Go Baaaack
Roe
Valley Independent
Baptist Church
Beliefs
Constitution
Roe Valley Independent Baptist Church was
organized on January 25th, 2004
This constitution is given in prayerful hope to help preserve and secure the principles of our faith and to govern this church in an orderly and Biblical manner.
We constitute this church under the authority of God and the Word
of God according to the New Testament Pattern (1Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus).
We voluntarily band ourselves together as a body of baptized believers
properly organized with Jesus Christ as the head and the propagation of the
Gospel of Jesus Christ is our main objective.
1.
This local church shall be known as Roe Valley Independent Baptist Church.
2.
This church will be
subject to the control of no other ecclesiastical (church) body.
3.
The head of this church is Christ, the authority of this church is the Word of
God, and the
guidance of this church is from the Holy Spirit.
We want to be a dynamic spiritual body empowered by the Holy Spirit with
our main objective being to simply and clearly bring the lost to an
understanding of the Gospel, sharing Christ with as many people as possible in
our church, community, and throughout the world, giving everyone the opportunity
to receive Christ.
After salvation we want to bring
believers into a full and mature relationship with Jesus Christ through the
preaching and teaching of His Word.
Essential
Commitments:
Our Commitment to God’s Word:
We make Scripture the final authority rather than church tradition.
We should not be afraid to be innovative and flexible as long as we do
not violate Scripture.
We are committed to equipping Christians, through the preaching and
teaching of God’s Word with integrity and authority, to follow Christ in every
aspect of life so that seekers find Christ and believers mature in Him.
We uphold the Authorized Version of the Bible as the supreme English
translation. We do not embrace, use or recommend
modern translations, as they consistently change major doctrinal positions, and
omit and add to the Word of God in direct violation to Scripture.
Our
Commitment to Prayer:
We believe that God desires His people to pray and that He hears and
answers prayer (Matthew 7:7-11; James 5:13-18).
Therefore, the ministries and activities of this church will be
characterized by a reliance on prayer in the conception, planning, and execution
of such.
Our
Commitment to Growth:
Although numerical growth is not necessarily a sign of God’s blessing, and is not a sufficient goal in itself, we believe that God desires for us to reach as many people as possible with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ. Therefore, we will proclaim the Gospel message through every available means to bring the lost into our fellowship along with those who are saved and searching for a stable place of spiritual growth, without compromising in any way our integrity or our commitment to biblical truth.
1.General.
The
biblical condition to be a member of a local church is Scriptural Salvation.
The agreed condition to be a
member of Roe Valley Independent Baptist Church is scriptural salvation and
baptism by immersion following salvation as exampled in the New Testament.
You can become a member of this church by profession of faith of
salvation and baptism by immersion.
3.Rights
(1)
Every member has a right to participate in all ordinances as performed by
the church.
(2)
Every member has a right to attend all regular worship meetings and any
special meeting the church holds as appropriate to their situation (women’s
meeting, men’s prayer meeting, youth outing, etc…).
(3)
Every member has a right to voice their opinion, vote, and be involved in
any meeting that is called to consider matters of special nature and
significance.
II.
Church Discipline
The attitude of members toward one another shall be guided by a concern
for redemption rather than punishment. However, should a serious condition exist
which would cause a member to become a liability to the general welfare of the
church, the pastor and church members will take every reasonable measure to
resolve the problem in accord with Matthew 18.
If it becomes necessary for the church to take action to exclude a
member, the church may proceed to declare the person to be no longer in
membership with the church.
All such proceedings will be dealt with by a spirit of Christian kindness
and forbearance, with the outcome of the ordeal to ultimately please God, to
honor God, and to benefit the furtherance of the Gospel.
II.
Ordinances:
The
ordinances of the church are Believer’s Baptism and the Lord’s
Supper*. Neither of which
bring salvation or redemption in any form to those who participate.
1.
Baptism: The
church shall receive for baptism any person who has received Jesus Christ as
Savior by personal faith and has indicated a commitment to follow Christ as
Lord.
(1) Baptism shall be by complete
immersion in water
(2)
The pastor, or whomever the church shall authorize, shall administer baptism.
2.
The Lord’s Supper: The
church shall observe the Lord’s Supper on the first Sunday of each month
unless otherwise scheduled by the church. The
pastor shall administer the Lord’s Supper under the guidance of the Holy
Spirit.
All
individuals participating in the Lord's Supper must be in fellowship with the Lord (1 Co. 11:27-31).
This involves striving to live in obedience to the Bible and carefully
confessing one’s sins to God (John 8:31-32;
1 John 1:5-10).
IV. Church Officers:
The two biblical offices of the New
Testament church are Pastor and Deacon. The
qualifications of each are found in 1 Timothy 3:1-13.
1. Pastor: Pastor,
Elder, and Bishop describe the same office in the assembly, referring to three
different aspects of the church leader’s work.
(1) Pastor refers to the church
leader as the shepherd of the flock, speaking of his work of teaching and
nurturing and protecting the assembly.
(2) Elder refers to the church leader’s maturity and
responsibility and the fact that he is to be an example to the flock.
(3) Bishop refers to the church
leader’s authority, to the fact that he is to rule or oversee the church.
2. Deacon:
The Greek word for deacon –diakonos-
simply means “servant.” When
the term is used in the New Testament as a certain office in the church (1
Timothy 3:13) it is referring to a man who is a servant of the church and the
pastor in a special sense beyond that expected of every Christian.
Although the term “deacon” is not used in Acts 6:1-4, we certainly
see a biblical pattern for the work of a deacon.
The deacon is never referred to in the N.T. as rulers in the church, and
nowhere are they seen as ruling over the pastors.
Deacons will be selected from the members of the church and presented to
the pastor following the example of Acts 6:1-4.
When the time comes for Roe Valley Baptist Church to elect deacons, a
full study of their duties will be outlined from the Word of God and presented
to the church body for approval. All
considerations and dealings will be in accordance with the biblical teaching and
consistent verse applications.
3. Other Offices in the
Church:
The
church will have a treasurer that will receive, preserve, and pay out all money
or things of value paid or given to the church, keeping at all times an itemized
account of all receipts and disbursements.
The duty of the treasurer will also be to record the events and decisions at every business meeting that will effect the church congregation.
V.
Church Meetings:
(1) Roe Valley Independent Baptist Church will meet regularly
each Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night for
the worship of God. Prayer,
preaching, praise, instruction, and evangelism will be among the ingredients of
these services. The pastor
will direct the services for all the church members and all others who may
choose to attend.
The church times are as follows until further change.
Sunday Morning
10:15 a.m. Lord’s
Supper on the first Sunday of every month
11: 00 a.m. Worship Service on every Sunday throughout the year
6:45 p.m.
Sunday School and Christian Training
Tuesday Evening
7:30 p.m. Men’s
prayer meeting and Bible study
7:30 p.m. Worship
Service every Sunday throughout the year
Wednesday Evening 7:00 P.m. Youth
singing and teaching
7:30
p.m. Wednesday evening
worship service throughout the year
(2) Special meetings and services essential to the advancement of the
church’s objectives will be placed on the church calendar.
(3) Business meetings should
not be held at any given time of a regular church meeting unless called for by
the pastor. A business meeting
should be planned in advance by the church members and pastor at a convenient
time for all who wish to be involved. The
meeting will be made known to all members given everyone opportunity to attend
and participate. The business
meeting will be conducted without the involvement of those outside of church
membership. The purpose of any such
meeting will be for the continuing unity of the church body in decisions made by
the church.
The pastor can call an emergency business meeting at any regular service
time.
VI.
Church Finances:
(1) It is understood that membership in this church involves
financial obligation to support the church and its causes with regular,
proportionate gifts. No record will
be kept of individual giving apart from the record in heaven.
The joy of faithful tithing and giving of offerings will be taught to the
members of the church as we strive to be good stewards of God’s blessings in
our lives and for the advancement of His kingdom.
(2) All funds received for any purpose will pass through the hands of the church treasurer were there will be an itemized record of all funds received and disbursed.
(3) General tithes and offerings will be collected in an offering box located at the entrance and exit of the church building. Any collection of monies for special purposes may be lifted in a similar way or by means of an offering plate.
VII.
Amendments: Changes
in the constitution and bylaws may be made at any regular business meeting of
the church. The proposed changes
will be presented to each member prior to the change.
If need be, the proposed change will be brought in by a vote of the
church membership.
1. We believe that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God. We realize that without God's word, we have no foundation or basis for truth. We believe that His Word is preserved for the English speaking people in the Authorized (King James) version of the Bible. We do not embrace, use or recommend modern translations, as they consistently change major doctrinal positions, and omit and add to the Word of God in direct violation to Scripture. (Rev. 22:18,19) By implication, the modern translators insist that we do not have the complete, accurate Word of God. This is also contrary to Scripture (Matthew 24:35; II Timothy 3:15-17, Romans 10:17, Heb. 4:12, Galations 1:7-9)
2. We believe that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are one and the same. This is called the Trinity. We believe that Jesus was the incarnate Son of God. I John 5:7, John 1:1,14, Philippians 2:6, Col. 1:16,17, Isa. 9:6, John 8:58
3. We believe in the virgin birth of Jesus. Isa. 7:14, Matt. 1:16-25, Luke 1:26-35
4. We believe that man was created in a perfect state in the Garden of Eden, but fell because of disobedience, thus causing all humanity to be born in a sinful state. We believe that all persons are born sinners and therefore stand in need of salvation. Romans 3:10,23, 5:12, I John 1:8,10
5. We believe that man was created with a free volition, or a choice. We do not believe in the Calvinistic doctrine of election and predestination as pertaining to the unsaved. The Bible clearly teaches that the gift of salvation is for "whosoever will". John 3:15,16, Romans 10:13, Romans 5:18, I John 4:15
6. We believe in the sufficiency of Christ's death at Calvary. His death, and the shedding of His blood paid the full price for sin, and salvation can be attained only by faith in the finished work of Christ. We do not believe in works salvation, but in salvation by grace through faith. Eph. 2:8,9 Gal. 2:16; 3:11
7. We believe in the necessity of the Blood of Christ for the atonement for sins. It was not just his death, but the shedding of His blood that satisfied God the Father. His Blood was more than a symbol or a type; it was a requirement. Rom.3:25; 5:9 Hebrews 9:12,14,22
8. We believe in the physical Resurrection of Jesus Christ three days and three nights after his death. Matthew 12:39,40; I Cor.15:4-20, Rom. 10:9; Hebrews 7:25
9. We believe in the Eternal Security of the believer. This simply means that once a person is born into the family of God, they cannot lose their son ship. The gift of salvation is eternal life. John 3:15,16; Heb.10:10-18; Rom.8:35-39: I John 5:13
10. We believe that Baptism is only for those that have accepted Jesus Christ as their Saviour. We do not baptize babies, as this practice cannot be found in the Word of God. Only believers can be baptized according to the Scripture, and infants do not have the ability to discern or believe. Acts 2:41; Acts 8:36-38; 18:8 We believe in "deep water" baptism, otherwise known as immersion. We baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Matt.28:18; Mark 16:15,16; Romans 6:4; Col.2:12 Acts 8:36-39
11. We believe in a literal Devil. He is known by many names such as Lucifer, Satan, Dragon, Serpent, Angel of Light, etc. Ezek. 28:13,15; I Peter 5:8, Job 1:7, Rev.12:7-10
12. We believe in a literal Heaven, which is the eternal reward of the believer. We also believe in a literal Hell, which is the destination of those that die unsaved. II Cor. 5:8, Luke 16:22-43
13. We believe in the literal return of Christ, also known as the Rapture or the Second Coming. Acts 1:11; I Thess.4:13-18; Titus 2:13; John 14:1-3; Rev.22:20; I Cor. 15:51-58
14. We believe the Rapture will precede the Tribulation. This doctrine is known as Pre-Tribulation. This simply means that the Church will not go through any part of the Great Tribulation. Luke 21:34-36; Rev.3:10; II Thess. 2:7-9
15. We firmly believe in the local church. The Bible teaches that God works through the local church assembly made up of baptized believers. Heb.10:25; Eph. 4:15,16; I Peter 5:1,2
16. As New Testament Baptist, we do not participate in the modern day Charismatic Movement. We do not practice or promote speaking in "unknown" tongues in the church or elsewhere. We believe in Divine healing and miracles, but not performed by men. We do not engage in Deliverance ministries of those possessed by demons. We believe that salvation will solve that problem.
17. We do not embrace the modern day Ecumenical Movement. We strongly believe in ecclesiastical separation, and do not try to "fit in" with false doctrine. We stand without apology on the doctrines of the Bible, and may be perceived by the world as "strange and peculiar". However, we can not and will not compromise our beliefs in order to receive acceptance and approval from those religions that err from the truth. Amos 3:3; Gal. 1-6-12; II Cor. 11:4-7; 12-15; Isa.56:9-12; II Pet. 2:1-22; Matt.23:13-36; Luke 6:39
18. We are careful to follow the Biblical guidelines for music. Our music is worship oriented and God-honoring. Eph.5:19; James 5:13; Psalm 40:3; Eph.5:10,11; II Cor.6:14-18; 7:1; I Cor. 14:33; Phil. 4:8
1.
The Supper of the Lord Jesus was instituted by Him the same night on
which He was betrayed to be observed in His churches until the end of the world
for the perpetual remembrance, and showing forth of the sacrifice of Himself in
His death. It was also instituted by Christ to confirm believers in all the
benefits of His death; - for their spiritual nourishment and growth in Him; -
for their further engagement in and commitment to all the duties which they owe
to Him; - and to be a bond and pledge of their communion with Him and with their
fellow believers.
2.
In this ordinance Christ is not offered up to His Father, nor is there
any real sacrifice made at all for remission of sin (of the living or the dead).
There is only a memorial of that one offering up of Christ by Himself upon the
cross once for all, the memorial being accompanied by a spiritual oblation of
all possible praise to God for Calvary. Therefore, the popish sacrifice of the
mass, as they call it, is most abominable, being injurious to Christ's own
sacrifice, which is the only propitiation for all the sins of the elect.
3.
The Lord Jesus has, in this ordinance, appointed His ministers to pray
and bless the elements of bread and wine (so setting them apart from a common to
a holy use) and to take and break the bread, then to take the cup, and to give
both to the communicants, also communicating themselves.
4.
The denial of the cup to the people, the practices of worshipping the
elements, lifting them up or carrying them about for adoration, or reserving
them for any pretended religious use, are all contrary to the nature of this
ordinance, and to the institution of Christ.
5.
The outward elements in this ordinance which are correctly set apart and
used as Christ ordained, so closely portray Him as crucified, that they are
sometimes truly (but figuratively) referred to in terms of the things they
represent, such as the body and blood of Christ. However in substance and nature
they still remain truly and only bread and wine as they were before.
6.
The doctrine commonly called transubstantiation, which maintains that a
change occurs in the substance of the bread and wine into the substance of
Christ's body and blood, when consecrated by a priest or by any other way, is
repugnant not only to Scripture but even to common sense and reason. It
overthrows the nature of the ordinance, and both have been and are the cause of
a host of superstitions and of gross idolatries.
7.
Worthy receivers, outwardly taking the visible elements in this
ordinance, also receive them inwardly and spiritually by faith, truly and in
fact, but not carnally and corporally, and feed upon Christ crucified, and all
the benefits of His death. The body and blood of Christ is not present
corporally or carnally but it is spiritually present to the faith of believers
in the ordinance, just as the elements are present to their outward senses.
8.
All ignorant and ungodly
persons who are unfit to enjoy communion with Christ are equally unworthy of the
Lord's Table, and therefore cannot without great sin against Him, take a share
in these holy mysteries or be admitted to the Supper while they remain in that
condition. Indeed those who receive (the elements) unworthily, are guilty of the
body and blood of the Lord, eating and drinking judgment to themselves.