Who We Are

Providence Baptist Church was founded in the Southern Baptist tradition, which includes a strong belief in local church autonomy and the priesthood of all believers. That origin influences our local church tradition, particularly in our strong support of missions.

We support missions in many different ways. We give through Plan B of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina which means the largest portion of our budgeted missions dollars goes to Baptist work in the State of North Carolina. We give to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship on the state and national level. We also offer support through our budget and special offerings to the mission work of the Cooperative Baptist Global Missions, the North American Mission Board, and the International Mission Board. Our strong and diverse interest in missions motivates us to offer financial support to international mission programs such as the Wycliffe Bible Translators and over thirty (30) local missions endeavors.

We affirm the Baptist Faith and Message Statement that was approved by the Southern Baptist Convention in 1963.

You will find our Identity Statement below.  A brief History of Providence is outlined on a separate web-page listed in the left column.  Or you may CLICK HERE to be taken to the History page.

What We Believe

As a church we believe that our task is to bring people and God together in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord through worship, fellowship, and missions.

God-centered worship is a primary focus of our congregation. We must first reach up to God before we can reach out to others.

Fellowship is the supporting and nurturing of our church family. We must reach in to one another before we reach out to others.

Missions is responding to God's call to local and worldwide spiritual and physical needs. We believe we can meet these needs in the name of Christ by offering our gifts of time, talents and resources. Reaching out to others is being obedient to God's command.

We believe in the Lordship of Christ...
We believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died for our sins and by believing in Him we are redeemed. Salvation is the gift of God's grace and is freely bestowed upon all who put their faith in Him. Those who place their trust in Christ and confess their sins are forgiven and are born into the family of God by the power of the Holy Spirit. By taking the form of a servant, Christ has forever established our model for leadership, ministry and service. Our common desire is to reflect our Lord daily in all that we do.

"But made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness."  Philippians 2:7

Centrality and Authority of Scripture…
We affirm the authority of the Bible and believe it, as God's inspired word, to be central in the life of the individual and the church. We also hold dear to the belief that Christians, with the best and most scholarly tools of inquiry, are both free and obligated to study and obey the Scriptures; and that each of us is free to interpret the Bible under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.

"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."  Hebrews 4:12

Individual Freedom…
We affirm the right and responsibility of every person to relate to God without the imposition of creed, the interference of clergy, or the intervention of civil government. We believe in "soul competency," each person standing individually before God. We believe each person is free before God, having the privilege and responsibility to interpret the Scriptures. The idea of soul freedom, with its emphasis on the personal voluntary nature of faith, led Baptists to adopt baptism for believers.

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."  Galatians 5:1

Autonomy of the Local Church…
We are free, autonomous church, under the Lordship of Christ. We determine our membership, leadership, and our worship order, ordain whomever we perceive as gifted for ministry, male or female, and participate in the larger body of Christ, of whose unity and mission Baptists are proudly a part. Our form of government is called "congregational," meaning our church has the right to run its own affairs under the Lordship of Christ. We are democratic in that our policy is based in the equality of all believers. We also believe in the separation of church and state, and that people should be able to practice faith without coercion or constraint.

"For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."
Matthew 18:20

Inclusivity…
We willingly share and accept the opinions of every member as one is led by the Holy Spirit. We value every member as we seek God's truth together. We affirm and celebrate our diversity as a gift of God, including but not limited to race, ethnic background, economic status or gender. We celebrate individual uniqueness and diversity as each member seeks to be obedient to the call of God in his or her life. We strongly believe that neither race, ethnic background nor gender should limit one's leadership opportunity or ministerial calling.

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."  Galatians 3:28