I've been thinking about a statement of faith for Christ Baptist Church. A couple of questions to help me:
1. Does your church have a statement of faith that is used (like you had to agree with it to be a member)?
2. Does your church use an already established statment of faith (like the New Hampshire Confession) or did they create their own?
3. Which historical statement of faith do you like best?
All the same questions could be asked about a church covenant also.
4 comments:
1. Yes
2. I am pretty sure they have developed their own.
3. The First London Confession of Faith 1646 Edition (the Second one is a 'baptist version' of the Westminster and is loaded with covenant theology. The 1646 has a new covenant emphasis. I like Sovereign Grace's statement but it is not yet historical.
I appreciate the Hiedleberg and Westminster Shorter...Bethlehem BC in Minneapolis has quite the decent statement of belief as well. One mistake I think some of the newer statements of faith make, ( like I actually know what I'm talking abuot, please!) is that they go into great detail and make statements of greater requirement than Scripture.
As Presbyterians, we use the Westminster Confession, but in my previous life I would have used the London Baptist Confession.
We did summarize our beliefs, you can see that at www.cornerchurch.net if you want. The Heidelberg is a great confession as well- quite pastoral, but it does espouse infant baptism.
Lumpkin's book on Baptist Creeds may be helpful if you haven't seen it yet.
I am reading Lumpkin's book now for a class with Tom Nettles on Baptist history. I would also encourage you to read one of my pastor's articles on "Why and How your church should hold to the 1689 Baptist Confession."
It can be found at Founders.org
www.founders.org/FJ61/article3.html
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