Who We Are

In the Spring of 2016, our church affirmed the following Vision Statement and Core Values.

These represent the best parts of who we are today and our deepest hopes for who we will be as we live into our future.

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Vision Statement

The First Baptist Church of Christ at Macon nurtures authentic faith and belonging, loves and serves courageously, and affirms the image of God in all people.

Inclusion

In August of 2017, upon recommendation from the Church Council and Board of Deacons, our congregation voted to “support the full inclusion in the life of the church of all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.”

In taking this step, we recognize that inclusion is more than a vote, and continue to seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance as we live into our commitment to accept, include, and value all people.

Core Values

The First Baptist Church of Christ seeks to be faithful to Christ, Scripture, and our Baptist heritage as we…

  • Accept, include, and value all people
  • Worship with reverence and joy
  • Strive to be courageous in action and identity
  • Empower each other to grow and serve
  • Embrace differences in thought and background
  • Foster meaningful intergenerational relationships
  • Engage in ecumenical and interfaith partnerships
  • Cultivate strong lay leadership
  • Nurture each other toward a faith that is authentic, thoughtful, and curious
  • Commit to serving each other, our community, and the world

Baptist Principles

We affirm the following Baptist principles:
Soul Freedom

We affirm the freedom and responsibility of every person to relate directly to God without the imposition of creed or the control of clergy or government. We believe that this personal experience with God is indispensable to the Christian life and necessary for a vital church.

Bible Freedom

We believe the Bible, under the Lordship of Christ, is central to the life of the individual and the church. We affirm the freedom and right of every Christian to interpret and apply Scripture under the leadership of the Holy Spirit. We also affirm that the wisdom and counsel of the larger congregation should nurture individual believers as they seek to interpret Scripture.

Church Freedom

We believe in the autonomy of the local church. We believe Baptist churches are free, under the Lordship of Christ, to determine their membership and leadership, and to order their membership and leadership, and to order their worship and work. We also believe that individual churches should work together to achieve goals that one church by itself could not reach.

Religious Freedom

We believe in freedom of religion, freedom for religion and freedom from religion. We believe that separation of church and state affords an important constitutional protection of that freedom.

Our Partners

At FBCX our primary denominational affiliation is the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF) and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Georgia (CBFGA).

The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is a fellowship of Baptist Christians and churches who share a passion for the Great Commission of Jesus Christ and a commitment to Baptist principles of faith and practice.

Learn More About CBF

CBF consists of individuals, approximately 1,800 affiliated churches, regional fellowships and ministry partners seeking to be the presence of Christ. Based in Atlanta, CBF partners with 15 theological schools, 18 autonomous state and regional organizations and more than 150 ministry organizations worldwide, and has an annual budget of $12.4 million.

Since 1992, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Georgia has provided a home for Baptist Christians who cherish basic Baptist beliefs and desire to preserve Baptist freedoms.

CBF of Georgia, based in Macon, joins the national CBF, based in Atlanta, GA, in our desire to network, empower and mobilize Baptist Christians and churches for effective missions and ministry in the name of Christ.

CBF of Georgia is governed by an elected Coordinating Council of laity and clergy from across the state. Our mission and ministry are guided by various committees of the council in partnership with the staff.

We are cooperative by choice, recognizing the blessings of shared mission and ministry. We remain inclusive, for our Baptist heritage has taught us that there is strength in diversity. Realizing that we are o­nly part of God’s family, it is our desire to cooperate with o­ne another and other Christians as we seek to minister in God’s name.

Our understanding of Baptist faith and practice is expressed by our emphasis on freedom in biblical interpretation and congregational governance, the participation of women and men in all aspects of church leadership and Christian ministry and religious liberty for all people.

For more than twenty years, CBF has been driven by its mission to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission. Our vision is to be a national and global community bearing witness to the gospel in partnership with Christians across the nation and around the world.

A list of our other missions partners, locally and internationally can be found here.

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