ABC Church Covenant
Having been led as we believe by the Spirit of God to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and, on the profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we do now in the presence of God and this assembly most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another as one body in Christ.
We engage, therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this church in knowledge, holiness, and comfort; to promote its prosperity and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, doctrines, and discipline; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the gospel through all nations.
We also engage to maintain family and personal devotions; to religiously educate our children; to seek the salvation of our family and acquaintances; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our commitments, doing all things in excellence; to avoid all gossip and excessive anger, to promote forgiveness and family unity. To avoid the defilement of our minds and body (the temple of the Holy Spirit), we are against sexual immorality, pornography and other addictive behaviors, the use of tobacco and the misuse of alcohol and drugs. (Ephesians 5:18, I Corinthians 6:18-20).
We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember one another in prayer; to aid one another in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offense, always ready for reconciliation following the example of our Savior.
The government of this church is vested in the body of believers who compose it. Persons duly received by the members shall constitute the membership. (See Article I of the Bylaws.) All committees, teams, or ministries created and empowered by the church shall report to and be accountable only to the church, unless otherwise specified by church action.
This church is subject to the control of no other ecclesiastical body, but it recognizes and sustains the obligations of mutual counsel and cooperation common among Baptist churches. Insofar as is practical, this church will cooperate with and support the Frontier Baptist Association, the Baptist Convention of New York, and the Southern Baptist Convention.