What We Believe

Doctrinal Beliefs: 

SBC Marion is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention.  While each Southern Baptist church is autonomous we believe that as a body of cooperating churches we can more effectively accomplish our call to fulfill Great Commission when churches work together.  As such, we contribute a portion of our annual budget to the Cooperative Program of the Southern Baptist Convention and support the North American Mission Board and International Mission Board through special offerings.


Southern Baptists have prepared a statement of generally held convictions called The Baptist Faith and Message. It serves as a guide to understanding who we are. The following topics here provide only a brief, partial summary.  For a more in depth description of each please click on this link for the full text.

The Scriptures

The Bible was written by people inspired by God and reveals who God is to humanity. It serves as a perfect guide for divine instruction. It is authored by God, aimed at salvation, and its content is completely truthful, without any errors. Therefore, all Scripture is fully reliable and true. It reveals how God judges humanity and will always be the ultimate guide for Christian unity and the standard for evaluating human behavior, beliefs, and religious teachings. Scripture testifies to Christ, who is the central focus of God's revelation.

God

God

There is only one true and living God. He is eternal and exists as three distinct persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—each with unique attributes but sharing the same nature, essence, and being.

God the Father

God, as Father, rules with care over His creation, including humanity and the flow of history, according to His purpose of grace. He is the Father in truth to those who become His children through faith in Jesus Christ.

God the Son

Christ is the eternal Son of God. When He became human as Jesus Christ, He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He perfectly obeyed divine law and, through His sacrificial death on the cross, provided redemption from sin for humanity.

God the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is fully divine. He exalts Christ, convicts people of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and empowers believers and the Church for worship, evangelism, and service.

Man

Humanity is a special creation made in the image of God. He created them male and female as the crowning achievement of creation. By free will, humanity sinned against God, introducing sin into the human race. Human dignity is evident because God made us in His image and because Christ died for all people. Therefore, every person, regardless of race, deserves respect and Christian love.

Salvation

Salvation includes the redemption of the whole person and is freely available to anyone who accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. By His sacrifice, Christ secured eternal redemption for believers. Salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification.

God's Purpose of Grace

Election is God’s gracious plan, through which He regenerates, justifies, sanctifies, and glorifies sinners. True believers are secure in their salvation and will persevere to the end.

The Church

A New Testament church consists of baptized believers who join together in faith and fellowship, observing Christ's teachings, and striving to spread the gospel worldwide. Each congregation is autonomous and operates under Christ’s leadership through democratic processes. Every member is responsible and accountable to Christ. Pastors and deacons are scriptural officers, but the role of pastor is reserved for men as outlined in Scripture. Both men and women are called to serve within the Church.

Baptism & the Lord's Supper

Baptism involves immersing a believer in water as an act of obedience, symbolizing their faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, their death to sin, and their new life in Christ.


The Lord's Supper is a symbolic act in which believers remember Christ's death and anticipate His return.

Evangelism & Missions

It is the responsibility and privilege of every Christian and every church to make disciples of all nations. Christians should share their faith through their words and actions and seek to win the lost to Christ, while staying true to the gospel.

The Lord's Day

The first day of the week is the Lord's Day, commemorating Christ’s resurrection. It should be devoted to worship and spiritual growth.

Last Things

God will bring the world to its proper end in His own time and way. Jesus Christ will return visibly and personally, the dead will be raised, and all people will be judged. The unrighteous will be sent to Hell, while the righteous will receive their reward and dwell with the Lord forever.

Education

Christian education is vital and aligns with the mission of the Kingdom of Christ. It requires a balance between academic freedom and responsibility. A teacher’s freedom in a Christian institution is limited by the authority of Scripture and the centrality of Jesus Christ.

Stewardship

God is the source of all blessings. Christians have a responsibility to serve Him with their time, talents, and material resources, being faithful stewards of what God has entrusted to them.

Cooperation

Christians should cooperate in associations and conventions to advance the Kingdom of God. These organizations should not have authority over each other or over the churches, and cooperation among Christian denominations is encouraged.

The Christian & 

the Social Order

Christians are called to make Christ's will supreme in their lives and in society. They should oppose all forms of evil, including racism, greed, selfishness, and sexual immorality, and should work to support the vulnerable and protect the sanctity of life, from conception to natural death.

REligious Liberty

Church and state should remain separate. The state owes the church protection and full freedom in spiritual matters. A free church in a free state is the ideal for Christians.

Family

God established the family as the foundation of human society. Marriage is the union of one man and one woman, and both partners are equal before God, created in His image. Husbands are called to love their wives as Christ loves the church, while wives are called to submit to their husbands' servant leadership. Parents are responsible for teaching their children God’s design for marriage and family.