WHAT IS A REFORMED BAPTIST?

 A Reformed Baptist church is a Baptist church that holds to historic Reformed theology. We believe that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, according to Scripture alone, for the glory of God alone.

We are committed to the full authority and sufficiency of the Bible and seek to shape our doctrine, worship, and church life according to God’s Word.

Historically, Baptists in America were largely confessional and Calvinistic. In fact, all the churches that formed the Southern Baptist Convention in 1845 stood firmly within the stream of Reformed Baptist theology and held to the 1689 confession. Our convictions are not new, but rooted in the historic Baptist faith once widely held among Southern Baptists.

  We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the inspired, inerrant, and sufficient Word of God. The Bible is our final authority in all matters of faith and practice and is the standard by which all doctrine, worship, and church life must be measured.

 We believe that all people are sinners by nature and by choice and stand guilty before a holy God. Because of sin, mankind is spiritually dead and unable to save himself.

In love and mercy, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to live a sinless life, die on the cross as a substitute for sinners, and rise bodily from the grave. Salvation is granted to all who repent of their sins and trust in Christ alone for righteousness and forgiveness.

 We believe in one true and living God, eternally existing in three persons — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — equal in power and glory. God is sovereign over all things and works all things according to His perfect will. 

 We affirm the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession of Faith as a faithful summary of biblical doctrine. While Scripture alone is our ultimate authority, the confession expresses our shared understanding of what the Bible teaches concerning God, salvation, the church, and the Christian life.

Every church holds beliefs about what the Bible teaches. We simply believe it is wise and honest to state those beliefs clearly and publicly. A written confession allows us to be transparent about our convictions and to stand in continuity with historic Christian orthodoxy.

 We gladly affirm what is commonly called Calvinistic theology. By this we mean that salvation is entirely the work of God’s sovereign grace. Because of sin, man is unable to save himself, and God graciously chooses, redeems, calls, and preserves His people through Jesus Christ.

Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone — to the glory of God alone.

 We understand the Bible covenantally, recognizing that God unfolds His redemptive plan through covenants revealed progressively throughout Scripture, culminating in the New Covenant established by Christ.

We believe that all of God’s promises find their fulfillment in Jesus Christ and that there is one people of God throughout redemptive history, united by faith in Him. This covenantal framework helps us see the unity of Scripture and the continuity of God’s saving purposes from Genesis to Revelation.

 We believe the Bible teaches that baptism is for those who personally repent of their sins and trust in Jesus Christ. Baptism is to be administered by immersion as a public declaration of faith and union with Christ.

We believe the local church is made up of baptized believers who covenant together for worship, discipleship, fellowship, and accountability under the lordship of Christ.

We affirm the autonomy of the local church under Christ, governed according to Scripture and led by biblically qualified elders and deacons.

 We believe the Bible teaches that salvation is entirely the work of God’s sovereign grace. Due to sin, mankind is spiritually dead and unable to save himself. God, in His mercy, chooses, redeems, calls, and preserves His people through Jesus Christ.

We affirm the doctrines of grace and seek to proclaim the whole counsel of God faithfully. Our theology is rooted in historic Protestant Christianity and summarized in the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession of Faith.

 We believe that God alone determines how He is to be worshiped. Therefore, our gatherings are shaped by the clear teaching and example of Scripture.

Our worship is centered on the reading and preaching of the Word, prayer, congregational singing, and (the ordinances given by Christ). We seek reverence, simplicity, and Christ-centeredness rather than novelty or entertainment.

Our desire is not innovation, but faithfulness — worship that honors God and edifies His people according to His Word.

 In summary, our convictions reflect historic Christian orthodoxy, Reformed theology, Baptist church life, covenantal understanding of Scripture, confessional clarity, and worship shaped by the Word of God.