Our Beliefs
God is Triune
We affirm the oneness of God manifest in God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God is the Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer of creation. God the Father is revealed in the Son, Jesus Christ; and God the Holy Spirit makes the revelation complete and effective.
Lordship of Jesus Christ
We profess, “Jesus is Lord,” and we make a commitment to Christ’s Church. Salvation is by grace through faith in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, and the life of Jesus is the model for our faith and practice.
Authority of the Bible
We affirm the Bible as the inspired Word of God, and as our guide in matters of faith and practice. God is revealed through the reading of scripture, revealing the hope of the kingdom of God. We, led by the Spirit, respond to its teachings, reading them in the light of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.
Church as a Body of Christ
We are called as disciples of Jesus Christ to embody the love of God, as the people are the church. We are called to the mission of God, extending the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. We affirm a spirit of cooperation among Baptist churches as well as other denominations, embracing the diversity of the Church.
Worship
We gather for worship on the Lord’s Day, celebrating the gift of grace, building community within the church, and renewing our commitment to the ministry of the church. We affirm the two ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Baptism symbolizes the confession of believers in Christ as Lord and Savior. The Lord’s Supper symbolizes the death of Christ as forgiveness for our sins.
Soul Freedom
We affirm the competency of each believer to approach God for himself or herself, honoring people’s access to God through Christ. We hold that all believers, led by God’s Spirit, have the duty and responsibility to study, to interpret, and to respond to the teachings of scripture.
Priesthood of all Believers
We affirm that through the redemption of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, each believer is called to engage in ministry. Each believer comes before God through Christ, so the clergy and the laity of the church minister together as the body of Christ.
Religious Freedom
The history of the Baptist tradition affirms the separation of church and state, upholding the freedom of believers to worship and practice their faith based solely on the dictates of conscience.
Autonomy of the Local Church
We affirm the responsibility of each local congregation to govern its own affairs, shaping its mission, policy, and actions.