What We Believe

Hopewell Baptist Church is a member of the Southern Baptist Convention. More importantly, we are also a part of God’s universal church made up of believers from all around the world. But, as Baptists there are certain truths that we hold dear. The following is a summary of the beliefs that are important to us.

We believe you matter to God. The same awesome God who created the universe, created you. We believe He’s designed you for a purpose and wants to give your life true meaning.

We believe there is only one God, who exists eternally as a Trinity of three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Each member of the Trinity is fully God, yet each is personally distinct from the other.

We believe that the Bible is God’s true and perfect Word. It is our roadmap for navigating this journey we call life. And so we actively pursue discipleship of Jesus through the study of the Scriptures.

We believe that Jesus came into the world not to condemn the world, but to save it. We believe that we are most like Him when we show love for one another through relationships and through service.

We believe men and women were created by God to live in relationship with him. Yet, the first two humans, Adam and Eve, chose to rebel against God bringing sin into the world. Sin spread like a virus to all humans, separating us from God.

We believe the Holy Spirit guides believers into all truth, and exalts Christ. He convicts people of their sin, God’s righteousness, and the coming judgement. He comforts us, gives us spiritual gifts, and makes us more like Christ.

We believe the blood of Jesus Christ, shed on the cross, provides the only way of salvation through the forgiveness of sin. Salvation occurs when people place their faith in the death and resurrection of Christ as sufficient payment for their sin. Salvation is a gift from God and it cannot be earned through our own efforts.

We believe the church is a local body of baptized believers unified through faith in Christ. It is committed to the teachings of Christ, to obeying all of His commands, and it seeks to bring the gospel to the world. The Church works together in love and unity, intent on the ultimate purpose of glorifying Christ.

We believe Baptism by immersion symbolizes the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesusand is your public declaration that you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. Baptism does not save you, but shows the world that you have already been saved. And while baptism is not required for salvation, it is a biblical command and demonstrates your love and obedience to Christ.

We believe the Lord’s Supper is an ordinance of the church. It was instituted when the Lord had the Passover meal before His crucifixion. We observe the Lord’s Supper on a regular basis in remembrance of Jesus Christ’s atonement for our sins. It is a proclamation of His death and an assurance of His second coming.

We believe that man was created to exist forever. He will either exist eternally separated from God by sin or in union with God through forgiveness and salvation. We believe that those persons who die in their sins without Christ spend eternity in Hell and those persons who die with their sins forgiven through Christ spend eternity in Heaven.