Aenon Baptist is part of the Baptist Union

The Lordship of Christ

Baptists affirm that ‘Jesus is Lord’. He is Lord over our individual lives, the life of each church, and the life of the whole world.

The Authority of the Bible & Worship

The Bible is described as the ‘Word of God’, and Baptists believe that its writers were inspired by God’s Holy Spirit. As such, it has authority to guide both what we believe and how we live our lives, and for this reason preaching and teaching the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments is central to Baptist worship.

Sharing of Communion is also an important practice of Baptist worship as we celebrate unity with each other and with Jesus through the bread and wine, representing His body and blood.

A Family of Believers

‘For Baptists the concept of a family is important. The church is not so much a particular place or building, but rather a family of believers, committed to Christ, to one another and to the service of God in the world.

In this Baptist family everybody is equal, for everybody has a part to play in the service of God. There is no hierarchy of bishops or priests exercising authority over their members. Equality of status, however, does not mean that all have the same role.

Each local Baptist church appoints its own leaders – or ministers – to have particular responsibility for preaching, teaching and pastoral care. Working alongside these ministers are also deacons, who together with the minister(s) form the leadership team of the local Baptist church.

Baptists are grass-roots people, with a particular emphasis on the local church. These local churches are self-governing and self-supporting, ranging in size from twenty or so members to many hundreds. Although each Baptist church is an independent entity, Baptists nonetheless have always believed in associating with one another.’ (The Baptist Union – Who are Baptists?)

The Priesthood of All Believers

Baptists believe that everyone that attends a Baptist church has a role to play and can use their God-given skills and talents for the good of the church and the community. These gifts include teaching, evangelism, social action, pastoral care, prayer, healing, taking part in worship, administration or hospitality.

Sharing the Faith

Baptists believe that each Christian has a duty to share their faith with others. We recognise that mission is not just evangelism, but also includes promoting justice, social welfare, healing, education and peace in the world.

Baptism for Believers

From the example of the New Testament, Baptists believe that baptism is for those who believe and are able to declare that Jesus is Lord. Baptism by immersion is practised, representing a desire to die to self, and the old life, and to live for Christ. Baptism is also a witness of a believer’s testimony of Jesus’ claim on their life.

Jesus says, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”(Matthew 28:18-20).

Declaration of Principle of the Baptist Union of Great Britain

The Basis of the Baptist Union is:

1. That our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh, is the sole and absolute authority in all matters pertaining to faith and practice, as revealed in the Holy
Scriptures, and that each Church has liberty, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to interpret and administer His laws.

2. That Christian Baptism is the immersion in water into the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, of those who have professed repentance towards God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ who ‘died for our sins according to the Scriptures; was buried, and rose again the third day’.

3. That it is the duty of every disciple to bear personal witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to take part in the evangelisation of the world.