What I believe...

What is an Old-Time Missionary Baptist?

Originally written by Tony Clark As Old-Time Missionary Baptists, we believe in experiencing salvation. We believe salvation from God is more than signing a card, repeating a prayer, or joining a church. We believe God convicts the heart of a sinner, and that when the sinner meets God’s conditions of faith in Christ and repentance, God saves him. When God saves someone from sin, God lets him know that he is saved by of the presence of his Holy Spirit. Have you experienced salvation from God through Jesus Christ? Do you know beyond a doubt that you are ready to die? If not, then you need to seek God – trusting in Jesus Christ with all you heart. God can fill the void in your life with an experiential peace and joy beyond understanding. We realize that there are people outside of our churches who have experienced salvation through Christ. However, many organizations often deceive people by telling them they are saved when they are not. We also believe that a true Christian life involves experiencing the presence of God. Going through life with the love of Christ in your heart is a true blessing from God. We hold to the basic Baptist doctrines of believer's baptism, the security of the believer, the inspiration and preservation of the scriptures, and salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Here is a copy of the New Hampshire Articles of Faith, that many of us endorse. Why do we call ourselves "Old-Time" Baptists? Although many of our churches are in rural areas, "Old-Time" does not mean that we are anachronistic. The term "Old-Time" means that we believe in heart-felt salvation. Historically, most Baptists have believed in experiential salvation. What we teach is not something new, but something that Baptists have believed for centuries. We resist most modern techniques of evangelism, because they leave out the power of the Holy Spirit. Almost all of our churches still have mourners' benches where we invite people to seek the Lord. Those few that do not have mourners' benches still encourage people to seek the Lord until they find him. We are no respecter of persons. No matter what your background is, God loves you and wants you to be saved by his grace. Jesus Christ died on the cross as a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world, and that includes you!