What is Rodgers Baptist Curch?
The Rodgers Baptist Church is an assembly of baptized believers who have covenanted together for the purpose of glorifying God in all that we think, say, and do. We endeavor to achieve that purpose through the public worship of God, the preaching of His Word, consistently living what we preach, and by local and global evangelistic effort.
Becoming a member of the Rodgers Baptist Church is an important decision. To become a member of this church is to enter into a covenant with the other members of the church. At Rodgers every member is equal; all enjoy the same privileges and share in the same responsibilities. Membership means accountability. Together we labor for the Lord, and together we meet the spiritual needs of one another.
Joining Rodgers Baptist Church
Letter of Transfer
First, a person may unite with us by a letter of transfer from another Baptist church of like faith and order. When someone requests to join in this fashion, Rodgers Baptist Church will request a letter of transfer of membership from the candidate’s former church.
Statement of Faith
Second, a person may unite with us by statement. This signifies that the candidate was once a member of another Baptist church of like faith and practice but a letter of transfer is unobtainable. Rodgers Baptist Church will generally accept a candidate’s statement about his baptism and membership in another Baptist church; however, it is important that a full explanation be given to the church concerning why a letter of transfer is unobtainable.
Profession of Faith & Baptism
Third, a person may unite with us by profession of faith and subsequent baptism. This means that a person publicly confesses to be a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, and is asking for baptism and membership in Rodgers Baptist Church. The act of baptism identifies the believer with Christ and with His church. Members of Rodgers vote to receive the candidate for baptism. After baptism a person is a member.
Baptism is not sacramental. Baptism is symbolic; picturing the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and a representation of what has already taken place through conversion: death to the old life, its burial, and raised to walk in newness of life in Christ.
Meaningful Membership
Church membership is not just a religious exercise. To unite with the Rodgers Baptist Church is to agree with our church covenant, and it is uniting with us for the purpose of glorifying God in all that we think, say, and do; endeavoring to achieve that purpose through the public worship of God, the preaching of His Word, consistently living what we preach, and by local and global evangelistic effort.
In order to do this, a church member must be faithful in church attendance, study the Bible (the learning is for living), pray daily for God’s help and leadership, faithfully give a tithe and offering to support the Lord’s work, and take an active part in this church’s ministry.
CHURCH COVENANT
We engage therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this church, in knowledge, holiness, and comfort; to promote its prosperity and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline and doctrines; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, and the relief of the poor, and the spread of the gospel through all nations.
We also engage to maintain family and secret devotion; to religiously educate our children; to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances; to walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment; to avoid all tattling, backbiting, and excessive anger; to seek God’s help in abstaining from all indulgences and conduct which harm the body or jeopardize our own or another’s faith, and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Savior.
We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember each other in prayer; to aid each other in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offence, but always ready for reconciliation, and mindful of the rules of our Savior to secure it without delay.
We moreover engage that when we remove from this place, we will as soon as possible unite with some other church, where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God’s Word.
Our Statement of Faith
CONCERNING THE SCRIPTURES
We believe the verbal, plenary inspiration by God and inerrancy of the Old and New Testaments and therefore, the supreme and final authority of scripture in faith and life.
CONCERNING GOD
We believe there is one, and only one God, creator, and supreme ruler of the heaven and earth, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent existing in three Persons – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit – co-equal, co-eternal, and of the same essence in nature, attributes, power, and glory.
CONCERNING JESUS CHRIST
We believe that He is the God-Man as is demonstrated by His virgin birth, sinless perfection, vicarious death, bodily resurrection, present continuing mediatorship and personal, premillennial return.
CONCERNING THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe that His work is to convict the sinner and the erring Christian; that He is the agent in regeneration; that He indwells, seals, sanctifies, assures, guides, instructs, and empowers the believer.
CONCERNING SIN AND SALVATION
We believe that Adam was created perfect in the image of God, that he sinned and brought physical, spiritual, and eternal death upon himself and on all mankind; that humanity is now totally depraved and incapable of pleasing God apart from divine grace; that all men are sinners and can be saved only by grace through faith apart from works, and when so saved are eternally secured.
CONCERNING THE CHURCH
We believe that the church is a local, visible body of immersed believers, covenanted together by a common faith and fellowship of the Gospel, observing the ordinances; that Jesus Christ personally established His chucrh and promised its continuance; that the church is the body of Christ on earth; that every church is to be autonomous.
CONCERNING THE COMMISSION
We believe that Jesus Christ commissioned His church to make disciples by evangelization, to baptize by immersion, and to teach all things that He had commanded; that the commission extends to the uttermost parts of the earth; that is the privilege and responsibility of every believer to be a personal soul-winner; that the true churches should work together in contending for the faith and furthering of the Gospel.
CONCERNING THE CHURCH ORDINANCES
We believe that there are two; baptism by immersion of the believer in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit under the authority of the local church, and the Lord’s Supper in which members of the church, following a solemn self-examination, commemorate the sacrificial love of Christ by sacred use of unleavened bread and fruit of the vine.
CONCERNING SEPARATION
We believe that Christians should separate themselves from practices and influences of the world which hinder a spirit-filled life, and from all forms of ecclesiastical apostasy.
CONCERNING CREATION
We believe that the Genesis six-day account of creation is literal; that the creation of man was a direct act of God and was not from previously existing forms of life.
CONCERNING THE SUPERNATURAL SIGN GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT
We believe that they were temporary in nature, given for use during the apostolic era, and, thus, are not applicable to the work of the Spirit today.
CONCERNING THE FUTURE
We believe in the bodily resurrection of all the dead: the saved to life of eternal glory and bliss in heaven with God; the unsaved to a conscious eternal punishment in the lake of fire; that the order of prophetic events will be:
- The return of Jesus Christ in the clouds to resurrect and rapture the saved.
- The tribulation
- The visible return of Jesus Christ to the earth to establish His kingdom for a literal thousand years.
- The resurrection of the unsaved for the great white throne judgment
- The eternal kingdom