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The Provisional Pastor

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Pastor Dave Cunningham

Bio

Pastor Dave is a veteran pastor-teacher and shepherd having served several churches in Illinois and Pennsylvania throughout the past three decades. He has the heart, passion and vision of a church planter having been used of the Lord to plant GraceLife and re-plant a local church in Central IL. As a graduate of Baptist Bible College and Seminary of PA, he is a careful student and teacher of the Word of God, loves theology and is an avid reader. He is the founder of Sports4Him, a not-for-profit 501(c)3 ministry that assists local churches in their desire to minister to athletes, coaches, officials and sports fans alike. His vision for GraceLife Church is to raise up and train an assembly of believers who passionately love, serve, and proclaim Christ. He has a heart for evangelism and loves the Doctrines of Grace.

 

Pastor Dave is an avid sports fan and sometimes feels like a fish out of water in the northeast. He follows the St. Louis Cardinals, the Chicago Bears and Illinois Fighting Illini but secretly enjoys watching the Phillies, Eagles and the Nittany Lions as well. He and his wife Kathy have three children and five grandchildren.

Summary of Beliefs

I believe and affirm the FIVE SOLAS of the Reformation:

  1. Sola Scriptura: Scripture Alone
  2. Sola Gratia: Grace Alone
  3. Sola Fide: Faith Alone
  4. Solus Christus: Christ Alone
  5. Soli Deo Gloria: to the Glory of God Alone

I believe in the inspiration, inerrancy, infallibility, veracity and sufficiency of the Bible and trust in it as our single source of authority for beliefs and practices.

I believe there is but one true and living God who is infinite, eternal and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, truth, and love existing in three persons: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

I believe mankind was created in the image and likeness of God; as a result of Adam’s sin all men inherited a sinful nature, became alienated from God, are totally depraved, and thus are unable to remedy their lost condition apart from divine grace.

I believe that God, before the foundation of the world, and for His own glory, chose a great multitude of men and women to eternal life as an act of His free and sovereign grace. His sovereign choosing was in no way dependent upon His foresight of human faith, decision, works or merit.

I believe that those who are called by grace are justified in the sight of God on account of the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ, which is received by faith alone. Salvation then is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone, to the glory of God alone.

I believe in the virgin birth, the sinless life of Christ, the vicarious substitutionary atonement of Christ, the resurrection of Christ from the dead, a literal heaven and hell, and the eternal security of the believer.

I believe the universal church is a spiritual entity composed of all born-again persons of this age of which Christ is the head.

I believe that the local church is governed by a plurality of servant leaders (male elders/pastors) who are accountable to God and each other to lead, guide, teach and shepherd the flock to which they have been entrusted.

I believe in the importance of church membership and commitment to the local church which is the pillar and support of the truth. It is through the local church that believers are to exercise their spiritual gifts for the edification of the body of Christ.

I believe that baptism by immersion and the Lord’s Supper are gospel ordinances belonging only to regenerated believers.

I believe in the imminent return of Christ for His church and a literal future millennial kingdom.