Salvation Only by Grace through Faith. Baptists believe that all persons who are redeemed have been saved in the same way: by grace through faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:8-10). Therefore, no Baptist is over another. Thus, a church is to be governed by all of the people together under the Lordship of Christ. Soul Competency and the Priesthood of Believers. Persons have a God-given competence to know and to follow God’s will. Those who respond by faith to God’s grace-gift of salvation become believer priests (1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 5:1-10). Each believer priest has direct access to God and is responsible under the guidance of the Holy Spirit to seek God’s will. Furthermore, each believer also is part of a royal priesthood in which Jesus Christ is the High Priest (Hebrews 7–10). This priesthood is a fellowship in which each believer priest is to seek God’s direction in the decisions of that fellowship. Regenerate Church Membership of Baptized Believers. Baptists hold tenaciously to the Bible teaching that a church is to be made up only of those who have been saved by belief in Christ as Savior and Lord and who have experienced believer’s immersion. A church, therefore, is a fellowship of baptized believers or, put another way, a community of believer priests. Church governance is not in the hands of one or of a few but of all the members of the church. Questions and Issues Who is in charge? Based on the Bible and major Baptist doctrines, Baptists insist that only Christ is “in charge”of his church and that the members are to seek and follow Christ’s will for the church. The Bible indicates that pastors have very important roles to play in a church (1Timothy 3:1-7). However, their roles are not ones of dictatorial or CEO authority but rather ones of servant, spiritual leadership, “not lording it over those entrusted to you” (1 Peter 5:2-3 NIV). Pastors and deacons are to be servants and not governors of the church. The Bible indicates that pastors have heavy responsibilities, and church members should respect their servant leader roles and relate to them in such a way that “their work will be a joy, not a burden” (Hebrews 13:17 NIV). The Bible also sets high standards for deacons (1 Timothy 3:8-13). How should decisions be made? Being autonomous, Baptist churches vary in the specific ways that they make decisions. Baptist polity calls for the entire membership to be ultimately responsible for decisions made on the basis of Christ’s will for the church. However, often it is not practical for the total membership to be involved in every decision. Therefore, churches follow a variety of procedures in carrying out the business of the church. In numbers of churches, the members delegate to committees and/or staff the responsibility for certain decisions, who then recommend major matters to the congregation for approval.
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