What webelieve matters.
Christian faith is more than a list of ideas. It is our response to who God is, what he has done in Jesus Christ and how he calls us to live.
Read the full statement →The good news of Jesus Christ.
God created us in his image and for relationship with him. Sin has separated every person from God, and none of us can rescue ourselves. In love, God sent his Son, Jesus Christ—fully God and fully man—to live without sin, die in our place and rise bodily from the grave.
Salvation is God’s gift. It is received through repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ. Everyone who belongs to Christ is forgiven, made new and held securely by him. This gospel is the center of our worship, our life together and our mission.
Historic Christian faith.Clearly confessed.
These summaries introduce the convictions expressed on the former page. For their complete biblical explanation, we point to the Baptist Faith and Message 2000.
God
There is one living and true God who eternally exists as Father, Son and Holy Spirit—three persons, one God.
Jesus Christ
Jesus is the eternal Son of God, born of a virgin, fully God and fully man. He lived without sin, died for sinners, rose bodily and ascended to heaven.
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit reveals our need for salvation, gives new life and lives within every believer as Comforter, Guide and Helper.
The Bible
Scripture is God’s Word, true and without error, and the sufficient authority for what we believe and how we live.
Humanity
Every person is created in God’s image and possesses dignity. Through sin, humanity is fallen and every person needs salvation.
Salvation
Salvation is the gracious gift of God, received through repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ—not earned by human effort.
Assurance
Those who are truly saved are kept by God and eternally secure in Jesus Christ.
Eternity
Every person will exist eternally. Those forgiven through Christ enjoy eternal life with God; those who remain in sin face eternal separation from him.
Christ’s Return
Jesus Christ will personally and visibly return, bringing God’s redemptive purposes to their promised completion.
The local church.Christ at the head.
The church is a local body of baptized believers who gather under the lordship of Jesus Christ. Together we worship, learn Scripture, practice the ordinances, care for one another and carry the gospel to our neighbors and the nations.
Baptism
Believer’s baptism by immersion is an act of obedience that publicly pictures our union with Christ in his death and resurrection.
The Lord’s Supper
We remember Christ’s sacrifice and proclaim his death together through bread and the cup.
Prayer
Every believer has direct access to God through Jesus Christ and is invited to seek him in prayer.
Mission
Every church and every Christian is sent to make disciples and bear faithful witness to the gospel.
Grounded. Growing.Going.
Doctrine is not meant to remain on a page. What we believe shapes the kind of people we are becoming and the way we serve the world around us.
Grounded in Truth
We submit our lives to Scripture, trusting God’s Word to correct us, comfort us and keep us centered on Christ.
Growing in Christ
We pursue spiritual maturity together through worship, prayer, community, obedience and the work of the Holy Spirit.
Going to Serve
We carry the love and truth of Jesus into our homes, our valley, our nation and the world through word and deed.
Conviction withcooperation.
Chattanooga Valley Baptist Church is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. We receive the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 as our doctrinal statement and join other churches in cooperative work for missions, theological education and ministry.
Our denominational relationships serve our obedience to Jesus; they do not replace it. Christ is the head of the church, Scripture is our authority and the gospel is our shared mission.
Faith seeks understanding—and truth leads us toward worship, obedience and love.Explore the Baptist Faith & Message →
Explore the faith.Meet the people.
The best way to understand what a church believes is to see how those beliefs are taught, worshiped and lived. Join us on Sunday, or reach out with a question.
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