FBC Bagdad is a Christian church, a Baptist church, and a Reformed church.
We are Christian because we confess the historic faith once for all delivered to the saints. We believe in the triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We confess Jesus Christ as fully God and fully man, the only Savior of sinners, who lived, died, rose again, ascended to the Father, and will return in glory.
We are Baptist because we believe the New Testament teaches a regenerate church membership, believer’s baptism by immersion, the gathered and accountable life of the local church, and the authority of Scripture over all matters of faith and practice.
We are Reformed because we stand in the theological stream of the Protestant Reformation. That means more than affirming a particular view of salvation, though we gladly affirm God’s sovereign grace in saving sinners. It also means we believe Scripture must govern the doctrine, worship, preaching, ordinances, discipline, and life of the church. We believe the church must continually be brought back to the Word of God rather than ruled by human tradition, cultural preference, or mere custom. We worship in the language of the people, preach the whole counsel of God, emphasize the ordinary means of grace, and confess that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone, according to Scripture alone.
Above all, we believe the Bible alone is our final authority for faith and practice. Creeds, confessions, catechisms, and covenants do not replace Scripture. They help us summarize, teach, confess, and apply what Scripture says.
These documents connect us to the faithful witness of the church throughout history, help us teach doctrine clearly, guard us against error, and give our members a shared understanding of what we believe and how we are called to live together as a church.
The resources below explain the historic documents FBC Bagdad uses in worship, teaching, discipleship, and membership.
Creeds
Creeds are brief summaries of essential Christian doctrine. They help the church confess the central truths of the Christian faith, especially the doctrines of the Trinity, the incarnation of Christ, the death and resurrection of Jesus, and the hope of eternal life.
FBC Bagdad makes use of historic Christian creeds such as the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed as faithful summaries of biblical truth confessed by Christians throughout the centuries.
Confessions
Confessions are fuller statements of faith that explain what we believe the Bible teaches across many areas of doctrine. They are especially helpful for teaching, church membership, pastoral ministry, and guarding the church from false doctrine.
FBC Bagdad is a Reformed Baptist church. We affirm the Second London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689 as a faithful and historic summary of biblical doctrine. As a Southern Baptist church, we also affirm the Baptist Faith and Message 2000.
Catechisms
Catechisms teach biblical doctrine through questions and answers. They are useful for children, families, new believers, and mature Christians because they help us learn foundational truths in a clear and memorable way.
At FBC Bagdad, we regularly use Spurgeon’s Catechism, and we also recommend A Catechism for Boys and Girls as a helpful resource for families with younger children.
Covenant
A church covenant summarizes how members commit to live together under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. It reminds us that church membership is more than attendance. It is a shared commitment to worship together, pray for one another, bear one another’s burdens, pursue holiness, preserve unity, submit to the care and discipline of the church, and support the work of gospel ministry.
FBC Bagdad uses Benjamin Keach’s “Solemn Covenant” of 1689 as a historic expression of these biblical responsibilities.
Learn more about our church covenant
Why These Documents Matter
We use these documents because they help us teach the faith once for all delivered to the saints. They do not have authority over Scripture, but they help us speak clearly about Scripture.
They remind us that we are not the first generation to study God’s Word, defend sound doctrine, disciple families, order the church rightly, or confess Christ before the world. They also help visitors and members understand who we are: a church committed to historic Christianity, Baptist convictions, Reformation theology, biblical worship, meaningful membership, and faithful obedience to Jesus Christ.
Our desire is that these resources would help the members of FBC Bagdad grow in truth, unity, worship, and obedience to Jesus Christ.