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Ellicott Baptist Church Page 19
churches or organizations, except
on the basis of fellowship. Therefore,
no other church organization can have any control over this church.
B.
Fundamental: This Church stands
without apology for the fundamentals of the faith that are clearly stated in
the Word of God. These fundamentals have
been stated in our Articles of Faith.
C.
Autonomous: All authority rests
in the local church. No one person,
group, or committee has any power or authority other than the authority given
to them by the church.
D.
Baptist: Not a denomination, but
a local church with Baptist distinctives. The roots of these Baptist distinctives go
back to apostolic times. These
distinctives include the following:
1. The Bible is the final authority for all Christian
faith and practice. This distinctive is
by far the most important statement in this Constitution. The Church must be directed by the Word of
God in every area. (We believe that God
has preserved His Word and that the King James Bible (1611) is God's Word for
the English-speaking people today.)
2. The autonomy and independence of the local
church.
3. Salvation by grace and security by grace.
4. Baptism by immersion, after salvation, a
requirement for membership.
5. Church membership made up of regenerated
(born again) baptized believers.
6. Priesthood of believers.
7. The Lordship of Christ.
8. Two ordinances of the
Church: scriptural baptism, and the
Lord's Supper.
9. Separation of church and state.
10. The fulfillment of all three
parts of the Great Commission.