What We Believe

 With Baptist brothers and sisters around the world, we believe:
  • That the Bible is the final authority and trustworthy for faith and practice.  It is to be interpreted responsibly under the guidance of God's Holy Spirit within the community of faith;
  • That the church is a gathered fellowship of regenerated believers, a sign of the coming universal reign of God;
  • That the freedom to respond to the Lordship of Christ in all circumstances is fundamental to the Christian gospel and to human dignity; and
  • That witness to Christ is the ongoing task of every Christian and of every church.
  • Within the larger Baptist family, American Baptists emphasize convictions which direct our special task and ministry.
We affirm that God through Jesus Christ calls us to be:
  • A Redeemed People
  • A Biblical People
  • A Worshiping People
  • A Mission People
  • An Interdependent People
  • A Caring People
  • An Inclusive People
  • A Contemporary People
We further believe:
  • That God has called us forth to such an hour as this;
  • That we live with a realizable hope;
  • That all things are held together in Christ;
  • That all creation will find its ultimate fulfillment in God;
  • That we shall see the One whose we are; and
  • That Jesus shall reign forever and ever.
We Are American Baptists.
 
(An expression of Christian Faith Representative of American Baptists adopted by the General Board, American Baptist Churches in the USA.,November 2005)