A new believer or candidate does not need to understand everything in order to join. It is important they not be in opposition to these scriptural items.
How to Become A Member of Liberty Baptist Church
Outside of restoration, there are three ways to join the church.
- By baptism here at Liberty after salvation.
- By transfer of letter (church membership) from another Baptist church of like faith and practice.
- By statement of faith that you have been scripturally saved and afterwards scripturally baptized by immersion.
Baptist Distinctives
Here is an Acrostic where the first letter from each spells BAPTISTS
- Bible as final authority (the King James Bible)
- Autonomous (see number 2 below)
- Priesthood of the believer
- Two ordinances (Baptism & the Lord’s supper)
- Individual soul liberty
- Saved membership
- Two offices (Pastors & Deacons)
- Separation of church and state
Baptists are different.
- A regenerated church membership is not required of the other major denominations, as those denominations count on sprinkling a baby to regenerate it. Scripturally we cannot accept any kind of infant baptism for any reason.
- The autonomy of the church means absolute freedom from any and all outside interference from state, government, other churches, other religious bodies, or other individuals.
- Another distinctive is eternal security.
- Rejection of a Nicolaitan hierarchy which overthrows the priesthood of the believer.
- The term “Baptist” is necessary, because if it is not labeled as such, then there is no doctrinal mark whereby it can be proved to be never-Roman Catholic. “Baptist” is the one organized church that has never and will never agree with Rome on the priesthood, the mass, Mary, the plan of salvation, the future, the leadership in the local church, the position of the believer in Christ, or the GOALS and AIMS of the church as a missionary organization.
- Baptists are not “Protestant,” as they did not come out of the Roman Catholic church.
- Since the book of Acts there have always been believers who believed in salvation by grace through faith in the finished work of Christ (death, burial, and resurrection).
The Baptists have an unusual place in all of these matters, for they are the only group that obeyed the New Testament when it came to water baptism. Baptists can trace their “distinctives” clear back to the book of Acts. No other group can do that.