miracles ceased with the canonization of the Scriptures and the deaths of the Apostles. (John 16:8; Titus 3:5; I Corinthians 12:12-14, 3:16; Ephesians 1: 13,14; Romans 8:14; John 14:26; I Corinthians 13:8)
3. MAN: We believe that man was created innocent and pure by a direct act of God: that Adam fell through the sin of disobedience: that all men are thereby corrupted in body, mind and spirit: that all are in need of redemption: and that all are utterly incapable of remedying their lost condition. (Genesis 1:26,27; Romans 5:19, 3:2; John 3:3; Ephesians 2:1,12)
4. SALVATION: We believe that salvation is by grace, a free gift of God apart from works, based on Christ's shed blood and appropriated by personal faith in Him; that all who receive Him are regenerated by the Holy Spirit and become children of God; that all who are truly saved will be kept forever; and that nonetheless God cannot condone sin in His children and will therefore chasten them in love in order to correct and purify them. We reject the doctrines of limited atonement and predestination to salvation or to damnation. We also reject the notion that it is possible to live sinlessly in the earthly body. (Ephesians 2:8,9; Hebrews 11:6; John 1:12; Romans 8:35-39; Hebrews 12:5,6; I John 1:7-9)
5. THE CHURCH: We believe that the Church, in its invisible form, is the true Body and Bride of Christ, and that all who are born again are members, regardless of organizational affiliation. We believe that, in its visible form, the Church is composed of those who organize or associate themselves according to God's Word for the purpose of worship, edification, and service. We believe that the members individually and the visible Church corporately have been commissioned by Christ to proclaim the Gospel throughout the world. (I Corinthians 12:13; I Thessalonians 1:6-9; Acts 1:8)
We believe that the local Church is to observe two ordinances:
The Lord's Supper: The Lord's Supper shall be observed by the Church regularly as the official Board shall decide. The Lord's Supper shall be open to all true believers and shall be preceded always by solemn self-examination. (I Corinthians 11:20-34)
Believer's Baptism: The Church observes the ordinance of baptism by immersion for believers in obedience to the command and example of our Lord and the Apostles. Though Baptism has no saving merit, it does identify the believer in death, burial, and resurrection with the Lord Jesus, and it does picture to the Church and to the world that the believer takes a stand of total identification with Christ. (Matthew 3:13; 28:19; Romans 6:1-10)
6. THE ANGELS: We believe that God created a great host of holy, angelic beings who minister to believers continuously; that a host of these, led by Lucifer, fell into sin; that Satan (Lucifer) is a personal being, that he is the wicked one who represents and perpetrates all that is opposed to God; that he is the archenemy of the believer; that he blinds the minds of unbelievers; and that his power is limited. (Psalm 148:2-5; Matthew 25:41; II Corinthians 4:4; I John 4:4; Hebrews 1:14)
7. THE FUTURE: We believe that Jesus Christ will come in the air, for the saints, to gather them unto Himself at the Rapture, before the Tribulation, and that He will come to the earth, with His saints, to establish His Messianic kingdom at the Second Advent, after the Tribulation, to reign over the earth for one thousand years. We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just to eternal felicity in the glory of His presence, and the bodily resurrection of the unjust to everlasting, conscious punishment in Hell. We reject the false teaching of "soul-sleep." We believe in the reign of the Lord Jesus Christ with all the saints of all the ages in the New Jerusalem for all eternity. (John 14:3; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; I Corinthians 6:2; John 5:24, 29; Revelation 20:15; II Corinthians 5:8; Revelation 21:1‑22:5)
8. MARRIAGE: We believe that God instituted the bond of marriage between a man and a woman and that “Marriage is honourable” (Hebrews 13:4). We believe that any sexual activity outside the Biblical definition of heterosexual marriage is contrary to the teaching of Scripture. We believe that God’s Word supersedes any laws made by man regarding the definition of marriage. Therefore, all of our operations are consistent with our beliefs, including our beliefs on the sanctify of life, the sanctity of marriage, and biblical sexuality when accepting, retaining, or dismissing members, staff, volunteers, etc. (Leviticus 20:13; Romans 1:26-28; I Corinthians 7:2; Ephesian 5:31)
9. SEXUALITY: We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary sexes together reflect the image and nature of God (Genesis. 1:26-27). Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person. We believe the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture (Genesis 2:18-25). We believe that marriage between one man and one woman, for life, uniquely reflects Christ’s relationship with His Church (Ephesians 5:21-33). We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other (1 Corinthians 6:18; 7:2-5; Hebrews 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, or use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God (Matthew 15:18-20; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10). 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; Romans 10:9-10; 1 Corinthians 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 Sumter Bible Church.
10. THE SANCTITY OF LIFE: We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life. (Psalm 139)