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Last Updated: 14 December 2022

This statement of faith does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs, but Lens Creek Missionary Baptist Church affirms that:

1. We believe the Bible, composed of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testament, is the complete and divine revelation of God, verbally and plenarily inspired. These scriptures are inerrant, infallible in the originals. Furthermore, we believe that the same God who inspired His Word has divinely preserved His Word through the ages, and we hold the King James (Authorized) Version of the Holy Bible to be God's preserved Word for English speaking people.
   
   
2. We believe that the Bible is the final authority for all matters of faith and practice. The Scriptures should be interpreted according to their normal literal, grammatical-historical meaning. This includes prophecy. (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:20-21).
   
   
3. We believe in one true triune, self-existent, eternal, omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, transcendent, immanent God who is the creator of time, space, matter and all that exists. (Isaiah 57:15, 1 Timothy 1:17,Genesis 1:1,John 1:1-3)
   
   
4. We believe that God created the world in six literal, 24-hour days.
   
   
5. We believe that God created man in His own image from the dust of the ground on the sixth day.(Genesis 2:7)
   
   
6. We believe that God eternally exists in three distinct persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) each of Whom is fully and equally God, that they all possess all of the divine nature and attributes, and are totally worthy of our worship and service (Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19; John 1:14, John 10:30; 2 Cor. 13:14).
   
   
7. We believe God the Father is the first person of the Godhead, and is the Holy, Sovereign Ruler and Sustainer of the universe.
   
   
8. We believe that Jesus Christ is the second person of the Godhead and is the eternal, uncreated, only begotten Son of God who became flesh to reveal God to man, to fulfill prophesy, and to become the Savior of the Lost word. In becoming human, Jesus did not cease being God in any way, and Jesus is fully God and fully man.(John 1:14)
   
   
9. We believe that Jesus was miraculously conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, died on the cross as the vicarious, all-sufficient atoning sacrifice for the sins, and was buried in a borrowed tomb.(Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23; Luke 1:27, 34, Matthew 27:26, Luke 23:33,Isaiah 53:3-5, 1 Peter 3:18,Galatians 2:19-20)
   
   
   
10. We believe that three days later Jesus rose bodily from the dead, and 40 days, later bodily ascended into Heaven.
    
    
11. We believe that the Holy Spirit, the third member of the Godhead.  He convicts of sin inhabits the hearts of believers and empowers and equips believers to live according to the will of God.
    
    
12. We believe that God created man in His image and likeness, but that in Adam’s sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God; and that man is totally depraved, and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition (Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 3:22-23; Ephesians 2:1-3, 12).
    
    
13. We believe that men are saved by grace alone, through faith alone in the vicarious death, burial, and resurrection of Christ Jesus alone. Jesus finished the work of salvation on the cross and makes the offer of the free gift of salvation to every man, woman, boy, or girl. (John 3:3-6, 16; 10:28-29 Acts 16:31; Ephesians 2:8-10; I Timothy 2:5-6; I Peter 1:18-23; Hebrews 9:22)
    
    
14. While we believe that those who have a saving trust in Jesus will produce good works, our works do not merit salvation. It is God who performed the work of salvation on the cross, and nothing man does adds to or takes away from what He already has done. Therefore, we hold that a man who has been truly saved cannot lose his salvation. (Romans 4:1-4; Acts 16:31; John 1:12; 3:16; 5:24; 12:46; Ephesians 2:8-10; I John 2:1-2)
    
    
15. We believe that Christ established the two ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper (or Communion.) We believe that the scripture clearly teaches baptism by immersion by believers. Neither baptism nor the Lord's Supper are a means of grace but stand as a sacred memorial of the life, ministry, and sacrifice of Jesus. Acts 8:36-37, 1 Peter 3:21, 1 Corinthians 11:24-26
    
    
16. We believe each New Testament church is independent and autonomous. Jesus Christ is the head and the pastor is accountable to Christ. Matthew 28:19-20 Ephesians 1:22, 23 Acts 2:41-47 Ephesians 4:11-13 I Timothy 3:1-13 I Corinthians 12:12, 13
    
    
17. We believe in the bodily Resurrection of the Righteous Dead (I Thess. 4:13-18; I Corinthians 15:42-44; I Corinthians 15:52).
    
    
18. We believe in the eternal blessedness of the saved in a literal place called Heaven, where the redeemed go immediately upon death, and the eternal punishment of the unsaved in a literal place called the Lake of Fire. At death, the unsaved are held in Hell until the time of the Great White Throne judgment when they will be raised in bodily form and cast into the Lake of Fire, which is their place of final and everlasting punishment
    
    
19. We believe in a premillennial, pretribulation rapture of the church.
    
    
20. We believe that following the rapture will be the tribulation period, the “seventieth week of Daniel” where God’s wrath will be poured out on earth
    
    
21. We believe that at the end of this period of seven years, the Lord Jesus will return bodily to the earth; this is called the Second Coming of Christ.
    
    
22. We believe Jesus will establish a physical theocratic kingdom on the earth for 1000 years. Satan is bound during this time but will be released at the end of the 1000-year reign to be cast into the Lake of Fire. I Thessalonians 4:1-5:2; II Thessalonians 2:1-12; Revelation 19:1-20:15; Daniel 9:25-27; Matthew 24:4-25:4
    
    
23. We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between one man and one woman, and hold that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex.
    
    
24. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one’s gender by surgery or appearance. (Gen. 2:24; Gen. 19:5, 13; Gen. 26:8-9; Lev. 18:1-30; Rom. 1: 26-29; 1 Cor. 5:1; 6:9; 1 Thess. 4:1-8; Heb. 13:4)
    
    
25. We believe that the only Scriptural marriage is the joining of one man and one woman. (Gen. 2:24; Rom. 7:2; 1 Cor. 7:10; Eph. 5:22-23)
    
    
26. We believe that men and women are spiritually equal in position before God but that God has ordained distinct and separate spiritual functions for men and women in the home and the church. The husband is to be the leader of the home, and men are to be the leaders (pastors and deacons) of the church. Accordingly, only men are eligible for licensure and ordination by the church. (Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:18; 1 Tim. 2:8-15; 3:4-5, 12)
    
    
27. We believe that since humans are the image-bearers of God, and are objects of God’s incredible love, all human life is sacred, therefore every individual possesses dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love. As such, we do not believe in abortion or euthanasia.(Psalm 8:4-9; Colossians 3:9-11).
    
    
28. We believe that the Bible condemns becoming intoxicated. (Proverbs 20:1, Ephesians 5:18, Galatians 5:21, Proverbs 23:21, 1 Corinthians 5:11, Romans 13:13 Hosea 4:11, 1 Peter 5:8) Therefore, we believe consuming alcohol as a beverage even in moderation is at best unwise and potentially dangerous. We further believe that the consumption of alcohol as a beverage would damage our Christian testimony in the community, and may cause our brothers and sisters to stumble.

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Last Updated: 06 August 2017

Sunday School Lessons - Pastor Andrew reads the Sunday School Lesson

July 23

July 30

new recordings are here

Sunday School lessiosn are from the Summer 2017 Stanrd Lesson Quarterly, copyright 2017 by Standard Publish, Colorodo Springs, CO., part of the David C. Cook Family.  These recordings represent fair-use under US copyright law, and are made for vision-impared members of the church.

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Last Updated: 20 July 2019

Lens Creek Community

Vacation Bible School

July 22^nd to July 25^th

6:00 PM to 8:30 PM Nightly

Dinner Served at 5:30 PM

Join the Lens Creek Community for the first annual vacation bible school!
This year’s theme will be “Paul’s Amazing Race” which follows the Apostle Paul’s journey from Jerusalem to Rome. There will be theme days, games, crafts and more!

Everyone is welcome, come and join in on the excitement!

Register Online! Click Here 

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Last Updated: 16 October 2022

Testimony

Andrew has been a Christian most of his life.  At the age of six, his mother led him to the Lord.  His mom, Janet Cummings, would read Bible stories to him every night. She had made a profession of faith when she was a child, but finally, she accepted Jesus as her Lord when Andrew was six months old.

He grew up in Cross Lanes, WV, and was baptized at Cross Lanes Baptist Church.  Although his mom read him Bible stories every night and taught him from the Bible, they rarely went to church. 

When he was 14, his mom was remarried.  In a very short time, his whole world changed.  They moved, he changed schools and gained a step-father and step-brother.  Finding the family situation difficult, he started spending the weekends with his aunt and uncle and he started attending Esta Memorial Missionary Baptist Church with them.  It was here that his walk with the Lord became serious.  On a Sunday morning, with the sunlight streaming in the windows, he surrendered himself totally to the Lord.

When he was 17, he went with the youth group to a youth conference held at First Baptist Church of Hammond Indiana. Pastor Jack Hyles preached from Romans 12:1-2, and asked for kids who are willing to sacrifice to their lives to the Lord to stand.  At that moment, Andrew knew that he had to serve God with all he was, and he stood.  It was then that God started dealing with his heart about preaching.  Despite trying to ignore it and wish it away, the calling to preach continue to grow stronger with each passing day. 

He joined Victory Baptist Church in Cross Lanes in 1999.  Soon after, tired of running from God, he surrendered to the call to preach.  At Victory, Andrew played bass guitar, taught Sunday School, Children's Church, Vacation Bible School, and adult Sunday School on Wednesday nights, and preached his first-ever sermon.  

For most of his life, Andrew was consumed with the fear of what others thought of him.  This fear prevented him from serving God as he should have.  He attended the Kanawha Valley Camp meeting, where the Holy Spirit convicted him of his fear.  

God moved their family to Capitol City Baptist in 2010.  At CCBC, he joined the bus ministry, played bass, taught Sunday School, and preached at Children's Church.  

In October 2015, Andrew got a preaching appointment at Lens Creek Missionary Baptist.  The deacons asked him if he would consider standing for the pastor.  He agreed to fill the pulpit while he sought the Lord's will.   in January 2016, Andrew was elected pastor with 100% of the vote.

In August 2022, Andrew was elected as president of the Fundamental Independent Missionary Baptist Fellowship, a small group of like-minded churches that fellowship together regularly. 

Education and Training

Andrew is a 1990 Poca High School graduate.  Shortly after graduation, Andrew joined the Army Reserves, where he served as a Combat Medic and Respiratory Therapist.  He earned a National Registry credential as both an Emergency Medical Technician and Certified Respiratory Therapy Technician.  He was honorably discharged in March 1995.

Andrew received his Associate in Applied Science in Computer Science in 2008 from West Virginia State Community and Technical College, and his Regent's Bachelor of Arts in 2011 from West Virginia State University.  

Around 2012, Andrew felt God leading him to prepare for ministry.  Since seminary was not an option, he began studying courses in systematic theology, apologetics, philosophy, Christian worldview, and Christian Doctrine in earnest.   These helped to fill in the gaps in his decades of Bible study.  This training proved invaluable for the ministry.

Capitol City Baptist Church ordained him on October 23, 2016.

Personal Life

Andrew is the youngest of five kids and has a brother and three sisters, who are all considerably older than he.  His brother, the next youngest, is ten years his senior.  His dad passed away when he was only four.

In December of 1989, while visiting his friend, David Kersey's church, Rock Branch Independent, Andrew met his future wife Rebecca  They started dating in February of 1990, and were married in 1995.  Their first child, Laura, was born in 1999.  Their son, Benjamin, was born in 2007.  They reside in Cross Lanes.

As a bi-vocational pastor, Andrew works for the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Services, Management Information Services as the Director of Database Administration and Analytics.  He has worked for WV DHHR since 2001 in a variety of capacities.