To some, the thought of an Independent Baptist Church seems strange, being accustomed to the various associational and denominational groups of Baptists. Actually, independent churches which have been Baptistic in doctrine have existed since apostolic times. Long before the Protestant Reformation began, there were independent churches in both Europe and Asia. An Independent Baptist Church, therefore, is nothing new or novel. It has an ancient and glorious heritage. Though, in various periods of church history, members of independent churches have been persecuted and even slain for the faith, such churches continue until the present day. There are over 15,000 independent churches in the U.S. alone.

What are we?

What is an Independent Baptist Church?

 

It’s what all Baptist churches used to be…

before Baptist Churches began to organize into Conventions and Associations. INDEPENDENT BAPTISTS do co-operate effectively for the common cause of world evangelization through the combined efforts of a fellowship-relationship of the local congregations. We feel involvement determined by “membership” in a Convention often creates a situation in which the program of that Convention becomes more important than the local Church that created it, causing the luster and importance of the local Church ministry to be obscured.

 

All Baptist churches that are Baptists…

believe and accept the one statement of Faith of all Baptists that have ever cherished that name.

 

Independent Baptist churches will receive and grant letters…

to all Baptist Churches that adhere to the Baptist Statement of Faith regardless of their Convention or Association affiliation.

 

Independent Baptist churches have no quarrel with any Baptist church…

that strives to win souls and endorses without apology or reservation the Bible as the in fallible Word of God. To all Baptist Churches with such a goal we pray the Lord’s richest blessings. If others choose to serve the Lord in another fashion that is their business, but it is merely our personal feeling that we can better serve the Lord in the following manner.

 

We do not choose to become involved with organized conventions or associations because…

all too often we have discovered that many Colleges and Seminaries sponsored by organized Conventions, while being supported by local churches, have professors who do not believe or teach doctrines that we feel are Biblically true and vital to the Christian Faith. Such doctrines as the Verbal Inspiration of Scriptures and the Deity and Virgin Birth of our Lord are included in these. We find the local churches make their existence a reality by financial support, yet their voice and convictions do not carry enough influence to correct the errors that arise in these institutions.

Beliefs in Brief

Our Beliefs

1. We believe the Authorized King James Bible is the Inspired, Inerrant, Infallible and preserved Word of God for English speaking people and use it exclusively.  We accept the Bible as the supreme and only authority in faith and life.  We do not however hold the Ruckman position of double inspiration.

2. We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

3. We believe that the Genesis account of creation is to be accepted literally, not allegorically or figuratively; that man was created directly in God’s own image and was not a matter of evolution or evolutionary change of species.

4. We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten by the Holy Spirit, and born of Mary, a virgin, and is true God and true man.

5. We believe that man was created in the image of God, that he sinned and thereby incurred not only physical death, but also that spiritual death which is separation from God and literal eternal judgment in Hell and the Lake of fire: and that all human beings are sinners in thought, word, and deed.

6. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice, and that all who believe in Him are justified on the ground of His shed blood.

7. We believe that Salvation is by grace through faith without the addition of any works.  We believe that repentance is necessary to salvation.  We reject the doctrinal errors of both Calvinism and Arminianism. We believe in both the response of man, and the sovereignty of God, that when man chooses to accept salvation, he is kept by the power of God unto the day of redemption (eternal security).

8. We believe in believers only baptism, that baptism by immersion is an answer of good conscious toward God. That salvation and scriptural baptism are requirements to membership in the Local New Testament Church, but that baptism holds no saving power.

9. That the Church of our Lord is a visible, local, self governing body of believers who have been baptized and that there are only two ordinances: baptism and the Lord’s supper, both of which are administered only to believers.  We reject the doctrine of the universal church.

10. We believe that upon salvation the believer is sealed and indwelled by the Holy Spirit of God. We are non charismatic, and do not believe that speaking in tongues, or signs and wonders are actively being used by the Holy Spirit of God today.

11. We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord, in His ascension into heaven, and in His present life there as High Priest and Advocate.  We believe as well that because of His bodily resurrection we will also be bodily raised and given a new glorified body to live with Him forever.

12.  We are dispensational in theology and believe in a Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the saints and a Pre-Millennial return of Christ to set up His literal Kingdom on this earth.