What We Believe

When you come to Mississippi Avenue, you will notice the word Baptist on our sign. An informal survey was conducted one Sunday morning, and it revealed that less than 30% of those in attendance grew up as Baptists! Our conclusion was that people attended not because of a name on a sign, but because of who we are and what we believe.

MABC is incredibly diverse. We have a broad spectrum of age, economic, ethnic, and religious backgrounds. Yet for all of our diversity, we all are unified around some basic beliefs. A great way to define those beliefs can be found in the following acrostic:

B ible: The Bible is our sole authority. We believe it to be the true Word of God without

error of any kind. It provides the foundation for all of our teaching and is central to all we do.

A utonomy: Our church, like all Baptist churches, are independent of any outside control or direction. We are a congregational body, meaning that we believe that the Spirit of God directs our individual members, who in turn provide corporate direction and leadership for the church.

P riesthood of Believers: We believe that every believer has the right and privilege to have direct access to God. One does not need someone else to intercede for either salvation or fellowship.

T ithing: One can imagine a multitude of ways to fund the local church. At MABC, we teach and believe that God’s plan is to pour His resources into the lives of His people. Having done so, His people then give faithfully to support the work of ministry.

I mmersion: When someone gives their life to Christ, the most beautiful and public of testimonies is believers baptism. It is much like a wedding ring to a new bride. It tells all of a commitment made. The Biblical image of baptism is always by immersion.

S ecurity of the Believer: We believe that everyone who has come into a relationship with God has been adopted into His family. From that moment on, one’s salvation is secure. Although one may later be described as a rebellious child of God, they will always remain a part of God’s family.

T elling Others About Christ: Everything we do here on earth that has value could also be done in heaven. The only thing we cannot do in heaven is share the Gospel with an unbeliever. Our primary purpose is to live the Christ life in such a way that our family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers may know that there is hope in Jesus.

Mississippi Avenue Baptist Church recognizes that churches, like individuals, can do more working together than they can apart. As such, we have chosen to affiliate with other churches of similar belief and similar purpose. Those churches make up what is known as the Southern Baptist Convention. With over 45,000 churches and 16 million members, we have the ability to support over 10,000 missionaries at home and abroad. We provide theological education for our ministers in six seminaries and assist others in kingdom work with great zeal. If you would like to know more about the Southern Baptist Convention, visit www.sbc.net.