Our Heritage
Our fellowship began because of the vision and dream of several families to have a Bible teach outreach in the Randolph community. In 1876, the new services began as the Welsh Congregational Church, and in 1877 a white church building was built on Tamarack Street. The congregation began English services in 1906, and eventually, years later, became part of a conservative Congregational church denomination. In 1983, because of a renewed vision, the congregation voted to become a part of the Evangelical Free Church of America, and so Randolph Evangelical Free Church was born. Several years later the congregation moved to Cambria Street and Highway 73 because of new growth. The emphasis of the "Free Church" has always been prayer, holy living, Bible teaching, and evangelism.
We share our heritage with you as a testimony of God's faithfulness. We are building on the foundation of this heritage, trusting God to work in and through us for His glory.
Our vision and mission
Our mission is to share the loving message of Jesus Christ with others, and then provide opportunities for people to mature in faith, be nurtured in love and to serve the Lord. This mission statement seeks to answer the question, “What does Christ want us to do as a church?”
We are a committed and faithful traditional rural family church that likes:
* Scriptural, comfortable and familiar music
* Informal worship
* To fellowship with one another
* Bible studies and sermons
* To enjoy the traditions established in the church’s history
o Sunday School/ Children’s Church
o Mission Sundays
o Support of missions
o Associational connections to the EFCA
o Mid-week prayer service
o Events such as VBS, annual picnic and meetings
* A compassion for the lost that provides for their physical in
the food pantry
* Wants everyone to be happy and comfortably encouraged who attends
the church.
* Satisfied with who we are but willing to make gradual steps of change
as the Lord leads.
Our Statement of Faith
Section 1: The Scripture
We believe: That the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, are the inspired Word of God, without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of His will for the salvation of mankind, and the final authority for all Christian faith and life (2 Peter 1:20,21;2 Timothy 3:16,17; Matthew 5:18).
Section 2: The Triune God
We believe: That there is one God, Creator of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three equal persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Genesis l:l; Deuteronomy 6:4; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:18,19; John 1:14, 4:24; Hebrews 1:1-3). Through creation, the Scriptures and His Son, God has revealed His character (Romans 1:18-21; John 1:14-18; 2 Peter 1:20-21). He is holy, just, righteous, merciful, gracious, and loving and yet never contradicting His eternal purpose. He is omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, sovereign,and immutable.
Section 3: God the Father
We believe: That God the Father is the head of the Godhead (John 17:21-22). The Father is spirit, an eternal being with no end or beginning, Who has chosen to reveal Himself to His creation through His Son and the Holy Scriptures (Matthew 28:19; John 1:1, 4:24, 10:30, 14:16- 26, 15:26, 16:5; Colossians 1:13-17).
Section 4: Jesus Christ
We believe: That Jesus Christ is true God and true man, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. His death on the cross was a substitutionary sacrifice which atoned for our sins, Christ doing for us what we cannot do for ourselves He arose bodily from the dead, and ascended into heaven, where at the right hand of the Majesty on High, He is now our High Priest and Advocate and Intercessor (Matthew 1:23; John 1:14; 14:6; 1 Peter 3:18; 1 Corinthians 15:3,4; 2 Timothy 2:8; Acts 1:9; Hebrews 7:25; 8:1).
Section 5: The Holy Spirit
We believe: That the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. During this age, He convicts the sinner and draws him to faith in Christ. The Holy Spirit opens the unbelieving heart, thereby enabling the unbeliever to repent, believe and receive the gospel. He seals the believer and places him into the body of Christ. He indwells, guides, instructs and empowers the believer for godly living and service. We believe that the speaking of tongues and the working of sign miracles gradually ceased as the New Testament Scriptures became complete. We believe that God the Holy Spirit has power to act in any way, as He sees fit, to bring glory to God and to Jesus Christ (John 16:7-15; 2 Corinthians 3:6; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 1:13,14; Ephesians 5:18-20; 1 John 2:20,27; Titus 3:5-6).
Section 6: The Person and Work of Satan
We believe: That Satan is a personal spirit being, and he is the originator of sin and cause of the fall of man into sin. He is the open and declared enemy of God and believers, and His destiny is the everlasting punishment of the lake of fire. (Job 1:6,7; Isaiah 14:12-17; Ezekiel 28:11-19; Matthew 4:2-11; Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10).
Section 7: Mankind
We believe: That man was created in the image of God but willfully chose to sin. Therefore all people are sinful by nature, alienated from God, without spiritual life, and unable to remedy their lost condition (Genesis 1:26,27; Genesis 3:1-6; Romans 3:22,23; Romans 5:12; Ephesians 2;1-12).
Section 8: Salvation
We believe: That in salvation, the Father draws and chooses and that the death (shed blood) of Jesus and His resurrection provide the only basis for (justification) salvation and eternal life. All those who trust Jesus as personal Savior are born again by the Holy Spirit and become children of God. We believe that those who are saved receive a new nature and desire to please God. We believe that the Holy Spirit secures and seals the believer in time and eternity, therefore salvation is secure and eternal (Romans 5:8-10; John 1:12; Ephesians 1:13,14; Ephesians 2:8-10; 4:30; 1 Peter 1:18,19; John 6:37-40; John 6:37, 44-45;Ephesians 1:4-5; 1 Peter 1:3; John 3:16, 35; 5:20; 19:9; 20:17; Romans 9:16; 2 Corinthians 5:17, 21).
Section 9: The Believer's Walk
We believe: That we are called to live holy lives, though we will never be perfect in this life. We are not to walk in the ways of the flesh, but in the way the Holy Spirit teaches. We must live in subjection to the Lord Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit of God. We should by the power of the Holy Spirit, eliminate anything in our lives which might cause other believers to stumble. We should confess our sins to God as the Spirit convicts us. We should seek to serve Christ alone (Romans 6:11-13; Romans 8:2,4,12,13; Romans 12:1-3; Galatians 5:16-25; Ephesians 4:22,32; Colossians 3:1-10; 1 Peter 1:14-16; 1 John 1:9;
1 John 3:5-9).
Section 10: The Church
We believe: That the true church is composed of all who are regenerated by the Holy Spirit through saving faith in Jesus Christ from Pentecost to the Rapture. Christ is Lord and Head of the church. We, the church, are commissioned by God to proclaim the gospel to every person in every nation. Every local church has the right under Christ to decide and govern its own affairs (Matthew 16:16-18; Acts 2:42-47; Romans 12:5; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Ephesians 1:20-23; Ephesians 4:3-10; Colossians 3:14,15; Acts 13:1-3).
Section 11: The Ordinances
We believe: That the Lord's Supper and Water Baptism are ordinances, commanded by God, to be observed by believers in the church today. They are not to be regarded as a means of salvation, or as a necessity for salvation (Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; Acts 2:41,42; Acts 18:8; Matthew 28:19,20; Matthew 3:13).
Section 12: The State of the Dead
We believe: That the dead in Christ are consciously enjoying the presence of Christ in heaven, awaiting the resurrection of the body. The unsaved at death consciously enter judgment in Hades (Philippians1:21-23; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Luke 16:19-31).
Section 13: Christ's Return
We believe: In the personal premillennial, pretribulational and imminent coming of our Lord Jesus Christ to take His church to heaven (the rapture). We believe that this "blessed hope" has a vital bearing on the personal life and actions of the believer (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:51-53; Titus 2:13; Zechariah 14:4-11; Revelation 20:1-6).
Section 14: The Eternal State
We believe: In the bodily resurrection of the believer from the dead to everlasting life,
(1 Thessalonians 4:15-18; Luke 23:43; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23). We also believe that the bodies and souls of the unbelievers will be in the torment of hell eternally. At the Great White Throne Judgment unbelievers will be raised to life, judged and cast bodily into the lake of fire. They, along with Satan and his angels, will continue in everlasting punishment eternally separated from God (Luke 16:19-26; Philippians 1:23; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9; Jude 6,7; Revelation 20:11-15).
Section 15: Missions
We believe: That because mankind is lost, and destined for an eternal hell, we have the responsibility and privilege of declaring to them the gospel. We must be witnesses where we live, we must support the outreach & the gospel locally and around the world (Romans 1:18-20; Romans 10:14; Acts 1:8; Acts 13:1-3; Matthew 28:18-20).
