The key beliefs that we adhere to are:
· The Bible is the inspired, written Word of God containing no error.
· God is the creator of the world and is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
· Humans have been made in the image of God, but sin has marred that image.
· Jesus Christ is the living and only Son of God, who lived, died, and rose again that we
might have eternal life in the Kingdom of God.
· The Holy Spirit fills individual believers and the Body of Christ so that they can continue
Christ's work upon the earth.
· Salvation is God's gift of grace to the world, which must be accepted and acted upon in
simple faith.
Our beliefs regarding the church are as follows:
Believers' Church
A New Testament church is made up of believers only. Each member is responsible and accountable to Christ as Lord.
Believer's Baptism
Baptism by immersion in water is the rite of initiation into the church. It is reserved for those who publicly profess their faith in Jesus Christ. Therefore, we baptize believers only, not infants.
The Lord's Supper
The Lord's Supper is a celebration of the presence and grace of Jesus Christ. The Lord's Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby members of the church, through partaking of the bread and the fruit of the vine, memorialize the death of the Redeemer and anticipate His second coming.
Church Offices
The two church offices in a Baptist congregation are ministers and deacons. Both are servant-leaders, whose ultimate calling is to lead the people of God to fulfill the Great Commission ("Go into all the world and make disciples...") and the Great Commandment ("Love the Lord ... and love your neighbor ...").
Priesthood of All Believers
All Christians are priests before God. Baptists elevate the laity so that every member is a minister.
Autonomy of the Local Church
Every Baptist church is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers. No church has to gain permission from another church in order to do what it believes is the will of God. At the same time, Baptist churches have a long history of cooperating with one another to expand and further the Kingdom of God in the world.
Religious Liberty
In their earliest years, Baptists were persecuted for their convictions about religious liberty. Having suffered at the hands of those who wanted to unite church and state, Baptists have long stood for the absolute religious liberty of all people, achieved through the separation of church and state. "A free church in a free nation" is the motto of Baptists.
