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OUR GOAL In Christ we are saved from sin to a life of faith and usefulness. In the church, of which Christ is the head, we have an opportunity to make our life count for him in Christian service. By the grace of God, in keeping with the mind and purpose of our Lord, we commit ourselves to: The King James Bible. We accept the New Testament as our source of authority on the Christian life. and will set an example in Christian life and service every day. We are neither wise, good, nor strong. But we are not alone. Christ is our companion, and through His wisdom, mercy, and power we are able to serve. Everything that we do in our ministry in obedience to the tasks the Lord Jesus left for us to fulfill will be for the Honor and Glory of our Great Almighty God in the name of His beloved Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Anyone who Loves God with all of their heart would want to be Christ-Like all of the time, everyday. You would want to pray everyday, praise him everyday.  You would control what you said and what you did, all of the time. We pray daily for all sinners, our family, the pastor, church, community, country, and the world.

Ladson, SC Christian Book

Inasmuch as all Baptists, with few exceptions, confess that scriptural Baptist churches must be independent, they concede the claims of true independent Baptists, who believe that "independent" means, not only "not dependent upon," but also "unaffiliated," "not connected or related organizationally," "self-sufficient," etc., as the dictionary defines the term. Therefore, when we speak of "independent" Baptist churches, we are referring to such Baptist churches as are unaffiliated with any religious organizations such as Conventions, Associations, Fellowships, etc.

What we mean by "Independent" Baptists.

"1. We are independent (unaffiliated) Baptists, not because we bear any ill feeling toward our brethren who are in Baptist Organizations,
          but because we do not find any such super-church organizations uniting the churches of the New Testament together.
 

2. Neither do we believe that any such organization is necessary to the fulfillment of the churches’ obligations.
       To hold such a view is to indict the wisdom of God as inadequate for the contingencies of the twentieth century.
 

3. We are independent because the churches of the New Testament were, and they not only were able to discharge their responsibilities
        to the Lord, but enjoyed such success as has never been seen since the first century
 

4. We are independent because we believe that any church that is indwelt by the Divine Comforter can realize
        its responsibilities without any suggestions, and fulfill them without any help, from any outside organization.
 

5. We are independent because all super-church organizations siphon off too much mission money for their own maintenance.
        Independent Baptist Churches, having no such organization to support, are able to put 100% of their mission funds on the mission field.

 

6. We are independent because membership in such organizations tend to cause individual churches to shirk their duty on the supposition that
       the organization will take care of it even if they do not. As members of such an organization, it is too easy to excuse the church from its
      duty by saying, "We are only one church, and not a large nor rich one at that." Independent Baptists believe that each church is solely
      responsible for its duties, and that it alone can fulfill its responsibilities.

 

7. We are independent because such super-church organizations encourage, by their size, numbers and human strength, a dependence
        upon the arm of the flesh instead of upon the Spirit of God."

Independent Baptists are flourishing as well as any comparative number of organized Baptists, and perhaps more than many of them.
   It is certain that independent Baptists of the present are thriving more than they have since many years prior to the advent of
  the first Baptist super-church organization.

What most Baptist laymen do not realize, is that all Baptist Conventions, Associations, Fellowships, etc., are of quite recent vintage, and that for the first seventeen hundred years of the Christian era there were very few, if any, other kinds of Baptists but independent Baptists.

"During a great part of this century, the Christian churches were independent with respect to each other. Nor were they joined by association, confederacy, or any other bonds than those of charity. Each Christian assembly was a little state, governed by its own laws, which were either enacted, or at least, approved by the society. But, in process of time, all the Christian churches of a province were formed into one large ecclesiastical body, which, like confederate states, assembled at certain times in order to deliberate about the common interests of the whole." —Ecclesiastical History, Century 2, Part II, chap. II, para. 2.

This amalgamation of the churches which eventually came about, was the beginning of the Roman Catholic Hierarchy, yet how remarkably similar is it to many of the modern Baptist organizations. The true churches continued to be independent of one another until early in the eighteenth century in all but a few instances.

The Novatian churches, which flourished from the third to the seventh centuries, were independent of one another, and for this reason, they were stigmatized as schizmatics by Catholics. Indeed the independency of these churches is the third of the four principle tenets that differentiated the Novatianist churches from the Catholics, according to the French historian Crispin.

The first Baptist Organization that achieved any great degree of prominence was the Philadelphia Baptist Association, which was organized in 1707 by seven churches in Pennsylvania and New Jersey (Thomas Armitage, History of Baptists, p. 715). Initially this was done primarily to promote fellowship between churches. The earliest of the presently existing Baptist Organizations, the Southern Baptist Convention, was organized in 1845, being formed out of the old Baptist Triennial Convention, which had been formed in 1814 (W. W. Barnes, The Southern Baptist Convention, p. 12ff).

It is clear from history that independent Baptist churches are not something new, but are actually as old as the Christian religion itself. But because so many of the churches had become negligent about mission work by the early seventeen hundreds, many concerned individuals sought to stir up the churches to their duty. Their mistake lay in a false ecclesiology. They assumed that because so many churches were not discharging the Great Commission so far as missions were concerned that they could not do so apart from some extra-church mission board. And so, the first Baptist organizations came into existence for the purpose of promoting mission work. However, it has been abundantly proven, both in New Testament times, and in recent years, that independent Baptists can do any kind of mission work that any Convention or Association can, and they will do it with greater efficiency.

Greater, in some cases, by their own admission, by as much as ninety percent, for some years ago the Southern Baptist Convention admitted that "less than ten percent of mission funds ever reach the mission field" in their organization. It is shameful to waste ninety percent of missionary support just to get one on the field, when he can be Scripturally sent out and given one hundred percent of the money designated for missions if done Scripturally.

If an independent Baptist church is being faithful to the Lord, there will be times when it must exclude from its membership persons who are guilty of the sins listed in 1 Corinthians 5 and 6, and in other places. This may appear to cut back the growth of the church for a time, but it is certain that such "prunings" cause the church’s growth to be healthier and more enduring. Such faithfulness to the principles of the Word of God discourages any pretentious, superficial or careless Christians from uniting themselves to such a church. But these sorts never help a church anyhow, but rather they do a great deal of harm to the reputation of the church. Thus, such a faithful church cannot expect to be popular with the masses of nominal Christians, nor can it ever expect to become the "prestige" church in its town. The "prestige" church is always the one "big" church, which, by its very size and prominence, is joined by everyone that is interested only in what the church can do for him socially, politically and financially.

Remember Gideon’s Three Hundred? (Judges 7:2ff). And that church is in a thriving condition which is being faithful to the Lord, whatever appearances may be to the contrary. Too many people have the idea that the Lord looks upon matters the same way that they do, and that He will be beguiled with large numbers added to the church membership, without much concern for their character. But the Word declares that faithfulness, not accomplishment, is the criterion in God’s judgment of the matter. "Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful" (1 Cor. 4:2). Let us strive for faithfulness to the Lord, and leave the accomplishment of results to Him, for that is not really our business anyhow. There are several eminent Bible characters that are renowned for faithfulness but who had few if any converts to their faithful preaching. Two of the most prominent are Noah and Jeremiah.

If it is true that this dispensation is rapidly drawing to a close, then we may question whether any church which is faithfully preaching the Word is going to see any great accession of souls to its membership. The very spirit of the present age is against such an expectation. The membership of heretical churches is greatly increasing, but few true churches are. Did not Jesus suggest the scarcity of true believers on earth at His return when He asked: "Howbeit when the Son of man cometh, shall he find the faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8), as is the literal rendering of the Greek text. Paul was also inspired to declare the same thing when he said "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears" (2 Tim. 4:3). The present milksop Christianity looks remarkably like the fulfillment of this prophecy. One is not to expect the stars to grow brighter as the sun dawns, but rather the converse, and Christ’s return is likened to the sunrise in Malachi 4:2.

We must never, on the plea that the age-end conditions makes impossible any church growth, be content to let down on our responsibilities to preach and to teach the truth. Several of the accounts of the Great Commission enjoin responsibility without promising any accomplishments therefrom. Thus it is in Luke 24:46-49, where the promise is only that they would be empowered by the Holy Spirit so as to be witnesses of Jesus. See also Acts 1:4-8. Our responsibility in the matter is to be faithful. Accomplishment is the Lord’s business.

Thus while we are not to let down upon our responsibility to faithfully teach and preach the Word, yet we must not be mistaken. It is not our business to make the application of the Word to the individual, to persuade, harass and nag him until he makes a profession of faith and comes into the church. Untold harm has been done by over-zealous persons who usurped the Holy Spirit’s work of conviction, calling and conversion. It is all too easy to labor in the wisdom and strength of the flesh so as to intellectually persuade a lost person to make a profession of faith (often for questionable motives) and to join the church when that one has never been genuinely born again. We must recognize that God is sovereign in salvation, for men are born again "not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:13). Neither the will of the evangelist or of the lost person can convert him if the Spirit of God is not working.

Every independent Baptist ought to fervently desire to be used of the Lord in witnessing to the lost of the saving grace of God. Yet he must recognize that there will be times when he sees no outward results, but if he is personally faithful to his task, then he shall prosper spiritually and be blessed of the Lord.

Though we rejoice in the faithfulness of many Independent Baptists to the Great Commission in their local evangelistic efforts, and in their support of missionaries on the home and foreign fields.

Let us be honest. Not one of us is sacrificing for the furtherance of the cause of God and truth, and not until we are will there be room for praise. Most independent Baptists do not give as much per week for the furtherance of the Gospel as they should.  We heartily deprecate the great waste of money that the Lord has given to us to use as His stewards, for nothing that is given to us is solely for our own pleasures. All is to be used for the gory of God.

Independent Baptists, are the nearest thing to apostolic Christians that exist today. To thrive, we must be obedient to the Lord in all things, for He alone can prosper our feeble efforts.
|But this will involve a great deal of self-denial and sacrifice. Are we willing to deny self, take up our cross daily and follow Jesus?
Only thereby are we true disciples (Matthew 16:24).

It is time for independent Baptists to put aside petty jealousies and competitions with one another, and to be concerned for the glory of the Lord at whose ever hand it may come.
We are interested in any teachings or materials of other Independent Baptists.  Please contact Pastor Jay Randolph

Church Information:

Members 2,184,060,000 * 31.7% of the world . . and growing quickly.
There is only one requirement to be a member of the church. . . Accept Jesus Christ!
Our church has a large membership, at our location, it is usually less than 25.

As a pastor, it is my call and duty to share the Gospel (The Good News of Christ),
and to be on guard against the erosion of biblical values (Psalm 123:3; Mark 4:19)!

It is His Church and we are His servant. Let our focus be on the right target-that is, His Way and not ours!
We are called to a higher purpose. We are not called to ourselves.
We are to lead others to Him, not to ourselves.