Our Beliefs

Why We Exist

Our mission statement gives us purpose, guides our decisions and explains why we exist.

Berean Baptist Church exists to: Proclaim Christ in the 21st Century, in Fayetteville, Fort Bragg, North Carolina and the world; to make fully-functioning followers of Jesus Christ, to the Glory of God the Father.

Why Berean (pronounced "Buh-REE-uhn")  

Berea was a city in southern Macedonia (Greece) located at the foot of Mount Bermius. The apostle Paul visited the city during his second missionary journey where he found a substantial number of people ready to receive the Gospel. Paul preached to them that the God of the Universe now requires all people everywhere to repent and place their faith in the Lord Jesus  Christ and many citizens of Berea did exactly that (Acts 20:21). In Acts 17:10-11, Luke describes the Berean converts as people more noble than others. They received the Word of God with readiness of mind and great eagerness, and they examined the scriptures daily to determine the truth. We at Berean (Bur ree uhn)  find the only way to truly be a Christ-centered community is to follow the Bible.

Why Baptist

Sometimes a person will ask, “Why does Berean retain the word “Baptist” in its name if it is primarily a Bible-believing church?” This is a valid question because the Bible is our sole written standard for beliefs and practice. However, Berean retains the name “Baptist” after “Berean” because Baptists have historically stood firm on very important New Testament doctrines: such as the centrality of the Gospel, baptism by immersion for only those who profess faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the individual priesthood of all believers and the liberty of those in Christ to disagree over non-essentials of the faith. Historically, Baptists have also stood for regenerate (born again) church membership, congregational government led by pastors (elders), the autonomy of the local church, the separation of church and state, and the practice of only two ordinances: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Retaining the name “Baptist” helps the world know what they can expect from Berean.

Who We Are

Berean is an autonomous historically conservative Baptist church; it is not part of any network of churches. However, it does fellowship with and maintains relationships with other like minded churches in Cumberland County. Berean is not a member of the Southern Baptist Convention or any other association. Berean retains "Baptist" in its name to communicate it holds to distinctively baptistic beliefs, it is not part of a denomination which governs the church. Berean is a Bible-based church—the Bible is the supreme authority for the doctrine and structure of the church. Berean is not obligated or expected to give money to a larger organization which then distributes the funds as it sees fit to seminaries, Sunday school boards, and other organizations. Berean does not send messengers to conventions to vote on matters and resolutions. It is free to associate with or not associate with any church as it determines. Berean is free to support colleges, seminaries, church-planters, or global missionaries as it sees fit. Berean elects its own pastor, board of directors, and deacons. It establishes its own budget, covenant, articles of faith, and constitution and is free to change any of this as the membership determines.

Finally, there is not a single college or seminary that the church or academy seeks to find applicants for employment; instead, we seek to have diversity in the education institutions our staff comes from. 

Today, we are a multifaceted ministry. We are a community of faith, hope, and love (1 Cor 13:13). We strive to teach and provide people of all ages with the knowledge and passion needed to share the good news of Jesus Christ, build strong families and lasting relationships, and bring honor and glory to God by His Grace.

For over 40 years, Berean has remained faithful to God's Word and our Baptist heritage. If you spend any time at Berean, you will see our focus on "Proclaiming Christ in the 21st Century!"

What we Believe

To gain the most comprehensive understanding of what Berean Baptist Church believes to be true a person should review the following webpages each are hyperlinks to other webpages:

• Church Covenant
• Vision and Mission Statements
• Articles of Faith
• Contemporary Issues
• Church Distinctives
• The Gospel
• Baptism
• The Lord's Supper

 Who is the Senior Pastor Accountable to?

1. A pastor must fear God and be accountable to Him. When a congregation feels a pastor no longer fears God, he should be voted out of his office.
2. A pastor must be accountable to his wife if he is married. If a pastor is keeping secrets (other than a surprise birthday party) from his wife, that should be a serious warning sign to the church. No one knows a pastor better than his wife, and she has a responsibility before God and the church to aid her husband in becoming more like Christ day by day in love and respect for him.
3. The pastor willingly places himself in a position of accountability to the other pastors in the church. This is seen in Acts at the plurality of leadership. Paul told Titus to ordain elders in every city. The pastors of Berean Baptist have demonstrated that they are willing to risk their jobs and do the right thing. They believe that you as a congregation will support them as long as they are following the Bible. A pastor who would knowingly let another pastor remain in the ministry when he is biblically disqualified should lose his ordination as well as the pastor in sin.
4. The pastor is answerable to every member of Berean. Every member of this church has a responsibility to approach me individually when they have a concern, issue, or a belief that I am not in compliance with the Word of God or the Church Constitution. Matthew 18.15, could be written, "Moreover if your pastor sins against you, go and tell him his fault." Read the rest of the chapter for more guidance from King Jesus.
5. That pastor is accountable to the annual budget. The budget is approved by the congregation and provides the parameters within to operate. A need to adjust the budget must be approved by the congregation.
6. The pastor is responsible to follow the Articles of Faith, the Covenant and Church Constitution.