Green Pond Baptist Church: Articles of Faith and Principles
Today I am featuring the founding Articles of Faith and Principles of the Green Pond Baptist Church in Polk County, FL. This church was organized in 1894 and a few of my ancestors had a hand in it. This church is historically the home church of most of the people on my mother's side of the family. None of my immediate family is active in the church at this time.
Green Pond Baptist Church Articles of Faith
- We believe in one true God, The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Equal in ever divine perfection.
- We believe the Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is a perfect Treasure of Heavenly instruction. That it reveals the principles by which God will judge us.
- We believe in a converted and regenerated church membership.
- We believe that Baptism by immersion is the only Baptism of the New Testament and believers are the only ones it should be applied to.
- We believe the Lord's Supper is a Church and not a Kingdom ordinance and none but believers Baptized are entitled to it.
- We believe that the blessings of salvation are made free to all people, through the Gospel. That nothing prevents the Salvation of the Greatest Sinner on earth, only his own voluntary refusal to submit to the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Principles of Green Pond Baptist Church
- The Church is designed to be composed of regenerate persons, who have professed Faith in Christ and have been baptized (immersed).
- The New Testament is the only rule of Faith and Practice
- The entire Separation of Church and State.
- Civil and Religious Liberty be granted to all people.Church Government.
- The Brethren and Sister[s] Rule and Not Preachers.
These Articles and Principles come from the 110th anniversary (2004 Homecoming Service) booklet I received when I visited the church a few years ago during a trip to Florida. The church is SBC, but in the booklet, it says it was organized under the "Missionary Baptist Denomination."
Here is an article about an event held at Green Pond in 2006. The cowboy holding the Bible in the article is a Deacon named Dale "Shorty" Boyette. Shorty is a friend of the family, a godly man, and a real honest-to-goodness Florida Cowboy!
2 comments:
This one kind of leaves a bit to be desired, eh?
I'm thinking they were simply ahead of their time: their principles were reduced to bumper-sticker slogans even before there were cars.
Seriously, though, I'd like to point out a couple of things to keep in mind about confessions of faith that are illustrated here:
1. First, if you're going to have one, then it should actually say something. Call me crazy, maybe that's just me. Specifically, in the principles section, you have some items that look more like topic headings than actual statements of anything.
2. You defeat your purpose if you invent new terminology in your confession and subsequently fail to define what you mean by it. You're supposed to be confessing what you believe, not making it difficult to figure that out. What do you actually mean when you call the Bible a "perfect Treasure of Heavenly instruction?" What's the difference you have in mind between a Church and a Kingdom ordinance?
3.It might also be helpful, maybe a little, to have someone write up your confession who has been trained in the peculiar art of crafting a complete sentence.
Gordan,
I agree completely with your statements here. I actually had similar thoughts.
When you compare it to the confession I posted last week (which was kinda the point, but I failed to mention it in the post above) the difference is amazing.
Maybe the brothers and sisters wouldn't let the preacher write the Confession??? ;)
RK
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