Sedalia Bethlehem Baptist Church

We believe:

1. BIBLE – Every Word in the original writings of the Old & New Testaments is inspired by God without error, and is, therefore, authoritative for our belief and conduct.^[1] (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Matthew 5:17-18).

2. GOD – God exists eternally in three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one God (Genesis 1:1; Matthew 28:19-20; John 1:1, 14; Acts 5:3-4; 2 Corinthians 13:14).

3. MAN – Man was created in the image and likeness of God, but in Adam all mankind fell into sin with the result that all men are sinners, hopelessly sinful in themselves, apart from the grace of God (Genesis 1:26-27, 9:6; Rom. 3:23, & 5:12; Eph. 2:1-5).

4. JESUS CHRIST – The eternal Son of God incarnate in the Lord Jesus Christ, being born of the Virgin Mary, and is fully God and fully man (John 1:1:14, 1:18, 5:18; Hebrews 1:1-9, 5:8; 1 John 5:20; 1 Timothy 2:5).

5. SALVATION – Salvation is received by faith alone in Christ, who died for our sins and rose again (Acts 4:12, 13:38-39; 1 Corinthians 15:14; Romans 4:4-5; 5:1; John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9; Acts 16:31).

6. ASSURANCE – All who are born of the Spirit through faith in Christ have assurance of salvation and are eternally secure in Christ (Romans 5:1; 1 John 5:13; Ephesians 4:30; John 10:27-29, 17:12; John 6:37).

7. HOLY SPIRIT – The Holy Spirit is the third person in the Godhead, who regenerates, indwells, baptizes, and seals all believers in Christ and enables them to live the holy life God desires for His children (John 4:16-17, 16:7-15; 1 Corinthians 3:16, 12:13; Ephesians 1:13-14, 4:30; Galatians 5:16-23).

8. CHURCH – The church is composed of all those who have personally trusted Christ as Saviour in this present age. It is the Body and Bride of Christ and exists in two aspects, universal and local. Its mission is to witness to its Head, Jesus Christ, gather for worship, serve all men, make disciples and teach all nations (Ephesians 1:22-23, 5:24-30; 1 Corinthians 12:4-13, 12:27; Matthew 28:19-20).

9. ORDINANCES – The scriptural ordinances of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are for all believers in Christ (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 8:12, 36-38; Acts 9:18 & 10:47; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26).

10. CHRIST’S COMING – Rapture – We look forward to the imminent return of Christ. This is the blessed hope of Christ’s return for His Church (1 Thessalonians 1:10, 4:16-18 & 5:4-10; John 14:1-3). Second Coming – When Jesus will come to earth again with His Church and establish His Millennial Reign on earth (Revelation 19:11-16 & 20:1-6).

11. ETERNAL STATE – There is an eternal state of punishment for the unsaved called Hell (Revelation 20:11-15), and an eternal state of blessing for the saved called Heaven (Revelation 21:1-8).

KEY ETHICAL STANDARDS OF CONDUCT

Furthermore, in addition to our Doctrinal Statement, Bethlehem Baptist Church has adopted these Key Ethical Standards which guide our conduct.

1. STATEMENT ON THE SANCTITY OF HUMAN LIFE

We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life (Psalms 139).

2. STATEMENT ON MARRIAGE, FAMILY, GENDER, AND SEXUALITY

We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. (Genesis 1:26-27). Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person.

We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture. (Genesis 2:18-25). We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other. (1 Corinthians 6:18; 7:2-5; Hebrews 13:4). We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman.

We believe Marriage between a male and female to be the best setting for nurturing children and rearing them to serve Him in every vocation and in every part of a stable and successful society (Colossians 3:17-21; Ephesians 6:1-4). Every child deserves, in the providence of God, to have a mother and a father (Genesis 2:24; Proverbs 1:8).

We believe that any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, and use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God. (Matthew 15:18-20; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

We believe that in order to preserve the function and integrity of Bethlehem Baptist Church as the local Body of Christ, and to provide a biblical role model to the Bethlehem Baptist Church members and the community, it is imperative that all persons employed by Bethlehem Baptist Church in any capacity, or who serve as volunteers, agree to and abide by this Statement on Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality (Matthew 5:16; Philippians 2:14-16; 1 Thessalonians 5:22).

We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. (Acts 3:19-21; Rom. 10:9-10; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity (Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31). Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture nor the doctrines of Bethlehem Baptist Church.

3. STATEMENT ON MARRIAGE POLICY

Because God has ordained marriage and defined it as the covenant relationship between a man, a woman, and Himself, Bethlehem Baptist Church will only recognize marriages between a biological man and a biological woman. Further, the pastors of Bethlehem Baptist Church shall only participate in weddings and solemnize marriages between one man and one woman. Finally, the facilities and property of Bethlehem Baptist Church shall only host weddings or receptions of marriages between one man and one woman.