“Then, Jesus said, ‘Come away by yourselves
to a secluded place and rest awhile.’
For there were many coming and going and
they did not even have time to eat.”
MARK 6:31
OUR
MINISTRY
Eagle Rock is a Christian Missions organization with its base located in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. We serve a network of like-minded Christian individuals, churches, groups and ministries. Our mission is to partner with them across denominational lines to follow the Lord Jesus Christ’s invitation “to come away awhile” in order to experience a life-changing encounter of power and intimacy with Him. The Eagle Rock community of faith is honored to serve the historic church, continuing in the orthodox teaching of the apostles, empowered and renewed by the Holy Spirit in our generation.
Part of our vision is to provide a setting for an experience that could allow a person to meet Jesus Christ for the first time or in a new and life changing way. We personalize programs and retreats for each group, which will strengthen the participants physically, mentally and spiritually. Eagle Rock’s staff is dedicated to helping you experience all that God can provide for you here in this beautiful place of His. After having rappelled the rock bluffs, canoed Abrams Creek or simply been blessed by the view while rocking on the porch, we know you will return to our mountain!
Here are our core beliefs:
The Word
of God
We believe that the Bible is the inspired and, therefore, inerrant Word of God. The Bible is the final authority for all we believe and how we are to live. (Mt. 5:18; Jn. 10:35; 17:7; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:20-21)
The
Trinity
We believe that the one true God exists eternally in three persons-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit-and that these, being one God, are equal in deity, power, and glory. God is infinite in love, perfect in judgments, and unchanging in righteousness and mercy. We believe that God not only created the world, but also now upholds, sustains, governs, and providentially directs all that exists, and that He will bring all things to their proper consummation in Christ Jesus, to the glory of His name. (Ps. 104:1-35; 139:1-24; Mt. 10:29-31; 28:19; Acts 17:24-28; 2 Cor.13:14; Eph. 1:9-12; 4:4-6; Col. 1:16-17; Heb.11:1-3; Rev. 1:4-6)
God the Father We believe the heavenly Father is the source of all that exists, whether of matter or spirit. With the son and the Holy Spirit, He made man, male and female, in His image. By intention He relates to people as Father, thereby forever declaring His goodwill toward them. In love He both seeks and receives penitent sinners. (Ps. 68:5; Isa. 64:8, Mr. 5:45; Jn. 3:17; Rom. 8:15; 1 Pet. 1:17)
God the Son We believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ (Messiah), the Son of God; that He is God incarnate, fully God and fully man; that He was eternally preexistent with the Father and the Holy Spirit; and that He was conceived and born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, and offered Himself as a penal, substitutionary sacrifice for sinners. By His blood shed at the cross, He obtained for us eternal redemption, the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting. He was raised on the third day and ascended to the right hand of the Father, there to make intercession for the saints forever. He will return to earth again to reign in righteousness. (Mt.1:18-25; Jn. 1:1-18; Rom. 8:34; 1Cor. 15:1-28; 2Cor. 5:21; Gal. 3:10-14; Eph. 1:7; Phil. 2:6-11; Xol.1:15-23; Heb.7:25; 9:13-15; 10:19;1 Pwt. 2:21-25; 1 Jn. 2:1-2)
God the Holy Spirit We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ baptizes believers in the Holy Spirit, in whom we are also sealed for the day of redemption. The Holy Spirit regenerates, forever indwells, and graciously equips the Christian for godly living and service. Subsequent to conversion, the Spirit desires to fill, empower, and anoint believers for ministry and witness. We also believe that the gifts of the Spirit described in the New Testament are operative today and designed to testify to the presence of the kingdom and to empower and edify the Church to fulfill its calling and mission. (Mt. 3:11; Jn. 1:12-13; 3:1-15; Acts 4:29-30; Rom. 8:9; 12:3-8, 1 Cor. 12:12-13; 2 Cor. 1:21-22; Gal. 3:1-5; Eph. 1:13-14; 5:18)
Salvation
Salvation We believe that we receive salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. This saving grace of God, through the power of the Holy Spirit also, sanctifies us by enabling us to do what is pleasing in God’s sight, that we might be progressively conformed to the image of Christ. (Jn. 1:12-13; 6:37-44; 10:25-30;Acts 16:30-31;Rom. 3:1-4; 23; 8:1-17;31-39;10:8-10; Eph. 2:8-10; Phil. 2:12-13; Titus 3:3-7; 1 Jn. 1:7-9)
Evil We believe that Satan, originally a great and good angel, rebelled against God, taking a multitude of angels with him. He was cast out of God’s presence and is at work with his demonic hosts to establish his counter-kingdom of darkness, evil, and unrest on earth. Satan was judged and defeated at the cross of Christ and will be cast forever into the lake of fire which has been prepared for him and his angels. (Isa. 14:10-17; Ez. 28:11-19; Mt. 12:25-29; 25:41; Jn. 12:31; 16:11; Eph. 6:10-20; Col. 2:15; 2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 6; Rev. 12:7-9; 20:10)
Humanity We believe that humanity, male and female, was originally created in the image of God, righteous and without sin. As a consequence of disobedience, all persons are sinners by both nature and choice, and are, therefore, spiritually dead and justly condemned as children of wrath in the sight of God, wholly unable to save themselves. (Gen. 1:1-3:22; Ps. 51:5; Isa. 53:5; Rom. 3:9-18; 5:12-21; Eph.2:1-3)
The Church
The Church We believe that the Church, as the Body of Christ is God’s primary instrument, through which He is fulfilling His redemptive purposes in the earth. We believe the fellowship at Eagle Rock is a local expression of this reality. We also affirm the priesthood of all believers and the importance of every Christian being joined with and actively involved in a local community of saints. We believe that women, no less than men, are called and gifted to proclaim the gospel and do the works of the kingdom. (Mt. 16:17-19; Acts 2: 17-18; 42; Eph. 3:14-21; 4:11-16; 1 Tim. 2:11-15; Heb. 10:23-25; 1 Pet. 2:4-5; 9-10)
Leadership & Stewardship The Board of Directors serve as Elders of Eagle Rock and have been called to the responsibility of care and oversight of this community of faith and missions base. They must give an account to God for their stewardship. This Mission is owned and directed by the Lord Jesus Christ and is not a place of public accommodation, nor is it a public institution. Its property is not a public place but rather it is private, belonging to Eagle Rock. This Mission has the right to determine whom it may associate with in its meetings and functions according to its religious beliefs and convictions, some of which are written in our statement of faith, declarations, and articles of incorporation. (Hebrews 13:17)
Sacraments We believe that the various sacraments (ordinances) of the Church, such as Water Baptism, the Lord’s Supper (the Eucharist), and Holy Matrimony (marriage) are channels of God’s sanctifying grace and blessing to the faithful in Jesus Christ, and are to be observed until the time of Christ’s return. The sacrament of marriage comes from the God of creation ”the Maker of Heaven and earth”. We believe that God created man and he created them male and female; as such He created them different so as to compliment and complete one another. Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person. God instituted monogamous marriage between male and female, the basic structure of human society. God intended sexuality to be lovingly expressed, exclusively within the boundaries of Holy Matrimony.
We, at Eagle Rock, uphold the New Testament view of the sanctity of sex in the context of marriage between one man and one woman. We uphold the teachings of Jesus and the Apostles as outlined in the Bible, which is our primary authority and moral guide. While we recognize that many in today’s society do not accept the sexual ethics laid out in Scripture, we wish to pursue this ethic as closely as possible in our Mission and ministry. Therefore, we seek to live lives of sexual purity, which includes calling actions of sexual union outside of the marriage covenant, sin; such sin includes premarital and extra-marital sex, be it heterosexual, homosexual or bi-sexual in nature. At the same time, we strongly oppose victimization or violence against any sector of society that disagrees with this Biblical view. We honor the dignity and rights of those who differ from us. (Gen.1:26-27; 2:18-25; 1Cor 6:18; 7: 2-5; Heb. 13:4; Matt. 5:16; Phil 2:14-16; 1Thess. 5:22; Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31)
Missions & Service
We believe that God has called the Church to work together in unity and honor in preaching the gospel to all nations, in making disciples, and in remembering the poor and ministering to their needs through sacrificial giving and practical service. This ministry is an expression of the heart of the Lord Jesus Christ and is an essential part of the kingdom of God. As we are able, Eagle Rock also, strives to reach out and be a good witness and neighbor within its local community by prayerfully being aware and serving other’s needs. (Isa. 58:6-12; 61:1; Mt. 5:1-7:28; 28:18-20; Lk. 4:18; 21:1-4; Gal. 2:10; 1 Tim. 6:8)
Last
Things
Last Things We believe in the literal second coming of Christ at the end of this age, when He will return to earth personally and visibly to reign over the nations in His millennial kingdom. No one can know with certainty the timing of the Lord’s return. We also believe in and are praying for a great end-time harvest of souls and the emergence of a victorious Church that will experience unprecedented unity, purity, and power in the Holy Spirit. (Ps. 2:7-9; 22:27-28; Mt. 24:36; Jn. 14:12; 17:20-26; Rom. 11:25-32; 1 Cor. 15:20-28, 50-58; Eph. 4:11-16; Phil 3:20-21; 1 Thes. 4:13-5:11; 2 Thes. 1:3-12; Rev. 7:9-14)
Eternal Reward & Punishment We believe that when Christians die, they pass immediately into the blessed presence of Christ, there to enjoy conscious fellowship with the Savior until the day of resurrection and the glorious transformation of their bodies. The saved will receive eternal rewards and forever dwell in blissful fellowship with their great triune God. We also believe that when unbelievers die, they are consigned to hell, there to await the Day of Judgment when they shall be punished in the lake of fire with eternal, conscious, and tormented separation from God. (Dan.12:2; Mt. 25:46; Lk. 16:19-31; Jn. 5:25-29; 1 Cor. 15:35-58; 2 Cor. 5: 1-10; Phil. 1: 19-26; 3: 20-21; 2 Thess. 1:5-10; Rev. 20:11-15; 21:1-22:15)
Christian Creeds
Nicene Creed
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through Him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation, He came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day He rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.
Apostles Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried;
He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.