At Fellowship Bible Church...
1. We believe in one God, Creator of all things, holy, infinitely perfect, and eternally existing in a loving unity of three equally divine Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Having limitless knowledge and sovereign power, God has graciously purposed from eternity to redeem a people for Himself and to make all things new for His own glory.
2. We believe that God has spoken in the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, through the words of human authors. The sixty-six books that are given by the Holy Spirit, are fully inspired, composed by inspiration that is both verbal (the actual words are inspired ) and plenary (inspired equally in all parts and genre of Scripture). The Bible is true and without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of His will for salvation, and the ultimate authority by which every realm of human knowledge and endeavor should be judged. Therefore, it is to be believed in all that it teaches, obeyed in all that it requires, and trusted in all that it promises.
3. We believe that God created Adam and Eve in His image, but they sinned when tempted by Satan. In union with Adam, all human beings are sinners by nature and by choice, alienated from God, and under His wrath. Only through God's saving work in Jesus Christ can we be rescued, reconciled and renewed.
4. We believe that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, fully God and fully man, one Person in two natures. Jesus--Israel's promised Messiah--was conceived through the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father as our High Priest, Eternal King, and Advocate.
5. We believe that Jesus Christ, as our representative and substitute, shed His blood on the cross as the perfect, all-sufficient sacrifice for our sins. His atoning death and victorious resurrection constitute the only grounds for eternal salvation.
6. We believe that the Holy Spirit, in all that He does, glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ. He convicts the world of its guilt. He regenerates sinners, and in Him they are baptized into union with Christ and adopted as heirs into the family of God. He also indwells, illuminates, guides, equips and empowers believers for Christ-like living and service.
7. We believe that the true church comprises all who have been justified by God's grace through faith alone in Christ alone. They are united by the Holy Spirit in the body of Christ, of which He is the Head. The true church is manifested in local churches, whose membership should be comprised only of believers. The Lord Jesus mandated two ordinances, baptism and the Lord's Supper, which visibly and tangibly express the gospel. Though they are not the means of salvation, when celebrated by the church, they are expressions of genuine faith and obedience.
8. We believe that God's justifying grace must not be separated from His sanctifying power and transformational purpose. God commands us to love Him supremely and others sacrificially, and to live out our faith with care for one another, compassion toward the poor, and justice for the oppressed. We live by God's Word, the Spirit's power, and fervent prayer in Christ's name. As a result, we mature in our faith, exhibit the fruit of the Spirit, and combat the spiritual forces of evil. In obedience to Christ's commission and by His power, we are to make mature disciples among all people and nations, always bearing witness to the gospel in word and deed.
9. We believe in the personal, bodily and premillennial return of our Lord Jesus Christ. The coming of Christ, at a time known only to God, demands constant expectancy and, as our blessed hope, motivates the believer to godly living, sacrificial service and energetic mission.
10. We believe that God commands everyone everywhere to believe the gospel by turning to Him in repentance and receiving the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that God will raise the dead bodily and judge the world, assigning the unbeliever to condemnation and eternal conscious punishment and the believer to eternal blessedness and joy with the Lord in the new heaven and the new earth, to the praise of His glorious grace. Amen.
The Fellowship Bible Church Statement of Faith was adapted from the EFCA Statement of Faith.
To view a copy of the Fellowship Constitution and Bylaws, 2019 Revision, click here.
Our Core Values:
- EXALTING God in public and private worship
- EMPHASIZING clear, systematic, and relevant expository preaching and teaching of the (inerrant and infallible) Bible
- EXPERIENCING personal growth in godliness and in the knowledge and application of God’s Word
- EMBRACING a biblical basis for governing and leading the church
- EQUIPPING believers biblically to fulfill their roles in life and ministry through personal discipleship
- ENTRUSTING ministry to believers in our church
- ENCOURAGING one another by committing to genuine and loving relationships
- EXTENDING the good news of Jesus Christ to people in our lives, in the Waco area, and abroad