What Is An Independent Baptist?

We are often asked this and other questions about our church. The short answer is that we are not a member of any convention. We are a self-governing church answering only to GOD. This insert to our 'Welcome' packet was developed to answer several of the most frequently asked questions by our visitors.

We are Baptist! From our study of history and Scripture, we confirm that Baptists did not come out of the Protestant Reformation of Martin Luther. While we have not always been called Baptists, the doctrine we practice can be traced to the New Testament Churches founded by CHRIST and HIS Apostles. We hold to the historic beliefs and practices which have prevailed among Baptists from the time of JESUS. Churches practicing this doctrine and faith can be found in every generation since CHRIST. We believe that JESUS established a visible, local New Testament Church as HE declared in Matthew 16:18; 'And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.'

We are Independent! This does not mean that we are independent to do as we please, but we are independent and unaffiliated with any organization so that we may do what GOD pleases. It is our prayer that we never become independent from our Savior. We are not a member of any association or convention. JESUS established HIS Church the local New Testament Church and we find no evidence in Scripture to support a convention or association 'being over' the local church. It is our belief that we, as a church, answer only to GOD and not man. Churches may work together to help our community. We may work together to further the cause of CHRIST. But each church is responsible to GOD for its organization and its mission. In this regard, we believe we can disagree with those churches who are not 'like us' without being disagreeable.

We are Fundamental! This word has a varied meaning today depending on who you ask. Generations ago, conservative Christians documented what was titled the 'Fundamentals of the Faith!'. They opposed any modern effort of society or government that denied these fundamentals of faith. In summary, we believe in the verbal inspiration of the Scriptures, the Genesis Account of Creation, the Virgin Birth of CHRIST, HIS sinless life, HIS Blood Atonement, HIS Glorious Bodily Resurrection, HIS Ascension, and HIS Second Coming. When we say Fundamental, this is not all that we believe, because we believe every doctrine and truth in the Word of GOD without reservation. A copy of our 'Statement of Faith' is enclosed in this packet, also.

We are Pre-millennial! What does this mean? We believe that JESUS CHRIST is coming back before the Millennial Kingdom spoken of in the book of Revelation is established. Under the government of man, the world is growing away from GOD. Our society, under the guise of Separation of Church and State, has removed GOD from our public life and said that our faith should remain behind the doors of the church and in private. This is a fulfillment of Scripture and no surprise to the Bible student. The Bible tells us, ‘But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.’  2 Timothy 3:13.  There will come a time when CHRIST shall come in the air, ‘the dead in CHRIST (Christians who have died) shall rise first:  Then we which are alive and remain (the Christians who are alive at the time) shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the LORD in the air; and so shall we ever be with the LORD.’  The Anti-Christ, according to Revelation 19:21, will become the world leader and a seven-year tribulation will begin when GOD judges the earth and those ‘left behind’ who have rejected CHRIST. At the end of the seven years the LORD will return with HIS Saints and defeat the army of the Anti-Christ. Satan will be bound and cast into the bottomless pit and then the LORD will establish HIS Kingdom here on earth and reign for a thousand years before eternity begins. We are ‘pre-millennial’ because we believe JESUS will return for ‘HIS Own’ before this occurs.

We are Missionary! While there are some Baptist churches that use this term in their title, we believe that every New Testament Church should be missionary. JESUS gave the Command to HIS Church in Matthew 28: 18-20, ‘And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.V19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: v20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded for you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.’  If people are to be saved, whether in Corsicana or Corsica, they must be able to hear the Word of GOD. Romans 10:13-15 &17 tells us ‘whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. V14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? V15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? … v17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.’  To obey CHRIST, we send missionaries to foreign fields, as well as, to start churches here at home where a Gospel Witness is not present. At Ambassador we support a family of foreign missionaries and several home missions’ projects for new churches. We practice Faith Promise Giving, i.e., we have the faith that GOD will provide what we promise to give. And we support sound Baptist, Bible Believing Missionaries.