Calvary Baptist Church - Constitution and Bylaws
ARTICLE 1 - GENERAL
SECTTION 1 - NAME
The name of this church shall be called Calvary Baptist Church
SECTION 2 - PURPOSE
This congregation is organized as a church exclusively for charitable, religious, and educational purposes within the meaning of Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Revenue Law), including but not limited to, for such purposes, the establishing and maintaining religious worship, the building of churches, parsonages, schools, chapels, radio stations, TV stations, rescue missions, print shops, daycare centers, and camps; the evangelizing of the unsaved by proclaiming of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ; the educating of believers in a manner consistent with the requirements off the Holy Scriptures, both in Sunday and weekday schools of Christian education; and the maintaining of missionary activities in the United States and foreign country.
ARTICLE II - STATEMENT OF FAITH
SECTION 1 - BELIEFS
CONCERNING THE SCRIPTURES
We believe in the Holy Scriptures and accept fully the writings of the Old and New Testaments as the Word of God. We believe that the Word of God is verbally inspired in all parts, our infallible and authoritative rule of faith and practice. 2Tim. 3:16. 2 Pet. 1:21
CONCERNING THE TRUE GOD
We believe there is one God, eternally existent in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jn. 1:1-2; I Tim. 3:16; Mt. 3:16.
THE FATHER is recognized as God, I Peter 1:2, and is all the fullness of the Godhead invisible, Jn. 1:18.
THE SON is recognized as God, Heb. 1:8 and is all the fullness of the Godhead manifested in the flesh Jn. 1:14
THE HOLY SPIRIT is recognized as God, Acts 5:3,4, and is all the fullness of the Godhead acting upon man, convicting him of sin, Jn. 16:7-11 and guiding the believer into all truth, Jn. 16:12-15.
CONCERNING JESUS CHRIST
We believe in the deity of Jesus Christ. We believe in His virgin birth, His sinless life, His shed blood for atonement, His death, His descent into hell, His bodily resurrection, His ascension into Heaven, our intercessor and coming King, Mt. 1:18Rom. 5:6-11, Rev. 1:18, 6:6.
CONCERNING THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe that the Holy Spirt convicts of sin, and by His indwelling, enables Christians to live A godly life. We believe the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, abides in the believer forever, The Spirit of Truth, our Teacher (John 14), Our Guarantee of salvation by His seal of promise (Eph. 1:13), He will reprove the world of sin, righteousness and of judgment. And "He shall glorify me, " Jn. 15; 16:14.
CONCERNING THE FALL OF MAN
We believe that all men by nature and choice sinful and lost and have within themselves no possible means of salvation. Gen.3; Rom. 3:10-19
CONCERNING SALVATION
We believe in salvation by grace through faith; that salvation is the free gift of God, not by any virtue or works of man, received only by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; that all believers possess the gift of eternal life, a perfect righteousness, sonship in the family of God, and the divine guarantee that they shalol never perish. Eph. 2:8,9; Jn.3:16; Rom. 8:28-39.
CONCERNING SATAN
We believe in the existence of Satan, the deceiver and god of this present world; that he was defeated and judged at the cross, and therefore his final doom is certain. Rev. 12:9, Jn. 16:11, 2Cor. 4:4
CONCERNING THE RAPTURE OF CHURCH
We believe in the pre-tribulation rapture of the church. Christ will return for His Bride, the Church, before the seven years of tribulation (the 70th week of Daniel.) IThes. 4:16-17; I Cor. 15:51-57.
CONCERNING THE SECOND COMING
We believe in the second coming of Christ; that His return from heaven will be bodily, visible and glorious. Jesus will set up His Kingdom after the tribulation period, and reign for one thousand years on earth, from the new Jerusalem. Rev. 21
CONCERNING THE RESURRECTION
We believe that the spirits of the saved at death go immediately to be with Christ in Heaven; at the Rapture (I Thes. 4) their bodies will be raised, their works will be judged (I Cor. 3) and rewards determined.
That the spirits of the unsaved at death descend immediately into Hell until the Great White Throne judgment, at which their bodies shall be raised from the grave, judged and cast into the Lake of Fire, the place of final and everlasting punishment. Rev. 20:11-15
CONCERNING THE PRIESTHOOD OF BELIEVERS
We believe in the priesthood of all believers, that Christ is our Great High Priest, and through Him every born-again person has direct access into God's presence without the need of a human priest, Heb. 8. That the believer has the right and responsibility to personally study and receive interpretation of the Scriptures, guided by the Holy Spirit, 2Pet.1:20.
CONCERNING THE LOCAL ASSEMBLY OF BELIEVERS
We believe that the New Testament church is a living organism of born-again baptized believers, corporately worshipping God through the Spirit and truth. This is done through preaching, music, and prayer, practicing Scriptural ordinances, and actively engaged in fulfilling the Great Commission, Acts 2; Jn.4:23-24;
Mt.28:18-20.
CONCERNING ORDINANCES
We believe that the two Scriptural ordinances given to the local church are baptism by immersion of believers only, and the Lord's Supper, to be partaken of by obedient Christians, Acts 2:41; ICor.11:23-26.