AboutUs - First Baptist Church

Changing Lives, Changing our world through Christ

Meet our Staff:

Our Senior Pastor

Rev. Dr. Arthur Jaggard

(everyone calls him Pastor Art)

ph 765-635-0333

Office Manager

Mrs. Sharon Welborn

House Men

Mr. John Purdy

Mr. George Clarkson

Organist

Mr. Herbert Harris

Custodians

Sandra and Bill Layton

MINISTER OF SENIOR ADULTS

Ms. Ella Louise Peyton

MINISTER OF SMALL GROUPS

Rev. Sherry Cochran

MINISTERS OF VISITATION

Rev. and Mrs. Orland Gibbons

DIRECTOR OF YOUTH

Mr. Steve Moore

DIRECTOR OF CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

Mrs. Rebecca Long

Our Mission, Vision, and Values

Mission Statement: Changing Lives...Changing Our World, Through Christ.

Vision Statement Seeking to love our community to Christ, we envision a church that encompasses a ministry for:

Senior Adults, Middle Adults, Young Adults, Youth, Children, and Families

while promoting a life-transforming atmosphere that empowers people to commit their lives to service for Christ...

Changing Our World Core Values Statements

We Value... nurturing a vital Christian faith in each member so we may experience spirituality.

We Value... God's love and grace extended to us by relating to one another with unconditional love.

We Value... supporting the families in our church community as God's ordained unit for Christian nurturing and support.

We Value... integrity in all relationships by acknowledging that all persons are unique and created in the image of God.

We Value... our Mission to touch the lives of persons outside the congregation with the Good News of Jesus Christ.

We Value... courageous, innovative ministry.

We Value... our committment to God that centers on personal and congregational Bible study, prayer and worship.

We Value... being a community of faith that expresses friendship so that, "They will know we are Christians by our love."

Basic Baptist Beliefs

The millions of Baptists in the world share with other Christians the great doctrines of the church - belief in the triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit; the redemptive ministry of Jesus Christ; the believers' resurrection made possible by the resurrection of Jesus Christ; and the ultimate triumph of our Lord over sin and death. In addition to these great truths, Baptists stress the following beliefs...

The Lordship of Jesus Christ	He is the only mediator between God and man. He is the living Lord of the Bible and the living Lord today. He is the head of the church.
The Supremacy of the Scriptures	The Bible, which can be read and understood by all believers, is our final authority in faith and conduct.
The Priesthood of the Believers	Every person can approach God directly through Christ without the aid of human priests. Each believer should be a witness to others.
Believer's Baptism	Baptism should be administered only to believers and followers of Christ, and the mode is immersion, as taught in the New Testament.
Regenerate Church Membership	Church membership is only for baptized believers who bear witness to the new life in Christ.
Separation of Church and State	The state should protect all religious groups and favor none.
Religious Freedom	Every person is responsible to God for his religious beliefs and practices' he therefore should have the right to worship God as his own convictions and conscience dictate.
The Autonomy of the Local Church	Each local church is self-governing, choosing its own pastor and managing its own affairs.
The Evangelization of the World	Baptists take seriously the Great Commission of Christ. Therefore, they endeavor to win people to Christ at home and abroad.

Ten Facts About American Baptists

1 American Baptists believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior, and that the Bible is the divinely inspired word of God that Serves as the final writen authority for living out the Christian faith.

2 For American Baptists the local church is the fundamental unit of mission in denonimational life.

3 American Baptists partake of two ordinances: believer's baptism and The Lord's Supper.

4 American Baptists believe that the committed individual Christian can and should approach God directly, and that the individual gifts of ministry should be shared.

5 American Baptists take seriously the call to evangelism and missionary work.

6 American Baptists support religious freedom and the expressions of faith of others.

7 American Baptists acknowledge that God's family extends beyond our local churches, and that God calls us to cooperative ministries.

8 American Baptists have been called to be Christ's witnesses for justice and wholeness within a broken society.

9 American Baptist Churches USA celebrates the racial, cultural and theological diversity witnessed within its membership.

10 American Baptists heed the biblical call to renewal and the need for a vital witness in a new millennium.