By Faith Baptist Church

1. We believe that God inspired all Scriptures and has completely preserved it for us in the “Word of God”, as found in the Authorized King James Bible. It is the only authority that we can use to guide our worship, service, and conduct. The Authorized King James Bible shall be the standard for all English language preaching, teaching, or other activities where the Bible is used including weddings and funerals. There will be no other versions of the Bible used at

By Faith Baptist Church. 2 Tim 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21

2. We believe in only one God, existing in three persons, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost yet one in the Godhead.

Ex 20:2-3; Deut 6:4; Mat 28:19; John 14:10, 26; 2 Cor 3:4

3. We believe that Jesus is both the Son of God and God the son, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin, Mary. He lived a sinless life, died on the cross for our sins, to redeem all mankind. He rose bodily from dead, ascended into heaven, and today sits at the Fathers’ right hand as our intercessor. Is 9:6-7; John 3:14-18;

Acts 1:1-11

4. We believe that the Holy Spirit is the person of the Godhead that today works to convict a lost soul of its sin, and abides with each believer, indwelling within the believer to teach, bestow gifts, guides, and seals the believer unto the coming day of redemption. John 3:5-6; 14:16-17, 15:26-27; Rom 8:14-17

5. We believe that Satan is a created being, as are all angels. Among other things, his work today is that of blinding the minds of unbelievers; however, he shall be cast into the Lake of Fire forever at the end of the millennial reign of Christ. Mat 4:11; 2 Cor 4:4; Rev 20:10

6. We believe that God created man in His own image, but because of Adam’s sin, fellowship with God was broken. From that time forward all mankind has inherited a sinful nature, and came into this world lost, and in need of a Saviour. Gen 1 and 2; Gen 3:1-6; Rom 3:10-19

7. We believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose again for our justification, and that it is the Holy Spirit that draws men to Christ through hearing of the “Word of God”. The Grace of God saves each person through faith in the shed blood of Jesus, works having no part in salvation. Salvation is the free gift of God, and is possessed by any and all who have faith in and have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. John 3:16; Rom 5:8; Eph 2:8-9

8. We believe that once a person receives Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour that God has promised them eternal life, the Holy Ghost being the guarantee. John 10:28-29; Rom 8:1, 35-39; 1 Cor 1:4-8

9. We believe that for the saved, at death, the soul goes immediately into the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ forever until the resurrection of the body, at His coming. We will then be glorified, sinless and perfect, forever in the presence of the Lord. We believe that at death, the lost soul moves into conscious misery, in Hell until the Great White Throne Judgment when the body will be reunited with the soul and cast into the Lake of Fire for everlasting punishment, torment and separation from God. Luke 16:19-23, John 14:1-3; Rev 20:15, 21-22

10. We believe in the New Testament Church, “a called-out assembly” of believers. The local church is an

autonomous group of baptized believers through which God has chosen to do His work in the present age

with Christ as its head. God has commissioned the Church to win the lost, baptize believers, and edify the saints.

Acts 14:27, 20:17, 28-32; 1 Tim 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11

11. We believe that God has given the Church the authority to perform two ordinances:

a) Baptism – the immersing in water, after a profession of one’s faith in the Lord Jesus Christ unto salvation, as a means of identifying the Christian with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, administered in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Mat 28:19; Acts 8:36-39

b) The Lord’s Supper – a memorial conducted in remembrance of Christ’s suffering and atoning death. We practice “closed” communion, meaning that only those who profess and practice “like faith”, leaving the decision to participate up to the individual. 1 Cor 11:17-34

· We use unfermented grape juice and unleavened bread as the elements representing the blood and body of Jesus Christ.

12. We believe in missions as an important part of the church. We believe that the Church is commissioned to make disciples from the nations, baptizing them and teaching them to observe the commandments of Christ and His Word. We believe this Church has the responsibility to financially support missionaries preaching and teaching the gospel around the world. Mat 28:19-20; Mark 16:15, Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; 2 Cor 5:20

13. We believe the saved should be separated unto the Lord Jesus Christ, necessitating holy living in all aspects of our personal lives, being separated from this world. God commands His people to separate from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices, and associations, and to refrain from all immodest and immoderate appearances, piercings, and bodily markings. Lev 19:28; Rom 12:1-2; 14:13; 1 Cor 6:19-20; 2 Cor 6:14-17;

2 Tim 3:1-5; 1 John 2:15-17; 2 John 9-11

14. We believe that God created the heavens and the earth, including all life, “each after its own kind”, by a direct act and not by any process of evolution. We believe that God created the universe in six literal, 24-hour periods. We reject evolution and any other theories of creation as unscriptural. Gen1-2; Ex 20:11

15. We believe that every Christian, as a steward of that portion of God’s wealth entrusted to him, is obligated to financially support his local Church. We believe that God has established the tithe as a basis for giving, but that every Christian should also give other offerings sacrificially and cheerfully to the support of the Church, the relief of those in need, and the spread of the Gospel. We believe that a Christian relinquishes all rights to direct the use of his tithe or offering once the gift has been made. Gen 14:20; Prov. 3:9-10; Acts 4:34-37; 1 Cor 16:2; 2 Cor 9:6-7; Eph 4:28;

1 Tim 5:17-18; 1 John 3:17

16. We believe in the bodily, personal, and pre-millennial return of Jesus Christ. That He will come before the seven year Tribulation period to catch away His Church, coming only in the air, and that He will return with His church at the close of the Tribulation to judge the living nations and to set up His Kingdom. Ps 89:3-4; Dan 2:31-45; Zech 14:4-11; 1 Thes 1:10, 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; Rev 3:10, 19:11-16, 20:1-6

17. We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of marriage. We believe that marriage is only to be between one man and one woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, incest, fornication, adultery, and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one’s gender by surgery or appearance. We believe that the only Scriptural marriage is the joining of one man and one woman. Under no circumstances will there be any other type of marriage performed at By Faith Baptist Church. Gen 2:24; 19:5, 13, 26:8-9; Lev 18:1-30; Rom 1:26-29, 7:2;

1 Cor 5:1, 6:9, 7:10; Eph 5:22-23; 1 Thes 4:1-8; Heb 13:4

18. We believe that men and women are spiritually equal in position before God but God has ordained distinct and separate spiritual functions for men and women in the home and the Church. The husband is to be the leader of the home, and men are to be the leaders (pastors, preachers, and deacons) of the Church. Accordingly, only men are eligible for licensure and ordination by the Church. Gal 3:28; Col 3:18; 1 Tim 2:8-15, 3:4-5, 12

19. We believe that God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. The husband is to love his wife as Christ loves the Church. The wife is to submit herself to the scriptural leadership of her husband as the Church submits to the headship of Christ. Children are an heritage of the Lord. Parents are responsible for teaching their children spiritual and moral values and leading them, through consistent lifestyle example and appropriate discipline, including Scriptural corporal correction. Gen 1:26-28; Ex 20:12; Deut 6:4-9; Ps 127:3-5; Prov 19:18, 22:15, 23:13-14; Mk 10:6-12; 1 Cor 7:1-6; Eph 5:21-33, 6:1-4; Col 3:18-21; Heb 13:4; 1 Pet 3:1-7

20. We believe that we should demonstrate love for others, not only toward fellow believers, but also toward both those who are not believers, those who oppose us, and those who engage in sinful actions. We are to deal with those who oppose us graciously, gently patiently, and humbly. God forbids the stirring up of strife, the taking of revenge, or the threat or the use of violence as a means of resolving personal conflict or obtaining personal justice. Although God commands us to abhor sinful actins, we are to love and pray for any person who engages in such sinful actions.

Lev 19:18, Mat 5:44-48; Luke 6:31; John 13:34-35; Rom 12:9-10, 17-21, 13:8-10; Phil 2:2-4; 2 Tim 2:24-26; Titus 3:2; 1 John 3:17-18

21. We believe that God disapproves of divorce and intends marriage to last until one of the spouses dies. Divorce and remarriage is regarded as adultery except on the grounds of fornication. Although divorced persons or divorced and remarried persons may hold positions of service in the Church and be greatly used of God for Christian service, they may not be considered for the offices of Pastor, Deacon, Sunday School Superintendent or Teachers. Mal 2:14-17; Mat 19:3-12; Rom 7:1-3; 1 Tim 3:2, 12; Titus 1:6

22. We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn human life and that abortion is murder. Job 3:16; Ps 51:5,

Ps 139:14-16; Is 44:24, 49:1, 5; Jer 1:5, 20:15-18; Luke 1:44

23. We believe that God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: 1) the home, 2) the Church, and 3) the state. Every person is subject to these authorities, but all (including the authorities themselves) are answerable to God and governed by His Word. God has given each institution specific Biblical responsibilities and balanced those responsibilities with the understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the other. The home, the Church, and the state are equal and sovereign in their respective Biblically assigned spheres of responsibility under God. We believe that we must obey the state unless it requires us to act contrary to our faith at which time we must obey God rather than the state. Mat 22:15-22; Acts 5:29; Rom 13;1-7; Eph 5:22-24; Titus 3:1-2; Heb 13:17; 1 Pet 2:13-14

24. We believe that the music ministry of this Church should be Godly Christian music that is Christ honoring. Only music that meets these requirements as determined by the Pastor will be allowed to be used at By Faith Baptist Church for all services and special events including weddings and funerals. Eph 5:19; Col 3:16

The preceding beliefs are a systematic statement of that which our Church believes to be the teaching of the Bible as the Word of God and that which our Church preaches and teaches in its services and Bible school. This does not exhaust the extent of our faith and the Bible is the final authority in all decisions. We do believe; however, that the foregoing Articles of Faith and Doctrinal Statement represents the teaching of the Bible and therefore is binding upon all members. All literature used in the church shall be in complete agreement with these beliefs. It is the standard to which the Pastor and all deacons, Church officers, and teachers of the Church are required to subscribe.