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Mission and Vision

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History

First Baptist Church Brandon had its beginning in 1882, but this small body of people disbanded a year later due to lack of finances & interest. In 1885 a church was built & dedicated on the corner of Tenth Street & Princess Avenue. In the following years this structure was moved a few blocks east to Russell Street to be known as St. Andrew’s Presbyterian.

With the arrival of R.R. McKay to the community in 1902, plans began for building a new church. The cornerstone was laid on May 24th, 1904 at Eleventh Street & Lorne Avenue. The early congregation consisted of Presbyterian members, students & faculty from Brandon College. This church building was in continuous use until 1992.

The first pastor was Rev. J. H. Best & he led the congregation for five years. Thirty-two pastors followed Rev. Best providing Christian leadership down through the years.

In 1992 the services moved from Lorne & Eleventh to Waverly Park School. The church held services there for two years until the current church was built across the street at 3881 Park Avenue.

In the fall of 2010 our Family Center opened. It is a wonderful addition that provides space for ministry to continue to grow.

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Covenant

Having been led, as we believe, by the Spirit of God, to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour & on the profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father, Son & Holy Spirit; we, in the presence of God & this assembly, most solemnly & joyfully enter into covenant with one another as one body in Christ.

We will endeavor, with the aid of the Holy Spirit, to walk together in Christian love, to pray for one another & to seek to help one another grow in grace & in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Together we will support & encourage those we have affirmed as leaders. We will be thoughtful & courteous to one another, slow to take offense & quick to forgive & to seek forgiveness even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven us.

We will cultivate a time of personal Bible reading & prayer & establish family devotions where possible.

We will raise children entrusted to our care, in the nurture & admonition of the Lord.

We will diligently seek to gather together for worship & service. We will be good stewards of all that God has given us, & will give as God has prospered us, not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver.

We will seek to be honest & faithful in the sight of all people. We will seek to reach others for Christ by sharing the Gospel in word or deed. We will strive to carry out His commission to spread the Gospel throughout the whole world.

When we remove ourselves from this place, we will as soon as possible, unite with some other church where we can carry on the spirit of this covenant & the principles of God’s Word.

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What We Believe

Statement of Faith We, the members of First Baptist Church – Brandon, MB, accept wholeheartedly the revelation of God given in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments and confess the faith therein set forth. We here explicitly assert the doctrines which we regard as crucial to the understanding and proclamation of the Gospel and to practical Christian living.

The Bible We believe the Bible, comprised of the Old and New Testaments, is the divinely inspired Word of God and is our final authority in all matters of faith, practice and doctrine. (II Timothy 3:16)

God We believe in the one true God, who is without beginning or end, who created heaven and earth. He is revealed to humankind in three co-equal person; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. (John 14:10-26; 20:19-22)

God the Father We believe in God the Father; who is infinite in knowledge, wisdom and power; who is holy, righteous and just. He lovingly rules over all creation, hears and answers prayer, and desires a close relationship with every human person. (I John 3:1; Psalm 99:9; Daniel 4:34-35)

God the Son (The Lord Jesus Christ) We believe in God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is co-eternal with the Father; who through His virgin birth, became a man without ceasing to be God. He lived a sinless life. He died on a cross as payment for the sins of all humankind. He physically rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. All things in heaven and on earth have been placed under His authority. He is the head of the church and mediator between God and humankind. (Matthew 1:18-25; Hebrews 4:15; I Corinthians 15:3-4; I Timothy 2:5-6; John 1:1-5; Philippians 2:5-11)

God the Holy Spirit We believe in God the Holy Spirit; who is co-eternal with the Father and the Son. He convicts all persons of their sinfulness, creates within them a sense of guilt and fear of judgment and reaffirms God’s offer of forgiveness through faith in the finished work of Christ. He indwells all who believe in Christ, helps them understand and apply the teachings of Scripture, gifts and empowers them to serve Christ and His church. (John 16:5-15; Ephesians 3:16-21; Hebrews 9:14)

Humankind We believe that every person is a unique creation of God, made in His image, and as such, is a person of dignity and value, capable of enjoying meaningful relationships and living in peace with God and others. (Genesis 1:26-27)

Human Sinfulness We believe that every person is born with a sinful nature and therefore sins in thought, word and deed. This incurs physical, moral and spiritual death resulting in separation from God. (Romans 5:17-19; 8:7-8; 3:23)

Human Limitations We believe that humankind is totally unable to restore the relationship with God that sin has destroyed. (Ephesians 2:8-9; Jeremiah 2:22; Isaiah 64:6)

Salvation We believe that salvation is a free gift from God; by which He grants His undeserved favour and shows His mercy to humankind. (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 3:24)

Penalty for Sin We believe that all who continue in sin against God will be brought forward before God for eternal judgment for their sins. (Romans 6:23; II Thessalonians 1:5-9; Matthew 25:45-46; II Timothy 4:8)

Death of Christ We believe that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; that He became the only substitute who died in the place of all humankind. We believe that Christ’s death was sufficient to pay the penalty for sins committed by all persons through all time. (I Corinthians 15:3-4; Isaiah 53:6; Hebrews 10:12; Hebrews 9:14)

Repentance & Faith We believe that all who repent of sin and place their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ receive forgiveness of sin and everlasting life, and now walk in fellowship with God. (John 3:16-17; Acts 2:38)

The Church We believe in the holy Christian church, the body of which Christ is the head. (Colossians 1:18)

Universal Church We believe that all who are made conscious of their sin, repent of such and profess faith in the Lord Jesus Christ are instantly indwelt and sealed by the Holy Spirit and thereby made members of Christ’s body – the Church. (Ephesians 1:13-14; I Corinthians 12:13; I John 4:13)

Local Church We believe in the necessity of the local church as a place of worship, fellowship, teaching and service. We believe that each local church should be an autonomous body, operating under the headship of Christ. (Colossians 1:18; I Corinthians 1:12-27)

Church Ordinances (abbreviated) An ordinance is “an act or custom, instituted by Christ, and followed by the Christian church in its worship and ministry.” … We believe in and practice the two ordinances Christ has given to the church: Water baptism by immersion and the Lord’s Supper (communion) … (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 8:36-39; Romans 6:3-4; I Corinthians 11:17-34)

Church & State We believe that church and state each have specific mandates from God and function best when each is free from undue influence by the other. (Acts 1:8; Romans 13:1-5; Acts 5:27-29; Matthew 22:15-22)

Christian Duty We believe that, as members of Christ’s church, we are called to glorify God by obeying the teachings of the Old and New Testament Scriptures. (Matthew 5:16; Psalm 119:105)

Christian Mission We believe that, as members of Christ’s church, we are to tell others what Christ has done for us and invite them to have faith in Him. We believe that we have been commissioned to teach those who believe to obey Christ’s commands. We further believe that we are called to take this message to all persons in every country on earth. (Acts 1-8; Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15)

Return of Christ We believe in the personal, visible and bodily return of the Lord Jesus Christ as promised in the Scriptures. (John 14:1-3; Acts 1:6-11; Revelation 19:11-16)