• Having been led, as we believe, by the Spirit of God, to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior,
• And on the profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost,
• We do now, in the presence of God, angels, and this assembly most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another, as one body in Christ.
• We engage, therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this church in knowledge, holiness and comfort;
• To promote its prosperity and spirituality, to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline and doctrines;
• To contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor and the spread of the gospel through all nations.
• We also engage to maintain family and secret devotions; to religiously educate our children; to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances;
• To walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements and exemplary in our deportment;
• To avoid all tattling, backbiting and excessive anger;
• To abstain from the sale and use of intoxicating drinks as a beverage and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the Kingdom of our Savior;
• We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love;
• To remember one another in prayer, to aid one another in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and courtesy in speech;
• To be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation, and mindful of the rules of our Savior, to secure it without delay;
• We moreover engage that when we remove from this place, we will, as soon as possible, unite with some other church, where we carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God’s Word.
  

1. We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments were written by men divinely inspired; that they are the only infallible rule of faith and practice and are the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions should be tried.
2. We believe that there is only one true and living God, the Maker and Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth, inexpressibly glorious in holiness and worthy of all possible honor, confidence and love; that in unity of Godhead there are three persons:  The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit, equal in every divine perfection and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption.
3. We believe that man was created in holiness, but by voluntary transgression fell from that holy and happy state, in consequence of which all human beings are now sinners, not by constraint but by choice; being by nature utterly void of that holiness required by the law of God, they are positively inclined to be evil and therefore, under just condemnation to eternal ruin without defense or excuse.
4. We believe that the salvation in wholly of grace by faith in the mediatorial office of the Son of God, who freely took upon himself our nature, yet without sin; honored the divine law by his personal obedience and by this death made a full atonement for our sins; that having risen from the dead, he is now enthroned and is in every way qualified to be the only suitable, compassionate and all-sufficient Savior.
5. We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be regenerated or born again; that regeneration consists of giving a holy disposition to the mind; that it is effected in a manner above our comprehension by the power of the Holy Spirit, in connection with divine truth, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the gospel; and that its proper evidence appears in the holy fruit of repentance and faith and newness of life.
6. We believe that repentance and faith are sacred duties of every man and also inseparable graces, wrought in our souls by the regenerating Spirit of God; whereby, being deeply convicted of our guilt, danger and helplessness and of the way of salvation by Christ, we turn to God in humility, godly sorrow, confession and supplication for mercy; at the same time heartily receiving Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord and relying upon Him alone for justification, sanctification and eternal life.
7. We believe that those who have been truly regenerated are also sanctified; that sanctification is God’s will; that it is a progressive work; that it is begun in regeneration and is carried on in the hearts of believers by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in the continual use of the appointed means, especially the Work of God, self-examination, self-denial, watchfulness and prayer.
8. We believe that only those who endure unto the end are true believers; that their persevering attachment to Christ is the mark which distinguishes them from superficial professors of faith; that a special Providence watches over their welfare and that they are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.
9. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the church, who, as His body, is composed of all His true disciples and in Him is invested supremely all power for its government. According to His commandment, Christians are to associate themselves by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel; to observe the ordinances of Christ; to be governed by His laws; and to exercise the gifts, rights and privileges invested in them by His Word; that the only scriptural officers of the church are pastors (or bishops or elders) and deacons.
10. We believe that the two scriptural ordinances of the church are Baptism and the Lord’s Supper; that Baptism is the immersion in water of a believer in the name of the Father and Son and Holy Spirit, to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem our faith in the crucified, buried and risen Savior; that it is obligatory upon every believer; and that it is a sign of the believer’s fellowship with the death and resurrection of Christ and of his giving himself up to God for remission of sin and to live and walk in newness of life; that the Lord’s Supper is to be administered with the elements of bread and wine and is to be observed by His churches until the end of the world; that it is in no sense a sacrifice; but it is designed to commemorate His death; that it calls for and is to be preceded by the most solemn self-examination; and that it is taken unworthily and in mockery by an unbeliever, by the worldly, by the hypocrite and by those who are despisers of the grace of Christ and who have no hope in His death.
11. We believe that the first day of the week is the Lord’s Day; that it is a Christian institution for regular observance; that it should be kept sacred to religious purposes and should be employed in exercises of worship and spiritual devotion, both public and private.
12. We believe that civil government is of divine appointment for the interest and good order of human society; that civil authorities are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored and obeyed except in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ; that God alone is Lord of the conscience and He has left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are contrary to His work or not contained in it.
13. We believe that the bodies of men after death return to dust, but that their spirits return immediately to God:  the righteous to rest with Him; the wicked to be reserved under darkness to the judgment. At the last day the bodies of all the dead, both the just and the unjust, will be raised.
14. We believe that God has appointed a day wherein He will judge the world by Jesus Christ; that a solemn separation will then take place; that the wicked will be adjudged to everlasting punishment; and that only such as through faith are justified in His esteem, shall be adjudged to endless joy; and that this judgment will fix forever the final state of men in heaven or hell on principles of righteousness.

(taken predominantly from The New Hampshire Confession of Faith of 1853)

1. For baptism as believers in Jesus Christ
2. By letter from another church of like faith and order
3. By statement of Christian experience and baptism
   

• Southern Baptist Convention
• Kentucky Baptist Convention
• Daviess-McLean Baptist Association