Introduction
Due
to the various different religious organizations which profess to take the
Bible as their guide as we do, yet differ with us in doctrine, faith, and
practices, we feel constrained to set forth a distinctive declaration of what
we believe; not as a substitute for the Holy Scriptures, but as exponents of
what are conceived to be fundamental doctrines of the Word of God.
I. THE
TRUE GOD
We
believe that there is one, and only one living and true God[1] - an
infinite[2],
intelligent[3], sovereign[4] Spirit[5] whose name
is JEHOVAH[6], the
Creator[7] and Supreme
Ruler of Heaven and Earth[8], inexpressibly glorious in holiness[9], and worthy
of all possible honor, confidence and love[10], that in
the unity of the Godhead there are three Divine Persons, the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Spirit[11], equal in
every Divine perfection[12] and
executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption[13].
II. THE
HOLY SCRIPTURES
We
believe that the Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired[14], and is the
perfect treasure of heavenly instruction[15]; that it
has God for its Author[16], salvation
for its end[17], and truth without
any mixture of error for its matter[18]; that it
reveals the principles by which God will judge us[19]; and
therefore is, and shall remain to the end of the world, the true center of
Christian union[20], and the
supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions should be
tried[21]; and that
the King James Version is the most accurate and best translation available.
III. THE CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE
We
believe that the Genesis account of creation is to be accepted literally and
not figuratively or allegorically; that God created man in His own image[22], and not by
or through the process of evolution from lower species; that all animals and
vegetable life was likewise directly created[23] and placed
under God’s inviolable law that they should bring forth only after their kind[24].
IV. THE
PERSONALITY OF SATAN
We
believe that the Devil or Satan is a personal evil spirit[25], formerly a
holy angel[26], from which
estate he by transgression fell[27], drawing a
host of angels as their leader[28], being the prince
of the power of the darkness of this world[29], that he is
the enemy of God[30], the
tempter[31], and
accuser of the saints[32], the
possessor of the power of death[33], as allowed
by God, that he is the author of all evil and of all false religions[34], the chief
power back of the present apostasy[35]; and that
he is destined to final defeat and destruction in the lake of fire[36].
V. THE
FALL AND DEPRAVITY OF MAN
We
believe that man was originally created upright[37]and finitely
perfect[38] but by voluntary
transgression he fell from his happy and holy estate[39] in
consequence of which disobedience and threatened death was then and there
inflicted[40] and he
totally lost all holiness unto spiritual life, becoming dead in trespasses and
sins and becoming subject to the power of the Devil; that sin of Adam was
imputed to his entire race[41], and that
the corrupt nature has been transmitted to all his posterity by ordinary
generation[42]; and hence
every descendant of Adam is by nature a child of wrath[43], totally destitute
of “spiritual life”[44], at enmity
with God[45], wholly
inclined to evil[46] and without
strength[47] or hope[48] unless
saved by Christ[49] and made
alive by the Holy Spirit[50].
VI. THE
WAY OF SALVATION
We
believe that Jesus Christ was begotten of the Holy Spirit[51] in a
miraculous manner, born of the virgin Mary[52], without a
human father[53]; that He by
the appointment of the Father freely took upon Himself our form, yet without
sin[54], honored
the Divine law by perfect obedience[55], and by His
vicarious death made full atonement for all of the sins of all the elect[56]; that
having risen from the dead He is now enthroned at the right hand of God in
Heaven[57]; and
uniting in His wonderful Person the most tender sympathies with divine
perfections, He is in every way qualified to be a suitable, a compassionate and
an all-sufficient Saviour[58]; that the
full benefit of which is received by faith alone[59] in the shed
blood of Christ[60] and that no
repentance, no faith, no feeling, no resolutions, no sincere efforts, no
submission to rules and regulations of any church, no baptism, nor any other
such thing can in the least way add to the value of the precious blood of the
Lord Jesus Christ[61].
VII. THE
GRACE Of REGENERATION
We
believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be regenerated, or born again[62]; that regeneration consists in giving a holy
disposition to the mind[63]; that it is
effected in a manner above our comprehension by the power of the Holy Spirit,
in connection with divine truth[64], so as to
secure our voluntary obedience to the gospel[65]; and that
its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance[66], faith[67], and
newness of life[68].
VIII. THE
BLESSINGS OF THE GOSPEL
We
believe that the great gospel blessing which Christ secures to those who
believe in Him is salvation; that it includes all the Divine redemptive acts of
God on behalf of the elect, such as effectual calling, which is the Divine act
of God effectually and irresistibly calling the elect to obtain the salvation
which Christ purchased for them by His atonement[69];
justification, which is the Divine act of God whereby He purchased by the shed
blood of Christ[70], and by His
mighty power, the freedom of the believer from the power and dominion of sin[71]; grace, the
Divine disposition of God wherein He saves, not upon any merit of their own[72], but wholly
by the work and merit of Christ[73];
propitiation, the Divine act of God in offering Christ as the sinner’s
substitute[74];
imputation, the Divine act of God whereby He imputes or counts the righteousness
and excellencies of Christ to the believer[75];
forgiveness, the Divine act of God by which He remits the sins of a believer[76];
sanctification, the Divine act of God whereby He imparts His holiness to the
inner man[77], or newly
born one, and sets apart the entire man to the service of God[78];
glorification, the Divine act of God whereby that element or part of man which
is mortal will be changed into a state and condition of immortality[79] being made
like Christ.
IX. THE
WORK OF MISSIONS
We
believe that Jesus Christ gave the New Testament church as an institution a
world-wide and an age-lasting commission[80] to make
disciples of all nations; that the gospel is to be preached to every creature[81]; that all
men everywhere are responsible to repent and believe the gospel[82]; and that
no person will be saved without hearing and receiving the gospel[83]; that the
heathen without the gospel are lost and will be judged by the light of nature
and conscience[84]; that it is
the duty of every New Testament Baptist Church (as they are directed by the
Spirit of God and the majority vote of the whole congregation) to support
missionaries who are sent out by the authority of a local church, who meet the
Bible qualifications of a missionary[85], who
furnish a doctrinal statement, and a disclosure of how mission funds are used.
X.
REPENTANCE AND FAITH
We
believe that repentance and faith are sacred duties, and also inseparable
graces, wrought in our souls by the regenerating Spirit of God[86]; whereby being
deeply convinced of our guilt, danger, and helplessness[87], and of the
way of salvation by Christ[88], we turn to
God with unfeigned contrition, confession, and supplication for mercy[89]; at the
same time heartily receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as our Prophet, Priest, and
King, and relying on Him alone as the only and all-sufficient Saviour[90].
XI. THE
PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS
We
believe that such only are real believers as endure unto the end[91]; that their
persevering attachment to Christ is the grand mark which distinguishes them
from superficial professors[92]; that a
special providence watches over their welfare[93]; and that
they are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation[94].
XII. THE
HARMONY OF THE LAW AND THE GOSPEL
We
believe that the law of God is the eternal and unchangeable rule of His moral
government[95]; that it is
holy, just, and good[96]; and that
the inability which the Scriptures ascribe to fallen men to fulfill its
precepts, arises entirely from their love of sin[97]; to deliver
them from which, and to restore them through Jesus Christ to unfeigned
obedience to the holy law, is one great end of the gospel, and of the means of
grace connected with the establishment of the New Testament Church[98].
XIII. THE
NEW
We
believe that a New Testament church is a local, visible, congregation of
scripturally baptized believers[99], associated
by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel[100]; observing
the ordinances instituted by Christ[101], its only
Head[102]; governed
by His laws alone[103]; that such
an assembly is the body of Christ in its locality[104], with which
all the regenerated should affiliate, for this is the only kind of true church
in the world today; that its officers of ordination are pastors[105] and deacons[106]; that each
assembly has the absolute right to self-government as led by the Holy Spirit,
free from any interference whatsoever from any organization, group, convention,
association, or individual; that it is scriptural for assemblies to cooperate
with each other for the furtherance of the gospel and the doctrines of the Word
of God[107], but that
each church is the sole human judge of the measure and method of its
cooperation; that only sound New Testament Baptist churches today preserve the
essential apostolic faith and practice; that Christ’s promise to build His
church has been fulfilled in only these kind of churches, the first of which He
organized during His earthly ministry[108] and gave to
it, and to others that should descend from it the Great Commission; that these
true churches on earth alone possess Divine authority[109]; therefore,
we brand as unscriptural open communion, alien baptism, pulpit affiliation with
heretical ministers, mission boards, ecumenicalism, unionism, modernism, modern
conventionism and associationism, one-church dictatorship,
preacher-dictatorship and all kindred evils arising from these practices.
XIV. THE
ORDINANCE OF BAPTISM
We
believe that Bible baptism is the dipping into water[110] of a
penitent believer[111] by the Divine
authority of a true New Testament Baptist Church[112] in the name
of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, not in order to obtain the
remission of sins, but to declare that the believer has already been saved by
the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ[113] and to
picture in a most solemn emblem His death to sin and resurrection to walk in
newness of life; that it is a prerequisite to membership in the church and
participation in the Lord’s Supper[114]; that the
ceremonial washing of sins is only pictorial[115]; therefore,
all valid baptism must be administered by the authority of a true New Testament
Baptist church, and any so-called Baptist church which knowingly receives alien
immersion is not a Scriptural Baptist church, and its ordinances are not valid.
XV. THE
LORD’S SUPPER
We
believe that the Lord’s Supper is not a sacrament, but a solemn symbolic
ordinance placed in the church by our Lord[116], in which
the members of the one church observing the ordinance[117], by the use
of unleavened bread and wine, commune not with one another, but the Lord[118]; that it
shows forth not their love for one another, but their Lord’s death till He
comes[119]; that the
one loaf of the supper points to the unity of the body observing it[120], which
unity is essential to the scriptural observance of the ordinance[121].
XVI. THE
LORD’S DAY
We
believe that the first day of the week is the Lord’s Day[122]; that it is
to be kept sacred to religious purposes[123]; that
Christians should refrain from all secular labor and worldly recreations[124]; that they
should devoutly use all the means of grace, both private and public, by which
they may be drawn closer to God and provoked to holier living[125], and in
preparation for the rest which remains for the people of God[126].
XVII. CIVIL GOVERNMENT
We
believe that civil government is of divine appointment and arrangement, for the
best interests and good order of human society[127]; and that
magistrates are to be prayed for[128],
conscientiously honored and obeyed[129] except in
matters opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ[130] who is the only Lord of men’s conscience, and
the Prince of the kings of earth[131].
XVIII.
GODLY LIVING
We
believe that born-again believers should abstain from all appearance of evil[132]; that they
are to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present evil world[133]; that they
are to be careful to maintain good works[134]; that they
are to seek in every possible way to serve Jesus Christ[135] and to walk
worthy of their high and heavenly calling[136]; that
failure to do this will result in chastisement[137]; and that
continued disobedience proves one is a stranger to the saving grace of God[138].
XIX. THE
RIGHTEOUS AND THE WICKED
We
believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous
and the wicked[139]; that such
only as are regenerate, being justified through faith in Jesus Christ and
sanctified by the Spirit of our God, are truly righteous in His esteem[140]; while all
such as continue in impenitence and unbelief are, in His sight, wicked, and
under His righteous judgment[141]; and this
distinction holds among men both in life and after death[142].
XX. THE
RESURRECTIONS
We
believe that there will be a resurrection both of the righteous and the wicked[143]; that there
will be one thousand years of time intervening between the resurrection of the
righteous and of the wicked[144]; that the
dead in Christ shall rise first[145]; and that
at the expiration of the one thousand years the wicked will be raised and
judged[146].
XXI. THE
SECOND COMING OF CHRIST
We
believe that the second coming of Christ is to be premillennial, bodily,
visible, and that it will consist of two stages: His pretribulational appearance in the air
and His post-tribulational coming to earth; that at the rapture all those who
sleep in Christ will be raised in glorified bodies and all saints who live and
remain on the earth will be translated that they should not see death and
caught up with them in the air[147]; that at
His coming to earth[148] He will sit
on the throne of His glory for the first time[149], judging
all men then living on the earth[150], receiving
the righteous into His kingdom and sending the unrighteous into everlasting
fire[151]; that the
throne of David is His throne[152]; that the
two stages of His coming will be separated by a seven-year tribulation period[153] during
which the woes depicted in the Book of Revelation will be poured out during the
reign of the Antichrist[154]; that
during the tribulation period on earth the judgment seat of Christ and the
marriage of the Lamb will take place in Heaven[155] after which
the Lord Jesus Christ will return with all the saints for the battle of
Armageddon[156]; that Satan
will be bound a thousand years[157], and the
saints will reign a thousand years with Christ on earth[158].
XXII. THE
FINAL STATES
We
believe that the earth will be redeemed from the curse of sin and fitted as the
eternal dwelling place of the people of God[159]; that the
fitting of the earth for the eternal home of the redeemed will be by a process
of purification by fire[160]; that the
finally impenitent and incorrigibly wicked will be cast, both souls and
resurrected bodies[161], into the
lake of fire and brimstone[162], where they
shall be punished forever[163].
CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS
PREAMBLE: Under the authority of Jesus Christ to this
New Testament Baptist Church, the pillar and ground of the truth, we submit
ourselves to this covenant that we believe to be in line with the pattern set
forth by the first church that was founded by and built upon Jesus Christ.
NAME: The name of this church which is located at
PURPOSE:
• This
church is committed by the grace of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit to
the
declaration and adherence to the complete and inspired Word of God.
• To
worship, exalt and bring praise to, in spirit and truth, the majesty,
supremacy,
and
sovereignty of the triune God.
By
continuing to consistently assemble ourselves together[164] to maintain
the New
Testament
pattern of the church which is the pillar and ground of the truth and the
preservation
of that truth as the church’s grave responsibility.
• That
the Lord might work through us by way of personal testimony, the work of
missions,
and the testimony of the church.
MEMBERSHIP: Anyone professing faith in the Godman Jesus
Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, giving evidence of a changed heart
and declaring themselves in accord with the principles and practices of this
assembly may become a candidate for membership.
Be it resolved that membership in this assembly may be gained in three
ways and may be lost in three ways.
I. Gaining Membership: We will add to our membership those who:
1. Profess faith in Christ and come for scriptural
baptism.
2. Come by letter from a church of like
faith and order.
3. Come by statement that they are saved
and scripturally baptized but
it
is impossible or impractical to secure a letter.
Note: One coming by statement must be for a reason
acceptable to this
assembly
and can by no means be accepted if scripturally disciplined from a
sister
church.
II. Losing Membership: We will delete from our membership those who:
1. Die and go to be with our Lord.
2. Are dismissed by a letter of good
standing to a Baptist church of
like
faith and order in another locality.
3. Are disciplined for doctrinal or moral
apostasy.
OFFICERS: This assembly, as organized under the bylaws
of this constitution, may elect from its membership the following officers for
the purpose of facilitating business activities, acquiring and holding real
estate, and handling financial records and correspondence.
I. Pastor: The Pastor is the
ordained overseer and under-shepherd of the
assembly. His qualifications are recorded in I Timothy
3:1-7 and Titus
1:1-9. He shall act as moderator in the business
meetings. In his absence
any
other brother may be appointed temporary moderator by a simple
majority
vote of the assembly.
II. Deacon: The deacons are officially recognized
servants in the church[165].
They
may be appointed as the need arises and publicly ordained to fulfill
their
office in caring for the outward needs of the Pastor and membership,
the
material interests and secular things of
the church and to assist the
spiritual
unity and growth of the flock.
Note: The term of Pastor and Deacon shall be
indefinite and all other
subsequent
officers shall be reviewed and ratified annually during the
January
business meeting.
III. Trustee: The church incorporated shall appoint
trustees required by law
to
act on behalf of the assembly in legal matters.
They do not have to be
deacons,
and they shall in no way have authority to dispose of property in
any
manner except as the church shall order by corporate act.
IV. Treasurer: The Treasurer is to receive all monies of
the church, to keep a
true
and fair record of accounts and make a full report to the church as
directed
by the church.
V. Clerk: The
Clerk shall keep a fair and complete record of all proceedings,
have
charge of all records, keep a register of all members of the church and
write
letters of dismissal when called for.
VI: Other: Other officers may be elected as the church
feels led of the Holy
Spirit
to do so, such as Sunday school teachers, etc.
VII. All officers may be removed from office as
the church feels led by the Holy
Spirit
to do so.
CHURCH
COVENANT: Having been led, as we believe,
by the Spirit of God, to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour, and on
the profession of our faith having been baptized in the name of the Father, and
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, 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.
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; to give it a sacred pre-eminence over all institutions of human
origin; 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.
We also engage to maintain family
and secret devotions; to religiously educate our children; to seek the
salvation of our kindred and acquaintances; to walk circumspectly in the world;
to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our
deportment; to abstain from the sale of intoxicating drinks as a beverage, to
shun pornography, and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of
our Saviour.
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 Saviour to secure it without
delay.
We moreover engage that when we
remove from this place we will as soon as possible, unite with some other
church of like faith and order, where we can carry out the spirit of this
covenant and the principles of God’s Word.
GOVERNMENT
AND OPERATION: Though not bound by iron
clad parliamentary law, all business meetings, whether routine or special,
shall be conducted decently and in order with Christian love and courtesy[166].
I. Regular Meetings: The regular meetings of the church will be
sufficient for
both
purpose of worship and business. The man
is to fill the spot of
leadership
in the public assembly, the woman being subject to the man
according to divine order[167]. It is therefore the responsibility of the man
and
not the woman to do the praying, preaching, and speaking in the
assembly[168]. The symbol displayed by a woman in Godly
submission to
her
head is a headcovering which is worn voluntarily symbolizing her
subjection[169].
II. Special Meetings: One special meeting must be held by the
church
(incorporated)
annually for the purpose of electing and verifying her legal
trustees. This meeting shall be held at the regularly
scheduled January
business
meeting. Public notice must be given at
the Lord’s Day worship
service
at least one week prior to a special meeting stating its purpose. A
special
meeting must be called by the assembly for the amending of this
constitution
or for the calling or dismissing of a Pastor.
III. Procedure of Business: The suggested guideline for all business
meetings
is
as follows.
1. Call to order by the moderator.
2. Minutes of the last meeting to be read,
corrected or approved as
read.
3. Financial report read, corrected or
approved.
4. Unfinished business.
5. Correspondence.
6. New Business.
7. Adjourn.
IV. Rules of Decorum:
1. Prayer is always in order prior to the
moderator’s call to order and he decides on all votes and rules of order.
2. No question shall be discussed without
a motion and a second.
3. No one is to speak unless recognized by
the moderator and only members, both male and female, may vote but not by
proxy.
4. Any male member may stand and when
recognized by the moderator may submit his question or motion.
5. When two members arise to speak at the
same time, preference shall be given the one farthest from the moderator.
6. If any member does not understand a
proposition to be voted on, any male member may ask a question for
clarification at any time.
7. All remarks must be confined in a
Christian manner to the matter at hand or be ruled out of order.
8. The majority of the votes settles all
questions.
9. To reconsider a motion that has passed,
someone who voted for it must make the motion to reconsider.
10. A motion and second to adjourn is not
debatable and is always in order except when someone is speaking or a vote is
being taken.
11. No business meeting shall be held when
the pastor is absent.
V. Finances: Both the Old Testament and the New Testament
teach tithing as God’s financial plan for the work of the ministry. Therefore, we shall depend solely upon Him,
and wait upon the faithfulness of the saints for the financial support of this
church in the God-ordained manner[170].