What we believe
At First Baptist Church, we believe that the Bible is from God and that the Bible is true. According to the Bible, the following is the Truth that we, as a church walk in:
Belief statement
The Bible Is Infallible – Genesis to Revelation is the Story of God and is infallible in all that it teaches. It is entirely true in all it speaks to. It is alive today, and is actively speaking to each one of us about God’s will for our lives.
(2 Timothy 3:14)
The Trinity – God is three persons in one essence. He has existed as 3 persons for all eternity, and will remain so. These 3 persons exist in community made of the same essence, eternally one. In the church age, the Son is seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven. And the Holy Spirit is the “sent one” living in all believers and giving power to the local church to build the Kingdom of God.
(John 1:1-14, Romans 8:9, John 14:16-17, Genesis 1:26)
Jesus Christ – Jesus has existed eternally and is divine. He chose to become man, and remains so eternally. He is both 100% God and 100% Man, with no confusion. He lived a sinless life, prophesied about since the beginning of time (Gen 3:15), and was born of a virgin.
(John 1:1-14, John 14:6)
Christ’s Impact – Jesus’ death and resurrection on the 3rd day is what provides salvation to those who repent and believe. The work of Christ brings free salvation and the assurance of resurrection in the future, accessed only by faith. This work brought the Grace of God.
(John 3:16)
Man Is Fallen – Man is made in the image of God. Since the first man, Adam, sin has corrupted the image of God inside every human being. This has left man without the ability to do good apart from pride. He is not able to please God, apart from faith. However, in faith in Jesus Christ, each person has tremendous potential because of the power of the Holy Spirit sitting inside them.
(Ephesians 2:1-3, Romans 1, John 15:1-17, Hebrews 11:6)
Eternal Security – A believer who has truly repented and believed Jesus as Lord and Savior is eternally forgiven. Jesus’ death pays the sin debt for a person’s sin condition, not sins. Paying for the sin condition means past, present and future sins. Grace provides much more motivation to give lordship to Jesus in each area of our lives than the law ever could.
(Ephesians 2:8-9, Galatians 3:3, Romans 8:28-39, Romans 6:1-23)
The Local Church – After Jesus’ ascension, his church is the only hope of the world. Jesus works through the Holy Spirit and gifting of each believer to build his Church, whose mission is to expand the kingdom of God until his return.
(I Corinthians 12:12-31, Matthew 28:18-20, Ephesians 2:11-22, Ephesians 4:1-16, John 17:1-26)
The Second Coming of Christ – Jesus will return and rid the world of evil. He will come at an unknown and undisclosed time. He waits to return so that as many as possible can come to salvation in Jesus Christ, written in the Book of life. At the end of time Heaven and Earth will be recreated. Jesus will judge those whose names are written in the Book of life for how they grew the Kingdom to determine their experience in eternity.
(I Peter 5:9, Acts 1:6-11, Matthew 24:1-51, Revelation 20:1-22:21)
We agree with the Baptist Faith and Message as adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention, June 14, 2000.
Mission & vision
A Church Home in Hartsville…Experiencing freedom and security in Jesus Christ through love, growth, and service.
Love - Jesus summed up the law in two commands: Love God and Love others. We seek to offer a place where believers respond to God’s love by worshiping in Spirit and Truth, and learning to love others sacrificially.
(Luke 10:27; 1 Peter 2:4-9, John 4:24,Phil. 2:4, 2 Cor. 8:5)
Growth - As believers grow in love, a desire for the Word of God takes root. We strive to feed that holy hunger through relevant, biblical preaching and discipleship classes that meet both at church and in homes throughout the week.
(Phil. 3:10, Acts 2:42, 2 Pet. 3:18, Prov. 6:23, Matt. 28:20)
Service - Once believers experience the transforming power of God’s Word, they are set free to find their place in ministry in all manner of creative ways. Jesus’ last words were to make disciples of all nations. We seek to encourage and support the spiritual gifts of each member by providing opportunities to serve, and by being open to new, Spirit-led ministries that will allow First Baptist Kingston to reflect the glory of God to all people and make disciples here and among the nations.
(John 8:32, Matt.28:19, Luke 8:21, 2 Cor. 5: 18-20, Psalm 67:2)
Core values
CHRIST-LIKENESS - We desire for every member of FBC to become more and more like Jesus. We are committed to continually growing in the spirit and character of Jesus Christ and demonstrating his identity in every phase of ministry and activity. Our goal is that every person who contacts any FBC ministry will experience the spirit and character of Jesus and be drawn to Him.
(Matthew 22:36-40)
WORSHIP - We believe worship is our number one priority. Worship is our genuine response to God’s majesty. Worship is centered on the person of Jesus Christ. We desire that people worship unhindered, led by the Holy Spirit.
(Psalm 2:11; Matthew 2:2; Matthew 28:17; Rev 4)
THE GREAT COMMISSION - We are committed to Jesus’ command to disciple all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all of Jesus’ teachings. There are no disciples without decisions, therefore, FBC is committed to telling the gospel story to as many people as possible.
Our local mission field is Kingston
Our global mission field is Roane County (Jerusalem), State of Tennessee (Judea), United States with ethnic diversity (Samaria) and the uttermost parts of the world (whole world).
We see prayer, giving, partnerships, and going as the four major activities for fulfilling the Great Commission.
(Acts 28:18-20; Acts 1:8)
GOD’S WORD - We believe teaching and preaching God’s Word is central to discipling believers. Therefore, we are committed to the teaching and preaching of God’s Word (from babies through senior adults) as the truthful account of God’s ultimate plan of salvation for mankind through Jesus Christ.
(Psalm 119:105; Romans 1:16)
PRAYER - We believe God has strategically chosen to establish and utilize prayer as part of His sovereign plan. It is privileged access to the God of the universe, bought and paid for by the blood of His Son on our account when we receive Him as Lord. In spiritual warfare, prayer is our major assault weapon, against which the gates of hell cannot prevail. God never intended for us to live the Christian life or accomplish His work in our own wisdom or strength. His plan has always been for us to rely on His Holy Spirit and live a life of obedience flowing from an intimate, loving relationship with Him. Thus, God’s house is to be a house of prayer and we are to pray without ceasing, not as beggars, but as joint heirs with Jesus.
(Luke 19:46; Romans 8:26-27)
GENERATIONS - We believe that engaging, reaching, serving, and involving all generations within the church ensures that we are equipped to fulfill and sustain the mission to which we have been called in our community and beyond. Each generation possesses unique gifts, skills, and wisdom that should be regularly contributed through the ministries of the church. Each believer should recognize that they possess spiritual gifts intended to be exercised throughout their entire life for the benefit the church. Each generation should mentor and provide spiritual guidance to the generations that follow them. This “pass down” between generations is every member’s ongoing responsibility and is an important factor for the future of FBC.
(Psalm 78:5-7, Deuteronomy 32: 45-46, Deuteronomy 34:7)
SERVICE - We believe that an integral part of our salvation is the expectation to be involved in God’s kingdom work on earth by serving in His church, serving each other with Christian grace and hospitality (going the Extra Mile), and by serving our community. We are compelled by Jesus to serve, the very source of our salvation.
(Romans 12:11; Deuteronomy 28:47-48; Psalm 100:2)
COMMUNITY - We affirm that the local church, from the very beginning, was intended to be a family. The Bible’s original word for “church” is ekklesia, Greek for “assembly” or “gathering.” Although this word was used to mean “all Christians” in some contexts, it also meant “local gatherings of believers” in other places. The original “Christian community” was known primarily for its devotion to Christ’s teachings and its love for one another. A Christian community is simply those who love Jesus and live in covenant and fellowship with each other. Paul describes it as the household of God.
(Acts 2:42-47; 1 Timothy 3:15)
EXCELLENCE - We pay attention to quality and detail in all aspects of ministry and activity, believing excellence is an appropriate response for an ambassador of Christ. We are obligated to represent our Lord with excellence in everything we do. Excellence in ministry implies relevance to our world. We believe that the message and beliefs of the Church never change, but the methodologies of ministry may change continually under the direction of the Holy Spirit. Spirit-led innovation is encouraged over tradition and status quo.
(Philippians 1:10; 4:8)