New Birth Baptist Church
What does it mean to be an Independent, Fundamental, Missionary Baptist church?
Baptist Church: In the simplest of terms a true Baptist assembly is one which follows the New Testament as its sole authority for its faith and practice. The name Baptist in the beginning was used to designate a true New Testament assembly that was biblically sound. Baptists are not Protestants. The name Protestant was given to those churches which came out of Roman Catholicism during the Reformation which began in the 1500s. Historically, Baptists were never a part of the Roman Catholic Church or the Protestant Reformation. Therefore, Baptists cannot be correctly called "protesters" or Protestants who left the Roman Church.
Dr. J.M. Carroll discovered the history of Baptists, was written in blood. They were the hated people of the Dark Ages. Their preachers and people were put into prison and untold numbers were put to death. The world has never seen anything to compare with the suffering, the persecutions, heaped upon Baptists by the Catholic Hierarchy during the Dark Ages. The world has never seen anything to compare with the suffering, the persecutions, heaped upon Baptists by the Catholic Hierarchy during the Dark Ages. The Pope was the world's dictator. This is why the Ana-Baptists, before the Reformation, called the Pope The Anti-Christ.
Marks of The New Testament Church:
1. Its Head and Founder--CHRIST. He is the law-giver; the Church is only the executive only in carrying out their Lord's will and completed laws. They are never to serve as the legislators, in order to amend or abrogate old laws or to make new ones. No human has authority to make new biblical laws. (Matt. 16:18; Eph. 5:23; Col. 1:18) Christ is the Church's Chief Shepherd and, thereby only legislator. (1 Peter 5:4)
2. Its only rule of faith and practice--THE BIBLE. (II Tim. 3:15-17) This means that Baptists do not accept any authority except the New Testament Scriptures. Christ is head of the Church, and it is His bride. We believe the Word of God, the Bible is complete and it solely, ". . . Is given of by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished (equipped) unto all good works." (2 Timothy 3:16-17) We reject that God is giving supposed "new" Revelation, believing that God forbids any adding to or taking away of the canon of Scriptures. (Rev. 22:18-19) We do not accept any authority over the New Testament Church, but Christ Himself, including any hierarchy to include popes, modern day prophets, or councils of churches.
3. Its name--"CHURCH," "CHURCHES." (Matt. 16:18; Rev. 22:16)
4. The local pastor is the shepherd (bishop), overseer, or leader of the congregation. (Heb. 13:17, Acts 20:28, Eph. 4:11) There is not an hierarchy of authority in the New Testament Church...no laity, no Cardinals, No Chancellor, no Pope! The pastor of the church is called by majority vote of the congregation making him accountable to the congregation. Just remember the pastor is accountable to God first and foremost.
5. Its polity--CONGREGATIONAL--all members equal. (Matt. 20:24-28; Matt. 23:5-12) All members, being saved people according to their faith and not works, have the right of voting on orders of business for their local church.
6. Its members--only saved people. (Eph. 2:21; I Peter 2:5) Salvation and deliverance from Hell and the Lake of Fire comes only from True Repentance of One's Sins and True Faith in all that the Bible says of Jesus Christ and his finished work on the Cross to save us from our inevitable punishment for our Sin Nature. Baptists reject the baptism of infants (Pedobaptism) flatly! The church is made up of only Baptized believers. (Acts 2:41-42) An infant is not capable of believing, and is protected by the Grace of God until the age of accountability. Further, only those who have believed and trusted in Jesus Christ as their Savior are a member of the body of Christ. Only the saved who have publicly professed salvation can be a member of a local New Testament Church. (Acts 2:41)
7. Its ordinances--BELIEVERS' BAPTISM, FOLLOWED BY THE LORD'S SUPPER. (Matt. 28:19-20) These are not acts of salvation. They are works that were commanded by the Lord Jesus Christ. Believer's Baptism is a symbolic gesture of following Jesus not a work of Salvation. Salvation is not by works. The Lord's Supper is also works done by believers as a memorial of His sacrifice and agony and his being forsaken taking on all of the sins of the world on the cross. Being fully God and fully Man, Jesus did God's will of his own free will. This is the perfect work of God on the cross.
8. Its officers--PASTORS AND DEACONS. (I Tim. 3:1-16) Men meeting the biblical qualification of deacons (servants) are appointed from the local congregation and approved by the majority vote (1 Tim. 3:8-13). Many Baptist churches have Trustees, but their position was established in order to have legal "signatories" to sign legal documents for the church.
9. Its work--getting folks saved, baptizing them (with a baptism that meets all the requirements of God's Word), teaching them ("to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you"). (Matt. 28:16-20) We are to not only spread the Gospel, but make new disciples of Christ from the lost souls of the world...training them to live in all things Christ taught.
10. Its priesthood--invested in the believer. The Scripture teaches that every believer can without the aid of priests or churchmen go, "boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace in the time of need". (Hebrews 4:16) The Scripture states further in Hebrews 10:19, "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus." The believer does not need a priest or a church to intercede on their behalf to God. The believer can boldly, by the fact of being washed in the blood of Christ, instantly be in contact with God by simple prayer, and further can bring his petitions or requests for forgiveness of sins directly to God himself. (1 John 1:9) No church has the authority to forgive sins or grant intercession to God.
11. Its financial plan--"Even so (TITHES and OFFERINGS) hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel," (I Cor. 9:14) We don't have fundraisers and bake sales to fund operations of the church.
12. Its weapons of warfare--spiritual, not carnal. (II Cor. 10:4; Eph. 6:10-20) This is important, because, in the dark ages the Roman Catholic Church used torches and swords to "further God's kingdom"...but in fact was used to further the riches and power of the Roman Catholic Church. This was man's will not God's will. It is God's will for the Church to not live nor die by the sword.
13. Its independence--separation of Church and State. (Matt. 22:21) Jesus said to ""render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's." (Mark 12:17) Further the Scripture says "what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion that light with darkness?" (2 Cor. 6:14) No power on earth is higher than God's Word, and a church should not be in any way yoked or controlled by the state, or and civil authority in religious matters. We support the rightly appointed civil authority of government over us and pray for them that we live our lives in peace. (2 Peter 2:13-15)
14. Its autonomy--Simply stated, the Scriptures gives no higher authority than the local congregation of born again, baptized believers. We believe the local church is to be governed by the Word of God, and the local church does not need, or does the Scripture teach that the local body rests under the authority of any earthly group. It is a group unto itself, under the authority of God, and solely responsible unto Him for its conduct, direction and affairs. Jesus in Revelation 2:6, 15, stated that He "hated" the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes. This group of heretics in the early church with other doctrinal errors promoted a clerical hierarchy in the church.
Independent Baptist: The word "Independent" means our church is not a member of any council, convention or is a part of any hierarchy outside the local congregation. An Independent Baptist church governs itself apart from any outside agency. An Independent Baptist Church would not join a national or international denomination that would exercise authority over the local church. Thus, the name "independent" means the church patterns itself after the New Testament example and stands alone under the authority of the scriptures. Independent churches are autonomous assemblies having no organization over them in authority. Free from outside interference, they direct their own affairs under the authority of the New Testament Scriptures.
Missionary Baptist: The word "Missionary" means our church has kept the original doctrines and beliefs held by the Biblical Church set up by Jesus Christ, rather than follow the "progressive" churches that have broken away from it. Prior to being New Birth Baptist Church, the building had "Dennis Road Missionary Baptist Church" out front. It signifies that the congregation of that day wanted to distinguish themselves from the nominal "baptists" saying that they were true Baptists. Apparently at a later date our church's name was changed and Independent Fundamental was added to the description. Today, this designation is like the adverb "very", describing us as very fundamental. It also points to our dedication to starting new churches and spreading the Gospel, carrying out the "Great Commission" as commanded by Jesus Christ our Lord. We support evangelism worldwide and hold our missionaries to the high standards that we hold for ourselves in maintaining the old-time message of Baptists.
Fundamental Baptist: In response to liberal and modernistic theology, we have an active affirmation of a fundamental set of Christian beliefs: The Holy Bible is infallible and appropriately preserved in the King James Bible, The Holy Bible is the only inerrant authority for the Church, therefore the Christian faith, and it contains all knowledge for salvation and holiness (by scripture alone), the virgin birth of Christ, Jesus Christ was made God and Man; God in the Flesh, making him the perfect intercessor for our crimes of sin against God and was done of His own free will (Pilate had no control over the situation...it was the will of God), Jesus Christ's finished work on the cross to pay for our transgressions against God forever, the bodily resurrection of Jesus on the third day of Christ's bodily death, and the imminent personal return of Jesus Christ. We strongly adhere to these beliefs in the face of criticism or unpopularity. We preserve the heritage of the Baptist/New Testament Church by not allowing liberalism, modernism, and worldly and/or "religious" ways into our Church.
The name Independent Fundamental Baptist Church is used traditionally by churches which pattern themselves strictly after the example of the early church, as found in the New Testament. This is true of Missionary Baptist Churches as well. Both designations indicate a faith based on the same fundamental principles outlined in the Bible. Therefore we are designated almost redundantly a(n) Independent, Missionary, Fundamental Baptist Church. Today the name Baptist is used by many churches that are not following the teachings of the New Testament. Thus the words "Independent", "Missionary", and "Fundamental" have been added by many Baptist churches to further identify themselves as true Bible believing churches and to show a distinction between themselves and Baptist churches that are not following God's word. Most Baptist churches were in the past founded on the sound doctrinal teachings of the New Testament; however, many of them have in varying degrees drifted away from many of the teachings of the Scriptures. Some of these churches have gone so far to even deny the fundamental teachings of the Bible, such as the deity of Christ, the virgin birth and salvation by the Grace of God, through faith. Others have to a lesser degree compromised the Word of God by their teaching, practices and church polity trying to confront to popular religious trends. These worldly churches still call themselves "Baptists," but in fact they do not believe or practice what true Baptists have historically believed and more importantly what the Word of God says. The true Independent Fundamental Baptists have no association or fellowship with these churches because they teach or practice things contrary to the New Testament.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Baptist churches were awakened to the advancement of modernism and liberalism into national Baptist denominations and conventions in both the United States and the U.K.. Many local Baptist churches began to feel that the core elements and doctrines of the Christian faith, such as the nature of God, the infallibility of the Bible, the literal person of Jesus Christ as both God and man, the nature of the Trinity, the literal resurrection of Christ, and the need for Christians to be separate from worldliness were being watered down and abandoned. Many within these local Baptist churches felt that any association with Liberalism/Modernism even in the forum of debate was tantamount to compromise and was therefore unscriptural.
Independent (Missionary) Fundamental Baptist churches have fellowship one with the other and often cooperate in such endeavors as evangelism. However, practicing biblical separation they will only fellowship or cooperate in joint meetings with churches of like faith. They will not participate, as a church in any outside function with churches which do not also strictly base their faith and practice on the New Testament. They will not engage in joint meetings, or evangelistic endeavors, with Protestants, Catholics, or other doctrinally unsound church groups, who do not hold to the fundamental teachings of the New Testament. Fundamental Independent Baptists churches will remain separate from unsound churches, as well as other Baptists groups who join in with the unscriptural churches. They practice the biblical teachings of separation as taught in Ephesians 5:11, which state, "Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them." That is to say that any church that includes traditions from the Catholic church not included in the New Testament is worldly and not a true Baptist church. A Church is not a social club. We do not watch football games, watch scary movies, perform Catholic rites or works (or other worldly church rituals) rites or works, form Christian rock bands, have Halloween parties, or any other worldly things at Church. "Thus is the case with many Southern Baptist Churches. (Note the word MANY. Individual churches make their own rules...so not all of them follow the same model.) They celebrate Catholic and Protestant holidays and observances such as Ash Wednesday, Lent, and Maundy Thursday. They worship in the Roman Catholic (Latin hymns) tradition." Independent Baptists believe that to join with churches that teach and practice false doctrine is to tolerate and approve of errors. True, New Testament churches strongly believe that all doctrinal error is sin as the New Testament teaches.
The words "Missionary" and "Fundamental" means the Baptist church uses the New Testament strictly as its authority for faith (doctrine) and practice. In recent years the news media has called doctrinally unsound churches such as the Charismatics and Pentecostals "fundamentalists." Even some TV evangelists have referred to themselves as being "fundamentalist." But they should not be confused with Fundamental Baptists. They are worlds apart. Many of the TV evangelists and all the Charismatic and Pentecostal churches promote teachings which are not biblical. Fundamental Baptists use the name in its strictest sense as meaning to hold soundly the fundamentals of the New Testament teachings without error. True Independent Fundamental Baptist Churches uphold the purest teachings of the early church as revealed in the New Testament.
Though, not a historic distinctive of a Baptist church, one other characteristic is necessary for an assembly to call its self a true New Testament church. This distinctive is based on the truth that God will not, nor can He bless or be a party to doctrinal error. A true New Testament church will believe and follow the correct and proper instructions of God's word. There are many churches that believe and practice false doctrines such as tongue speaking, do not practice biblical separation from worldliness and hold to other unbiblical views. A true New Testament church's doctrine and practice will correctly follow the word of God, thus there are those churches that put themselves at odds with the Lord. The New Testament stresses purity in faith and practice as Revelation 2-3 clearly teach. To five of the seven churches of Asia, Jesus said He has things against them. He warned them strongly to correct their failures or He would take action against them. A true church that has the blessings of the Lord will diligently seek purity in faith and practice. Those who refuse to repent of their errors will not have the approval or the blessings of God.
Sources:
http://www.bible-truth.com/BaptistHistory.html
http://www.biblepreaching.com/trailofblood.html
