There are many Baptist churches in the middle Georgia area, but none are exactly alike. A Baptist church is a bit like a Baskin Robbins Ice Cream Shop with its 31 varieties. While we share many attributes with other Baptist churches, our church has its own distinctive flavor.
We believe the Bible is our guide for faith and practice. It is the divinely inspired written record of God’s revelation of Himself to humanity to guide us to follow God. We believe Jesus is the criterion by which we interpret Scripture. Many translations of the Bible are used in our church for worship and study.
We believe in the priesthood of the believer and we emphasize the individual’s competency before God to make moral and spiritual choices. You will find that our church does not produce carbon-copy disciples of Jesus. We encourage members to practice their priesthood and reach others for Christ.
We believe that God calls those whom he has chosen for service in the church and His ministry. Men and women have served on our church’s staff. Our church does not distinguish between members based on race, gender, or marital status for the purpose of selecting those who may serve in the church. For example, deacons and Sunday School teachers of all ages may be either male or female. Divorce does not disqualify one from church service or holding a church office.
We believe that our church is stronger for having members with different views on a wide range of issues. While we may sometimes disagree on individual issues, we view our diversity as a positive attribute.
We believe in the autonomy of the local church, which means that this local church is self-governing based on the principles of Holy Scripture. No other person or group outside this congregation has any power over this congregation. We are free to partner with entities fulfilling our purposes as a church. Currently we are affiliated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, the Southern Baptist Convention, and other like-minded groups as well.
We believe that our pastor and the ministerial staff are leaders called by God and affirmed by this church to fulfill their unique calling as servants of the body of Christ. These ministers are not called to be rulers of the church, but to function as shepherds to guide the people to follow Christ.
We believe in the separation of church and state. Neither should trespass upon the distinctive functions of the other. For anyone wishing to learn more specifics about our church’s doctrinal stance, consult The Baptist Faith and Message, 1963.