About My Church

Old Paths Baptist Church is a church that:
will preach the old story,
stand on the old book,
sing the old songs,
and cling to the old rugged cross.

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Here are some answers to questions about Old Paths Baptist Church:

1. What is a Church?
A church is not a place but a people, by definition a church is a called out assembly. An assembly of those who have been called out of the world, by the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ.

2. What is A New Testament (NT) Church?
A NT Church is simply a church governed by the New Testament. One might think this would be true of all churches but, not so. The NT gives many instructions as well as models for the function, purpose, organization and government for a local assembly of God’s children.

3. What is A Baptist New Testament Church?
A Baptist church is a church that holds to following distinctives. Contrary to popular teachings there has always been churches holding to these distinctives. These distinctives are all found in the New Testament. Old Paths Baptist Church holds to the conviction that true Baptist churches most resemble New Testament teachings and practices. The Baptist name was given to Baptists by those (Catholics and Protestants) who opposed them, namely for the Baptist teaching and practice of believers baptism and baptism by immersion, both of which are clearly taught in the NT.

B    Biblical Authority
A    Autonomy of the local church (Self governing)
P    Priesthood of all believers (Believers have direct access to God)
T    Two ordinances (Baptism and Communion)
I    Individual Liberty (Baptists do not force conversions)
S    Saved Baptized Church Membership
T    Two Offices (Pastor and Deacon)
S    Separation of State and Church

4. What is A Fundamentalist Church?
I found this definition of Fundamentalism, given by fundamentalists that best describe what we mean when we call ourselves fundamentalists. This definition was given by the World Congress of Fundamentalists, which met in 1976 in Usher Hall, Edinburgh, Scotland:

A Fundamentalist is a born-again believer in the Lord Jesus Christ who-
*  Maintains an immovable allegiance to the inerrant, infallible, and verbally inspired Bible.
*  Believes that whatever the Bible says is so.
*  Judges all things by the Bible and is judged only by the Bible.
*  Affirms the foundational truths of the historic Christian Faith: The doctrine of the Trinity; the incarnation, virgin birth, substitutionary atonement, bodily resurrection and glorious ascension, and Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ; the new birth through regeneration by the Holy Spirit; the resurrection of the saints to life eternal; the resurrection of the ungodly to final judgment and eternal death; the fellowship of the saints, who are the body of Christ.
*  Practices fidelity to that Faith and endeavors to preach it to every creature.
*  Exposes and separates from all ecclesiastical denial of that Faith, compromise with error, and apostasy from the Truth.
*  Earnestly contends for the Faith once delivered.

5. What is An Independent Church?
A Church that functions independent of any organization, be it Association, Convention, or Fellowship. Independent does not mean that we cannot cooperate together as equals, in supporting missionaries and doing Scriptural works.

6. What is A Soul Winning Church?
A Church that will aggressively seek those out who have not known the grace of God that brings salvation. Old Paths Baptist Church will faithfully preach the gospel message in its services as well as door to door, public places and as we go about our day to day lives.

7. What is a Missions Minded Church?
There are six things we find in the scriptures that a church can do to aid in the work, and those doing the work of getting the gospel to all peoples of the world.

Old Paths Baptist Church will:
1)  Send Missionaries.
(Romans 10:15, Acts 13:3)
2)  Pray for Missionaries.
(2 Corinthians 1:11, Colossians 4:3, 2 Thessalonians 3:1)
3)  Financially support Missionaries.
(1 Corinthians 9:1-14, Philippians 4:15-18)
4)  Read aloud the letters from the missionaries.
(Proverbs 25:25, Ephesians 6:21-22, Colossians 4:16)
5)  Refresh Missionaries.
(1 Corinthians 16:18, 2 Corinthians 7:13, 2 Timothy 1:16)
6)  Be involved in the missionary work with missionaries
(Philippians 1:5, Philippians 4:3, Philemon 24)

8. What is An Equipping and Sending Church?
Equipping: There is a great need for laborers for the work of God. For the work of God to transcend beyond this generation to the next, bible believing churches must be involved in the continual practice of equipping their own for the work of God. A Christian desirous to learn deeper understandings, instruction and applications of the scriptures should not have to look beyond his/her own local church. The vision of Old Paths Baptist Church is to, as recorded from the lips of our Lord, “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:”. Sending: Independent Fundamental Baptists are being told that fewer not more but fewer men are being sent out from the Lord’s churches. This trend should bring us to our knees. The prayer of Old Paths Baptist is to be used to send good men out from us and to take part in the greater work of God, the work that goes from the Eastside of Columbus to ends of the world.

9. What is A KJV only Church?

Old Paths Baptist Church believes the following concerning the very words of God. From the following beliefs, Old Paths Baptist Church will exclusively use the King James Version of the bible.
a)  God has preserved HIS very words as HE said HE was going to do.
b)  God has preserved HIS words in the Masoretic Text of the Old Testament, underlying the KJV.
c)  God has preserved HIS words in the Received Text of the New Testament, underlying the KJV.
d)  The use of corrupted texts account for the many differences between the English translations in use today.(compare Matt 17:21, 23:14, Mark 7:16, 9:44, 9:46, 11:26, 15:28, Luke 17:36, 23:17, John 5:4, Acts 8:37, 15:34, 24:7, 28:29, Rom 16:24, 1 John 5:7 plus many more).
e)  All modern English translations (except the KJV) have used these corrupted texts to some extent.
f)  The use of many translations can only cause confusion.
g)  Since the late 19th century, when these corrupted texts were put in use, the bible has lost its all authoritative place in the lives of churches, believers and so called believers.
h)  Since this loss of authority, bible study, bible memorization, bible preaching, bible knowledge and bible believing has been on the decrease.
i)  The Old Paths Baptist Church must hold to the KJV to be well pleasing to God and HIS preserved words.

10. What is A Separated Church?
Bible separation is the practice of separating from sin and error unto truth and righteousness.

Three types of separation
In the N.T. we find three basic areas of separation. The Christian is to practice Moral Separation-separation from sin and worldliness; Doctrinal Separation-separation from those whose teaching and practice is contrary to that of the apostles; and Practical Separation-separation from brethren who are committed to disobedient paths.