Doctrinal Beliefs

Luke 1:1 Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us

I am a blood bought, independent, fundamental, unaffiliated, genuine New Testament John the Baptist, "faithful" Baptist Bride, Baptist. I can trace my roots, (church by church) back to Dr. John Clark (First Baptist church in America) and from there to England, Wales and from there via Claudia and Pudens to the Apostle Paul and from Paul to the Apostles to John the Baptist and to Jesus whom I believe was a Baptist.  (Although I don't believe establishing a chain link church by church is necessary to be a genuine Baptist.  (Some things are taken on faith; even for granted).

I trace neither my roots nor my soteriology (doctrine of salvation as effected by Jesus) to the Presbyterian, Calvin. (I've never understood why Baptists so honor a Presbyterian). I am not an Arminian. I am a Biblicist Baptist. The Bible teaches, and I also believe, that God is Sovereign and such sovereignty extends to all things including salvation; in that God is the One who convicts, draws, woos and converts. Within that sovereignty, I believe that God has commanded me to preach the Gospel to every creature and to so preach the Gospel that whosoever will may come; that no sinner who is under conviction of his sin and being drawn by the Spirit of God will be turned away if he repents from sin and exercises saving faith in Christ. I believe that repentance is a gift from God as is salvation. I also believe in election as the Bible teaches. I have observed that wherever the Gospel is preached and sinners repent and believe, there is where God is carrying out His election.  I also believe that I shall understand it better by and by in Glory.

I believe the church of the New Testament is manifest to be; to wit, a locatable, noticeable, peopled, visible, addressable, functionally friendly church with real live people (usually found in pews or seats of some sort) and a real live pastor. Nothing a church is commanded to do can be done by an invisible, indefinable, nebulous, universal, non-local, non-gathered, non-located, no-named, whatchamacallit spook church. There is not a mite of evidence, yea not one scintilla, not a whit, not a fragment, not a particle of evidence to the contrary. The invisible, universal church theory appeared out of thin air; foggy air but thin air; very thin.

I believe the Gospel of God's Sovereign, free and Amazing grace should be preached worldwide, heaven high, hell hot, sin black, and gunbarrel straight.

I believe that God's people ought to look like, dress like, smell like and act like true blue believers; that separation from worldliness is first steps in maturity; that girls and women should not wear men's clothing ever and that includes working in the garden; that the boys and men ought not wear hair down over the ears but that women should; that rings on men are to be worn on the finger and not the ear. I believe I should wear a necktie when I am in the pulpit preaching and when I am sitting in the pew listening to others preach. Meeting with the Divine in a solemn assembly calls for a particular dress reflecting the occasion.

I believe God's inspired and preserved Word for the English speaking world is the Authorized Version, the KJV. However, I am not a Ruckmanite any more than I am a Calvinist. I am a Biblicist Baptist.

I also refuse to spend precious time debating or wrangling over the above issues; precious time that could be spent in praying, witnessing, preparing sermons, lessons, reading good books, preparing radio broadcasts, getting out the Gospel and spending time with the family and getting ready to preach every Wednesday and Sunday.

Above and beyond all this, I love the Lord (He first loved me) and seek by His grace and power to so live that I may properly adorn the precious doctrines of the faith. Amen!

I love the brethren and I certainly tolerate, put up with, defend and support "God's men" (At least to this lost world) regardless of the particular Baptist church they may be found in.  (The previous statement does not mean that I have close fellowship with every one who calls himself a Baptist for I don't). I have a hunch that we all are in for a little straightening out at the Judgment seat; therefore let us walk humbly before God.