What We Believe
Church Affiliation
First Baptist Church is foremost a local congregation of committed Christ followers who have embraced God’s grace in salvation through Jesus Christ and strive to glorify God in all we do. We are a member of the Southern Baptist Convention, the Florida Baptist Convention, and the Emerald Coast Fellowship of Baptist Churches. We support the Baptist Faith and Message 2000.
Beliefs
Every Church has a unique set of beliefs that identifies them. At First Baptist there are four areas of belief that help accomplish this: Salvation, Ministry, Church Leadership, and Corporate Worship. These four are by no means the only foundational beliefs of the church. We do find, however, that these four areas make us distinct from other local congregations.
Salvation
Salvation involves the redemption of the whole man, and is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer. In its broadest sense salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ.
Ministry
As a local church, we are committed to minister to those in our community. The biblical call for the local church is be involved personally, purposefully, and progressively in ministries that capitalize on the gifts of its members and meet the needs of its community. The goal of ministry is to display the love of Christ, the pinnacle being the gospel.
Church Leadership
We understand the Scriptures to support two biblical offices: pastor and deacon. The office of pastor is filled by men who are qualified, gifted, and called to serve the local church. While the New Testament does not require a multiplicity of pastors, we believe it is prudent for a plurality of pastors to exercise leadership over the local congregation. At First Baptist our pastors are equal in authority while specializing in function and oversight. In a similar fashion, the office of Deacon is filled by men who are qualified, gifted, and called to serve the local church. The ministry focus of deacons is servant hood. At First Baptist the deacons have two primary ministry objectives- first, to serve the particular needs of our congregation, and second, to provide and maintain unity within fellowship.
Corporate Worship
The purpose of our weekly gatherings is to assemble the regenerate members of the Body of Christ to openly worship God the Father, through His Son Jesus Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit. Evangelism is never excluded from worship, but is a natural result of Christians who assemble to worship God in spirit and truth. At First Baptist we are not committed to a particular style of worship, though our music is a blending of traditional and contemporary. Our commitment is to worship in a manner that honors Jesus Christ; conveying theologically accurate substance while utilizing the best of old and new. Central to our worship is the expositional teaching and preaching of the Word.