Baptist Missionary Association Theological Seminary’s doctrinal convictions reflect the historic Christian faith and the doctrinal statements of the Baptist Missionary Association of America, expressing the theological commitments that guide the seminary’s teaching, scholarship, and service.
There is one living and true God, the creator of the universe, revealed in the unity of the Godhead as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, who are equal in every divine perfection.
God the Father is the supreme ruler of the universe and directs the affairs of history according to the purposes of His grace.
God the Son, Jesus Christ, is the Savior of the world, born of the virgin Mary, declared His deity among men, died on the cross as the only sacrifice for sin, arose bodily from the grave, and ascended to the Father, where He intercedes for believers until His return.
God the Holy Spirit is the manifest presence of deity who convicts of sin, teaches spiritual truth according to Scripture, indwells believers, and enables spiritual service.
The Scriptures are God’s inerrant revelation, complete in the Old and New Testaments, written by divinely inspired men as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
They provide the standard for the believer’s faith and practice, reveal the principles by which God will judge all, and express the true basis of Christian fellowship.
God created all things for His own pleasure and glory.
He created angels—holy to worship God and fallen to oppose Him.
God created humanity (male and female) in His own image; every person from conception has inherent dignity and worth.
Marriage was created by God as the inseparable union between a man and a woman, testifying to the union between Christ and the church.
Satan is a person, not an impersonal force, opposing all that is true and godly, blinding the world to the gospel, tempting believers, and warring against the Son of God.
Although created in God’s image, humanity fell through sin, and that image was marred. In the unregenerate state a person is spiritually dead, under the influence of the devil, and lacks power to save himself. Apart from divine grace, humanity is unchangeably depraved.
Meaning of Salvation: Salvation is the gracious work of God delivering undeserving sinners from sin and its consequences. In justification God declares righteous all who trust in Christ, granting freedom from condemnation, peace with God, and assurance of glorification.
Way of Salvation: Salvation is based wholly on God’s grace apart from works. Anyone who repents toward God and trusts in Jesus Christ will be saved.
Provision of Salvation: Christ died for the sins of the whole world. Through His blood atonement is made without respect of persons, and all sinners can be saved by this gracious provision. God’s sovereignty and human freedom are complementary in salvation.
Church Ordinances: The church has two ordinances—baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Baptism is immersion in water as a believer’s confession of faith and is prerequisite to church membership and participation in the Lord’s Supper.
Church Officers: Pastors and deacons are divinely ordained officers in a New Testament church. Each church selects men to fill those offices under the Holy Spirit’s leading, according to Scripture’s qualifications.
Fellowship of Churches: A church is free to associate with true churches in furthering the faith but responsible to avoid those holding doctrines or practices contrary to Scripture. Each church is equal and final authority in its cooperation.
Return: The risen Lord will return personally in bodily form to receive His redeemed unto Himself.
Resurrections: After Christ’s return, all the dead will be raised bodily—the righteous to life and the wicked to damnation.
Judgments: God will judge everyone, conferring rewards or consigning punishment.
Eternal States: Heaven is the eternal home of the redeemed in glorified bodies; Hell is the place of eternal punishment for the unredeemed.
Addendum
These statements express the predominant convictions among the churches of the Baptist Missionary Association of America and are not intended as binding tests of fellowship for cooperating churches or individuals. However, they faithfully reflect the theological heritage and commitments of BMATS and its supporting churches.