WEST SIDE

Statement of Doctrinal Belief: We Believe

1. That Scripture is given by verbal complete, and inerrant inspiration of God (2 Tim. 3:16) and that God has promised to preserve every jot and tittle of what He has inspired (Matt. 5:18).

 

2. In one true God who is manifest in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (1 John 5:7; Matt. 3:16-17:28, 29).

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3. The Lord Jesus Christ is fully and literally God in human form (1 Tim. 3:16). He was conceived of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35) and in the womb of a virgin, Mary (Isaiah 7:14), and received a human body. He was tempted by Satan in all points like we are, yet without sin (Matt. 4:1-11; Heb. 4:15; 1 John 2:16). He allowed Himself to be crucified in order to pay the penalty deserved for all our sins (Romans 5:11-21). He literally rose again from the dead on the third day (1 Cor. 15:3-4) and now sits at the right hand of the Father (Col. 3:1).

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4. That the Holy Spirit is fully God and is the current, earthly manifestation of God through the indwelling of the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 3:16; John 16:7), seals the believer and baptizes him into the body of Christ at the moment of salvation (1 Cor. 12:13), and all spiritual blessings are received at the time salvation and the Spirit gives gifts to every believer as He (Holy Spirit) will so the believer might effectively communicate the love of Christ. We further believe that the modern tongues movement is not according to the Scripture (1 Cor. 14).

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5. Satan is a real historical being, a fallen cherub who was lifted up in pride and rebelled against God, leading an army of angelic beings with him (Isaiah 14:12-17). His defeat was sealed by the work of Christ on the cross (Heb. 2:14) and his final destiny is the lake of fire (Rev. 20:10).

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6. The Genesis account of creation is historical, not allegorical or figurative. Adam was a historical person created by God and in His image. (Gen. 1-2). Adam chose to sin against God through the free will God gave him and reaped the wages of death. As the originator of the human race, Adam passed on his sinful nature to all mankind (Romans 5:12). All men are sinners by birth and become sinners by experience (Romans 3) for which the wages are death (Romans 6:23).

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7. That salvation is by God's grace alone on the basis of the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross and in His resurrection appropriated by the faith of anyone who will personally believe in his heart and confess with his mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord (Eph. 2:8-9; Romans 10:9-10).

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8. The local assembly of believers (church) is God's instrument in this age. While all genuine born again believers in Christ share an organic, family relationship, the overwhelming number of references of the word "church" in the Bible refer to a local, visible, assembly of believers (Acts 14:23; Eph. 1:22-23; 4:11-16; 1 Tim. 3:1-13). At the second coming of Christ, all genuine believers from the time of Christ's ascension will be united together as the Body of Christ (1 Thess. 4:13-19; Rev. 19:7-8, 20:1-2). Until then it is the responsibility of the local church to continue evangelism, discipleship, and missions both independently and interdependently (Matt. 28:18-20). That each local assembly should be as self-governing, self-supporting, and self-propagating as possible, practicing the ordinances of the baptism and the Lord's Table and operating under the leadership of those who hold the office of pastor (also known as a bishop or an elder) and assisted by those who hold the office of deacon (Matt. 29:18-20; 1 Cor. 11:23-34; 1 Tim. 31:13; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Heb. 13:17). That every member of the local church has the responsibility to minister the Word of God and support the ministry through prayer, holy living, tithes, and offerings (1 Cor. 16:2; Mal. 3:10; Acts 4:34-37; 2 Cor. 8:7; Acts 2:41-47 & 13:1-4).

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9. In the literal physical return of the Lord Jesus Christ to the earth in power and great glory to judge the world and reign (Acts 1:1; 2 Thess. 1:7-10). Shortly before Christ's Second Coming all genuine believers will be raptured out to meet the lord in the air (1 Thess. 4:13-18; 1 Cor. 15:51-52). Followed by seven years of tribulation on earth during which time God will judge His people Israel and all without Christ (1 Thess. 5:1-11; Matt. 24). That period of tribulation will be ended by Christ's return to rule for a thousand years (Rev. 20:1-6; Matt. 25:31-46).

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10. All men will spend eternity either with Christ or eternally separated from Him. We believe the lost who die to wait in a literal Hell for the day of final judgment, where they will be assigned to the proper degree of punishment in a literal lake of fire (Rev. 20:11-15). We believe those who accept Christ as Savior will experience a bodily resurrection to everlasting life (1 Thess. 4:13-18; 1 Cor. 15:51-58).

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11. We believe that all human life is sacred from conception throughout the entire natural human life; that human beings are created in His image and, as such, are to be protected and that the weak, vulnerable, infirmed, handicapped, pre-born, and needy deserve our respect and our care (Gen1:26 / Psalm 31:5;139 / Jer.1:5 / Luke 1:41).

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12. We believe that the home was the first institution God provided for man; that marriage is a sacred relationship between one man and one woman for life; and that homosexuality is a perversion of God's natural order of one man for one woman. We also believe that a man and woman co-habituating (common law marriage) does not fit the biblical definition of marriage (Genesis 2:18-24; Deuteronomy 23:17-18; Mark 10:9; Romans 1:18-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; 7:2; Ephesians 5:22-23; Jude 17).

History 

Friendship Baptist Church, which was the mother church for the now West Side Baptist, was first recorded in the associational records in 1892. Unofficial information has dated the organization as early as 1852. Friendship was also the mother church for Pleasant Valley in 1912, West Point in 1918, and the church that played an important role in the life of the now West Side Baptist was Walnut Springs in 1914. 

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The Walnut Springs church building was erected late in 1914 on land furnished by Mr. John Suits. The church was located in the area of what is now Boozer Lake. Present records indicate that in 1919 Rev. James J. Dyer and almost 100% of the remaining members of Walnut Springs Baptist came to town and organized the West Jacksonville Baptist Church meeting on the first and third Sundays. Services were held in an old empty store building next to Maxwell's Restaurant and Saloon about 50 yards from the present church building. For no known reason the name was again changed in 1921 and became known as the Jacksonville West Baptist Church. Then for a fourth time sometime in the 1940's the name changed to the present West Side Baptist Church.