
Baptist churches and associations of churches have adopted statements of belief that teach, defend, and perpetuate the faith “that was delivered to the saints once for all” (Jude 3). These belief statements, most commonly known as confessions of faith, are intended to clarify and publish the most basic beliefs that frame our faith, witness, and ministry in the world. These faith convictions identify what it means to be a Baptist. They help ward off the influence of false teaching. They provide “instruction in righteousness” so that the believer may be “thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16).
On Sunday morning, February 27, every person attending worship will receive a copy of the most recent Southern Baptist statement of faith adopted in the 2000 annual session of the Convention.
Dr. Herschel Hobbs said, “This statement serves in large measure to anchor Southern Baptists to their traditional Biblical moorings for a generation.”
Each generation must reclaim the priceless heritage of faith passed to it from their fathers. At the dawn of each new era, the Baptist faith must be renewed with conviction and loyalty to what the Bible teaches concerning the faith we all hold so dear. Every believer should know what they believe and why they believe it. The Baptist faith is and will always present solid principles that new believers may grasp and build upon to strengthen them in the faith and build the kingdom of God.
Books will be available for you to purchase and read as you follow along with each Sunday’s Sermons ($8 per copy). The title of the books is, “The Baptist Faith and Message.”
Great Baptist preachers like Adrian Rogers along with trustworthy theologians like Dr. Chuck Kelley and Dr. Albert Mohler will provide solid guidance for your examination of the scriptures.
Through this year’s emphasis, you should be better equipped to offer council to people who are seeking to know more about the Bible and what it means to be a follower of Jesus. You should learn the essentials of the 21 doctrines and faith convictions that make your church family what it is. I look forward to preaching these wonderful beliefs of our faith that date back as early as 1607. So, pray that God will bless our work and desires to know more about the Baptist faith. Determine to attend, read, and invite others to join you in participating in this year’s worthy emphasis of:
2022
The Year of Our Faith