What do we believe?

We’ll keep it simple here, and you’re encouraged to contact us if you’d like to know more:

    • God is a loving creator who made us in His image and loves all people equally

    • Jesus is God’s Son and the fullest and most complete revelation of God’s character and message

    • The Bible is the divinely inspired record of God’s revelation to and relationship with humankind and our only authoritative source for faith and practice

    • Humanity is sinful and broken but invited to experience forgiveness and reconciliation through new life in Christ.

    • God’s Spirit gives every believer gifts and passions to be used for building up the church and sharing God’s love with the world.

    • The greatest commandments are to love God, and love people (Matthew 22:37-40).

    • The “weightier matters” are justice, mercy, and faithfulness (Matthew 23:23)

What does it mean to be a Baptist?

Walter Shurden talks about the “4 Fragile Freedoms”:

    • “Soul freedom”: All individuals have the right and responsibility to respond to God themselves (also related to a concept called the “priesthood of all believers,” 1 Peter 2:9). Faith that is genuine is consciously chosen and never coerced; for this reason, we do not baptize people until they have made their own personal and conscious decision to follow Christ, at whatever age that may be.
    • “Church freedom”: All Baptist churches are autonomous and govern themselves. There is no hierarchy in our denomination; we associate with American Baptist Churches USA but they do not exercise authority over the local church. Baptists believe the local church is the primary unit of mission and ministry.
    • “Bible freedom”: The Bible is our only authoritative source for faith and practice, and all believers have the right and responsibility to read and interpret the Bible for themselves under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the insight gained through being in fellowship with other believers.
    • “Religious freedom”: Baptists have historically been advocates for the separation of church and state, believing that this separation ensures the church is unhindered by corrupt influences in carrying out its mission, and that because God created us with freedom of conscience, everyone should have the freedom to worship (or not) as they choose.

 

We proudly associate with American Baptist Churches USA, the most ethnically diverse Protestant denomination in North America.

You can read more about them here: 10 Facts You Should Know About American Baptists – ABCUSA