10 Facts You Should Know about American Baptists (Paraphrased from ABC-USA.org)

American Baptists...       1. Believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior, and that the Bible is the divinely inspired word of God.    2. The local church is the fundamental unit of mission in denominational life. Baptists maintain the need for autonomous congregations, responsible for creating their own doctrine, style of worship and mission.    3. Partake in two ordinances: Baptism, which is an act of full immersion following Christ's example and, taking the bread and cup that symbolizes the broken body and shed blood offered by Him on the eve of crucifixion, known as the Holy Communion.    4. Believe that the committed individual Christian can and should approach God directly, and that individual gifts of the ministry should be shared.    5.Take seriously the call to evangelism and missionary work.     6. Support religious freedom and respect the expressions of faith of others.    7. Acknowledge that God's family extends beyond our local churches, and that we are called to cooperative ministries.    8. Have been called to be Christ's witnesses for justice and wholeness within a broken city.    9. Celebrate the racial, cultural, and theological diversity witnessed within its membership.    10. Heed the biblical call to renewal and the need for a vital witness in a new millenium.