Worshipping God, Following Jesus, Loving our town.
Malvern Baptist Church Ethos Statement
1.Our Christian Identity
Malvern Baptist Church is a community of Christians who live to worship God, to grow in our understanding and experience of God, to share the good news about Jesus Christ and to work for the common good. It is this Christian identity, our covenant with the Baptist community and Malvern Baptist Church’s agreed beliefs and values that are the foundation of all we are and do.
2. Our Commitment to the Wider Baptist Community
Malvern Baptist Church has chosen to covenant with the Baptist Union of Great Britain (BUGB) and its member churches and organisations. Therefore, BUGB’s Declaration of Principle, Vision and Culture all inform our ethos as a Baptist church.
The Declaration of Principle
The three-part 'Declaration of Principle' forms the basis of understanding for all who belong to the Baptist Union and Malvern Baptist Church affirms this declaration prayerfully and wholeheartedly:
1. That our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh, is the sole and absolute authority in all matters pertaining to faith and practice, as revealed in the Holy Scriptures, and that each Church has liberty, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to interpret and administer His laws.
2. That Christian Baptism is the immersion in water into the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, of those who have professed repentance towards God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ who 'died for our sins according to the Scriptures; was buried, and rose again the third day'.
3. That it is the duty of every disciple to bear personal witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to take part in the evangelisation of the world.
Baptist Union of Great Britain Vision and Culture
BUGB is committed to intentionally developing a culture where we are “Growing healthy churches in relationship for God’s mission”. This means we:
3. Our Values and Vision Statement
As a church, we have discerned these values and this vision statement specifically for our mission and ministry, complemented by the Vision and Culture of The Baptist Union of Great Britain.
Malvern Baptist Church General Vision
Our Aim
To glorify God by building a Christian community of mature followers of Jesus, committed to worshipping God and to caring for one another; and enabling them to reach out to the Malvern area with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ.
MBC Dream
We dream of a church:
• Committed to the truth of the Bible and seeking to live by its teaching
• Where people are becoming mature followers of Jesus, through powerful preaching which is Biblical, life-related and accessible, but also through mutual example, encouragement, and exhortation.
• Where believers are equipped to live as Christians in their daily lives (work, home, school, college, leisure time etc.)
• Filled with the Holy Spirit. People discover their spiritual gifts and are empowered and equipped to use them to build the Kingdom of God.
• In which there is a sense of the awe and wonder of God when believers gather. Prayer, praise, worship and preaching are passionate, and involve and engage all present. Believers share testimony (stories) of what God has been doing in their lives. Spiritual gifts are encouraged, and personal prayer ministry is offered to those who need it. Music blends the best of the traditional and the contemporary and technology is used effectively to aid worship and communication.
• Which is committed to, and under-girded by, prayer. Many believers are in prayer partnerships and home groups.
• Which cares for those in need; where people can find salvation, healing, forgiveness, love and practical help.
• Which is multi-generational. The church community is an authentic reflection of the wider Malvern Community in age profile and social background.
• Which is growing. The church reaches out to the community of Malvern with the life-changing message of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and regularly sees many people come to faith. This outreach is through the vital personal witness of church members and a variety of relevant servant ministries. Believers are confident to share their faith with family, friends, neighbours and colleagues in an intentional way.
• Which is united, committed to loving each other in a caring, vibrant community. People share hospitality and share their lives.
• Which has a world mission perspective. Church members support world mission financially and practically. Mission teams from the church regularly visit our overseas mission partners.
• Which is a vibrant part of the wider body of Christ in Malvern
Malvern Baptist Church Core Values
Worship and Prayer
• God-centred. We seek to deepen our walk with God
• Worshipping: We encourage wide participation in our worship including the exercise of spiritual, musical and creative gifts, and personal testimony.
• Prayerful. Prayer must be at the heart of all we seek to be and do as a church.
• Holy Spirit-filled. We help people discover their spiritual gifts and use them to build the Kingdom of God.
Discipleship
• Spiritual growing. We seek to encourage each other to be mature, committed followers of Jesus, following His example of love, service and holiness in our live.
• Discipling for all of life. Whole-life discipleship. Our Christian faith impacts our everyday lives, work, leisure, home, school, college and family.
• Bible-based - We base our life and teaching on the Bible as the written word of God.
Creating Community
• Loving. We believe God has called us to be a strong, loving, united community, which values all people; old or young, of whatever race or background, single or part of a family. We value hospitality and the share of our lives.
• Caring. We seek to care for those in need; helping people find salvation, healing, forgiveness, love and practical help.
• Openness, accountability, and authentic friendships - In our relationships we will teach, model, and encourage these aspects.
• Connected. We recognise that we are part of the wider Church, and as such work and fellowship with other parts of God's Church in Malvern and beyond.
• Multi-generational. The church community aims to be an authentic reflection of the wider Malvern Community in age profile and social background.
Mission and Evangelism
• Missionary. We are committed to Jesus' great commission of Mt 28:20 `to make disciples of all nations'. We aim to share the gospel with others through word and deed.
• Servant-hearted for our community. We are committed to sharing the love of Jesus with the people of Malvern and the surrounding area, our families, friends, neighbours, work and school colleagues.
• World-focussed .We actively support the mission of the Church in the wider World.
Every-Member Ministry
• Equipping for service. We believe every believer is called to serve God. We support believers to serve God in a way that is appropriate to their spiritual gifts and practical abilities. This can be in church and community life. A major way of equipping is through relevant, biblical teaching and training.
4. Statement of Beliefs
In recognition of the Baptist principle that each church has liberty, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to interpret and administer the laws of Jesus Christ, and following the ethos outlined above, Malvern Baptist Church has discerned and agreed to hold to the following theological convictions.
General Theological Statement of Faith (Evangelical Alliance 2023)
We believe in...
1. The one true God who lives eternally in three persons - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
2. The love, grace and sovereignty of God in creating, sustaining, ruling, redeeming and judging the world.
3. The divine inspiration and supreme authority of the Old and New Testament Scriptures, which are the written Word of God-fully trustworthy for faith and conduct.
4. The dignity of all people, made male and female in God's image to love, be holy and care for creation, yet corrupted by sin, which incurs divine wrath and judgement.
5. The incarnation of God's eternal Son, the Lord Jesus Christ - born of the Virgin Mary; truly divine and truly human, yet without sin.
6. The atoning sacrifice of Christ on the cross: dying in our place, paying the price of sin and defeating evil, so reconciling us with God.
7. The bodily resurrection of Christ, the first fruits of our resurrection; His ascension to the Father, and His reign and mediation as the only Saviour of the world.
8. The justification of sinners solely by the grace of God through faith in Christ.
9. The ministry of God the Holy Spirit, who leads us to repentance, unites us with Christ through new birth, empowers our discipleship, and enables our witness.
10.The Church, the body of Christ both local and universal, the priesthood of all believers is given life by the Spirit and endowed with the Spirit's gifts to worship God and proclaim the gospel, promoting justice and love.
11.The personal and visible return of Jesus Christ to fulfil the purposes of God, who will raise all people to judgement, bring eternal life to the redeemed and eternal condemnation to the lost, and establish a new heaven and new earth.
5. Specific statements
Sexual Orientation & Same-Sex Marriage
Malvern Baptist Church holds to the understanding that while sexual orientation in and of itself is no barrier to full participation in the life of the church, sexual relationships can only be expressed in marriage which we recognise as being between a man and a woman. This theological position precludes those who are not celibate outside of marriage or those in a same-sex marriage from being appointed to leadership positions in the life of the church.