South Baptist Church is an independent* Baptist church. Some things that characterize us include...
- Vibrant, Christ-centered worship
- Dynamic Bible preaching from the King James Version of the Bible
- Conservative, God-honoring music
- Warm, friendly and family-oriented atmosphere
- Compassionate Christ-like outreach in our community
* By the word "independent" we mean that as a local church, South Baptist Church is not affiliated with any convention, association of churches or ecclesiastical hierarchy system. South Baptist Church is a self-governing body of Bible-believing Christians. Among those who call themselves "independent" Baptists there is a broad range of beliefs and practices. Therefore, a position or attitude which one "independent" Baptist church may condone or practice may be unique to that church and does not necessarily represent the position and attitude of another "independent" Baptist church.
As a "Baptist" church, South Baptist Church is essentially defined according to the following principles. An acrostic of the word "Baptist" aids in expressing what we are:
B - Biblical Authority - The Bible is our only rule of faith and practice. (2 Timothy 3:16)
A - Autonomy of the Local Church - We are a self-governing, self-supporting and self-propagating local church. (1 Corinthians 6:1-4; 1 Timothy 3:15)
P - Priesthood of the Believer - Every born-again believer has personal access to God through the Lord Jesus Christ. (Hebrews 4:14-16)
T - Two Church Offices - The Pastor and Deacons are servant leaders in the local, visible congregation of believers (1 Timothy 3:1-13). The Bible does charge the Pastor with the administrative oversight of the congregation, but he is not to lord it over his fellow believers within the congregation (1 Peter 5:1-4). Deacons are servants primarily to the physical needs and concerns of the congregation (Acts 6:1-7).
I - Individual Soul Liberty/Responsibility - Every born-again believer is responsible before God for the choices he makes, but this does not override the institutional government of a local church to which an individual willingly submitted himself when he became a member of that local church (Romans 14:1-12).
S - Saved Church Membership - A credible profession of the new birth experience must precede membership in a New Testament local church (Acts 2:41,47).
T - Two Church Ordinances - Baptism by immersion (Acts 2:41; 8:36-39) and the Lord's Table (1 Corinthians 11:20-30) are the ordinances of this church. These are symbolic in nature, not sacramental.
S - Separation - By this we mean the personal separation of the individual Christian from a love for the world in those areas where it is at enmity with our Heavenly Father (1 John 2:15-17), and ecclesiastical separation from all churches and ministries which proclaim or represent positions and dispositions which are contrary to the teaching of Scripture and the character of God (1 Timothy 6:3-5).