Baptist DistinctiveS

Baptists are a historically diverse group that varies from church to church; however, we affirm the following Baptist Distinctives:

  1. Biblical Authority: The Holy Bible is the divinely inspired Word of God and is vitally applicable to the life and faith of the church and each individual.

  2. Christian Community: The Church is identified as a “community of believers who can testify to an experience of grace through faith in Christ.”

  3. Believer’s Baptism: A water baptism by immersion is administered to those who have made a public profession of faith in Jesus Christ by their own free will.

  4. Two Ordinances: While there are many special moments found in worship and in the life of the Church, we observe Baptism and Communion as the two main ordinances.

  5. Church Autonomy: The church is led by the Holy Spirit with Christ at the head and is governed through the congregational leadership of the local church. While we respect the denominational structures of other church traditions, we are not led by a national denomination, a diocese, or a district.

  6. Connected by Association: We “associate” with denominations, associations, and individuals to fellowship and achieve larger goals found in missions and community engagement.

  7. Priesthood of the Believer: we believe that every baptized believer is “called” to be a minister in the church and should be willing to share the Gospel responsibly in the world.

  8. Two Ordinations: While every believer is called to serve God, we believe that God has set aside two offices in the local Church, Pastors/Ordained Ministers (Clergy) and Ordained Deacons (Lay Ministers).

  9. Religious Freedom: While we should pray for our country and those who serve the people, as Baptists, we affirm the belief that the Church should maintain a respectful separation from earthly governments to uphold our sole loyalty to Christ and to preserve the integrity of the Gospel. We are grateful for the religious freedoms that this country provides and we affirm others' freedom to worship as they choose.

  10. Soul Liberty: Each believer has “liberty of conscience”; this means that each believer is “[entrusted] to interpret Scripture aright in the context of community under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.”

Sources:
Baptist Ways: A History of Baptist by Bill J. Leonard (Judson Press, 2003)
Baptist Questions, Baptist Answers: Exploring Christian Faith by Bill J. Leonard (WJK Press, 2009)