What are our beliefs?
An excellent description of our beliefs was presented by our pastor, Rev. Ramon Smith, in his sermon of March 5, 2006, “Who are Baptists”:
Baptist distinctives
Though some major Baptist groups have diverged in their beliefs, we cherish this historic Baptist principles of Bible Freedom, Soul Freedom, Religious Freedom, and Church Freedom. Walter Shurden described these briefly in The Baptist Identity:
Four Fragile Freedoms, 1993 as follows:
Bible Freedom is the historic Baptist affirmation that the Bible, under the Lordship of Christ, must be central in the life of the church and individual and that Christians, with the best and most scholarly tools of inquiry, are both free and obligated to study and obey the Scripture.
Soul Freedom is the historic affirmation of the inalienable right and responsibility of every person to deal with God without the imposition of creed, the interference of clergy, or the intervention of civil government.
Church Freedom is the historic Baptist affirmation that local churches are free, under the Lordship of Christ, to determine their membership and leadership, to order their worship and work, to ordain whom they perceive as gifted for ministry, male or female, and to participate in the larger Body of Christ, of whose unity and mission Baptists are proudly a part.
Religious Freedom is the historic Baptist affirmation of freedom OF religion, freedom FOR religion, and freedom FROM religion, insisting that Caesar is not Christ and Christ is not Caesar.
Other references
An excellent reference on traditional Baptist distinctives is The Baptist Identity: Four Fragile Freedoms, by Walter Shurden.
Our pastor, Rev. Ramon Smith, recommended the following books in the Highlights newsletter of January 18, 2006:
“There are many … truths that define us as Baptists, and I might recommend several short books that will help you if you seek further information:”
- What Baptists Believe, by Herschel H. Hobbs, 1964, Broadman;
- Baptist Beliefs, by E. Y. Mullins, 1925, Judson;
- The Baptist Faith and Message, by Herschel H. Hobbs, 1971, Convention. (One of the more remarkable, beautiful (and Baptist) elements of this statement is specific language warning that it not be used as a mandate or creed. In true Baptist tradition, it disavows its own authority.)
- For a more exhaustive look at Baptist history, he highly recommends The Baptist Heritage, by H. Leon McBeth, 1987, Broadman.