Doctrinal Statement
A. THE SCRIPTURES
We believe that the Holy Bible, consisting of the Old and New Testament Scriptures, was written by men divinely inspired and is a perfect treasure of heavenly instruction; that it has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth without any mixture of error for its matter; that it reveals the principles by which God will judge us, and therefore is, and shall remain, the true center of Christian union and the supreme standard by which all. human conduct, creeds, and opinions shall be tried. This Bible is preserved for us without error in the King James Authorized Version of 1611 A.D. Psalm 12:6,7: 119:89; Isaiah 8:20; I Thessalonians 2:13; 5:21; II Timothy 3:15,16.
B. THE TRUE GOD
We believe that there is one, and only one, living and true God, an infinite, intelligent Spirit whose name is JEHOVAH, the Maker and Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth; that He is inexpressibly glorious in holiness and worthy of all possible honor, confidence, and love; that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit - equal in every divine perfection and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption. Exodus 15: 11; Psalm 83:18; Matthew 28:19; Mark 12:30; John 1: 1-3; John 4:24; John 10: 30; Ephesians 2:18; 1 John 5:7.
C. THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
We believe in the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, the manifestation of God in the flesh; conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the virgin Mary, true God and true man. Matthew 1:18-21; John 8:58; John 10:30; 1 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 1:8.
D. THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe in the Holy Spirit of God; co-equal with God, He is a person, the third member of the Trinity. His present ministries include magnifying the Lord Jesus Christ, convincing the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, comforting and teaching believers, and edifying the Body of Christ. The present-day charismatic movement is a dangerous counterfeit of the real ministries of the Holy Spirit, and we of the Bible Baptist Church are totally opposed to it. John 16:7-14; Acts 5:1-4.
E. MAN
We believe that man was created in the image of God, that he sinned and thereby incurred spiritual and physical death. We believe that without exception all men are sinners and have need of the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. Genesis 1:26; Genesis 2:7; Romans 5:12-18; 1 Corinthians.
F. SALVATION
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. He was and is our substitutionary and vicarious atonement for sin. We believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ; that He ascended bodily into heaven, is seated on the right hand of the Father, and ever liveth to make intercession for all born-again believers, thus making them eternally secure. Isaiah 53; Acts 4:12; Romans 5,15-21; Romans 8:33-39; II Corinthians 1:21,22; Ephesians 1:13; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 7:25.
G. THE FREENESS OF SALVATION
We believe that the blessings of salvation are made free to all by the Gospel; that it is the immediate duty of all to accept them by a cordial, penitent, and obedient faith; and that nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner on earth but his own voluntary rejection of the Gospel, which rejection involves him in an aggravated condemnation. John 3:19; John 5:40; Romans 16:25,26.
H. JUSTIFICATION
We believe that the great Gospel blessing, which Christ secures to such as believe in Him, is justification; that justification includes the pardon of sin and the promise of eternal life in principles of righteousness; that it is bestowed not in consideration of any work of righteousness which we have done, but solely through faith in the Redeemer's blood, by virtue of which His perfect righteousness is freely imputed to us of God; that justification brings us into a state of most blessed peace and favor with God. John 1:16; Acts 13:39; Romans 4:4,5: Romans 5:1,2,9.
I. SANCTIFICATION
We believe that sanctification is the process by which, according to the will, of God, we are made partakers of His holiness; that it is a progressive work; that it is begun in regeneration; and that it is carried on in the hearts of believers by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, the Sealer and Comforter, in the continual use of the appointed means - especially the word of God, self-examination, self-denial, watchfulness, and prayer. I Thessalonians 4:3; 1 John 2:29.
J. SEPARATION - PERSONAL AND ECCLESIASTICAL
We believe the believer should be separated from the world while being present in the world; that he should abstain from all appearances of evil as a testimony to the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ; that the local church should maintain a position of separation from all forms of apostasy, modernism, ecumenism and any other departure from the written principles of the word of God. We believe that 11 Corinthians 6:14-18 and II John verse 10 prohibits the joining together of believers with unbelievers in the Lord's work, such as in ecumenical organizations or in cooperative evangelistic efforts. It shall continue to be free from any government outside of itself whatsoever, excepting legal requirements necessary to lawful operation not contrary to the nature of an independent Baptist church. I Corinthians 10:20; I Thessalonians 5:22; II Timothy 2:15-18; II Timothy 4:1-3; Titus 1:9-11; Titus 2:10-15.
K. THE RETURN OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
We believe in Christ's personal, imminent, pre-tribulation return for the church. This rapture removes the church before God's wrath is poured out on the earth during the great tribulation. We also believe in the pre-millennial return of Christ after the tribulation to set up His 1000 year reign on earth. John 14:1-3; Philippians 3:20; I Thessalonians 4:13-18.
L. DISPENSATIONS
We believe in the dispensational division of the Scriptures as a basis for study. II Timothy 2:15.
M. THE LOCAL CHURCH
We believe that a visible church of Christ is a congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and the fellowship of the Gospel, observing the ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, and exercising the gifts, rights and privileges invested in them by His word; that its only Scriptural officers are bishops or pastors and deacons, whose qualifications, claims, and duties are defined in the epistles to Timothy and to Titus. This church is an independent local autonomy, governed internally and responsible only to the Lord Jesus Christ. Its ministries include glorifying the Saviour, edifying the saints, and evangelizing the world for Christ. Matthew 16:18; Matthew 28:19,20; Acts 2:47; Acts 14:23; Acts 20:28: Romans 16:5; Ephesians 1:22; Ephesians 5:23; 1 Timothy 3.
N. GIVING
We believe that every Christian, as a steward of that portion of God's wealth entrusted to him, is obligated to support his local church financially. We believe that God has established the tithe as a basis for giving, but that, every Christian should also give other offerings sacrificially and cheerfully to the support of the Church, the relief of those in need, and the spread of the Gospel. We believe that a Christian relinquishes all rights to direct the ultimate use of the tithe or offering once the gift has been made. Genesis 14:20; Proverbs 3:9-10; Acts 4:34-37; 1 Corinthians 16:2; II Corinthians 9:6-7; Galatians 6:6; Ephesians 4:28; 1 Timothy 5:17-18; 1 John 3:17.
O. MISSIONS
We believe that God has given' the Church a Great Commission to proclaim the Gospel to all nations so that there might be a great multitude from every nation, tribe, ethnic group, and language group who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ., As ambassadors of Christ we must use all available means to go to the foreign nations and not wait for them to come to us. Our ambassadorship must include an effort to win the lost locally as well. Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:2 1; Acts 1: 8; II Corinthians 5:20.
P. BAPTISM AND THE LORD'S SUPPER
We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion in water of a believer, in the name of the Father, the Son, and Holy Ghost to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Saviour with its effect in our death to sin and resurrection to a new life. We believe that the Lord's Supper, in which the members of the church by the use of bread and new wine are to commemorate together the dying love of Christ, is to be preceded always with solemn self-examination. Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:41,42; Acts 8:36-39; Romans 6:4,5; 1 Corinthians 11:26-28.
Q. THE LORD'S DAY
We believe that the first day of the week is the Lord's Day and is to be kept sacred to Biblical practices by abstaining from secular labor, except works of mercy and necessity, and is a day of spiritual activity to set the pace for the rest of the week. Psalm 118:24; Acts 20:7; Hebrews 10:24,25.
R. CIVIL GOVERNMENT
We believe that civil government is of divine appointment for the interests and good order of human society, and that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored and obeyed, except only in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, as set forth in His word, who is the only Lord of the kings of the earth. Matthew 22:21; Matthew 23:9,10; Acts 5:28,29; Romans 13:1-7.
S. THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE WICKED
We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that such only as through faith are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and sanctified by the Spirit of our God are truly righteous in His esteem; that all such as continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight wicked and under the curse; and that this distinction holds among men both in and after death and throughout all eternity. Malachi 3:18; Luke 16; 19-3 1; John 3:14-21,36; Romans 1: 17,18; 1 John 5:19.
Authority of The Statement of Faith
The Statement of Faith does not exhaust the extent of our faith. The Bible itself is the sole and final source of all that we believe. We do believe, however, that the foregoing Statement of Faith accurately represents the teaching of the Bible, and therefore, is binding upon all members.
Positional Statement
A. We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just and of the unjust, the everlasting blessedness of the saved (in heaven), and the everlasting punishment of the lost (in hell). John 5:28,29; Acts 24:15; Revelation 22:11.
B. We believe in the pre-tribulation rapture of the Church. Prior to the coming period of tribulation described in Revelation, chapters 6-18, the Lord Jesus Christ will return for His church which will be caught up to meet Him in the clouds. I Corinthians 15:51-58; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17.
C. We believe in the millennial reign of Christ. After the period of tribulation described in Revelation chapters 6-18, the Lord Jesus Christ will return to reign on earth for 1000 years. Revelation chapters 19-20.
D. We believe that apostolic healing and tongues are not part of God's program for the present church age. However, we do believe in prayer for the sick in accordance with James 5:14,15; 1 Corinthians 13:8; 1 Timothy 5:23; 11 Timothy 4:20.
E. We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, inexcusable taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the mental well-being of the mother are acceptable. Job 3:16; Psalm 51:5; 139:14-16; Isaiah 44:24; 49:1,5; Jeremiah 1:5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:44.
F. We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity should be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, pedophilia, and pornography are sinful perversions of God's gift of sex. Genesis 2:24; 19:5; 26:8-9; Leviticus 18:1-30; Romans 1:26-32; 1 Corinthians 5: 1; 6:9; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8; Hebrews 13:4.
Covenant
As a bond of unity among us, this church accepts for its members the following covenant: Having been led by the Holy Spirit to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour and on profession of our faith in Him, having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we do now most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another as one body in Christ. We promise that we will watch over and counsel one another in the spirit of brotherly love, that we will remember one another in our prayers, and that we will aid each other in sickness and distress.
We further agree, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this church in knowledge, holiness, and comfort; to promote its growth and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline, and doctrines; to give it a sacred preeminence over all institutions of human origin; and to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the gospel through all nations of the world. We further covenant to maintain family and secret devotion; to religiously educate our children, and bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances; to live circumspectly in this present world, and not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, to be just in our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment; to avoid all tattling, backbiting, and excessive anger; to abstain from everything that will cause our brother to stumble or that will bring reproach upon the cause of Christ; and to strive to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, that amidst evil and good report we will humbly and earnestly seek to live to the honor and glory of Him who loved us and gave Himself for us. We moreover engage that when we remove from this place we will, as soon as possible, unite with some other church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God's word, as indicated in our STATEMENT OF FAITH.
We believe that the Holy Bible, consisting of the Old and New Testament Scriptures, was written by men divinely inspired and is a perfect treasure of heavenly instruction; that it has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth without any mixture of error for its matter; that it reveals the principles by which God will judge us, and therefore is, and shall remain, the true center of Christian union and the supreme standard by which all. human conduct, creeds, and opinions shall be tried. This Bible is preserved for us without error in the King James Authorized Version of 1611 A.D. Psalm 12:6,7: 119:89; Isaiah 8:20; I Thessalonians 2:13; 5:21; II Timothy 3:15,16.
B. THE TRUE GOD
We believe that there is one, and only one, living and true God, an infinite, intelligent Spirit whose name is JEHOVAH, the Maker and Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth; that He is inexpressibly glorious in holiness and worthy of all possible honor, confidence, and love; that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit - equal in every divine perfection and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption. Exodus 15: 11; Psalm 83:18; Matthew 28:19; Mark 12:30; John 1: 1-3; John 4:24; John 10: 30; Ephesians 2:18; 1 John 5:7.
C. THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
We believe in the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, the manifestation of God in the flesh; conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the virgin Mary, true God and true man. Matthew 1:18-21; John 8:58; John 10:30; 1 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 1:8.
D. THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe in the Holy Spirit of God; co-equal with God, He is a person, the third member of the Trinity. His present ministries include magnifying the Lord Jesus Christ, convincing the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, comforting and teaching believers, and edifying the Body of Christ. The present-day charismatic movement is a dangerous counterfeit of the real ministries of the Holy Spirit, and we of the Bible Baptist Church are totally opposed to it. John 16:7-14; Acts 5:1-4.
E. MAN
We believe that man was created in the image of God, that he sinned and thereby incurred spiritual and physical death. We believe that without exception all men are sinners and have need of the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. Genesis 1:26; Genesis 2:7; Romans 5:12-18; 1 Corinthians.
F. SALVATION
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. He was and is our substitutionary and vicarious atonement for sin. We believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ; that He ascended bodily into heaven, is seated on the right hand of the Father, and ever liveth to make intercession for all born-again believers, thus making them eternally secure. Isaiah 53; Acts 4:12; Romans 5,15-21; Romans 8:33-39; II Corinthians 1:21,22; Ephesians 1:13; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 7:25.
G. THE FREENESS OF SALVATION
We believe that the blessings of salvation are made free to all by the Gospel; that it is the immediate duty of all to accept them by a cordial, penitent, and obedient faith; and that nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner on earth but his own voluntary rejection of the Gospel, which rejection involves him in an aggravated condemnation. John 3:19; John 5:40; Romans 16:25,26.
H. JUSTIFICATION
We believe that the great Gospel blessing, which Christ secures to such as believe in Him, is justification; that justification includes the pardon of sin and the promise of eternal life in principles of righteousness; that it is bestowed not in consideration of any work of righteousness which we have done, but solely through faith in the Redeemer's blood, by virtue of which His perfect righteousness is freely imputed to us of God; that justification brings us into a state of most blessed peace and favor with God. John 1:16; Acts 13:39; Romans 4:4,5: Romans 5:1,2,9.
I. SANCTIFICATION
We believe that sanctification is the process by which, according to the will, of God, we are made partakers of His holiness; that it is a progressive work; that it is begun in regeneration; and that it is carried on in the hearts of believers by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, the Sealer and Comforter, in the continual use of the appointed means - especially the word of God, self-examination, self-denial, watchfulness, and prayer. I Thessalonians 4:3; 1 John 2:29.
J. SEPARATION - PERSONAL AND ECCLESIASTICAL
We believe the believer should be separated from the world while being present in the world; that he should abstain from all appearances of evil as a testimony to the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ; that the local church should maintain a position of separation from all forms of apostasy, modernism, ecumenism and any other departure from the written principles of the word of God. We believe that 11 Corinthians 6:14-18 and II John verse 10 prohibits the joining together of believers with unbelievers in the Lord's work, such as in ecumenical organizations or in cooperative evangelistic efforts. It shall continue to be free from any government outside of itself whatsoever, excepting legal requirements necessary to lawful operation not contrary to the nature of an independent Baptist church. I Corinthians 10:20; I Thessalonians 5:22; II Timothy 2:15-18; II Timothy 4:1-3; Titus 1:9-11; Titus 2:10-15.
K. THE RETURN OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
We believe in Christ's personal, imminent, pre-tribulation return for the church. This rapture removes the church before God's wrath is poured out on the earth during the great tribulation. We also believe in the pre-millennial return of Christ after the tribulation to set up His 1000 year reign on earth. John 14:1-3; Philippians 3:20; I Thessalonians 4:13-18.
L. DISPENSATIONS
We believe in the dispensational division of the Scriptures as a basis for study. II Timothy 2:15.
M. THE LOCAL CHURCH
We believe that a visible church of Christ is a congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and the fellowship of the Gospel, observing the ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, and exercising the gifts, rights and privileges invested in them by His word; that its only Scriptural officers are bishops or pastors and deacons, whose qualifications, claims, and duties are defined in the epistles to Timothy and to Titus. This church is an independent local autonomy, governed internally and responsible only to the Lord Jesus Christ. Its ministries include glorifying the Saviour, edifying the saints, and evangelizing the world for Christ. Matthew 16:18; Matthew 28:19,20; Acts 2:47; Acts 14:23; Acts 20:28: Romans 16:5; Ephesians 1:22; Ephesians 5:23; 1 Timothy 3.
N. GIVING
We believe that every Christian, as a steward of that portion of God's wealth entrusted to him, is obligated to support his local church financially. We believe that God has established the tithe as a basis for giving, but that, every Christian should also give other offerings sacrificially and cheerfully to the support of the Church, the relief of those in need, and the spread of the Gospel. We believe that a Christian relinquishes all rights to direct the ultimate use of the tithe or offering once the gift has been made. Genesis 14:20; Proverbs 3:9-10; Acts 4:34-37; 1 Corinthians 16:2; II Corinthians 9:6-7; Galatians 6:6; Ephesians 4:28; 1 Timothy 5:17-18; 1 John 3:17.
O. MISSIONS
We believe that God has given' the Church a Great Commission to proclaim the Gospel to all nations so that there might be a great multitude from every nation, tribe, ethnic group, and language group who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ., As ambassadors of Christ we must use all available means to go to the foreign nations and not wait for them to come to us. Our ambassadorship must include an effort to win the lost locally as well. Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:2 1; Acts 1: 8; II Corinthians 5:20.
P. BAPTISM AND THE LORD'S SUPPER
We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion in water of a believer, in the name of the Father, the Son, and Holy Ghost to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Saviour with its effect in our death to sin and resurrection to a new life. We believe that the Lord's Supper, in which the members of the church by the use of bread and new wine are to commemorate together the dying love of Christ, is to be preceded always with solemn self-examination. Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:41,42; Acts 8:36-39; Romans 6:4,5; 1 Corinthians 11:26-28.
Q. THE LORD'S DAY
We believe that the first day of the week is the Lord's Day and is to be kept sacred to Biblical practices by abstaining from secular labor, except works of mercy and necessity, and is a day of spiritual activity to set the pace for the rest of the week. Psalm 118:24; Acts 20:7; Hebrews 10:24,25.
R. CIVIL GOVERNMENT
We believe that civil government is of divine appointment for the interests and good order of human society, and that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored and obeyed, except only in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, as set forth in His word, who is the only Lord of the kings of the earth. Matthew 22:21; Matthew 23:9,10; Acts 5:28,29; Romans 13:1-7.
S. THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE WICKED
We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that such only as through faith are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and sanctified by the Spirit of our God are truly righteous in His esteem; that all such as continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight wicked and under the curse; and that this distinction holds among men both in and after death and throughout all eternity. Malachi 3:18; Luke 16; 19-3 1; John 3:14-21,36; Romans 1: 17,18; 1 John 5:19.
Authority of The Statement of Faith
The Statement of Faith does not exhaust the extent of our faith. The Bible itself is the sole and final source of all that we believe. We do believe, however, that the foregoing Statement of Faith accurately represents the teaching of the Bible, and therefore, is binding upon all members.
Positional Statement
A. We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just and of the unjust, the everlasting blessedness of the saved (in heaven), and the everlasting punishment of the lost (in hell). John 5:28,29; Acts 24:15; Revelation 22:11.
B. We believe in the pre-tribulation rapture of the Church. Prior to the coming period of tribulation described in Revelation, chapters 6-18, the Lord Jesus Christ will return for His church which will be caught up to meet Him in the clouds. I Corinthians 15:51-58; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17.
C. We believe in the millennial reign of Christ. After the period of tribulation described in Revelation chapters 6-18, the Lord Jesus Christ will return to reign on earth for 1000 years. Revelation chapters 19-20.
D. We believe that apostolic healing and tongues are not part of God's program for the present church age. However, we do believe in prayer for the sick in accordance with James 5:14,15; 1 Corinthians 13:8; 1 Timothy 5:23; 11 Timothy 4:20.
E. We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, inexcusable taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the mental well-being of the mother are acceptable. Job 3:16; Psalm 51:5; 139:14-16; Isaiah 44:24; 49:1,5; Jeremiah 1:5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:44.
F. We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity should be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, pedophilia, and pornography are sinful perversions of God's gift of sex. Genesis 2:24; 19:5; 26:8-9; Leviticus 18:1-30; Romans 1:26-32; 1 Corinthians 5: 1; 6:9; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8; Hebrews 13:4.
Covenant
As a bond of unity among us, this church accepts for its members the following covenant: Having been led by the Holy Spirit to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour and on profession of our faith in Him, having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we do now most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another as one body in Christ. We promise that we will watch over and counsel one another in the spirit of brotherly love, that we will remember one another in our prayers, and that we will aid each other in sickness and distress.
We further agree, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this church in knowledge, holiness, and comfort; to promote its growth and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline, and doctrines; to give it a sacred preeminence over all institutions of human origin; and to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the gospel through all nations of the world. We further covenant to maintain family and secret devotion; to religiously educate our children, and bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances; to live circumspectly in this present world, and not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, to be just in our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment; to avoid all tattling, backbiting, and excessive anger; to abstain from everything that will cause our brother to stumble or that will bring reproach upon the cause of Christ; and to strive to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, that amidst evil and good report we will humbly and earnestly seek to live to the honor and glory of Him who loved us and gave Himself for us. We moreover engage that when we remove from this place we will, as soon as possible, unite with some other church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God's word, as indicated in our STATEMENT OF FAITH.
