This page identifies our beliefs on certain major teachings, and our position on some of the key issues of concern to Baptists today. This is not intended to be a complete doctrinal statement. Please refer to other parts of our website for more information on our beliefs.

The Sovereignty of God:

We believe that God is sovereign over all things, including salvation. We believe in all five points of the doctrines of grace. We denounce Arminianism and compromising attempts to reconcile God's sovereignty with man's freewill. Thus we denounce the teaching of "efficiency and sufficiency" (which teaches that Christ's atonement was sufficient for all but only efficient for the elect), but believe that Christ's atonement was substitutionary and was intended only for the elect.

Local Church:

We believe that the kind of church Jesus built was a local, visible assembly of baptized believers.  We do not believe in a universal church; visible or invisible.

Church Government and Separation:

We believe that true Baptist churches are independent and autonomous in government. They do not answer to, or take orders from religious hierarchies or conventions, but each church is a local self-governing democratic body, which answers only to its Head and Founder Jesus Christ.

Therefore we believe that true churches should not participate in ecumenical councils, ecumenical religious meetings, ministerial associations, etc., who's design is to bring the Catholics, Protestants, and Baptists together under a common banner. We believe that the ecumenical movement is Satan's work to prepare for the one world religious system that will exist during the tribulation period.

We also believe in separation of church and state. The governments of the land have no authority in matters of church polity or church practices, so long as churches obey the law of Christ. True churches should strive for independence from state control, even if it means denying themselves privileges that would otherwise be afforded them by the state.

Church Support:

We believe the scriptures teach that each local church is to be supported by the tithes and offerings of its members. We do not believe in utilizing bake sales, car washes, (etc.), or state funding to support the Lord's Churches, or their works and functions.

Church Origin and Perpetuity:

We believe that Jesus built His first church during His earthly ministry, and that He has perpetuated His kind of church and will continue to do so until He comes again.  We are not, nor do we have church affiliation with "reformed Baptists", who identify their origination with the protestant reformation. 

Church Authority:

We believe that a church must receive authority from another true church to be properly organized. Believers cannot just come together and start a true church of the Lord Jesus Christ without the authority of a true Baptist Church. We believe this is the only way taught in the Scriptures to start a new church.

Church Ordinances:

We believe that there are only two church ordinances, baptism and the Lord's Supper, which Jesus gave to His Church.

We believe that scriptural baptism is believers baptism by immersion only. Scriptural Baptism must be administered by a true New Testament Baptist Church and is prerequisite to membership in the same. True New Testament Baptist Churches do not receive alien baptism, that is, baptism from manmade religious organizations (i.e. Roman Catholics, Protestants, etc.).

We believe that the Lord's Supper must be administered by a true New Testament Baptist Church as it meets together in church capacity. We believe in closed communion; that is, that only members of a particular church may observe the Lord's Supper together. We believe that the proper elements for the supper are unleavened bread and fermented wine. Grape juice, soda crackers, or any other elements containing leaven are not proper elements for the supper.

The Woman's Place In The Church:

We believe that women are to be in subjection to the male leadership of the church. This means that they are not to usurp authority over the men. Therefore they are not to teach the men or otherwise to speak in the assembly, when the assembly is called to order. We believe that women are to wear an artificial head covering in the assembly as a sign of their subjection, as taught in 1 Corinthians #11:1-16. Women therefore are not called of God to preach, nor are they to hold any office that would require them to speak in the church or usurp authority over the men.

Baptist women, however, have a great part in the work of the church. We believe women that can witness the gospel to the lost, and that the lost may be saved as a result. Our women help with the ministries of the church as did many blessed women help the apostle Paul in his ministry. Our women support the services with their attendance, with their silent prayers in the assembly, with their gifts of music, and with their financial means.

We believe that women may also teach other women, particularly the younger women (Titus 2:3-5). We believe that women can teach children including young boys. We believe that women can sing in the assembly (including special singing) and play instruments, thereby using their God given talents for the glory of God. We also believe that, as a part of the democratic and congregational body, women can vote in matters of church business.

We believe that women may also do works of benevolence such as caring for and visiting the sick, ministering to the poor and needy, and otherwise caring for the needs of the church. Of course, women are to care for their own households and the needs of their own families.

Missions:

We believe that people are saved through hearing the gospel of Jesus and that the great commission mandates the evangelism of the world, particularly by and through the Lord's true churches. We are not hardshells, which believe that people are saved without hearing the gospel, and consequently they do not believe in missions. 

Priesthood of the Believer:

We believe in the priesthood of the believer. We do not believe in the "priesthood of the church" teaching. We believe that any Christian may be a witness of the gospel, and that souls may be saved as a result. We do not believe that a lost sinner must hear a Baptist preacher in order to be saved, as the "priesthood of the church" advocates teach. The power of salvation is in the gospel, not in the preacher.

Personal Holiness:

We believe that saved people should strive to live godly in all aspects of our lives. We believe that the Word of God, including the law of God, contains all of the necessary instruction for Christian living. We are not antinomians, who do not believe that the law of God is for Christians today. We believe that a Christian's sin is still sin, and that we should hide God's Word in our hearts that we might not sin against Him.

Creation:

We believe that God created the entire physical universe, including the earth and all physical life (including man), in six literal twenty-four hour days. We do not believe in the "big bang" theory or the theory of evolution; theistic or otherwise. Furthermore, we do not believe in the "gap" theory, which interjects eons of time between verses one and two of Genesis chapter one. All such theories are merely attempts to reconcile the plain Bible teaching of creation with so-called modern science.

Holidays:

We do not believe that holidays, including Christmas and Easter, are Scriptural observances. These and other religious holidays so-called, are manmade and do not honor and glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. It is our understanding from the Word of God that Christians should abstain from the celebration of all such holidays.

Second Coming of Christ:

We believe in the pre-millennial view of eschatology, which includes the rapture of the saints; a literal seven year great tribulation period; the physical return of Christ to earth with His people at the end of the great tribulation; a literal one thousand year reign of Christ on earth; the final judgment of the wicked; the eternal kingdom upon the new heaven and new earth and within the New Jerusalem- in this order. (This is not intended as a full list of end time events, but only those sufficient to identify our position on eschatology). We do not believe in the a-millennial or post-millennial views of eschatology. We do not believe in a general resurrection or general judgment. We do believe in the bodily resurrection of the saved in the first resurrection and the lost at the Great White Throne judgment.

The Baptist Bride:

We believe that the Bride of Christ will be made up of the faithful members of all true New Testament Churches that existed throughout the church age. The bride will live and abide with Christ in New Jerusalem. All other saints will enjoy the benefits and blessings of the new earth and will have access into New Jerusalem, but will not live in the city.

SOVEREIGN GRACE LANDMARK  BAPTIST CHURCH

DISTINGUISHING DOCTRINES