Our Beliefs
Statement of Social/Ethical Principles:
Given our current time and context, we highlight and affirm the following moral principles, acknowledging that other ethical and social principles merit our further attention.
Gender Equality: God designed us male and female. Scripture teaches that men and women are of equal value in the eyes of God. Accordingly, the Church should treat women and men equally. We believe that both women and men are called to and gifted for ordained and licensed ministry, and both genders can hold any leadership role within Higher Ground Church (Genesis 1:26–27; Galatians 3:28).
Equality: We believe that all persons are of sacred worth. God designed each person with beauty and purpose, being “fearfully and wonderfully made.” Therefore, we gladly welcome all individuals who seek to grow in their relationship with God to attend our worship services. No person who is in agreement with our Foundational Biblical Doctrines and Core Beliefs shall be disqualified from becoming a member of this local congregation, holding a leadership position in the Church, or becoming an ordained or licensed clergy based on age, race, color, nationality, national origin, marital status, or economic condition. Higher Ground Church expressly renounces all discrimination and commits itself to work toward full equality in the Church and society as taught in Sacred Scripture (Genesis 1:26–27; Deuteronomy 6:4–9; Psalm 139:14; Matthew 22:36–40; Mark 12:28–31).
Marriage and Sexuality: We believe marriage and sexual intimacy are good gifts from God. In keeping with Christian teaching through the ages and throughout the Church universal, we believe marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union. We believe that God intends faithfulness in marriage and celibacy in singleness. Those ceremonies that celebrate homosexual unions shall not be conducted by our ministers and shall not be undertaken at Higher Ground Church (Genesis 1:27–28; 2:21–25).
Human Dignity: We believe everyone must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity. Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual or group are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture or the Doctrines of the Higher Ground Church (Galatians 3:28).