What Makes Baptists Unique

We are like other Christians following Jesus as Lord and Savior. We are different in some of the ways we do things and what we consider important.

• Believer's Baptism is probably what makes us most different from other Christians. We do not baptize infants who do not understand what it means.  Baptism is for believers who wish publicly to declare their new life in Christ. Total immersion is a symbol of death to the old self and being born again into the Spirit of God.
• Religious Freedom is the basis for believer's baptism. Since baptism is for believers only, then each person needs to have the freedom to make that decision or not. People cannot be forced to believe anything that they do not believe is true. Nor do we believe that people should be forced to belong to any church. Faith is a personal matter and needs to be left to each individual to decide for oneself. This is a privilege, but also a great responsibility for each believer, for each needs to read the Bible, study and question, develop one's own faith, and find ways to live it out in the world.
• Personal Faith is very important for Baptists. We don't believe in joining the church because you are expected to. Church membership is the sign of a very personal relationship with Jesus. He is very important in our lives.  We talk with Him. We listen to Him. We look to Him for direction and guidance. Prayer is vital for Baptists. This is sometimes called "the priesthood of all believers"-- each believer develops a personal relationship directly with God through Jesus Christ. There is no need for another intermediary (like saints or priests) to have a relationship with God.
• Self-governing Congregations are very different from many other Christian churches, which are far more organized and structured than ours. Because of each member's personal faith, our congregations tend to function more like democracies. Each member's say is very important to the whole. We do not believe that the hierarchical authorities are any closer to God. Each congregation manages its own affairs without outside interference from other churches or the government.    We do, however, believe that by associating with other Baptist churches that we are stronger for missions and Christian witness. Baptist churches typically associate with others in their geographic area. Our denomination is built from the "ground up"; there is no imposing "top down" hierarchy. The name of the denomination is even plural: The American Baptist Churches USA and The American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts.
• Separation of Church and State is a natural consequence of our belief in religious freedom for individuals. We believe the church and the affairs of God should have no interference from the government. No matter what form of government-- democracy, monarchy, or socialist state-- we do not believe that governments have any right to speak for God. This also means that the church should not expect to receive any special favors from the government.
• Authority of the Bible. Everyone needs a final court of appeal. On our country, it is the Constitution. In some churches, it is what the church says. For Baptists, it is the Bible we turn to as our ultimate set of guidelines. What the Bible says is more important to us as Baptists than social customs, traditions, or even what others might say. Because the Bible is so central, reading it and studying it are important privileges for Baptists.
• Ministry of the Laity. We are all responsible for carrying out Christ's ministry in the world. We cannot leave this to the church alone. We all have been given special gifts that we can use in our daily work and lives to bear witness to our faith and to the Kingdom of God. We believe that all baptized believers are ministers. A minister is a person who works in someone else's name. The ministers of our church are not just the ordained people who lead, but are all people who work in all areas of today's world in the name of Jesus Christ.
• The Lord's Supper, like baptism, is done in obedience to our Lord's command: 'This do in remembrance of Me." This is why we call it an ordinance, not a sacrament. It is a simple observance in our church where we all participate in eating the bread and drinking the cap. Christ is present, not in the bread nor the cup, but in our memory as we recreate that moment in His life.  We celebrate the Lord's Supper, or Communion, during worship on the first Sunday of each month
• Missions are important in the work of Baptists. We take seriously the command of Jesus: "Go to all people everywhere and make them My disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit; and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you." There are Baptist missionaries in our own country and in many other countries of the world. They serve the whole person by preaching, healing, seeking justice, teaching, training; they also train in-country staff to carry on the work.   We are also involved in local missions by supporting the local shelter and other community organizations that are providing services to those less fortunate, collecting food items for the local food pantry, making and distributing items for our shut-ins, supporting the chaplaincy program at the local hospital.
• Ecumenical Cooperation has long been a Baptist belief. The Baptists were co-founders of the National Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches, because we believe that all Christian churches have the responsibility to work together in our world.