WHAT
WE BELIEVE
The Church Covenant is a voluntary agreement
by members of a Baptist Church whereby they promise to conduct their lives
in such a way as to glorify God and promote the ongoing of his church.
Every member should study it carefully, refer to it often, and seek to
live by it. It clearly outlines the obligations of church membership.
The form of covenant in wide use
in Baptist Churches is as follows:
Covenant
Having been led, as we believe, by the spirit of God, to receive the Lord
Jesus Christ as our savior; and on the profession of our faith, having
been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Spirit, we do now in the presence of God, angels and this assembly, most
solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another, as one body
in Christ. .
We engage, therefore, 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 prosperity
and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline and doctrines;
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.
We also engage to maintain family and secret
devotions; to religiously educate our children; to seek the salvation
of our kindred and acquaintances; to walk circumspectly in the world;
to be just in our dealings; faithful in our engagements, and exemplary
in our deportment; to avoid all tattling, backbiting and excessive anger;
to abstain from the sale and use of intoxicating drinks as a beverage;
and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Savior.
We further engage to watch over one another
in brotherly love; to remember each other in prayer; to aid each other
in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and
courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation,
and mindful of the rules of our Savior to secure it without delay.
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 the covenant and the principles of
GOD'S WORD. |