The name Independent Fundamental Baptist Church is used traditionally by churches which pattern themselves strictly after the example of the early church as found in the New Testament.

 

The words "Independent" and "Fundamental" have been added by Baptist churches after the use of the name Baptist failed to fully identify what they believed. The name Baptist is used by many churches who are not fundamental in their beliefs.

 

Some "Baptist" churches were in the past founded on the doctrinal teachings of the New Testament; however, many of them have drifted away from many of the teachings of the Scriptures. Some of these churches have gone so far as to deny the fundamental teachings of the Bible, such as the deity of Christ, the virgin birth and salvation by the Grace of God, through faith. These churches still call themselves "Baptist, " but in fact they do not believe or practice what true Baptists have historically believed.
 
The true Independent Fundamental Baptists have no association or fellowship with these churches because they teach or practice things contrary to the New Testament.

 

There are however, many Baptists who loved the Word of God and hold true to  it and refused to abandon the teaching of the New Testament. In order to distinguish between the doctrinally unsound Baptist churches and those that believed the Bible many Baptist churches changed their name.

 

These true Baptists added the adjectives Fundamental and Independent to their name in order that they not be identified with the false practices and teaching of the doctrinally unsound churches using the Baptist name.
 
The word "Independent" means that the church is not a member of any council, convention or is a part of any hierarchy outside the local congregation. An Independent Baptist Church would not be apart of a national Baptis organization such as the Southern Baptist Convention, the American Baptist, or any other Baptist organization that would exercise authority over the local church. Thus, the name "independent" means that the church patterns itself after the New Testament example and stands alone under the authority of the Bible. Independent churches have no organized organization over them in authority. They direct their own affairs under the authority of the New Testament Scriptures, free from the outside interference.
 
The New Testament teaches that Christ is the head of the church, (Eph. 5:23) and the Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4). The local pastor is the shepherd  (Heb. 13:17, Acts 20:28, Eph. 4:11) or leader of the congregation.

 

We as an Independent Baptist church have a congregational form of government with each member having the right of the vote and all the affairs of the church are conducted by the local congregation following the guidelines of the New Testament.
  
Independent Fundamental Baptist churches have fellowship one with the other and often cooperate in such things as evangelism. We however, will only fellowship or cooperate in joint meetings with churches of like belief. We will not participate, on a church basis, in any outside function with churches which do not also strictly base their faith and practice on the New Testament. We will not participate in joint meetings, or evangelistic endeavors, with Protestants, Catholics, or other doctrinally unsound church groups who do not hold to the fundamental teachings of the New Testament.(Examples: Kenneth Copeland, Promise Keepers).
 
We will remain separate from these groups as well as other Baptists groups who participate with any unscriptural churches. We will practice the Biblical teachings of separation as stated in Ephesians 5:11, which says, "Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them." We, the Bethuel Baptist Church believe that to join with churches who teach and practice false doctrine is to condone and even show approval of Biblical error and that all doctrinal error is sin.
 
The officers of the local church are pastors and deacons. (I Tim. 3:1-16 ). The pastor of the church is called by majority vote of the congregation. Men meeting the Biblical qualification of deacons ( I Tim. 3:8-13 ) are appointed from the local congregation and approved by the majority vote. Many Baptist churches have Trustees, but their position was established in order to have legal "signatories" to sign legal documents of the church. Neither Deacons or Trustees are a governing body nor a "board," but titles of special appointed servants who service and are subject the will of the pastor and congregation.

 

We the Bethuel Baptist Church will use the New Testament strictly as its authority for faith (doctrine) and practice. In recent years the news media has called doctrinally unsound churches such as the Charismatics and Pentecostals "fundamentalists." Even some TV evangelists have referred to themselves as being "fundamentalist." But they should not be confused with Fundamental Baptists. They are in fact worlds apart. Many of the TV evangelists and all of the Charismatic and Pentecostal churches promote teachings which are not Biblical.
  
We as an independent, fundamental Baptist Church uphold the purest teachings of the early church as revealed in the New Testament. We believe in the infallible verbal inspiration of the whole Bible and that it not only contains the word of God, but is the very word of God. 2 Tim.3:16.

 

We believe in the triune God, that there is one God; but, with three distinct personalities yet one. Matt. 28:19

 

We believe in the Genesis account of creation and totally refute and deny Darwin"s theory of evolution. That all flesh is not 
the same flesh and each creation was individually created by God Almighty. We believe in the Virgin birth of Jesus Christ, that he was begotten by the Holy Spirit and is God"s only Son Matt.1:20 We believe in the deity of Jesus Christ. We believe that his crucifixion and suffering as vicarious and sustitutionary.

 

We believe Jesus Christ rose bodily from the tomb (resurrection) and ascended bodily into heaven and also the resurrection of the saints. 1 Cor. 15th, chapter.
 
We believe in the second coming of Jesus Christ personal and bodily as the crowning event of this Gentile age. Acts.1:11

 

We believe the Bible doctrine of eternal punishment of the finally impenitent. Matt. 25:46. That this body of baptized believers known as the Bethuel Baptist Church an independent and fundamental Baptist Church agrees in one accord that the Doctrinal Statement Declaration of Faith and Church Covenant is what we believe as the basic principles of our faith and practice.