As an evangelical, Baptist, congregational church, we hold to all of the classic statements of the Christian faith--the Apostle's Creed, the Nicene Creed, the Athanasian Creed and the Definition of Chalcedon. (We also affirm the 1833 New Hampshire Confession of Faith, which is the governing Confession for Bethel Baptist Church's teaching and preaching.) Below you will find the doctrinal statement that we affirm as part of our association with Mission Mid-Atlantic, a church planting and ministry partnership under the Conservative Baptist Churches (CBAmerica):
THE HOLY BIBLE: We believe that the Scriptures, comprised of the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, are the inspired Word of God, inerrant in the original writings, complete as the revelation of God’s will for salvation, and the supreme and final authority in all matters to which they speak. We believe Scripture must be understood through the literal, contextual, grammatical, and historical method of interpretation, and applied under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. (2 Samuel 7:28; Psalm 119:160; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; 1 Corinthians 14:37)
THE TRINITY: We believe in one God, Creator and Sustainer of all things, eternally existing in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and they are equal in essence. They execute distinct but harmonious roles in the work of creation, providence, and redemption. (Genesis 1:1-2; Job 26:13; Psalm 104; Matthew 28:19; 1 Corinthians 12:4-6; Ephesians 2:18; John 10:30; 14;23; 17;5; Acts 5:3-4)
GOD THE FATHER: We believe in God the Father, an infinite, personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, knowledge, power, and love. We believe He concerns Himself both graciously and mercifully in the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ. The Father does everything in accordance with His perfect will, though His sovereignty neither eliminates nor minimizes our personal responsibility. (Matthew 28:19; John 15:26; Psalm 19:1; Exodus 3:14; Colossians 1:17)
JESUS CHRIST: We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s eternal Son. We believe further that He is not only true God, but true man, conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of the virgin Mary. We also believe in His sinless life, His substitutionary atonement, His bodily resurrection from the dead, His ascension into heaven, His priestly intercession on behalf of His people, and His personal and visible return from heaven. (Matthew 28:19; John 15:26; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Philippians 2:5-6; Hebrews 4:15; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17)
HOLY SPIRIT: We believe in God the Holy Spirit. He was sent by God the Father and God the Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. The Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus Christ and implements Christ’s work of redemption and baptism. He regenerates, seals, gifts, and indwells all believers at conversion progressively sanctifying, and securing them in Christ forever. The Spirit fills, leads, comforts, and intercedes for believers, empowering them for godly living and service. His presence is evident by the fruit of the Spirit and the building up of believers into the body of Christ, the Church. (Acts 5:3-4; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; John 16:8-11; Ephesians 4:30; Exodus 31:3; 1 Samuel 16:13; John 14:26; Romans 8:26)
MANKIND: We believe God originally created Adam and Eve in His image and free from sin. We further believe that all people are created in His image, but are sinners by nature and choice and are spiritually dead. We also believe that those who repent of sin and trust Jesus Christ as Savior are regenerated by the Holy Spirit. We believe God established marriage to be a lifelong covenant relationship between one man and one woman. Marriage so defined is the only permissible context for intimate sexual expression and is the foundation for the human family. We believe that human life is sacred and precious from conception until death and should always be protected. We further believe that every human being is directly responsible to God in matters of faith and life. (Genesis 1:26-31; 2:7; 5:1-2; 9:6; Psalm 100:3; 119:73; Isaiah 45:12; Acts 17:26-28; Psalm 51:5; 139:13-16; Jeremiah 1:5; Matthew 1:18; Luke 1:31,34-36,41,44; Genesis 2:23-24; Matthew 19:4-6; 1 Timothy 3:2)
SALVATION: We believe in salvation by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We further believe that this salvation is based upon the sovereign grace of God, was purchased by Christ on the cross, and is received by faith, apart from any human merit, works, or ritual. All who repent and believe in Jesus Christ are forgiven of all their sins, baptized by Christ with the Spirit, justified in God’s sight by the merit of Christ’s righteousness, adopted into His family, eternally sealed by the Holy Spirit, and have equal access to God. We further believe that salvation results in righteous living, good works, and proper social concern. (Acts 15:11; Romans 3:24,28; 1 Corinthians 3:5-7; Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:5,8; Romans 4:4-5; 6:23; 8:29-30; 11:5-6; Galatians 1:15; Ephesians 1:3-6; 2:8-9; Philippians 3:7-9; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 7:10-11; Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:8)
THE CHURCH: We believe that the Church is the spiritual body of which Christ is the Head. We believe that the true Church is composed of all persons who have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit. We believe that this body expresses itself in local assemblies whose members have been immersed upon a credible confession of faith and who unite themselves for worship, fellowship, instruction, evangelism, and service. We believe that the ordinances of the local church are believer’s baptism by immersion and the Lord’s Supper. We also believe in the interdependence of local churches and mutual submission of believers to each other in unity and love. We believe that each local church is self-governing in function and must be free from interference by any ecclesiastical or political authority. (Acts 2; 1 Corinthians 12:27; 2 Corinthians 6:16; Colossians 1:18; Matthew 18:15-17; 28:19-20; Acts 2:38,41-42,47; 8:12,36-39; 16:34;18:8; 1 Corinthians 11:23-25; Ephesians 4:1-13)
LAST THINGS: We believe in the bodily resurrection of the saved and lost, the eternal existence of all people in heaven or hell, and in divine judgments, rewards, and punishments. (Isaiah 26:19; John 5:25-29; Acts 24:14-15; 1 Corinthians 6:14; Philippians 3:21; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; Revelation 20:5-6; 21:6-7)
