What Makes Us Unique ?
What Makes Us Unique?
Some of the things that Canadian Southern Baptists bring to the table of Christian expression in Canada stem from general "Baptist" distinctives others from unique "Canadian Southern Baptist" values. We seek to maintain a precarious balance between individual freedom and cooperative responsibility.
Roots
Baptists stem from Christians in England and Europe who sought freedom from a Church that was wedded to the State. This is why issues of individual freedom and church autonomy are so important to Baptists. Many of these "separatists" saw an opportunity for religious freedom in the New World of North America. The development of the ideas of Western democracy and Baptist church experience grew up together.
Personal Response to God
We are convinced that every person has the opportunity to know God directly through Jesus Christ. This is sometimes expressed by the terms priesthood of all believers and "soul competency." We believe that what God has done for us in Jesus Christ is so profound and complete that every believer can know and follow God. They have been made competent in Christ and no other priestly mediation is necessary.
Freedom
This freedom enjoyed by individuals is extended also to our churches associations and conventions. The autonomy of the local church allows the membership of each church opportunity to discern and follow the Lord without uninvited involvement from any other ecclesiastical body or representative. Each congregation is encouraged to live directly under the Headship of Christ. The voluntary working together in local associations and a national convention is an important part of our freedom and each of these bodies also enjoys the same democratic freedom and autonomy.
Authority
As the freedoms of Western democracies are guided by constitutions Baptists are guided by the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. All of our freedoms are guaranteed and shaped by the authority of the Bible. Southern Baptists have found it helpful to summarize biblical teachings through Confessions of Faith. Confessions however are never held on the same authoritative level as the inspired (God-breathed) Scriptures. The Baptist Faith and Message adopted in 1985 by the Canadian Convention of Southern Baptists is the Confession used by most Canadian Southern Baptist churches.
Cooperation
The Scriptures make clear every believers and church’s freedom in Christ. Jesus also calls his followers to work together in love for the sake of the Gospel. Interdependence then is as important a value as independence. The unique contribution of Southern Baptists to working together for the spread of the Gospel is the Cooperative Program. Each congregation no matter the size can contribute to this mission fund that pools money together which is then used to support missionaries, staff and projects that could never be supported by a single congregation. This is really the primary purpose for us working together as a denomination. We also seek to be cooperative with other Christian groups in living out and declaring the love of God as revealed by the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.