Parkview Baptist Church-Tulsa

What We Believe

Parkview upholds to the most current (2000 edition) Baptist Faith and Message statement of beliefs of the Southern Baptist Convention. To view the complete version of this document, visit www.sbc.net, or see the small booklet provided in this notebook. Below is a summarized version of what Parkview believes:

Bible as sole authority (2 Timothy 3:15-17)

Since God's word is the only completely reliable and truthful authority, we accept the Bible as our manual for living. Our first question when faced with a decision is: What does the Bible say? We practice daily Bible reading, Bible study, and Scripture memorization. The Bible is the basis for all we believe.

Autonomy of the local Church (Colossians 1:18)

Christ is the head of the church, not a person, group, or religious organization. While recognizing the value of associating and cooperating with other Christian groups and ministries, we believe every local church should be self-governing and independent from any denominational or governmental control.

Priesthood of the Believer (1 Peter 2:9)

The Bible teaches us that every Christian is a minister, regardless of vocation, and we encourage every member to find a place of service and ministry. We practice the truth that every believer has direct access to God through prayer, Bible study, and the Holy Spirit for worship, prayer, confession, etc.

Tithing and Christian Stewardship (Malachi 3:6-12)

We believe all things belong to God and we are managers of His property. We practice tithing for the financial support of the church, the body of Christ. We believe that giving at least 10% of our income is the Biblical standard for giving. Every Believer should give regularly, cheerfully, and liberally as God supplies.

Involvement with Family (Genesis 2:22-25)

God ordained the family and blessed it. We believe that one of our primary responsibilities is to strengthen and support families by teaching and upholding the Biblical roles of a family.

Spirit-led Living (John 15:5)

We believe the only way to live the Christian life is by God?s power within us, so we seek to practice a daily dependence and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. Through His power God's will is accomplished in our lives resulting in abundance of God's plan and desire for us.

Testifying of Christ (Colossians 2:12, 1 Peter 3:15)

Southern Baptists believe there are two ordinances the church should practice:
(1) Believer's baptism and
(2) The Lord's Supper:

Believer's Baptism - We practice baptism by immersion the way Jesus was baptized and the way the Bible commands (see next page for more information)

The Lord's Supper - We hold the elements of communion to be a symbolic proclamation of Christ's death, Resurrection, and soon-coming return to Earth.

Southern Baptists also believe in being a personal witness! While witnessing is not an ordinance of the church, it is a command in Scripture. Jesus said to GO in to the all the earth and makedisciples. We believe it is the responsibility of every believer to personally share Christ with those they come in contact with andto invite them to church.