God
There is only One God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God is the creator and sustainer of all life. God is not limited by time or space which means He is always with us wherever we are. God is eternal, without beginning or end. He alone is all powerful, all loving and abounding in creativity and joy and mercy – glorious in wisdom, kindness and holiness. He is infinite and yet desires to have a deeply personal relationship with each one of us.
Jesus
A personal relationship with God is available to everyone through Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the only way to God, He is the only mediator between man and God. Jesus is ‘the way, the truth and the life’. God sent Jesus to die on the cross, and to rise again so that sin and death were defeated. What does that mean for me and you? We do not have to live lives of fear, with a lack of love and no hope. We can through Jesus know the forgiveness, freedom and hope of the One True God. Jesus is not a religion but a way of life for those who follow Him.
Being a Baptist
Baptist churches are found in almost every country in the world. As part of the world-wide Christian church, Baptists form one of the largest families of faith, alongside other trinitarian Christian traditions such as Anglicans, Methodists, Reformed, etc.
For Baptists the concept of a family is important. The church is not so much a particular place or building, but rather a family of believers, committed to Christ, to one another and to the service of God in the world.
In this Baptist family everybody is equal, for everybody has a part to play in the service of God. There is no hierarchy of bishops or priests exercising authority over their members. Equality of status, however, does not mean that all have the same role.
Each local Baptist church appoints its own leaders – or ministers – to have particular responsibility for preaching, teaching and pastoral care. Working alongside these ministers are also deacons, who together with the minister(s) form the leadership team of the local Baptist church.
Baptists are grass-roots people, with a particular emphasis on the local church. These local churches are self-governing and self-supporting, ranging in size from twenty or so members to many hundreds. Although each Baptist church is an independent entity, Baptists nonetheless have always believed in associating with one another – and so the churches come together in regional, national and international spheres to promote and support the fellowship of Baptists everywhere.