WHAT WE BELIEVE

Our Core Beliefs

The following are the core beliefs of the Mansfield Church of Christ, which are based on the foundational truths taught in the Bible.
All of our teaching and ministry is rooted in and flows out of these biblical doctrines.

We believe in the eternal God—Father, Son, and Spirit—who created heaven and earth and all that dwells within them.


  • God created humanity—male and female—in his image, giving us value and meaning. God then set humans as his representatives, calling us to rule and reign alongside him in creation. (Gen 1 and 2)
  • Adam and Eve, along with the rest of humanity, rejected God and chose what was good in their own eyes rather than what God designated as good. (Gen3)
  • God in his love and mercy would not leave humans in this fallen state. Therefore, God set in motion a plan to deliver his people and bless the world through them. (Gen 12:1–3)
  • God is compassionate and gracious, abounding in love and faithfulness, yet he does not allow sin to go unpunished. (Exod 34:4–7)


We believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God—fully God and fully human


  • Jesus, the eternal Word of God who became human, was active in the creation of the world and continues to sustain it. (John 1:1–3; Col 1:15–19)
  • Jesus is the long-awaited, promised Messiah of Israel. (Matt 16:16–17; Luke 24:27)
  • Jesus’s life reveals the nature of God, as well as God’s intention for humanity. (Col 1:19; 1 Tim 2:5; 1 Pet 2:21; John 13:13–16; Eph 5:1–2)
  • Through his crucifixion, burial, and resurrection, Jesus redeemed humanity, demonstrated the love of God for all, and broke the powers of sin, death, and Satan, which stand in opposition to God and his people. (Mark 10:45; Rom 5:6–8; Heb 2:14–17)
  • Jesus ascended to heaven, where he now reigns. He continues his presence with his disciples through the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:33–36; 3:6, 16; 4:9–12; 1 Cor 12:12–14; Heb 4:14–16; 7:24–25)
  • Jesus’s work of redemption from sin is all-sufficient. Salvation is given by grace and received through faith. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are acts of faith, commanded by Jesus, by which those who believe and repent are united with him and with fellow believers. (Acts 2:38; Rom 3:21–26; 6:3–4; 1 Cor 11:23–26; Gal3:26–28; Eph 2:8)
  • Jesus will return to establish the reign of God in its fullness, restoring  God's creation to its intended order, and ultimately defeat Satan and all that is in rebellion against God. (Acts 1:10–11; 3:21; Col 1:20; 1 Thess 4:14–17; Rev 21:1–8)


We believe in the Holy Spirit—an equal partner within the Triune God.


  • The Holy Spirit was active in the creation of the world. (Gen 1:2; Job 33:4)
  • The Holy Spirit inspired the authors of Sacred Scripture—the Old and New Testaments. (John 14:26; Acts 1:16; 1 Pet 1:10–11; 2 Pet 1:20–21)
  • The Holy Spirit is the presence of God, dwelling within the Christian to provide intercession, guidance, spiritual gifts, and empowerment. (Acts 2:38; 1 Cor 6:19)
  • The Holy Spirit dwells within the universal church, providing God’s presence, direction, and empowerment for the church. (Rom 8:1–17; 1 Cor 3:16; Eph 2:19–22)
  • The Holy Spirit is the down payment of the promised, present, and coming kingdom of God. (Eph 1:12–14; Eph 3:1–6; 2 Tim 1:14; 1 Pet 1:2)


We believe in the one, universal church—the Bride of Christ.


  • This church is Christ’s body, made up of human beings from every tribe, nation, and tongue—those who confess with their mouth that Jesus is Lord and are baptized into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Rom 12:5; 1 Cor 12:20;Eph 4:4; Rev 7:9–10; Rom 10:9; Phil 2:9–11; Acts 2:38; Matt 28:19)
  • This church is a royal priesthood of all believers, sanctified by the Holy Spirit, gathering each week around the Lord’s Supper and God’s Word in order to worship the one true God. (1 Pet 2:9; 1 Pet 1:1–2; Luke 22:14–20; 2 Tim 3:16; Col 3:16)
  • This church is a community that is called, equipped, and empowered by God to pursue justice, to love and to show mercy, and to walk humbly with him. (Rom 8:28–30; Mic 6:8; and Gal 5:25)
  • This church follows Jesus and continues his ministry by announcing the Kingdom of God, living under the reign of Jesus as King, and making disciples who do the same. (Matt 28:18–20; Acts 1:8)


We believe in the resurrection of the body and life everlasting.


  • After his death and burial, Jesus was raised to new life in his body by the power of the Spirit. (Phil 3:7–11)
  • Jesus’s bodily resurrection anticipates the bodily resurrection of the dead when he returns. (1 Thess 4:13–18; 1 Cor 15)
  • After forty days on earth, the resurrected Jesus ascended into heaven and to the throne of God. (Luke 24:50–53; Acts 1:7–11)
  • Just as he promised, Jesus Christ will return one day to judge the living and the dead and to restore all things—a new heaven and a new earth. (Eph 1:3–10; Rev 21:1–8)