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OUR BELIEFS
--ARTICLES
OF FAITH --
1.
God: God is revealed to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, each
with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence
or being.
2. The Trinity: There
is but one God, the Maker, Preserver and Ruler of all things, having in
and of himself all perfections, and being infinite in them all; and to
him all creatures owe the highest love, reverence and obedience.
3. The Scriptures: The
Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments were given by inspiration of God,
and are the only sufficient, certain and authoritative rule of all saving
knowledge, faith and obedience.
4. Providence: God
from eternity decrees or permits all things that come to pass, and perpetually
upholds, directs and governs all creatures and all events; yet so as not
in any wise to be the author or approver of sin nor to destroy the free
will and responsibility of intelligent creatures.
5. Election: Election
is God's eternal choice of persons unto everlasting life--not because of
foreseen merit in them, but of His mere mercy in Christ--in consequence
of which choice they are called, justified and glorified.
6. The Fall
Of Man: God originally created man in His image, and free from sin;
but, through the temptation of Satan, he transgressed the command of
God, and fell from his original holiness and righteousness; whereby
his posterity inherits nature corrupt and wholly opposed to God and
His law, and under condemnation, and as soon as they are capable of
moral action, become actual transgressors.
7. The Mediator: Jesus
Christ, the only begotten Son of God, is the divinely appointed mediator
between God and man. Having taken upon himself human nature, yet without
sin, He perfectly fulfilled the law, suffered and died upon the cross for
the salvation of sinners. He was buried, and rose again the third day,
and ascended to His Father, at whose right hand He ever liveth to make
intercession for His people. He is the only Mediator, the Prophet, Priest
and King of the Church, and Sovereign of the Universe.
8. Regeneration: Regeneration
is a change of heart, wrought by the Holy Spirit, who quickeneth the dead
in trespasses and sins, enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly
to understand the Word of God, and renewing their whole nature, so that
they love and practice holiness. It is a work of God's free and special
grace alone.
9. Repentance: Repentance
is an evangelical grace wherein a person being, by the Holy Spirit, made
sensible of the manifold evil of his sin, humbleth himself for it, with
godly sorrow, detestation of it, and self-abhorrence, with a purpose and
endeavor to walk with God so as to please him in all things.
10. Faith: Saving
faith is the belief, on God's authority, of whatsoever is revealed in his
Word concerning Christ; accepting and resting upon Him alone for justification,
sanctification and eternal life. It is wrought in the heart by the Holy
Spirit, and is accompanied by all other saving graces, and leads to a life
of holiness.
11. Justification: Justification
is God's gracious and full acquittal of sinners, who believe in Christ,
from all sin, through the satisfaction that Christ has made; not for anything
wrought in them or done by them; but on account of the obedience and satisfaction
of Christ, they receiving and resting on Him and His righteousness by faith.
12. Sanctification: Those
who have been regenerated are also sanctified, by God's Word and Spirit
dwelling in them. This sanctification is progressive through the supply
of Divine strength, which all saints seek to obtain, pressing after a heavenly
life in cordial obedience to all Christ's commands.
13. Perseverance
of the Saints: Those whom God hath accepted in the Beloved, and
sanctified by His Spirit, will never totally nor finally fall away from
the state of grace but shall certainly persevere to the end; and though
they may fall, impair their graces and comforts, bring reproach on the
Church, and temporal judgments on themselves, yet they shall be renewed
again unto repentance, and be kept by the power of God through faith
unto salvation.
14. The Church: The
Lord is the Head of the Church, which is composed of all his true disciples,
and in Him is invested supremely all power for its government. According
to his commandment, Christians are to associate themselves into particular
societies or churches; and to each of these churches he hath given needful
authority for administering that order, discipline and worship which he
hath appointed. The regular officers of a church are Pastors and Deacons.
15. Baptism: Baptism
is an ordinance of the Lord Jesus, obligatory upon every believer, wherein
he is immersed in water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and
of the Holy Spirit, as a sign of his fellowship with the death and resurrection
of Christ, of remission of sins, and of his giving himself up to God, to
live and walk in newness of life.
16. The Lord's
Supper: The Lord's Supper is an ordinance of Jesus Christ, to be
administered with the elements of bread and wine, and to be observed
by his churches till the end of the world. It is in no sense a sacrifice,
but is designed to commemorate His death, to confirm the faith and other
graces of Christians, and to be bond, pledge and renewal of their communion
with Him, and of their church fellowship.
17. The Lord's
Day: The Lord's Day is a Christian institution for regular observance,
and should be employed in exercises of worship and spiritual devotion,
both public and private, resting from worldly employments and amusements,
works of necessity and mercy only excepted.
18. Liberty
of Conscience: God alone is Lord of the conscience, and He hath
left it free from doctrines and commandments of men, which are in anything
contrary to His Work, or not contained in it. Civil magistrates being
ordained of God, subjection in all lawful things commanded by them ought
to be yielded by us in the Lord, not only for wrath, but also for conscience
sake.
19. The Resurrection: The
bodies of men after death return to dust, but their spirits return immediately
to God--the righteous to rest with Him; the wicked, to be reserved under
darkness to the judgment. At the last day, the bodies of all the dead,
both just and unjust, will be raised.
20. The Judgment: God
hath appointed a day, wherein he will judge the world by Jesus Christ,
when every one shall receive according to his deeds: the wicked shall go
away into everlasting judgment; the righteous, into everlasting life.
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CHURCH COVENANT --
Having
been led, as we believe, by the Spirit of God, to receive the Lord Jesus
Christ as our Savior, and on the profession of our faith having been baptized
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we do
now in the presence of God, angels, and this assembly, most solemnly and
joyfully enter into covenant with one another, as one body in Christ.
For The Advancement
Of This Church: We engage, therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit,
to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of
this church, in knowledge, holiness, and comfort; to promote its prosperity
and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline and
doctrines.
As Christian
Stewards: To contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support
of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor,
and the spread of the gospel through all nations.
Alone And At
Home: We also engage to maintain family and secret devotions; to
educate our children religiously; to seek the salvation of our kindred
and acquaintances.
Before The
World: To walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings,
faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment; to avoid
all tattling, backbiting, and excessive anger; to abstain from the sale
and use of intoxicating drinks as a beverage; and to be zealous in our
efforts to advance the kingdom of our Savior.
Toward One
Another: We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly
love; to remember each other in prayer; to aid each other in sickness
and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and courtesy
in speech; to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation
and, mindful of the rules of our Savior, to secure it without delay.
When We Move: We
moreover engage that when we remove from this place, we will as soon as
possible unite with some other church, where we can carry out the spirit
of this covenant and the principles of God's Word.
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SOME BELIEFS WE CHERISH --
1. We
believe that the Bible is God's Word to man and that it is the only sufficient
authority as the rule of doctrine and practice.
2. We believe
in a regenerated church membership and that the conversion experience is
a prerequisite to church membership.
3. In the
New Testament the candidate was taken to the water, the candidate was placed
in the water; so we believe in immersion as answering Christ's command
of baptism and symbolizing the heart of the gospel message--death, burial,
resurrection.
4. We believe
in the New Testament order of baptism and the Lord's Supper.
5. We believe
in the right of each member of the church to a voice in its government,
plans, and discipline. A Baptist church is a true democracy at work.
6. We believe
in the freedom of the individual conscience; in the voluntary principle,
not the coercive principle, in religion.
7. We believe
in the total independence and separation of church and state.
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CHARACTER --
Polity: The
government of this church is vested in the body of believers who compose
it. It is subject to the control of no other ecclesiastical body, but it
recognizes and sustains the obligations of mutual counsel and cooperation
which are common among Baptist churches.
Doctrine: This
church received the Scriptures as its authority in matters of faith and
practice. Its understanding of Christian truth as contained therein is
in essential accord with the belief of the Baptist churches as indicated
in the Articles of Faith herewith.
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