Oct. 5 – The Foundation: God and His Word

Oct. 12 – The Problem and the Solution

Oct. 19 – Pardon for Sin and a Peace that Endureth

Oct. 26 – What God Does and What We Do, pt.1

Nov. 2 – What God Does and What We Do, pt.2

Nov. 9 – Finishing the Race

Nov. 16 – The Church: God’s Own Family 

Nov. 23 – The World to Come

 

Why Should our Church Adopt a New Statement of Faith? 

 

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.”

 – 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 ESV

 

“Across the past four centuries, Baptist Christians have set forth their most cherished convictions about God, salvation, the church, and the life of faith in … confessions, covenants, and catechisms. In recent years these classic texts have been forgotten and discarded by many Baptists. The malign neglect of these important primary sources has certainly contributed to the theological amnesia and spiritual myopia which afflict all too many Baptists today. Real revival and true reformation will not be built on flimsy foundations.”

                       – Timothy George, Baptist Confessions, Covenants, and Catechisms, 1996

 

“And I believe what I believe is what makes me what I am 
I did not make it, no, it is making me 
It is the very truth of God and not the invention of any man” 

– Rich Mullins, Creed, 1993

 

What’s the most important thing about a church? The music style? The warmth of the fellowship? Their mission engagement? I would argue that the most important thing about a church is what they believe. What a church professes to be right and good and true will either lead people towards the light of the Lord or it will lead them into more worldly darkness.

​

The apostle Paul constantly reminds young Timothy and Titus of the need to “teach what accords with sound doctrine” (Titus 2:1). Paul warns Timothy, “If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, 4 he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing” (1 Tim. 6:3-4a). Clearly, the sound doctrine that is found in the revelation of Jesus Christ and in God’s Word is fundamental to a church’s health and success in fulfilling God’s mission. As the theologian Robert Jenson put it, the mission of the church is, essentially, to speak the gospel. In order to do that well, churches need some guidelines by which to identify and say “no” to not-gospels, and also to pick out and proclaim the one and only gospel of Jesus Christ. 

While it may seem strange for a Baptist church to lay out a doctrinal statement, there is a strong historical precedent. The most influential theologian among Baptists in both England and American was Andrew Fuller (1754-1815). In an essay on “Creeds and Subscriptions,” Fuller wrote:

 

It has been very common among a certain class of writers, to exclaim against creeds or systems in religion as inconsistent with Christian liberty and the rights of conscience; but every well-informed and consistent believer must have a creed, a system which he supposes to contain the leading principles of divine revelation. ... If the articles of faith be opposed to the authority of Scripture, or substituted in the place of such authority, they become objectionable and injurious; but if they simply express the united judgment of those who voluntarily subscribe them, they are incapable of any such imputation.

 

I recently heard someone say that Baptists should be confessional and convictional. We should hold to sound doctrine, preferably written in a confession or statement of faith. And we should really believe those things that we claim to be true. In other words, we should say what we mean (be confessional), mean what we say (be convictional), and do it all without being mean! 

​

This is why a Statement of Faith is helpful for a church. Members can then point to their Statement of Faith and agree, “This is what are holding to as the gospel. This is what we believe is of first importance in our doctrine. This is what we see in Scripture that will help guide us into all truth and sanctify us (John 16:13; 17:17) as we seek to fulfill God’s calling on our church.” 

​

So what are our core beliefs? What doctrines make up Woodmont’s convictions? Years ago, I took a stab at drafting a simple statement for our website. But I think it’s clear that we need something more robust, a statement anchored in both the Bible and in history. 

​

After much research and prayer and consultation with Aaron Duncan and the rest of the staff, we have decided to propose a modernized and adapted version of the 1853 New Hampshire Confession of Faith. A subcommittee of the deacons has also been prayerfully discussing this document. I believe it is thoroughly rooted in Scripture and full of sound doctrine that will serve our congregation well for many years to come. 

​

We plan to send out a copy of the proposed statement soon. I also plan to preach through its eighteen articles as part of our Sunday morning worship for October and November. I encourage every member to prayerfully engage with the proposed statement, to weigh its claims against what is written in God’s Word, and to determine if you can, in good conscience, adhere to it. There will be ample time given for discussion and a formal adoption process according to our bylaws. I pray that we will all benefit from agreeing to a strong Statement of Faith. It will clarify who we are as a church and help determine our direction going forward. May the Lord continue to advance his Kingdom through the saints of Woodmont Baptist Church, all by his grace and for his glory. 

​

Grace and peace,