Beliefs and Values

College Park Baptist Church is a community of faith who shares a passion for the Great Commission of Jesus Christ and a commitment to Baptist principles of faith and practice. As free and faithful believers and followers of Jesus Christ, we accept his command to go into all the world, taking his message of love and forgiveness to people everywhere.

We affirm that each individual is called to commune with God directly and freely - in order to serve others and to use his/her unique gifts. Our fellowship affirms the principle of unity in diversity, and is inclusive rather than exclusive.

We advocate equality among believers, autonomy of the local church, freedom of the soul, freedom under God for all to exercise the gifts of the Spirit, and the shared blessings of cooperative ministry.

We believe in and stand for free speech, a free press, and separation of church and state. We seek not to advance the prejudices of any people, the traditions of any institution or nation, nor the influence of any government.


	“Jesus is Lord” was the first confession of the Early Church. Our faith centers in the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As modern disciples carrying on his work in the world, we have been called by the Risen Christ. In moments of prayer and reflection, we continue to sense his call upon our lives. The call of Christ upon our lives is illustrated in baptism. Our congregation baptizes by immersion as a symbol of our dying to an old way of living and rising to “newness of life.” Declaring Jesus as Lord commits us to the ongoing ministry of Christ in the world. Jesus was, and is, the ultimate revelation of God. Jesus is the standard by which every interpretation of scripture and doctrine is measured. As Savior and Lord, he is central to all we say and do.


	In worship, we seek to experience the presence of God and to praise and glorify God in an attitude of humility. We show reverence, homage, and adoration. Every aspect of worship endeavors to connect people with God and share God’s blessings and wisdom for living. Our worship is warm and friendly. We joyfully welcome visitors and new members.


	The Bible is the inspired word of God. It tells us how to live in relationship with God and others. The Bible must be interpreted and applied to our time. Every biblical text reflects both eternal truth and the temporal culture of the author’s day. For example, the acceptance of polygamy in Abraham’s day, and the acceptance of slavery in Paul’s day, reflect temporal culture. Though polygamy and slavery are in the Bible, they do not represent God’s will for human relationships. In applying the Bible to everyday life, we focus primary attention on the eternal truth of scripture, not the temporal culture of bygone centuries. We balance head and heart in interpreting scripture. The Bible is our guide in matters of faith and practice. Our pastor challenges us to understand and apply the word of God to daily life. Interpreting the Bible is the responsibility of every believer as led by the Holy Spirit. We approach scripture with an open heart and an open mind.


	Jesus Christ is the only “head” of our church. We affirm that the call to salvation and the call to ministry are one and the same. Clergy and laity work cooperatively under the Lordship of Christ in our church, planning the work and ministry of the congregation. The pastor and ministers of the congregation bear responsibilities for inspiring and facilitating the community of faith. Yet, clergy and laity make the decisions about the congregation’s direction and work. Therefore, clergy and laity are co-laborers together at College Park Baptist Church


	We believe women are full partners in ministry and Christian service. With regard to places of congregational leadership, we make no distinction between men and women. Men and women serve as deacons and ministers in College Park Baptist Church.


	We are deeply committed to service and missions. We support and volunteer with literacy programs, construction and renovation projects, prison ministries, elder care, feeding the hungry, outreach programs to children and youth, and other ministries. The church is a strong supporter of mission causes in Orlando, Florida, the United States, and abroad. The congregation gives generously to mission offerings.


	The College Park Baptist Church partners with many organizations including the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF). CBF specializes in sending missionaries to previously unreached areas of the world. CBF is not a denomination or a convention. It is an association of like-minded churches utilizing twenty-first century methods in the age-old goal of winning the world to Christ.