About us
The church here was established in 1843 and remains in the heart of the city that now bears the same name.
We are a group of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ that carry on the simple family inclusive manner of worship practiced through the centuries by the original Baptist faith. We seek to hold up the truth of scripture to not only those within our assembly, but to the community as well. It is our belief and experience that Jesus Christ and His word hold the answers to today's problems, our lives, and hope for tomorrow.
We welcome and invite all who seek truth and desire a peaceful break from routine
to our services. We look forward to seeing you soon.
We are a group of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ that carry on the simple family inclusive manner of worship practiced through the centuries by the original Baptist faith. We seek to hold up the truth of scripture to not only those within our assembly, but to the community as well. It is our belief and experience that Jesus Christ and His word hold the answers to today's problems, our lives, and hope for tomorrow.
We welcome and invite all who seek truth and desire a peaceful break from routine
to our services. We look forward to seeing you soon.
Church covenant
Forasmuch as Almighty God by His grace has been pleased to call us out of darkness into His light, and having been baptized upon a profession of faith in Christ Jesus, and having given ourselves to the Lord and one another, in a gospel church way, to be governed and guided by a proper discipline agreeable to the Word of God; We do covenant together by the help of God to keep up the discipline of the church of which we are members in brotherly affection toward each other, and, if need be, in the most tender and affectionate manner to reprove one another, and not to be whispering and backbiting. We also agree with God's assistance to attend our church meetings, and not absent ourselves from the communion of the Lord's Supper without a lawful excuse; to be ready to communicate to the defraying of the church's expenses and for the help of the ministry; not to irregularly depart from the fellowship of the church, nor to remove to the bounds of distant churches without a regular Letter of Dismission, and placing it in the church where we reside. These things we do covenant and agree to observe and keep sacred in the name of, and by the assistance of God.
Articles of Faith
- We believe in the God of the Bible, the one true and Living God, expressed in Scripture as the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ, the Word), and the Holy Ghost.
Genesis 1:26-27; Matthew 3:16-17; Mark 1:9-11; John 1:1-4; Colossians 2:6-9; I Peter 1:2; I John 5:7 - We believe the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, the Bible (King James Authorized), to be the word of God: complete, absolutely correct, and without contradiction. These are our only rule of faith, and the New Testament our only rule of practise for life and worship - public and private.
Psalms 12:6-7; Romans 15:4; I Timothy 3:14-15; II Timothy 3:14-17; II Peter 1:2-3; II Peter 1:16-21; II Peter 3:14-16 - We believe the Biblical account of creation; Creation being a sovereign action of God through the power of His word alone. That is God spoke the universe - including this earth and all life therein and thereon - into existence in six 24-hour days, finished and rested on the seventh, and upholds it all by the same.
Genesis 1:1; Genesis 2:3; Exodus 20:11; Isaiah 42:5; Mark 10:6; Mark 13:19; John 1:1-3; John 11:9-10; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 11:3 - We believe the Biblical doctrine of original sin (total, inherent depravity): the absolute corruption of mankind in every aspect (body, soul, and spirit) of his natural being. Man was created upright, but by his (Adam) own choice and action fell from God into sin.
Genesis 1:26-27; Genesis 1:31; Genesis 2:16-17; Genesis 3:1-24; Isaiah 59:1-15; Romans 3:10-18; Romans 5:12-21; Ephesians 2:1-3 - We believe that man (i.e. mankind) is absolutely unable to recover himself from this state of death and corruption by his own will or abilities. The nature of sin - being passed in conception - forbids the saving of self or others.
Psalms 10:4; Jeremiah 10:23; Jeremiah 13:23; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 8:6-8; Romans 9:15-16; I Corinthians 2:9-16; Ephesians 2:1-3 - We believe the Biblical doctrine of election: God before the world began chose His people (the family of God) unto salvation in Christ according only to His own will and pleasure.
Matthew 1:21; Romans 8:28-39; Romans 9:11-14; Romans 9:24; Ephesians 1:4-6; II Timothy 1:8-11; Titus 1:1-3; I Peter 1:2 - We believe eternal salvation to be the gift of God to His elect through the complete work of redemption and atonement by Jesus Christ alone; sinners are justified in the sight of God through the blood and imputed righteousness of Christ.
John 1:29; Romans 5:8-11; Romans 6:23; II Corinthians 5:16-21; Colossians 1:19-22; Titus 3:3-7; Hebrews 1:1-4; Hebrews 10:12-14; Revelation 5:9-10 - We believe that the elect of God shall be regenerated (born again, called) and eternally sanctified by the Holy Ghost according to the purpose and will of God without the will of man, means of gospel, or response or abilities of the individual foreseen or implied.
John 3:1-8; John 5:24-27; John 6:37-40; John 6:44; Romans 8:28-30; Romans 9:22-24; I Corinthians 2:19-16; Ephesians 2:1-5; II Timothy 1:9-10 - We believe the elect are eternally preserved in grace; while temporal fellowship may falter, they can never fall from their relationship given by God in Christ Jesus.
John 10:27:30; Romans 8:29-39; I Thessalonians 5:23; I Peter 1:3-5; Jude 1 - We believe in the resurrection of the dead and general judgment of all mankind. In that last day all of mankind shall be changed or resurrected. The elect family of God shall rise to meet the Lord in the clouds to forever be with Him. This earth and all the works therein will be burned up. The non-elect shall be cast into the lake of fire with the devil and his angels forever. Christ, who now is ruling over His kingdom, will in that last day be acknowledged by all as King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. The joys of the righteous and punishment of the wicked shall be eternal.
Matthew 25:31-46; John 5:28-30; I Corinthians 15:51-58; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; II Peter 3:10-13; Revelation 20:10-15 - We believe in the Biblical account of the virgin birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Mary was indeed the mother of the man Jesus Christ, but not of God. God is the father of Christ; not Joseph.
Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 9:6-7; Matthew 1:16-25; Luke 1:26-35; Luke 2:1-52; Galatians 4:3-5; I Timothy 2:5-6 - We believe the Lord Jesus Christ has only one Church, which is known as the "Bride of Christ." This Church is represented by a local assembly of called (born again), baptized believers out of the family of God. They continually seek to worship and serve God in spirit and truth.
Matthew 16:17-19; Matthew 18:15-20; John 4:23-24; Acts 2:41-47; I Corinthians 4:17; Ephesians 1:17-23; Ephesians 3:10-15; Ephesians 4:4-6; Ephesians 5:24; Colossians 1:18; I Timothy 3:14-15 - We believe that while the gospel of Jesus Christ is in no way involved in the regeneration (new birth) of the elect, it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes. There are timely, daily, and personal delivrances for the child of God through faith in believing the gospel and obedience to the same.
John 5:24-25; John 6:40; John 8:30-32; Romans 1:14-17; I Corinthians 1:17-18; I Corinthians 15:1-11; Galatians 1:6-12; Ephesians 2:8-10; I Timothy 4:13-16; II Timothy 1:8-11; Titus 2:1-15 - We believe baptism and the Lord's Supper (communion) are ordinances of Jesus Christ to the Church to be observed till He comes. Believers are the only proper subjects for baptism; immersion is the only proper mode. As the Lord Jesus washed His disciples' feet, we as His followers ought to wash one another's. With this understanding, only those who have submitted to baptism into the Church are worthy of the Lord's Table in communion observed in the local assembly.
Matthew 3:5-17; Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 14:15-17; Mark 16:15-20; Luke 22:12-20; John 13:4-17; Acts 2:37-47; Acts 8:12; Acts 8:26-40; Acts 9:17-20; Acts 10:1-48; I Corinthians 11:23-34; II Corinthians 6:14-18; I Timothy 5:10 - We believe that no person (minister, elder, preacher) has the right (authority) to administer the ordinances of baptism or the Lord's Supper than he that has been baptized, called of God, proven by the Church, and has come under the laying on of hands by an authorized presbytery.
Ephesians 4:8-16; I Timothy 3:1-7; I Timothy 4:14; II Timothy 2:2; Titus 1:5-9 - We believe the Scriptures, being the standard of faith and practice, establish the order of worship for the Church. This order is simple and God-honoring: singing, praying, and preaching the word of God in a united family setting. The Church and her ministry are to be kept and supported by the firstfruits-giving of each member and thus continue till He comes.
Genesis 4:3-4; Ezra 7:10; Nehemiah 8:8; Proverbs 3:9-10; Matthew 21:13; Acts 2:46-47; Acts 31-33; I Corinthians 9:7-14; II Corinthians 9:7-8; Galatians 6:6; Ephesians 4:11-16; Ephesians 5:17-20; Colossians 3:16-17; II Timothy 4:1-5