Out Pastor - SCOTT BARKER
Pastor Scott Barker grew up in Auburn Hills, MI. He graduated from Northland International University. He has served as a pastor since 1996. In 2012 God directed him to Benzonia to start a retreat house for pastor and missionary families. He and his wife Jennifer have four young adult children and a son-in-law. Scott enjoys spending time with his wife and family, traveling, playing hockey and boating.
*Photo Credit – Terri L. Shevy
Email Pastor Scott
*Photo Credit – Terri L. Shevy
Email Pastor Scott
OUR VISION
To grow and fulfill God's purposes for His Church.
OUR MISSION
To know Jesus and to make Him known.
OUR BELIEFS
The Bible
We believe in the verbal, absolute inspiration of the Word of God; that the sixty-six books in our present Bible were divinely given wholly without error in their original and that we have today faithful copies which are the infallible, absolute authority for our faith and practice. (I Thess. 2:13; II Tim. 3:16, 17; 11 Peter 1:19-21)
The Godhead
We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
God, the Father
We believe in God the Father, Creator, and Sustainer of all things visible and invisible, Who is True Holiness, Eternal Power, Infinite Love, Perfect Justice, Absolute Truth, unchangeable in His being, the "I Am that I Am." (Gen. 1:1; Ex. 3:14; Psa. 90:2; Isa. 6:3; Mal. 3:6; Jn. 3:16; Jn. 5:17; 14:16, 17)
God, the Son
We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His substitutionary and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection and ascension to the right hand of the Father, where He lives to make intercession for His saints, and in His future return to earth to reign in power and glory. (Matt. 1:18; John 1:1-5; John 1:14; Acts 1:9-11; Acts 10:34-43; Col. 1:15-20; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; Heb. 4:15; Heb. 7:25, I Timothy 1:15-17)
God, the Holy Spirit
We believe that the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to reprove or convict the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; to restrain the progress of evil until God's purposes are accomplished; to bear witness to the truth preached; to regenerate those who repent of their sins and exercise faith in Christ; to instruct, comfort, and guide God's children; to sanctify them, to empower them for life and service, and to give life to their mortal bodies. (John 14:16-18,26; John 16:8-13; Rom 8:11; Eph. 1:13-14)
Man
We believe that man was created by God in His own image as given in the Genesis account; that through disobedience to God, man became a sinner in need of a Savior; and since that time all men are born sinners, spiritually dead, alienated from God, and stand in need of personal redemption that is in the Lord Jesus Christ alone. (Gen. 1-3; Psalm 51:3-5; Isa. 64:6; Rom. 3:23-24; 5:12; Eph. 2:1-7; 4:18; Col. 1:14,21; 2:13)
Salvation
We believe that the salvation of sinners is by grace alone; that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, shedding His blood on the Cross as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice; and that all who repent, believe in Christ, and receive Him by faith as personal Savior, are thereby justified on the ground of His shed blood. It is brought about solely by the power of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. (John 3:16-21, Rom. 5:9; 1 Cor. 15:3; Eph. 2:8-9; Heb. 9:22)
Sanctification and Separation
We believe that believers are sanctified (set apart) by the Holy Spirit and the Holy Scriptures to godly lives and works. (John 17:17-19; I Cor. 6:11; Hebrews 10:10-14) We believe that all the saved should live such a manner as to not bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord; that separation from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices, and associations is commanded by God. (Rom. 12:1,2; II Cor. 6:14-7:1; II Tim. 3:1-5; I John 2:15-17; 11 John 9-11)
The Security of the Believer
We believe that all the redeemed, once saved and sealed by the Holy Spirit, are secure in Christ forever. We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God's Word; which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an excuse to continue sinning. (John 10:27-30; Rom. 8:38, 39; 13:12-14; Gal.5:13; Eph. 1:11-14; Titus 2:11-15; I Pet. 1:3-5)
The Body of Christ
We believe that the Church, the Body of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born-again believers. (Rom. 12:4-8; I Cor. 12:12-14; Eph. 1:22,23)
The Local Church
We believe that regular gathering together of believers for teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, prayers and worship are essential for spiritual growth and unity of faith (Acts 2:41,42; 20:28; Eph. 4:11, 12, 16; Heb. 10:24-25) We believe the church has been given the command reach out to the world with the love of Christ (Mt 28:19-20).
Baptism
We believe that baptism as taught in the Scriptures is by immersion; is not necessary for salvation, yet it is the privilege and duty of every child of God to follow the Lord in baptism as an open confession of his identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. (Matt. 3:13-17, 28:19; Acts 8:36-39; 10:47-48; Rom. 6:3-5)
The Lord's Supper
We believe that the Lord's Supper is to be observed by the born-again believer in remembrance of the Lord Jesus Christ; that its observance is done to remember His death till He come and display unity in Christ (Matt. 26:26-29; Luke 22:19-20; I Cor. 10:21; 11:20-32)
Last Things
God, in his own time and His own way will bring the world to its appropriate end. Jesus Christ will return personally and visible. The Dead will be raised and Christ will judge all men in righteousness (I Thes 4:13-18). The unrighteous will be consigned to hell. The righteous will receive their reward and will dwell forever in heaven with the Lord (Matt. 24:26-33, I Thes 5:8-11, Rev 20:10-15)
To grow and fulfill God's purposes for His Church.
OUR MISSION
To know Jesus and to make Him known.
OUR BELIEFS
The Bible
We believe in the verbal, absolute inspiration of the Word of God; that the sixty-six books in our present Bible were divinely given wholly without error in their original and that we have today faithful copies which are the infallible, absolute authority for our faith and practice. (I Thess. 2:13; II Tim. 3:16, 17; 11 Peter 1:19-21)
The Godhead
We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
God, the Father
We believe in God the Father, Creator, and Sustainer of all things visible and invisible, Who is True Holiness, Eternal Power, Infinite Love, Perfect Justice, Absolute Truth, unchangeable in His being, the "I Am that I Am." (Gen. 1:1; Ex. 3:14; Psa. 90:2; Isa. 6:3; Mal. 3:6; Jn. 3:16; Jn. 5:17; 14:16, 17)
God, the Son
We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His substitutionary and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection and ascension to the right hand of the Father, where He lives to make intercession for His saints, and in His future return to earth to reign in power and glory. (Matt. 1:18; John 1:1-5; John 1:14; Acts 1:9-11; Acts 10:34-43; Col. 1:15-20; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; Heb. 4:15; Heb. 7:25, I Timothy 1:15-17)
God, the Holy Spirit
We believe that the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to reprove or convict the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; to restrain the progress of evil until God's purposes are accomplished; to bear witness to the truth preached; to regenerate those who repent of their sins and exercise faith in Christ; to instruct, comfort, and guide God's children; to sanctify them, to empower them for life and service, and to give life to their mortal bodies. (John 14:16-18,26; John 16:8-13; Rom 8:11; Eph. 1:13-14)
Man
We believe that man was created by God in His own image as given in the Genesis account; that through disobedience to God, man became a sinner in need of a Savior; and since that time all men are born sinners, spiritually dead, alienated from God, and stand in need of personal redemption that is in the Lord Jesus Christ alone. (Gen. 1-3; Psalm 51:3-5; Isa. 64:6; Rom. 3:23-24; 5:12; Eph. 2:1-7; 4:18; Col. 1:14,21; 2:13)
Salvation
We believe that the salvation of sinners is by grace alone; that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, shedding His blood on the Cross as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice; and that all who repent, believe in Christ, and receive Him by faith as personal Savior, are thereby justified on the ground of His shed blood. It is brought about solely by the power of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. (John 3:16-21, Rom. 5:9; 1 Cor. 15:3; Eph. 2:8-9; Heb. 9:22)
Sanctification and Separation
We believe that believers are sanctified (set apart) by the Holy Spirit and the Holy Scriptures to godly lives and works. (John 17:17-19; I Cor. 6:11; Hebrews 10:10-14) We believe that all the saved should live such a manner as to not bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord; that separation from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices, and associations is commanded by God. (Rom. 12:1,2; II Cor. 6:14-7:1; II Tim. 3:1-5; I John 2:15-17; 11 John 9-11)
The Security of the Believer
We believe that all the redeemed, once saved and sealed by the Holy Spirit, are secure in Christ forever. We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God's Word; which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an excuse to continue sinning. (John 10:27-30; Rom. 8:38, 39; 13:12-14; Gal.5:13; Eph. 1:11-14; Titus 2:11-15; I Pet. 1:3-5)
The Body of Christ
We believe that the Church, the Body of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born-again believers. (Rom. 12:4-8; I Cor. 12:12-14; Eph. 1:22,23)
The Local Church
We believe that regular gathering together of believers for teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, prayers and worship are essential for spiritual growth and unity of faith (Acts 2:41,42; 20:28; Eph. 4:11, 12, 16; Heb. 10:24-25) We believe the church has been given the command reach out to the world with the love of Christ (Mt 28:19-20).
Baptism
We believe that baptism as taught in the Scriptures is by immersion; is not necessary for salvation, yet it is the privilege and duty of every child of God to follow the Lord in baptism as an open confession of his identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. (Matt. 3:13-17, 28:19; Acts 8:36-39; 10:47-48; Rom. 6:3-5)
The Lord's Supper
We believe that the Lord's Supper is to be observed by the born-again believer in remembrance of the Lord Jesus Christ; that its observance is done to remember His death till He come and display unity in Christ (Matt. 26:26-29; Luke 22:19-20; I Cor. 10:21; 11:20-32)
Last Things
God, in his own time and His own way will bring the world to its appropriate end. Jesus Christ will return personally and visible. The Dead will be raised and Christ will judge all men in righteousness (I Thes 4:13-18). The unrighteous will be consigned to hell. The righteous will receive their reward and will dwell forever in heaven with the Lord (Matt. 24:26-33, I Thes 5:8-11, Rev 20:10-15)