Refuge Baptist Church is a family of believers who hold dear the Doctrine of our Faith.
Our Beliefs (Doctrinal Statement) are listed in detail below this summary of Who we are & Who we are Not.
Who We Are & Who We Are Not
We are a Bible Believing Church - We are Not a worldly-based or worldly-structured church. We are Not part of the new so-called "Pop Christianity Culture" movement.
We are a Local, Indigenous, Autonomous (Independent) Church - We do Not answer to, nor abide to any rule of any association or organization. We hold that the local church has the absolute right of self government, free from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations & that Christ is the Head of the church.
We are Fundamental (foundational) in Doctrine, in which we base on the Bible (The Word of God) & We are Not aligned w/the so-called modern Fundamentalist (Legalists) of today.
We base the Church rule, order, & Spiritual Authority on the Word of God - We are Not Liberal, Nor Legalistic, & do our best not to be dogmatic, but confident & Stand Firm in our Doctrines & convictions, as they are based on The Word of God.
We are a Biblical, True New Testament Church based on The Word of God & started by the Lord Jesus Christ during His ministry while on earth, & breathed-on (Inspired) His apostles & disciples to build & continue.
We are a "whosoever shall" Church - We are Not Calvinistic, Reformed Theology, Charismatic, nor Armenianistic; as All of those beliefs/religions are based on a man, or a group of men, mostly started around the 1500-1800's.
Romans 10:13 "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
We believe in the Majority Evidence/Textus Receptus as the source for our English Bible which is the Authorized Version (KJV).
We are a Missions minded church based on the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20, Acts 1:8) - We are Not an in-reach only, self-reliant, self-centered church.
We are Pre-Millenial & Pre-Tribulation Believers as the Bible teaches.
We are a Refuge for All who need help getting closer to The Lord.
We are Children of the Most High God, brothers & sisters in Christ Jesus.
We welcome everyone; & anyone who will accept The Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Lord & Saviour; & any who are Saved, Born Again Believers who wants to grow in The Lord.
Doctrinal Statement
GOD – we believe there is one God who exists in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
JESUS – we believe that Jesus is the Son of God who was born of a virgin, was wholly God, and wholly man, lived a sinless life, died in our place as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind, was buried, arose bodily from the grave, and ascended into Heaven.
THE RETURN OF CHRIST – we believe Jesus Christ will literally return to earth - 1st in the Clouds (the Rapture); Secondly, after the 7 year Tribulation, when He will step foot on earth for the 1,000 year Millenial reign.
HOLY SPIRIT – we believe that God, the Holy Spirit, is active in convincing unbelievers of their need for salvation and is the Comforter and Guide who lives in every Believer.
THE BIBLE – we believe in the Holy Scripture accepting fully the writings of the Old and New Testaments as the very word of God, verbally & fully inspired in all parts; the scriptures are infallible, inerrant, and authoritative rule for a life in faith. We hold to the Majority Evidence/Textus Receptus which in English, is the Authorized Version of the Bible (KJV).
MAN – we believe that man is a special creation of God made in His image but that through the sin of the first man, Adam, mankind fell so that all men are sinners in need of salvation.
SALVATION – we believe in salvation by grace through faith, that salvation is a free gift of God, not by any virtue or works of man but received only by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; that all true believers possess the gift of eternal life, a perfect righteousness, sonship in the family of God and the divine guarantee that they shall never perish.
ASSURANCE – we believe that every person who is truly saved is eternally secure in the Lord Jesus Christ by the Holy Ghost.
ETERNITY – we believe that those persons who die in their sins without Christ will spend eternity in Hell and those persons who die with their sins forgiven through Christ will spend eternity in Heaven.
SATAN – we believe in the existence of Satan, the deceiver and god of this present world; that he was defeated and judged at the cross and therefore, his final doom is certain.
BAPTISM – we believe that water baptism is an act of obedience to the command of Christ and is by immersion after salvation & not required for salvation.
PRIESTHOOD OF BELIEVERS – we believe in the priesthood of all believers; that Christ is our great High Priest and through Him every born-again person has direct access into God’s presence without the need of a human priest, that the believer has the right and responsibility to personally study and interpret the Scripture guided by the Holy Spirit.
CHURCH – we believe that a New Testament church is an organized body of born-again, baptized believers practicing Scriptural ordinances and actively engaged in fulfilling the Great Commission (See Refuge Baptist Leadership Structure below). We believe the Church is an Organism (It's Alive & Visible) & not an organization.
CHURCH ORDINANCES – we believe that the two Scriptural ordinances given to the local church are Baptism by immersion of believers only and the Lord’s Supper to be partaken of by obedient Christians of like faith and order.
PRAYER – we believe that each believer has direct access to God through the Lord Jesus Christ.
GOVERNMENT – we believe in the separation of church and state but not in separation of God and government. Christians are salt and light in society.
MARRIAGE - In wake of the recent decision by the Supreme Court (United States v. Windsor 2013 and Obergefell v. Hodges 2015 Striking down DOMA, the definition of Biblical Marriage) concerning marriage, Refuge Baptist Church wants to be clear concerning what we believe and where we will stand concerning the sacred institution of marriage.
Our Connotation Concerning Marriage:
MAR'RIAGE, The act of uniting a man and woman for life; wedlock; the legal union of a man and woman for life. Marriage is a contract both civil and religious, by which the parties engage to live together in mutual affection and fidelity, till death shall separate them. Marriage was instituted by God himself for the purpose of preventing the promiscuous intercourse of the sexes, for promoting domestic felicity, and for securing the maintenance and education of children. -Noah Webster 1828-
Our Conviction Concerning Marriage:
Therefore, the Refuge Baptist Church will only recognize the union between a man and a woman, who are born male and female, as a biblical marriage as originated by God and does not accept for membership, Church officer, any leadership position, or anyone involved in the practice of unnatural affection (including, but not limited to;) homosexuality, gay, lesbianism, bisexual, pedophilia, transgender, intersect or any sexual orientation of unnatural affection that is contrary to the Sovereign and Holy definition of marriage as originated by the Jehovah God of the Authorized King James Bible. Neither Refuge Baptist Church, its Pastor, nor any minister that is a member of Refuge Baptist Church will perform a ceremony for any such unbiblical union. Nor will any member of Refuge Baptist Church have any affiliation of any kind with a ceremony involving such an unnatural relationship.
Our Commandments Concerning Marriage:
The Origination of Marriage By God:
Genesis 1:26–28 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
Genesis 2:18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
Genesis 2:21–24 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; 22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. 24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
Recognition Of Marriage By Jesus:
Matthew 19:3–6 The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? 4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? 6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
This Unnatural Lifestyle Condemned In The Old Testament:
Leviticus 18:22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.
This Unnatural Lifestyle Condemned In The New Testament:
Romans 1:21–32 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
1 Corinthians 6:9–10 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
2 Timothy 3:1–5 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.