The following comprise the Scriptural beliefs of First Baptist Church and its members.

All church, school and daycare policies are subject to this statement of faith.

The Bible

We believe the Bible to be the inerrant, infallible Word of God, fully and verbally inspired of Him, and preserved as the Old and New Testament in the sixty-six Books from Genesis to Revelation.  We believe that the Bible is the sole authority for the faith and practice of individual Christians and of the church.  First Baptist Church has chosen to use the King James Version of the Bible for all preaching. We will not level criticism toward or separate from like-minded churches or Christian organizations that choose to use different translations of the Bible.  We will make a conscious effort to remove the distraction of the Bible-version discussion from our conversation and focus rather on Jesus Christ, adherence to His Word, and advancement of His kingdom.

God

We believe in one and only one living and true God named JEHOVAH.  He is eternal, self-existent, unchanging, and infinite in power and glory. We believe He is One God who eternally exists in three divine Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Jesus Christ

We believe Jesus Christ is eternally God, possessing all the attributes of Deity as the one and only Son of God and Savior of mankind. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ was virgin-born and that He was both fully man and fully God. We believe that He was offered for all mankind as a substitutionary sacrifice for man’s sin. This sacrifice was a just payment to God for the forgiveness of man’s sin.  The wrath of God was satisfied by Jesus’ death through the shedding of His blood on the cross and the acceptance of His sacrifice was signified by His literal, physical resurrection. We believe He ascended into Heaven after His resurrection to be seated at the right hand of the Father.

The Holy Spirit

We believe the Holy Spirit of God is a unique person of the Godhead, yet possesses all the attributes of Deity. We believe the Holy Spirit has always been involved in the affairs of mankind. Since Pentecost, He indwells all believers and His ministry includes reproving the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. The Holy Spirit was also sent to regenerate, sanctify, seal, illuminate, comfort and fill all who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ. We believe that the miraculous sign gifts of the Spirit have ceased as a regular part of the Christian church.

Sin and Salvation

We believe that sin is any violation of the perfect character of God.  We believe that all men were born with an inherited sin nature received from our common ancestor, Adam. We believe that because of this nature, man chooses to sin and is totally incapable of reforming himself or ceasing from his sin by his own power. We believe the only hope of deliverance for man is a total change of his heart and mind concerning his sinful condition and inability to change it, and a turning to Jesus Christ as the only Savior.

The New Testament Church

We believe that the Church was established at Pentecost with the empowering of the Holy Spirit. We believe the local church is composed of members who have been saved and baptized according to the command of Christ, and have voluntarily united together for the purposes of worship, fellowship, service, and observance of the ordinances of baptism and communion.

The Last Days

We believe in the pre-tribulational rapture of the church saints, followed by the seven-year Tribulation.

Separation and Sanctification

We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon the name of Jesus Christ.

Creation

We believe that God created everything that is not Himself in six literal, consecutive 24-hour periods.

Angels

We believe that God created an innumerable company of sinless, spiritual beings known as angels; that one, “Lucifer, son of the morning” – the highest in rank – sinned through pride, thereby becoming Satan; that a great company of the angels followed him in his moral fall, some of whom became demons and are active as his agents and associates in the prosecution of his unholy purposes, while others who fell are “reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day”

The Lord’s Day

We believe, in keeping with the practice of the New Testament church, that Sunday is the best day for the regular gathering of the church for worship and fellowship.

Civil Government

We believe that God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: 1) the home, 2) the church, and 3) the state. Every person is subject to these authorities, but all (including the authorities themselves) are answerable to God and governed by His Word.

Human Sexuality

We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between one man (human that is born genetically male) and one woman (human that is born genetically female).  The enrollment of any student shall automatically terminate without notice if the student is actively involved in any conduct contrary to biblically ordained sexuality. The enrollment of any 1st-12th grade student shall terminate if the parents of that student are openly known to be involved in any conduct contrary to biblically ordained sexuality.

Family Relationships

We believe that men and women are spiritually equal in their position before God but that God has ordained distinct and separate spiritual functions for men and women in the home and in the church. The husband is to be the leader of the home, and men are to be the leaders (pastors and deacons) of the church. The wife is to submit herself to the Scriptural leadership of her husband as the church submits to the headship of Christ. Children are a gift from the Lord. Parents are responsible for teaching their children spiritual and moral values and leading them, through consistent lifestyle example and appropriate discipline, including Scriptural corporal correction.