COVENANT OF FELLOWSHIP

For First Baptist Church Henryville

Having, as we trust, been brought by divine grace to repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and to give up ourselves to him as our Savior and our Lord, and having been baptized by immersion in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit upon our profession of faith, relying on his gracious aid, solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another.

We will join together in common belief; affirming and treasuring together a common faith built upon the only authority for our faith and action – the inerrant and infallible Word of God.

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We are a historic Baptist congregation which holds to and cherishes the faith that has been delivered to us.

We make it our duty and delight to guard the deposit of our faith which has been laid out to us in the earliest Christian confessions and the many Baptist statements of faith through the centuries, and as a summary of the faith we profess we gladly hold to and join our hearts in affirming the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, which is a summary statement of belief from the Southern Baptist Convention, to which our local body is joined.

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We will work and pray for the unity of the Spirit among our body in the bond of peace.

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We will walk together in brotherly love, as becomes members of a Christian church, exercise affectionate care and watchfulness over each other and faithfully encourage and admonish one another as occasion may require.

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We will hold our membership with this body as a sacred union and as such will not forsake the assembling of ourselves together for regular worship and instruction, nor will we neglect to pray for ourselves and others.

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We will seek to bring up all those who at any time may be under our care in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and by a pure and loving example to seek the salvation of our family and friends.

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We will rejoice in each other’s happiness and seek to grieve with tenderness and sympathy each other’s griefs as we join together to bear on another’s burdens and sorrows.

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We will seek, by divine aid, to live carefully in the world, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, remembering that we have been bought with a price and are not our own. We were buried with Christ in baptism and raised to walk in newness of life, therefore we will devote ourselves to growing throughout our life in sanctification seeking to display his goodness and glory to the world around us and to live in such a way that no dishonor or insult might be given to Him or his people.

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We will seek to be bound in our union with one another, and as such if and when serious rebellion or insult through sin is brought into this body we will humbly submit to the loving but necessary discipline of this church enacted and enforced in the hope of repentance leading to the restoration of our fellowship.

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We will work together for the continuation of a faithful gospel ministry in this church, as we sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline, and doctrine.

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We will contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the gospel to all nations.

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We will be bound by this church’s covenant, constitution, and statement of faith in all matters pertaining to church membership and church discipline.

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We will, if and when we should move from this place, as soon as possible, unite with another local church where we may carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God’s word.

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We will know and affirm that our membership and bond with this body of believers will be recognized as terminated following the death, transfer of membership, or voluntary resignation of any member. Membership may also be terminated as an act of church discipline at the recommendation of the pastoral leaders and deacon body and with the vote of 75% of the members present at any regular or special meeting of the membership. If and when we unite with another local body, our letter and statement of membership will be granted from this congregation following an affirmation by a majority vote of our local congregation during a regularly scheduled session of business.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit bless this covenant and be with us all now and forever. Amen.