We believe in the church, the Bride of Christ now being prepared; and in the local church as a company of believers in the Lord, immersed as believers, and associated for worship, evangelism, indoctrination, the observance of the ordinances, and fellowship. We believe that to the local church are committed for perpetual observance the two ordinances, baptism and the Lord's Supper. We believe that the task of reaching the world for Christ is the responsibility of the local church. The Ordinances We believe that there are two church ordinances: baptism and the Lord's Supper. Baptism is the immersion of a believer in water and is the only mode of baptism revealed and commanded in the Scriptures and is properly called "Believer's Baptism." This baptism sets forth in a beautiful and solemn way our faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Savior. The believer's immersion in water symbolizes death, burial, and resurrection to a new life in Christ (II Corinthians 5:17) and is the visible credential for membership in the local church which corresponds to Holy Spirit baptism, the credential of membership in Christ's body. Believer's baptism is a Scriptural prerequisite to church membership (Acts 2:38-41). The Lord's Supper is a church ordinance in commemoration of the Lord's death until He comes, and signifies the continual fellowship of baptized believers with Him and each other in Him. Each believer should exercise careful self-examination before participation in this ordinance (Acts 8:36-39; Romans 6:3-5; I Corinthians 11:23-32). We believe that obligation for proper and Scriptural administration of the ordinances is the responsibility of the church, and that authority and prerogative of administration does not rest in the minister as an expiatory priest. John 3:22-23; Matthew 28:19; Romans 6:4. The Great Commission We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has commissioned the church to take the Gospel to the world, and that evangelism at home and abroad should be primary in the program of the local church. Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8.