The Baptist Way Of Being Church Part 1
by Geoff Cook on 27th April 2011
Faversham Baptist Church is one of over 2,100 Baptist churches in the country belonging to the Baptist Union of Great Britain (BUGB). Each church is autonomous and self-funding. We do not have one distinctive Baptist belief – it is a combination of various beliefs, which make us distinctive.
In three parts, we will be looking briefly at a few of things that describe the Baptist way of being the church.
The Lordship of Christ
Baptists affirm that ‘Jesus is Lord’. He is Lord over our individual lives, the life of each church, and the life of the whole world. Baptists seek to make Jesus Lord of every aspect of their lives. This means that we take seriously our calling to be followers of Jesus, and that we seek to allow Christ to lead and direct our church life.
The authority of the Bible
The Bible is described as the ‘Word of God’ because we believe that its writers were inspired by God’s Spirit. As such, it has authority to guide both what we believe and how we live our lives. As radical believers, Baptists seek God’s way for living, rooting their lives in the revelation of God’s truth.
Baptism for Believers
On the basis of the New Testament, Baptists claim that baptism is for those who believe and are able to declare that Jesus is Lord. As a symbol of Jesus’ claim on our lives, baptism by immersion is practised, representing a desire to die to self and to live for Christ.
see also:
The Baptist Way of Being Church Part 2
The Baptist Way of Being Church Part 3
Possibly related posts (computer generated):
- The Baptist Way Of Being Church Part 3 Interdependence, Sharing the Faith and Religious Freedom....
- The Baptist Way Of Being Church Part 2 A Believers Church, the Priesthood Of All Believers and Church Members and Church Meetings...
- Beyond 400 'Beyond 400’ is a new website which has been designed as a means of encouraging new thinking and widespread discussion regarding the future of Baptist life in the UK. ...
- Is Our Church Doing Well? John Ortberg reflects on the question 'How is your church doing?'...
- FBC is God’s Church I believe that this morning's sermon was a significant one, and I encourage all who are connected to Faversham Baptist Church in any way to listen to it....
