- Scripture Doctrines
   - GOD
   - THE FATHER
   - THE SON
   - THE Holy Spirit
   - Man
   - Sin
   - Salvation
   - Local Church
   - Angels
   - Last Things

Doctrinal Statements

Doctrine of THE LOCAL CHURCH

1. I believe that God has chosen to work through the institution of local church in this dispensation. [Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 3:1-10; Colossians 1:24-26]

   • The membership is restricted to born again, immersed believers. [Acts 2:38; 41; 1 Corinthians 1:2,16]

   • The Head of the Church is Christ. [Acts 5:29; Ephesians 1:22-23]

   • The authority of the church is the Word of God; all creeds, covenants and statement of faith must be in accordance with Scriptures [2 Timothy 3:14; 4:4; 2 Peter 3:1,2]

2. I believe that the mission of the church is to carry out the Great Commission and practice the Ordinances.

   • The Great Commission directs the church to win the lost, baptize those converts, and teach them the Word of God. [Matthews 28:19-20]

   • The two ordinances of the church are Baptism and Lord's Supper.

   • Baptism is immersion into water, symbolizing the death, burial, and resurrection to the new life. [Romans 6:1-6]

   • The Lord's Supper is a memorial of the death of Christ, the bread being a picture of a broken body and THE FRUIT OF THE VINE [grape juice] a picture of a shed blood, and is only for immersed believers of that Local Church.[Closed Communion] [1 Corinthians 11:20-34]

   • These two ordinances are for the church as a body. They should NOT be practiced outside the context of the Local Church. [Acts 2:41; 1 Corinthians 11:20-34]

   • These two ordinances are works and not a means of grace. Salvation must precede both, and both must follow salvation for a Christian to be obedient. [Acts 2:41; 1 Corinthians 11:20-34]

   • The church is to be supported by the freewill offerings of its people. It may not or should depend on any outside sources of income. [I Corinthians 16:2; 2 Corinthians 9:7]

3. I believe that the officers of the church are Pastors and deacons [Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3] both are to be elected by the church in accordance with the qualifications laid down in Scriptures. [Acts 6:1-6; 14:23]

   • The qualifications of the pastor are given in 1 Timothy 3:1-7

   • The duties of the pastor are:

   • Elder- The president of the assembly [Acts 11:30; 15:13-27; 1 Timothy 5:17]

   • Bishop- The Overseer of the working force [Acts 20:28; Titus 1:7-13]

   • Pastor- The Shepherd of the flock [Acts 20:38; Ephesians 4:11; 1 Peter 5:2]

   • Preacher- To the congregation [Romans 10:14; 1 Timothy 4:2]

   • Teacher- To the congregation [Ephesians 4:11]

4. I believe that there are nine Distinctives, which separate Baptist Churches from others.

   • The Bible is the only rule of faith and practice [2 Timothy 3:16]

   • All Church members must be born again and bear viable testimony [Acts 2:41]

   • Each church is autonomous, providing its own support, selecting its own officers, and being responsible for its own actions. [Acts 1:15-26; 6:1-6; 1 Corinthians 5:4-5]

   • Every believer is a priest before God, needing no mediator except Christ. [1 Timothy 2:5; 1 Peter 2:9]

   • No man maybe coerced into believing, each man is at liberty to believe as he wishes, in keeping with scriptures. [Philippians 2:12-13]

   • The only two ordinances are the Baptism and Lord’s Supper [Acts 8:37-38; 1 Corinthians 11:26]

   • Church and state should be separated. Obedience to the state is expected until such a time as that obedience interferes with Scriptural principles. [Matthew 22:21; Acts 5:29]

   • The Christian as an individual and the church as a whole is to be separated from this world and its errors, unbelief, and compromise. [2 Corinthians 6;14-17] The social condition of today’s culture has raised the issue of divorce. I believe that the Scripture teaches that there is to be no divorce for the Christian [Romans 7:1-6; Mark 10:6-12]. No divorced person may be elected officer of the church.

   • The church is to separate itself ecclesiastically. I stand opposed to Modernism, Lifestyle Evangelism, Liberalism, Neo-Orthodoxy, New Evangelicalism, Ecumenicalism, Ecumenical Evangelism and the Charismatic Movement. While separating itself from these forms of denial, the church may and should fellowship with churches of like faith and practice, although this fellowship should NOT be on an organized level.

5. I believe that the Local Church is the only Scriptural Agency for sending out local or foreign church planters. It is unscriptural to be under mission boards or organized fellowships as agency for the cause of mission.

6. I believe that a true Independent Baptist Church should be unaffiliated with any such mission agencies and Fellowships.