What we Believe
OUR FAITH

First Baptist receives the Bible as the basis of doctrine and practice.  As a summary of principles for Christian conduct among our members, we adopt the following Faith Covenant: 

We acknowledge the existence and loving presence of God in our lives.

We affirm Jesus Christ as the Son of God, Savior, the center of what we think, feel and do.

We believe that this fellowship lives to show God’s love and concern for the world and to advance His kingdom by seeking our own salvation and the salvation of others.

We recognize the need for acceptance of each other, even though we may hold different beliefs and feelings about how God’s love is made real.

We promise our support and love to each other in the fellowship as we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Savior.

We further recognize the need and responsibility of all individuals to develop their own Christian faith.

We pledge to continue to grow in faith by taking part in Christian Education, Bible Study, prayer, and meditation, worship with the fellowship, service in our community and world, joyful and sacrificial giving of our time and monies and relationships with other Christian organizations.

We believe that we have been led by the Holy Spirit, and we covenant, as individuals and as a Church, to initiate and support community, national and worldwide efforts to nurture love and to establish justice and human dignity for all.

OUR AFFILIATION

We are affiliated with the American Baptist Churches, USA, whose headquarters are in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. In the finest Baptist tradition, our church is very much an independent congregation, responsible for its own programs of worship, music, education, fellowship, and outreach to the community and world. Since we ordain and hire our own ministers, they are closely aligned with and serve the distinct needs of our congregation. And we are responsible for our own stewardship, budgeting, and fiscal stability.

And yet, we call ourselves American Baptists. We maintain strong ties with the American Baptist Churches, USA (ABC/USA) and with ABCNJ, their regional organization within New Jersey. We draw upon their support in development of curriculum for our children's, youth and adult educational programs. We participate in their programs for national and international ministry and mission.

To learn more about the work of American Baptists, please visit the web sites listed below:

BECOMING A MEMBER

If you profess faith in God and in God's Son, Jesus Christ, as Lord and Savior, and have recieved, or are willing to receive, believer's baptism, you are invited to become a part of the family at First Baptist Westfield.

Anyone is invited to become a member through one of the following ways:

Baptism by Immersion
If you will receive Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord and will follow Him in baptism by immersion, we will welcome you into our fellowship.

Transfer of Membership
As a Christian whose membership is elsewhere, should God direct you here, we will be pleased to welcome you into our church family.  We will assist you with the appropriate details for the transferring of your membership.  We require that members have EITHER been baptized when old enough to make their own choice, or been baptized at the request of parents and been through confirmation rituals in another denomination (infant baptism + confirmation = believer's baptism).

By Statement of Belief & Christian Experience
If you know in your heart that you have a saving relationship with God through Jesus Christ, but have not joined a church in the past, or participated so long ago you have lost record of it, we will be happy to receive you.  If you have not been baptized, we will guide you through this sacrament before you become a member.   If you have been baptized before, we do not require, that you be baptized again by immersion before being added to our church family.   Although we encourage and invite you to be baptized by immersion, we do acknowledge its Christian equivalents, such as infant baptism plus confirmation.

You may express your desire to fulfill any of the above by calling (908) 233-2278 or speaking to a Pastor. Upon recommendation of the Pastor and approval of the Deacons Committee, you will be welcomed into membership at a Sunday worship service.

It is the duty of members to support the Church through attendance, financial contributions and participation, and by striving to live by the Christian principles expressed in the Church Covenant.