Statement of Faith


What I Believe…


I was an American Baptist (ABCUSA) in New Jersey and was affiliated with the conservative renewal movement, the Evangelical Network of New Jersey which has since disbanded.  I have retired to Maine and am an elder in a Conservative Baptist church.  Like all Baptists, I hold to the Bible as my earthly source of authority.


In accordance with the historic Baptist tradition, I hold to:


Believer's Baptism by Immersion,

Liberty of Conscience,

the Separation of Church and State,

and the Priesthood of the Believer.


I also affirm the following distinctives which need emphasis at the present time:



I. The Authority of Scripture

The Bible is the inspired, authoritative and infallible Word of God and is our sole rule of faith and practice.  It is the standard by which all human conduct and creeds should be tried.


II. The Trinity

There is only one true and living God who is manifested in three eternal and coequal persons; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God possesses holiness, omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, love, mercy, and all other perfections.  All humankind owes to Him supreme faith and obedience.


III. Humankind

Humankind has been created in the image of God but through Adam's fall is now sinful, lost and condemned. By deliberate choice all participate in sin, which is open rebellion to God's law.  Notwithstanding the fall, all human life through creation has value and dignity.


IV. Justification by Faith

Human beings can be forgiven of sin and justified solely through the redeeming work of Jesus Christ who died for sinners and rose again from the dead.  Only by repentance from sin and faith in Jesus Christ the Lord can acceptance with God be attained.


V. Regeneration

Regeneration is the work of the Holy Spirit by which the believer receives a new nature from God.  The popular expression of this is we "must be born again."  Christian growth or sanctification is the continuation of the new life principle which begins in the new birth.


VI. The Church

The church in its widest sense includes all believers of all ages. The church is manifested visibly in the local body of baptized believers who covenant together to worship, observe the ordinances, and evangelize.


VII. Human Destiny

Jesus Christ will eventually return visibly at which time He will raise the dead and judge all people.  Believers will enjoy an eternal state of blessedness in heaven while unbelievers will experience eternal separation from God in hell.


VIII. Evangelism and Social Concern

The church has been called to preach the gospel so that individual people can receive salvation.  Also the church is to become involved in the improvement of society by advocating Biblical principles which confront poverty, racism, violence, and all forms of injustice against humanity.


IX. Human Sexuality

God's design is that man and woman either be joined together in a perpetual monogamous relationship or live in a single state.  Extra-marital sex, adultery and homosexuality are inconsistent with biblical teaching.



(The above are derived from the Statement of Faith of the American Baptist Evangelicals.)



Back to main page




Copyright © 2024 by Rev. David Holwick

Created with the Freeware Edition of HelpNDoc: Single source CHM, PDF, DOC and HTML Help creation