Our Beliefs

The focus of our trust is the one true and living God who is revealed in the Bible and in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. We rejoice in the common bond we share with “all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours” (1 Corinthians 1:2) and our desire is to have true Christian fellowship with such believers. Our doctrinal positions are not stated to set up a barrier to Christian communion, but to transparently provide information regarding the truths which are loved and taught in the church.

EBC is united together by fundamental doctrinal convictions that might best be described and summarized as Orthodox, Protestant, Reformed, Evangelical, and Baptist. 

ORTHODOX 
EBC identifies with Christian doctrine that is both scripturally rooted and historically informed. We embrace the historic, orthodox understanding of Christian doctrine affirmed in such creeds as the Apostle’s Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed. 
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PROTESTANT 
We embrace the core teachings associated with the term “Protestant”, as distinct from the dogma of Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. We believe the Bible is the sole trustworthy authority regarding matters of faith and practice. We hold that justification (the forgiveness of sin and a righteousness before God) is by faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone, through God’s grace alone, to the glory of God alone. 

REFORMED 
In addition to the core Protestant convictions mentioned above, we also embrace many of the other biblical doctrines which were rediscovered and championed by the Protestant reformers and their successors during the 1500’s and 1600’s. These doctrines embrace many aspects of church life and doctrine and were often codified in confessions of faith such as the Belgic Confession (1561), the Westminster Confession of Faith (1646) and the Savoy Declaration (1658). Those confessions were the foundation of the confession of faith to which the leadership and members of EBC subscribe, namely, the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith. A modern English version of that confession of faith can be found here:  Confession  of Faith 1689

EVANGELICAL 
Evangelicalism is a movement of believers all over the world who seek continuity with the essential theological principles of Orthodox Christianity and the Protestant Reformation. We believe in the sufficiency of Christ’s atonement, the necessity of the new birth, the necessity of personal holiness, and the need to evangelize the lost. 

BAPTIST 
We recognize that true churches of Christ differ with respect to the practice of Christian baptism and the structure of church government. 
As Baptists, we believe that Christian Baptism is a believer’s immersion in water into the name of the Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit. Baptism is the solemn symbol of the believer’s union with Jesus Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. Baptism is intended to be a prerequisite to church membership. 

As Baptists, we also believe in the biblical pattern of elder-led, autonomous local churches. While we affirm local church independence, we desire fellowship and cooperation in fulfilling the Great Commission with like-minded churches. As an expression of that desire, EBC is a member of the Reformed Baptist Network (www.reformedbaptistnetwork.com).