OUR BELIEFS
We believe there is one God, almighty, eternal, Creator of all things. We believe the Bible is the Word of God and the only rule of faith, authority and practice of the Christian faith. We believe in the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, who are equal in all perfection. We believe that the Son of God became incarnate as Jesus Christ, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. Jesus is 100% God and 100% man; the man who died for our sins and rose again the third day. Jesus ascended into heaven with his resurrected body and will return for his church according to his promise. The Church is the true body of Christ, and all who are born again in the Holy Spirit, are its members. We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God. We believe that Adam and Eve, the first man and the first woman being, sinned against God and therefore condemnation fell to the entire human race. We believe that God, in his love and mercy, offers forgiveness and eternal life by grace through faith and not by works of any kind.
Details of Our Doctrine and Articles of Faith are in the Internal Constitution of Iglesia Horeb Baptist.
Our History
Iglesia Bautista Horeb was born in the heart of God over 45 years ago. Since then a countless of experiences, lessons, stories, joys, tears, trials, struggles, miracles and blessings have been experienced by all its members and visitors, who have made history with their services, gifts and talents to the growth and foundation of the work of God. The story of Iglesia Bautista Horeb begins in the city of Torrance, California. The first service was held on September 12, 1968. Prior to the establishment of Iglesia Horeb, it was part of the Spanish ministry at the First Baptist Church of Torrance. The ministry grew and more members continued to arrive and were saved. That was when the Reverend Domingo Ávila and a group of leaders, with the support of the mother church, decided to move to the facilities of the premises located at 925 West 223 Street, Torrance, California, which later became the home of the building used today. The group was recognized as a Church and continued to welcome families who recently immigrated to the United States. Over time, Horeb saw the need to create a ministry in English, where the young and English-speaking members could come and worship God. The need caused the church to decided to bring a youth pastor: Nohan Cruz, in order to help motivate and grow our youth in the knowledge of God's Word, the Lord Jesus Christ being the foundation of their lives. As a bilingual church Iglesia Bautista Horeb now offers services in Spanish and English. Iglesia Bautista Horeb has been blessed to have faithful and God centered pastors, servants dedicated to the service: with its founding pastor Domingo Avila, Nohan Cruz, Yldefonso Valdés with 28 years of service, and our current Pastor José Luis Herladez who is pastoring since 2012. Our church is known for being a welcoming and loving church, a place where Christ's love is practiced.
Who is Jesus?
"Who do you say that I am?" (Matthew 15:15). According to the Word of God, Jesus is our Savior. He is the eternal Son of God who came into the world through incarnation. As the Bible says: "And the Word (Jesus) became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the gift of love of the Father for the salvation of the world (John 3:16-17), who died for all mankind. The Bible tells us that all have sinned; have all committed evil acts. As a result of our sin, we deserve the wrath and judgment of God. All humanity is condemned for sinning against the infinite and eternal God. So we all need to be saved in Christ Jesus.
The Holy Spirit
Iglesia Bautista Horeb believes that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, fully divine. He inspired holy men to write the Scriptures. Through the inspiration He enables men to understand truth and exalts Christ. He convicts men of sin to righteousness and justice. He calls men to the Savior, and begins restoration and rebirth. At the moment of rebirth, He baptizes every believer into the Body of Christ. He forms and develops Christian character in the children of God. The Holy Spirit comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts to serve God through His church. He seals the believer until the day of final redemption. His presence in the Christian is the guarantee that God will bring the believer into the fullness of the stature of Christ. The Holy Spirit illuminates, guides and empowers the believer to live a life of worship, evangelism and service.
Eternal Life
Salvation is individual, permanent and eternal. Salvation involves the redemption of the whole man and is offered freely to all who repent of their sins and confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer. When the sinner confesses his sins and asks Jesus to come into your heart, the Holy Spirit enters the heart of man and is sealed for the day of final redemption. This is known as "Baptism of the Holy Spirit," "Being born of the Spirit." Or "born again." John 3:4-6. When a person is born again, they become a child of God and belongs to God. In its broadest sense, salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.
OUR CITY
The City of Torrance is located in the South Bay. Torrance is the eighth largest city in the Los Angeles County. The city has 30 parks and 1 ½ miles of beach. The beautiful city of Torrance is the birthplace of AYSO and Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy. Several companies call the city of Torrance home. Some of these companies are: Toyota, Honeywell, and Pelican Products.