9. Immersion of believers and the Lords Supper the only two ordinances. A spokesman for Prestonwood Baptist Church, where Mr. Graham is pastor, said the church "categorically denies" the way the report characterizes an incident under his leadership in which it . Inclusion of a statement that Baptists honor the principles of soul competency and the priesthood of believer. We also believe in the personal, visible, and glorious return of Christ to the earth with His saints at the end of the Great Tribulation. Regarding marriage, the BF&M added Article XVIII to specify the husband is the head of the household (though it is to be understood in a complementarian role, not as an autocrat). We hold that the local church has the absolute right of self-government, free from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations. [citation needed] Nothing in the BF&M prohibits or discourages the wife from holding outside employment, nor the husband from doing household duties traditionally considered those of the wife. The Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, equal with God the Father and God the Spirit and of the same nature. Repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace. We believe the Savior, by His atoning work and through His Gospel, gave hope to every member of the human family. (Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:1-47; Acts 15:13-18; Acts 20:17-28; Romans 1:16; Romans 3:22; 1 Corinthians 11:2; 1 Corinthians 12:12-13; Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 1:22-23; Ephesians 2:13-16; Ephesians 3:1-6; Ephesians 4:11-13; Ephesians 5:23-24; Colossians 1:18; 1 Timothy 3:1-7). 1:2627). Genesis 1:27; 2:7; Matthew 6:67, 24; 16:26; 22:21; John 8:36; Acts 4:1920; Romans 6:12; 13:17; Galatians 5:1, 13; Philippians 3:20; 1 Timothy 2:12; James 4:12; 1 Peter 2:1217; 3:1117; 4:1219. With these thoughts in mind, it is an honor to be considered a Baptist, but we must take heed lest we fall. The performance of professional responsibilities in the context of this educational institution is consistent with this intent and with the standards found in Scripture. The Baptist Faith and Message (BF&M) is the statement of faith of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). ; 2 Thessalonians 1:7ff. Chinese Christ, glorified in Heaven, is the Head of the Church. We believe that Christs Universal Church is manifested through the local church which is a congregation of immersed believers. The local church is: under the leadership of officers, who are Elders (one of which is the Pastor) and Deacons, whose qualifications and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures. And with Mr . Those whom God has accepted in Christ, and sanctified by His Spirit, will never fall away from the state of grace, but shall persevere to the end. The first day of the week is the Lords Day. Christ, the Lord, bore our sin in His own body on the crossthe just dying for the unjust. God is infinite in holiness and all other perfections. [1], Although the Southern Baptist Convention was organized in 1845, no formal confession of faith was adopted until internationally known Baptist theologian Edgar Young Mullins led the denomination to adopt the original BF&M in 1925. Through the temptation of Satan man transgressed the command of God, and fell from his original innocence whereby his posterity inherit a nature and an environment inclined toward sin. ; 10:21; Luke 4:1821; 10:2737; 20:25; John 15:12; 17:15; Romans 1214; 1Corinthians 5:910; 6:17; 7:2024; 10:2311:1; Galatians 3:2628; Ephesians 6:59; Colossians 3:1217; 1 Thessalonians 3:12; Philemon; James 1:27; 2:8. We believe the Bible to be the center of true Christian unity and the supreme and final authority against which all matters of doctrine, faith, human conduct, creeds, and opinions shall be tested. To work for the betterment of the institution as a whole and to strive to personal excellence and development as a means to that end. Sexual relations, of any kind, outside the confines of biblically-modeled marriage, even when consensual, are inconsistent with the teaching of Scripture, as well as the preponderance of Christian teaching in the church throughout history. Article VI. He is the efficient power for godly living, Christian service, and spiritual worship. The one and only Head is Christ through the Holy Spirit. Means and methods used for the improvement of society and the establishment of righteousness among men can be truly and permanently helpful only when they are rooted in the regeneration of the individual by the saving grace of God in Jesus Christ. We believe that the Church, which is the Body of Christ, was begun on the Day of Pentecost. [citation needed][b]. Thereby, being deeply convicted of our guilt, danger, and helplessness, and of the way of salvation by Christ, we turn to God with unfeigned contrition, confession, and supplication for mercy, at the same time heartily receiving the Lord Jesus Christ and openly confessing Him as our only and all-sufficient Savior. In the introduction to his classic work, A Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Work of God, published in 1738, Jonathan Edwards, pastor of the Congregational Church in Northampton, Mass., described the behavior of the town youth prior to the awakening of 1733: Licentiousness for some years prevailed among the youth of the town; there were many of them very much addicted to night-walking, and . He is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal Being, the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe. The Church. There is one and only one living and true God. God is the source of all blessings, temporal and spiritual; all that we have and are we owe to Him. Activities on the Lords Day should be commensurate with the Christians conscience under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Each one has outlined a statement of faith. This is the Blessed Hope. God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. We must remember that first and foremost, we are Christians blood-bought, eternally saved, Christ professing, grace given, mercy receiving, repentant sinners who the Father in heaven has spared from the fiery pits of Hell! (Genesis 1:1-3; Matthew 28:19; Mark 1:8; Luke 1:35; Luke 24:49; John 3:5-7; 14:16,17,26; John 16:7-15; Acts 5:30-32; 11:16; Romans 8:14,16,26,27; Romans 15:19; 1 Corinthians 2:10,11; Ephesians 1:13-14; Ephesians 4:30; Hebrews 9:14). Salvation is received only by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work. Adapted from the 1853 New Hampshire Confession of Faith . He ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where He is the One Mediator, fully God, fully man, in whose Person is effected the reconciliation between God and man. While not stated in the 2000 BF&M, some churches also apply this interpretation to deacons, being a pastoral office of the church, and will not ordain women or allow them to serve as deacons. It is the duty of every child of God to seek constantly to win the lost to Christ by verbal witness undergirded by a Christian lifestyle, and by other methods in harmony with the gospel of Christ. All who believe in Him are justifiedon the grounds of His shed blood. Be sure to look for the continuation of this article to find further discussion regarding the Baptist Distinctives! Every Christian should seek to bring industry, government, and society as a whole under the sway of the principles of righteousness, truth, and brotherly love. Justification includes the pardon of sin and the imputationof Gods righteousness. To Him we owe the highest love, reverence, and obedience. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believers faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, the believers death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. He inspired holy men of old to write the Scriptures. (1 Corinthians 15:42-44, 1 Corinthians 15:51-54; Philippians 3:20-21; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 3:10), Section 23: The Eternal State of the Saved and The Lost, We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men: the saved to eternal life and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment. The Holy Bible, God's Inspired Word, is the Absolute and Supreme Authority. The true remedy for the war spirit is the gospel of our Lord. We believe the Lord's coming to be imminent. Gods provision for holy living is in the believers identification with Christ as Savior, the indwelling Person and power of the Holy Spirit, the believers submission to Him, and the powerful Word of God. The husband and wife are of equal worth before God, since both are created in God's image. The consequence of that sin causes all men to be totally depraved and partakers of Adams fallen nature. It is the duty and privilege of every follower of Christ and of every church of the Lord Jesus Christ to endeavor to make disciples of all nations. As a part of the Southern Baptist Convention, IMB is guided by a board of trustees elected by the convention in its annual meetings. Jesus Christ is both true God and true Man. The new birth of mans spirit by Gods Holy Spirit means the birth of love for others. In the beginning man was innocent of sin and was endowed by his Creator with freedom of choice. We believe they each have precisely the same nature, attributes, and perfections. As terms of relationship at any level within our faith community, Boston Baptist College prohibits all members of the college community from public advocacy or promotion for any position that sex outside of a biblically defined marriage is morally acceptable. When you ask them for their statement, they tell you, "The Bible is our statement of faith." That's it; you won't get any more out of them unless you sit them down and drill them. 2. It excludes boasting and promotes humility. We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine Person; equal with God the Father and God the Son and of the same nature; that He was active in the creation; that in His relation to the unbelieving world He restrains the Evil One until God's purpose is fulfilled; that He convicts of sin, of righteousness and of judgment; that He bears witness to the truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony; that He is the Agent in the New Birth; that He seals, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies, and helps the believer. To display respect for Gods creation and His provisions and to specifically practice respect for and courtesy to all persons equally. (Matthew 28:6; Mark 16:6; Luke 24:2-6; Luke 24:39; Luke 24:51; John 20:27; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Corinthians 15:4; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 2:17; Hebrews 5:9-10; Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 8:6; Hebrews 12:2; 1 John 2:1). The text of the original assertion, which was the last sentence in the section, was: "The criterion by which the Bible is to be interpreted is Jesus Christ. by which to know the Father, than through the Son (John 14:6). The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God's revelation of Himself to man. We believe that there is one, and only one, living and true God, an infinite intelligent Spirit, the Maker and Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth; inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy of all possible honor, confidence and love; that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, equal in every divine perfection, and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption. This revision was particularly objectionable to the Baptist General Convention of Texas[citation needed], the largest SBC state convention, which had previously split between moderates and conservatives, with the latter forming the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. The Baptist Faith and Message is also available in different language translations. Pre-Millennial, KJV Baptist Church. The Baptist faith and message was adopted in 2000, 23 years later and they want to do something about that," Barnes Popham said.In a statement, Executive Committee chairman Jared Wellman said . (Luke 13:1-3; Luke 15:7; Acts 8:22; Acts 20:21; Romans 2:4; 2 Corinthians 7:10), We believe that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the only condition for salvation. Only the grace of God can bring man into His holy fellowship and enable man to fulfill the creative purpose of God. Thurs. . After one is saved, water baptism shows our faith and union in Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection to a new life that exalts and glorifies Christ. Statement of Faith The sole basis of our beliefs is the Bible, God's infallible written Word, the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments. As stated in Matthew 4:4 (ESV): But He answered, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. We are to observe and do all things Christ has commanded us (teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. To maintain professional and mentoring relationships with students while never violating propriety or losing the capacity to lead or discipline students objectively avoiding preferential treatment of any student at all times.