Cumberland Presbyterian Church Doctrine

The Bible
Cumberland Presbyterians accept the Bible as the only infallible rule of faith and practice.

The Godhead
We believe in the divinity of Jesus and the Holy Spirit as well as in God the Father; the three persons making up the Trinity.

The Church
We believe in our denomination as a part of the Church of which Christ is the head and all believers in Christ are a part. We believe in cooperation with all who accept Jesus as Christ and Lord.

Salvation
We believe that every person needs regeneration and must make a personal commitment of his life to Christ in order to be saved.

Preservation of Believers
We believe that a person who is truly regenerated will not totally fall away from a state of grace, but will be preserved to everlasting life.

Sanctification
We believe that every child of God will use every means possible to grow in grace. We do not believe that a state of sinless perfection is possible in this life.

The Sacraments
We believe that there are just two sacraments of the Church.

• WATER BAPTISM is one sacrament. It is a sign or symbol of the baptism of the Holy Spirit and a seal of the Covenant of Grace. There is no saving power in water baptism, yet it is the duty of all believers not previously baptized to confess Christ in this solemn ordinance and to present their infant children for baptism.
• THE LORD'S SUPPER is the second sacrament. The symbols to be used are bread and wine, which remain after consecration literal bread and wine. All who acknowledge Jesus as Christ and who have faith to understand the significance of this sacrament are invited to partake of it with us, regardless of their denominational affiliation.

Marriage and Divorce
We believe that although marriage is not a sacrament of the Church, yet it is a very sacred institution and should be so regarded by all people. The marriage relation should not be dissolved for any cause not justified by the teachings of the word of God.

Things to Come
We believe that the bodies of men after death return to dust; but their spirits return to God who gave them. The spirits of the righteous are received into heaven, and the spirits of the wicked are cast into hell. The Scriptures speak of no other place for departed spirits.

Complete Statement of Doctrine
The official statement of doctrine of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church is called THE CONFESSION OF FAITH, which the reader is invited to consult for a more complete statement and the Scriptural supporting texts.