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PREAMBLE * ARTICLE I. NAME * ARTICLE II. PURPOSE * ARTICLE III. DECLARATION OF FAITH * Section 1. The Doctrine of the Scriptures Section 2. The Doctrine of God Section 3. The Doctrine of Christ. Section 4. The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit is God Section 5. The Doctrine of Angels Section 6. The Doctrine of Man Section 7. The Doctrine of Sin Section 8. The Doctrine of Salvation Section 9. The Doctrine of Hell Section 10. The Doctrine of Heaven Section 11. The Doctrine of the Church Section 12. The Doctrine of the Last Things ARTICLE IV. CHURCH MEMBERSHIP * Section 1. Qualifications for Membership Section 2. Admission into Membership Section 3. Procedure for Admission Section 4. Termination of Membership Section 5. Standing of Members Section 6. Duties of Members ARTICLE V. CHURCH DISCIPLINE * Section 1. Private Sins. Section 2. Public Sins. ARTICLE VI. CHURCH OFFICERS * Section 1. Pastor Section 2. Deacons. ARTICLE VII. CHURCH GOVERNMENT * Section 1. Determining Body Section 2. Business Meeting Section 3. Voters. Section 4. Quorum. Section 5. Division. Section 6. Dissolution. Section 7. Amendments. Section 8. Human Sexuality Statement. We, the members of the Hampton Roads Independent Baptist church, in orderly manner do hereby establish the following principles by which we mutually agree to be governed in the affairs of our Church. The name of this Church shall be called the Hampton Roads Independent Baptist Church. The purpose of this Church is for the edification of Christians through the preaching and teaching of God's Word, the salvation of souls, the worldwide proclamation of God's saving grace through faith as revealed in the shed blood and finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross, the promotion of godly workmanship, the administration of ordinances of the New Testament, and the defense of the faith. ARTICLE III. DECLARATION OF FAITH Section 1. The Doctrine of the Scriptures We believe that God's word is inerrant, infallible (John 17:17), and that the writings of the Old and New Testaments were verbally and plenarily inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16-17; Peter 1:19-21). God is the actual author of the Bible (Hebrews 12:2). We believe that God in His sovereignty preserved His Word and words for all generations (Genesis 1:3; Psalm 12:7; Denteronomy 29:29; Luke 5:1; Mark 7:13; Hebrews 4:12). Therefore we have absolute confidence in the Greek testament known as the Textus Receptus from which our English Bible the King James Version was translated. The Bible is our only authoritative rule of faith and practice. Section 2. The Doctrine of God There is only one God who exists as three distinct persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 44:6; Matthew 3:16-17; 28:19-20; Corinthians 13:14). Each person of the Godhead is identical in nature, eternal in being, equal in power, and possesses the same divine attributes (John 4:24; 1:1-2; 5:21, 23; 17:3; 1 Corinthians 8:6). He is the self-existent source of life and creator of all that exists (Exodus 3:14; Jeremiah 32:17; John 5:26; Colossians 1:16-17). God is absolutely holy. He is omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent, and immutable (Levitieus 11:44-45; Psalm 139:7-10; Proverbs 15:3; John 3:20; Job 42:2; Malachi 3:6; James 1:17). Section 3. The Doctrine of Christ. Jesus Christ is God (John 10:30; 20:31). He is eternal and was manifest in the flesh (John 1:1, 14). He is the second person of the Godhead and was not created, having neither beginning nor end (Micah 5:2). He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:20-23). He lived a sinless life on earth in the form of a man, and died voluntary, substitutionary, sacrificial death on the cross at Calvary to atone for the sins of mankind (Hebrews 4:15; Isaiah 53:4-6; 1 Peter 2:24). Section 4. The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit is God The Holy Spirit is God. Existing eternally as the third person of the Godhead. He ie equal in essence with both God the Father and God the son (John 4:24; Acts 5:3-4; Matthew 25:19). The ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer is that if indwelling, sealing, empowering, guiding, teaching, and filling (Romans 8:9, 11, 16; 1 Corinthians 6:19; Ephesians 1:13, 14; Acts 1:8; John 16:13; John 14:26; Ephesians 5:18). The Holy Spirit reproves the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement (John 16:8). He sovereignly bestows spiritual gift(s) to every believer for the edifying of the body of Christ (Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:8-11; Ephesians 4:11-12. The temporary sign gifts of the Holy Spirit are not applicable to believers today since we have the completed written revelation of God's word (Mark 16:17-20; 2 Peter 1:20). Section 5. The Doctrine of Angels We believe that God created a perfect host of angelic beings known as angels or "sons of God" (Job 38:4-7; Psalm 148:2; Genesis 1:31). The holy angels are ministering spirits who protect, guide, and deliver God's people (Hebrews 1:13-14; Genesis 19:11, 15-16; Psalm 91:11; Acts 8:26; 27:23-24; Danile3:28). They will carry the believers home after physical death and will be used as God's agents of judgment during the tribulation period (Luke 16:22; Revelation 7:2, 16:1). We believe that Satan, who was created as part of the perfect angelic host of angels was an exalted angel. Because of his pride, he rebelled against God's authority and was cast from heaven (Isaiah 14:12-17; Ezekiel 28:12-19). Satan is a real, personal, evil spirit being who is the father of all lies, and the god of this world. He blinds the minds of unbelievers and is destined for eternal punishment in the lake of fire (John 8:44; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 20:7-10). In his rebellion, he led a third part of the angels with him. These fallen angels are now demons which cooperate with Satan in his efforts to hinder and destroy God's people and God's work (revelation 12:4; Ephesians 6:12). Section 6. The Doctrine of Man The creation of man was a direct act of God on the sixth 24-hour day of God's creation as recorded in Genesis 1 and 2. God took the dust of the ground, formed Adam, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, therefore man's origin is not the result of an evolution process (Genesis 1:26-27; 2:7). Man was created in the image of God possessing a moral not a physical likeness to God (Genesis 1:26) and in a state of innocence, but willfully sinned by disobeying God's command (Genesis 2:16-17; 3:6) . As a result of this single act of sin all humanity became subject to sin and death, therefore all men are sinners, born with a sin nature, condemned, and without excuse (Romans 3:10, 23; 5:12, 19; Psalm 51:5; John 3:19; Romans 1:20). Section 7. The Doctrine of Sin Sin is the transgression of God's law (1 john 3:4). It is the innability to conform to God's standard (Romans 5:6). It is a "missing of the mark" (Romans 3:23). Every human being is born with an inherited sin nature as a result of Adam's disobedience in the garden of Eden (Genesis 3:6; Romans 5:12), therefore making all men sinners. All men are condemned to death (physical, spiritual, eternal) because of this sin nature (Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:11, 15). Section 8. The Doctrine of Salvation Salvation is a free gift of God that cannot be merited on any basis of good works (Romans 6:23b; Titus 3:5). It is wholly by God's grace (Ephesians 2:8-9) on the merit of the shed blood of Jesus Christ (Romans 3:24-26). The elements of salvation are repentance and faith (Acts 2:38; 20:21). Once an individual turns from his sins to God and places his faith in Christ (1 Thessalonians 1:9), he is eternally secured and can never lose his salvation (John 3:16, 36; Ephesians 1:13; 1 John 5:11-13). At the point of salvation a believer is justified (Romans 5:1). He is sanctified positionally (Hebrews 10:10), and he is sanctified progressively as he continues to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord (1 Thessalonians 5:23; Peter 3:18). Section 9. The Doctrine of Hell Hell is a literal place of everlasting punishment. It was prepared for the Devil and his angels, but all those who reject the salvation offered through Christ will spend their eternity in Hell (Matthew 25:41, 46; Luke 16:19-31 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8). Man will suffer in hell according to the evil he has done in his present world (Luke 12:47-48). Section 10. The Doctrine of Heaven Heaven is an actual place where God dwells (Matthew 6:9). The Lord Jesus Christ is presently preparing it for all who have put their faith in Him for salvation (John 14:1-3). Heaven is the place from which Christ descended and to which, after the completion of His earthly ministry, He ascended after His resurrection. He now sits in Heaven at the right hand of God the Father where He makes intercession for the saints. All believers immediately go to God's presence in Heaven upon death (Mark 16:19; Acts 1:11 Romans 8:34; 1 John 2:1, 2:2 Corinthians 5:8). Section 11. The Doctrine of the Church The church that Jesus established is a local, organized, sovereign assembly of regenerated, baptized believers (Acts 18:8), voluntarily united together for the purpose of fulfilling the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:19-20. The ordinances of the church are baptism and the Lord's Supper (Matthew 3:16; 26:26-28; Acts 2:41; Mark 14:22-24; 1 Corinthians 11:23-30). Believer's baptism is by immersion in water under the authority of the local church (Acts 8:36-39). Baptism is an outward expression of the believer's identification with Christ's death, burial and resurrection (Romans 6:4-5; 1 Peter 3:21), and unites that believer to the particular local church in which he is baptized (Acts 2:41, 47). The Lord's Supper is a memorial picturing the broken body of Christ that was sacrificed on the cross and his blood that was shed to pay for man's sin (1 Corinthians 11:23-30). Acts 2:41-42 sets a pattern for those eligible to partake of the Lord's Supper, i.e., those who believed, were baptized, and belonged to the church. The offices of the church are pastor and deacons. The qualifications for these offices are clearly defined in the Scriptures (1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:6-9; Acts 6:1-7). The church is an autonomous, self-governing, self-propagating, self-supporting organism with Jesus Christ as its Head (Matthew 18:15-17; Acts 13:13; 15:23-28; Ephesians 5:23; Colossians 1:1, 18). No hierarchy of individuals or organizations, religious or political, either within or outside of the church, has any authority over the local church (Matthew 22:1-21). Section 12. The Doctrine of the Last Things We believe in the imminent, visible, bodily return of Jesus Christ (Acts 1:11; John 14:1-3). Jesus' return will be to receive unto Himself all those who have trusted in His shed blood to wash away their sins (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 1:5). Christ's return will be followed by seven years of tribulation (Daniel 9:27; Revelation 13:5), at which time Jesus will return to earth to destroy all wickedness (Revelation 19:21). A thousand year reign of Jesus Christ will follow this event which will terminate with the destruction of Satan and all his evil forces (Revelation 20:4, 10). At the end of the thousand year reign, all lost sinners will be judged at the Great White Throne judgement (Revelation 20:12-15). The new heaven and the new earth will be prepared for God's saints for all eternity (Revelation 21). Section 1. Qualifications for Membership
Section 2. Admission into Membership
Section 3. Procedure for Admission Each candidate for church membership shall publicly indicate his desire for church membership by responding to an invitation at the close of any service. Upon qualifying under above sections and receiving a majority vote for membership by the church, the candidate becomes a member. The vote may be taken before all qualifications are met (i.e., "we receive 'member's name' upon their baptism...") Section 4. Termination of Membership
Section 5. Standing of Members A member who faithfully abides by the Doctrinal Statement of Faith and Constitution and By-Laws is considered a member in good standing. A member who does not attend or contribute, and who for any reason does not communicate with the church for a period of three (3) months shall be considered as a prospect for church discipline. An effort shall be made to renew the interest of the member. Such an individual shall not have the privilege of voice or vote in any church business meeting. He must attend on four (4) consecutive Sundays before being considered a member in good standing once again. It is the duty of members to endeavor to fulfill the Church Covenant printed below: Church Covenant Having been led by the Holy Spirit of God to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, and, on the profession of our faith, having been baptized, we do now in the presence of God and this assembly, most joyfully enter into covenant with one another, as one body in Christ. We engage, therefore, in the power of the Holy Spirit, to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this Church in Scriptural knowledge and holiness; to regularly attend all weekly services and special events; to submit to its authority and discipline; and to contribute regularly and faithfully to the support of its ministry. We also engage to maintain family and personal devotions and prayer; to bring up our children in the admonition of the Lord; to seek the salvation of our family and friends; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements; to be exemplary in our manner of living; 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 offense, but always ready for reconciliation, and mindful of the rule of our Savior, to secure it without delay; to abstain from the sale and uses of all alcoholic beverages. We moreover engage that if we move from this place we will without delay unite with a church of like faith and practice. Humbly confessing our sins, we pray for grace and strength to keep this covenant in letter and in spirit to the glory of God. Discipline is that procedure including Christian teaching, training, admonition and rebuke (both private and public) with the view to helping the individual grow in grace, mature in the individual faith, break off from worldliness, and live wholly for the Lord. At such time that a member shall refuse such help, it will be necessary for the church to exclude him from the membership. Resolving conflicts between individuals, and in dealing with sins not generally known, the wronged party shall follow Matthew 18:15-17. A person bringing a matter into public or before the church before following this scripture shall be subject to rebuke. Matters of formal accusation shall be: Public sins (sins known by the church or the general public). Holding and/or propagating false doctrine. Charges must be made in writing, signed and presented to the pastor. The accused shall receive at least one week's notice with the charges stated, to appear at a designated meeting for a hearing. If the accused member fails to appear, the church may proceed. The accused may call to his aid another church member to speak for him. A member formally accused is automatically released from any office or position, cannot speak at business meetings except at the hearing, and is deprived of his right to vote. At the close of the hearing, the congregation shall vote, by ballot, to determine if the accused is guilty. If the accused is found to be guilty, he must be excluded even if he repents. After time has elapsed and his repentance is proven to be genuine, he may again apply for membership. An excluded member can be received back into membership only after repentance and public confession of the sin(s) and following the constitutional procedure for being admitted. The officers of the church shall be pastors and deacons. The leadership of this church, all departments being subject thereto, resides in the scriptural office of the Bishop, who is appointed by the Holy Spirit as the overseer of the flock. The three terms bishop, elder and pastor all refer to the ministry of one and the same person. The office is designated by the term bishop (overseer); the spiritual maturity of the man is designated by the term elder; and the responsibilities of the man is designated by the term pastor (shepherd). The qualifications of the pastor are found in 1 Timothy 3:1-7. The pastor must be in agreement with the Doctrinal Statement of Faith and the Constitution and By-Laws.
It is the work of the Holy Spirit to call a man and send him out (Acts 13:4). Therefore much prayer and seeking of His will must precede the calling of a pastor. The deacons shall serve as the pulpit committee. The first responsibility is to see that the pulpit is filled in all services by preachers of like faith and practice. The pulpit committee shall prayerfully select the candidate and present his name to the church, who then votes on whether or not to invite that man to candidate. After a man is invited to candidate, he shall preach in a regular service. The church membership shall be informed one week in advance that a vote to call a pastor is to be taken at a special business meeting. The church shall vote on each candidate as soon as is convenient after that candidate has preached. As soon as is convenient, after a candidate has accepted the call, he shall join the church and assume his responsibilities as pastor. The pastor shall be appointed for an indefinite period of time. As the ministry grows, plurality of pastoral staff shall aid the effectiveness of the office of bishop in overseeing and ministering to the congregation. The office of deacon arose out of a need to serve the church in ways that enable the pastoral staff to keep their focus on ministering the Word of God to people. The qualifications of deacons are found in Acts 6:3 and 1 Timothy 3:8-13. A deacon must be a member of this church for a period of one year before office and he must be in agreement with the Doctrinal Statement of Faith, Constitution and By-Laws. The deacons are ministering servants of the church whose purpose is to free time of the pastor that he may fulfill his responsibilities. They shall meet with the pastor regularly to lend their counsel. They shall be willing and available to serve their church as needed. They shall assist the pastor in administering the two ordinances of the church. They shall serve as trustees and have authority to purchase on behalf of the congregation, receive tithe on behalf of the congregation, incumber property by way of mortgage, loan or other form of financing. They shall serve as the pulpit committee. A deacon candidate shall be nominated by the existing deacons. A deacon candidate shall be appointed by church vote. A deacon is ordained to the ministry of that office at a special service for an indefinite period of time. Their length of service will depend upon their commitment to serve the Lord, church and pastor. An ordained deacon may "step out" of his position to allow another man the opportunity for personal growth which this service develops. The number of deacons shall depend on the size and needs of the church. The pastor shall decide the number. ARTICLE VII. CHURCH GOVERNMENT This church is an organism, a body with an authoritative head - Jesus Christ. The government is therefore a theocracy. Thus, the church is not "legislative" (legislating its rules and policies) but rather "administrative" (carrying out Christ's rules and policies). How does the church identify Christ's mind on a given issue? With the Bible as the source of principles, the church membership seeks God's will. That will is then identified by congregational vote. We trust that the decision made by the majority vote is expressive of God's will. With this in mind, the following expresses the format for congregational determination of God's will. The determining body of this church (group responsible for determining God's will) shall be the membership present at any business meeting. Business meetings are of two types: Those initiated by the pastors and deacons. These meetings may be held at any regular church service as they are needed. Those initiated by other members. A written request for a business meeting, along with the desired motion to be made, shall be delivered to the pastor. After the motion has been discussed by the pastor and deacons, it may then be acted on by the church in a business meeting. The business meeting shall be held approximately two weeks from the date of delivery to the pastor. Any member of the church who is in good standing and is 18 years of age or older may vote.
Twenty-five percent (25%) of the church shall constitute an ordinary quorum for any regular business meetings of the church. Fifty-one percent (51%) shall be considered a majority. One-half of the church shall be present to constitute a special quorum in cases of especially important matters, i.e., buying or selling property, building a building, calling a pastor, terminating the pastoral relationship, amending the constitution. Seventy-five percent (75%) shall be considered a majority. In the event of the division of the church membership, all church properties and assets shall belong to those who abide by the Doctrinal Statement of Faith, Constitution and By-Laws. In the event that the church dissolves, all assets will be liquidated, all debts paid, and the balance distributed to other Baptist ministries which are recognized charitable organizations in the United States of America. These By-Laws may be amended by a 75% vote of a special quorum. Section 8. Human Sexuality Statement. We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, incest, fornication, adultery and pornography are sinful perversions of God's gift of sex. (Genesis 2:24, 19:5, 13, 26:8-9; Leviticus 18:1-30; Romans 1:26-29; 1 Corinthians 5:1, 6:9; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8; Hebrews 13:4). We believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one woman (Genesis 2:24; Romans 7:2; 1 Corinthians 7:10; Ephesians 5:22-23). We believe that men and women are spiritually equal in position before God, but that God has ordained distinct and separate spiritual functions for men and women in the home and the church. The husband is to be the leader of the home and men are to be the leaders (pastors and deacons) of the church. Accordingly, only men are eligible for licensure and ordination by the church (Galatians 3:28; Colossians 3:18; 1 Timothy 2:8-15, 3:4-5, 12).
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