WE BELIEVE

We believe the Holy Bible, the sixty-six books from Genesis to Revelation in the original language, was written by men divinely inspired, that it has God as its author, does not CONTAIN the Word of God, but IS the Word of God. That it has the salvation of man as its aim, that it has truth without any mixture of error for its matter and that it is the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds and opinion should be tried.

The True God

We believe there is only one Living and True God; that in the Unity of the Godhead there are three Persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; that the Three are equal in every Divine Perfection; that they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of Redemption of man. We believe in God the Son, Jesus Christ, that He was begotten of the Holy Spirit in a miraculous way and manner, that He was born of the Virgin Mary, that His birth was as no other man has ever been, or can ever be, born, and that He is the Son of God and God the Son. We believe that He was crucified, died and was buried, and that He rose BODILY from the grave the third day and ascended up into Heaven where He sits as our Advocate before God.

We believe in His Imminent, Premillenial return to the air to catch away His Church, the born-again ones to be forever with Him.

The Holy Spirit

We believe the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person, equal with God the Father and God the Son, and of the same Nature.

We believe that He was active in creation, that He restrains evil and the evil one until God's great purpose is fulfilled; that He convicts of sin, of righteousness and judgment; that He bears witness to the truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony; that He is the agent of the new birth; that He seals, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies and helps the believer in accordance with the scriptures

Baptism and The Lord's Supper

We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, on the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ to show forth in a beautiful and solemn emblem our faith in the crucified, buried and risen Savior, with its effect in our death to sin and resurrection to newness of life; that it is a pre-requisite to Church membership in the local assembly, the local church.

We believe that the Lord’s Supper is the sacred partaking of bread and fruit of the vine by believers, after self-examination, in remembrance of the Lord Jesus Christ’s broken body, His blood shed for the remission of sins, and in order to shew His death until He returns.

The Lord's Day

We believe the first day of the week is the Lord's Day and is to be kept sacred to religious purposes, by abstaining from all needless labor and recreation, and by the devout observance of all the means of grace, both private and public, and by a preparation for that rest that remains for the people of God.

Marriage

We believe in the only Scriptural marriage, the joining of one man and one woman in a covenant relationship.

Finances

We believe that the method of giving to the work of the Lord is very clearly set out in the Scriptures. We believe that Scriptural giving is one of the Fundamentals of the Faith. We believe that God's work should be carried on by the tithes and offerings of God's people, and that all other methods of raising money for the local church are un-Scriptural and should be avoided.

Missions

We believe the command to give the Gospel to the whole world is clear and unmistakable and that this commission was given to the Church. No distinc­tion is made in Scripture between home and foreign missions. It is our duty to be a missionary church and to have a part in sending the Gospel through­out the entire world.

The Resurrection and Return of Christ

We believe that Christ rose bodily from the grave after three days, accord­ing to the Scriptures, that He ascended to the right hand of the throne of God, our merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God.

We believe that this same Jesus who was taken up into Heaven shall so come in like manner as He ascended into Heaven, the blessed premillennial, pretrib­ulation and imminent coming of our Lord and Savior to take away His Church, the Blessed Hope of the believer; that this coming of Christ follows immedi­ately the bodily resurrection of all born again ones that make up His Body, the church, and that they shall be forever with their Lord. We believe that this is the destiny of the righteous dead, the First Resurrection.

The Un-Righteous Dead

We believe that there is a radical difference between the destiny of the righteous and the un-righteous dead. The un-righteous dead shall be raised to be judged at the Great White Throne, not for Salvation, but according to their deeds, and that their punishment will be according to those things which are recorded in the books opened at that Throne; that they shall be cast into the lake of fire because of their rejection of Christ as Savior and their punishment will be according to their works found written in the books. Their names are not found written in the book of life and on that basis, they cannot enter into the blessedness of the redeemed ones, but must go into a conscious, eternal punishment forever. This is the Second Resurrection.

Civil Government

We believe that civil government is of God's divine appointment; that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored, and obeyed in all things except in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the only Lord of the conscience, and the Coming Prince of the kings of the earth.

The Devil, or Satan

We believe in the personality of Satan, that he is the unholy god of this age, and the author of all the powers of darkness, and is destined to the judgment of an eternal justice in the lake of fire forever.

Creation

We believe the Genesis account of creation is to be accepted literally and not allegorically nor figuratively.

We believe that man was created directly in God's own image and after his likeness; that this creation was not a matter of evolution nor evolutionary changes, or development of species through interminable periods of time from lower to higher forms; that all animal and vegetable life was created directly, and that God's established law was, and is that they should bring forth after their kind.

The Fall of Man

We believe that man was created in holiness and innocence but by voluntary transgression fell from that blessed and holy estate, in consequence of which all mankind are now sinners, not by constraint but by choice; that man is by nature void of holiness required by God, inclined to evil, under just condemnation and without defense or excuse.

The Way of Salvation

We believe the salvation of a sinner is wholly of grace, through the medi­atorial offices of the Son of God, Who, by the appointment of the Father, freely took upon Him our form and fashion, yet without sin, honored the Divine Law by His personal obedience, and by His death made a full and vicarious atonement for our sins; that this atonement was not in setting us an example by His death as a martyr, but was the voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner's place, the Just for the unjust.

The New Birth

We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be born again; that the new birth is a new creation in Christ Jesus, by the Holy Spirit, that it is instantaneous and not a process; that its proper and logical evidence appears in the holy fruit of repentance, faith and walk in newness of life.

Justification

We believe the great Gospel blessing which Jesus secures to such as believe in Him is justification. That justification includes the pardon of sin, the freeing from guilt, the promise of eternal life and the declaring right­eous a formerly unrighteous sinner; that it is bestowed, not in consideration of any works of righteousness that we have done, but solely through faith in the Redeemer's Blood, by virtue of which faith His perfect righteousness is imputed to us.

Article 1 – Name

The name of this assembly shall be Faith Baptist Church of Delco, NC.

Article 2 – Purpose

Faith Baptist Church, all its functions, programs, and activities exist for the purpose of glorifying God (1 Corinthians. 10, 31). The church shall glorify God in obedience to the Word of God: (1) by preaching and teaching the Bible, (2) through evangelism at home and abroad, (3) by promoting Christian fellowship, (4) in administering the ordinances, and (5) through discipleship (Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 2:41-46).

Article 3 - Character and Association

This is an autonomous, independent local church, which is governed by and with consent of its members under its head, Jesus Christ. Any official association of this church with any other person or organization must not violate either the biblical position or autonomous nature of this church.

Article 4 - Membership

Admission of Members

Any person may be admitted as a member of Faith Baptist Church providing that the following conditions are met: He or she must confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, give evidence of a change of heart, and accept the doctrine and practice held by this church. He or she must be scripturally baptized and relate his or her personal testimony to the deacons (not necessarily in this order). The deacons shall recommend for membership anyone who meets the qualifications. The church shall receive members who meet the qualifications upon the recommendation of the deacons, the individual's public testimony of salvation, and desire to unite with this church. The church shall communicate their commitment to the applicant by vote. If the applicant is a member of another church, a letter shall be sent to that church informing them of his or her union with this church.

Dismissal of Members

Members shall be dismissed for the following reasons:

• The member unites with another church.
• The member fails to show an interest in this church by not attending services for a period of six months (subject to review by pastor and deacons).
• The member dies.
• The member fails to live in accordance with principles of biblical standards and doctrine after warning (see discipline of members).

Discipline of Members

Discipline of members has primarily three purposes: (1) to restore the one who has sinned (Galatians 6:1), (2) to maintain purity in the church (1 Corinthians 5:6), and (3) to deter sin (1 Timothy 5.20).

The process of discipline shall usually follow Matthew 18:15-18 (see notes below).

• Any member who has knowledge of sin or heresy in another member's life that hinders spiritual growth or damages the church's testimony shall go to the offender in private for the purpose of restoration. The member shall counsel the offending member to repent. If the offending member does not repent, the member with knowledge of the sin or doctrinal error shall proceed to the next step.
• The member goes to the offender again but this time with one or two others (preferably a deacon and/or pastor), At this point the two others serve as counselors. If there is no reconciliation or restoration, the error shall be brought to the attention of the church,
• In order to maintain decency and order, the church shall be notified of erring members through the pastor and deacons, The pastor and deacons must hear the matter and relate only necessary information to the church (with no visitors present unless exception made by pastor). The church is then advised to lovingly warn and admonish the offender to repent considering themselves lest they also be tempted. If the erring member does not repent after the loving counsel of the church, the church must take the fourth step,
• Any erring member who refuses the loving counsel of his church shall be dismissed from the fellowship and membership of Faith Baptist Church..

Notes Regarding the Discipline of Members

• Due to the public nature and severity of some offenses, the pastor and deacons may proceed directly to the step of informing the church at their discretion (1 Corinthians 5:1-7).
• No erring member shall be able to avoid the process by leaving the church, requesting the withdrawal of membership, or otherwise.
• No judgment of any court shall be sought outside the church and its leaders unless directed by the leaders.
• If the discipline requires telling the church, the erring member may be required to repent to the church in order for the church to forgive.
• Former members who repent and testify of their repentance shall be forgiven and restored to fellowship publicly. Again, the church is required to forgive.

Article 5 - Officers

The Pastor

The Bible calls the pastor by three different terms, which are translated five different ways. The pastor is also known as the shepherd, the overseer, the bishop, and the elder, All those terms may refer to the same office in the church (Ephesians 4:11, Acts 20:28. 1 Peter 5:1-4, Philippians 1:1). It is one office in the church normally held by a group of men in the New Testament. Those men constitute a pastoral team. The teams themselves make it evident that the pastors are the overseers of the church. As such, they serve as Christ's under-shepherds. A plurality of staff members does not revoke the need of a primary leader who shall be designated as "the pastor."

Qualifications

• He must meet the qualifications of 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 6:6-9.
• He must be in agreement with the doctrine and practice of Faith Baptist Church.

Call

• The deacons shall constitute the pulpit committee. The deacons may request others to serve on the committee who the church shall confirm by vote.
• Only one man at a time shall be presented to the church as a possible candidate for pastor, the committee or church must make a final determination before presenting another candidate. If the committee does not recommend that the candidate be called to the church, there will be no action taken by the church.
• The pulpit committee shall call a special meeting for the purpose of considering a prospective pastor. A three-fourths majority vote shall be required of the voting members to issue a call to prospective pastor. The prospective pastor shall be notified of the results along with the salary and benefits as soon as possible. If the vote is favorable and if he accepts the call, he shall become the pastor and also a member of the church.

Duties

• He is responsible for taking the oversight of the church (Acts 20:28, 1 Timothy 3:1-7).
• Moderate business meetings or selecting someone to serve in his place,
• Select special speakers, special meetings, dates, times, etc.
• Be a member of all committees, boards, or councils of the church.
• Serve as chairman of the pastoral/deacon team meetings.
• He shall equip the saints for the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:(910)655-2432.
• Prepare biblical messages.
• Teach the Word of God privately and publicly.

Tenure

The pastor may resign at anytime and his duties terminate from the date of his resignation or to such a time as agreed upon by the pastor and the church. If the pastor is an offending member, the church shall follow Matthew 18:1 5-17. If the pastor's offense disqualifies him from the pastorate, restoration shall grant forgiveness and membership, but restoration shall not include serving as pastor.

Pastoral Staff

When the need arises, the pastor shall recommend a person to the deacons to serve as an additional staff member. The pastor and deacons shall bring the recommendation to the church at a special meeting called for that purpose. A three-fourths majority vote shall be required of the voting members to extend an invitation to the applicant. Only one person at a time shall be considered. He shall be notified as soon as possible of the vote along with the salary and benefits. If the vote is favorable and if he accepts the call, he shall become a member of the pastoral staff and a member of the church.

All staff members are directly responsible to the pastor. Each staff member shall understand that the continuance of his ministry is subject to the pastor and deacons. Dismissal of staff members shall be at the discretion of the pastor and deacons.

The Deacons

Deacons are to be the servants of the church family and the pastor. The term "deacon" means minister or servant. The number of deacons shall be consistent with the number of members and responsibilities of service.

Qualifications

• Deacons must meet the qualifications of 1 Timothy 3:8-13.
• Deacons must also be in agreement with the doctrine and practice of Faith Baptist Church.

Selection

The church shall nominate men who meet the qualifications of deacons whenever there is a need for more deacons. The church charges the pastor and deacons to review nominations and present faithful candidates to the church. The church approves or disapproves the candidates by vote. This is not a run-off where some are elected and some are not. Anyone who cannot in good conscience approve of a man being a deacon shall have a private meeting with the questionable candidate. If the two cannot come to agreement, they are required to enlist one or two others. If they cannot agree, they are required to enlist the help of the pastor and deacons.

Duties

• Visit the sick.
• Comfort the dying and sorrowing.
• Serve as trustees.
• Serve on the pastoral/deacon team.
• Oversee various committees, projects, or ministries as directed by the pastor.
• Prepare and administer the ordinances.
• Serve as a pulpit committee and secure pulpit supplies when there is no pastor or if the pastor is on leave.
• Assist in preparation of salaries, budgets, etc.
• Take action to carry out the responsibilities assigned to the pastor or to the pastor and deacons when there is no pastor.
• Select a chairman and secretary every year in August.
• Show special interest in families assigned to their care team.

Tenure

Deacons shall serve for a term of three years. At the end of each three-year term a deacon may continue to serve or rotate off for various reasons. Election of new deacons will take place whenever there is a need.

If the deacon is an offending member, the church shall follow Matthew 18:15-17. If the deacon's offense disqualifies him from the office of deacon, restoration shall grant forgiveness and membership, but restoration shall not include serving as a deacon. The possibility of serving sometime in the future as a deacon shall be determined by the church, should such determination become necessary.

Other Officers

The officers of the church such as clerk, Sunday School superintendent, teacher, head usher, or any others shall be appointed by the pastor/deacon team, Anyone who does not approve of someone serving in an office of the church shall have a private meeting with him or her. If the two cannot come to an agreement, they are required to enlist one or two others. If they cannot agree, they are required to enlist the help of the pastor and deacons. All leaders must be members, Exceptions may be made by a congregational vote on a case by case basis. The tenure of any officer/leader shall be at the discretion of the pastor and deacons.

Article 6 - Meetings Worship

The regular meetings of the church shall be at the discretion of the church.

Special meetings for worship, evangelism, missions, etc., may be called at the discretion of the pastor.

Communion service shall be conducted at least once a quarter and as often as suggested by the leadership. We practice open communion.

Business

The annual business meeting for the financial reports of the church shall be held on the third Sunday of January for the fiscal year beginning January 1 and ending December 31. In case of failure to meet on that date, the meeting shall be held as soon as possible thereafter.

Business meetings shall be conducted on the first Sunday of April, July, and October if needed.

Routine business may be conducted at any service. The pastor or a deacon shall announce meetings that they consider of great significance at least two Sunday morning services prior to the vote (i.e., purchase or sale of property, anything that might involve large amounts of money, or constitutional amendment).

Any member sixteen years or older, in good standing with the church, and who has attended four services in the previous two months may vote in any business meeting of the church (pastor and deacons may waive attendance requirement in some circumstances). Those who meet the requirements for voting but cannot be present for the vote may vote by putting their vote in writing and giving it to their deacon.

Any decisions based on a vote will be determined by a majority vote of voting members unless a three-fourths majority has been specified elsewhere in the constitution. Business meetings will follow Robert's Rules of Order. Exceptions may be established by vote.

Article 7 – Amendments

This constitution may be amended in any business meeting by a three-fourths majority of voting members provided that a notice is given from the pulpit on two Sunday morning services prior to the vote.