Proposed changes to clarify our Doctrinal Statement and Constitution, regarding baptism and church membership

There will be three forums to present and discuss these proposals to church members in Room 230 (Newcomers Center), at 9:15 and 11 AM hours on Sunday December 16, January 6 and 13. A church business meeting is scheduled for February 10, 2013 to consider this proposal. Over this past year, the pastors and deacons have studied the issue of baptism from Scripture. We are persuaded that the Scriptures teach baptism is for believers in Christ and that the best mode of baptism is immersion. This means that we only baptize believers in Christ and do so by immersion. It also means that believers baptism is a prerequisite for becoming a member of Cherrydale. However, our study of Scriptures persuaded us to propose a change in the way we express, in our Doctrinal Statement and Constitution, our belief and practice regarding baptism. Our eight pastors are unanimous in making the proposed changes and our deacon board approved with a vote of ten yes, one no, and one absent. Our motivation for proposing the change is driven by our desire to be better aligned with the first of our seven core values, Biblical Authority. This means that we seek to accurately interpret the Bible and align our beliefs and practices with its truths. We want the statements in our Constitution and Doctrinal Statement to state, as accurately as possible, what the Scriptures clearly teach, neither overstating nor understating their teachings. Our study of Scripture persuaded us that although we can clearly infer from Scriptures that the best mode of baptism is immersion, the Scriptures do not command a certain mode of baptism and repeatedly put the emphasis on the meaning of baptism and not the mode. Our current statements make no distinction between the meaning and the mode of baptism for the believer. One of the implications of this proposal is that we could accept into membership believers who have gone through our membership process, agree with our Doctrinal Statement and want to join the church but have been baptized as a believer by a different mode than immersion. In light of this, we are making the following proposed changes to our Doctrinal Statement and Constitution regarding baptism and church membership.

DOCTRINAL STATEMENT M. OF BAPTISM AND THE LORDS SUPPER We believe that the Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water* to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem our faith in the crucified, buried and risen Savior, with its effect in our death to sin and resurrection to a new life; that it is prerequisite to the privileges of a church relation. We believe that the Lords Supper is the commemoration of His death until He comes, and should be preceded always by solemn self-examination. - - - Matthew 3:16; John 3:23; Acts 8:36-39; Romans 6:3-5; I Corinthians 11:23-28; Colossians 2:12.

CONSTITUTION ARTICLE IV. MEMBERSHIP 1. Admission of Members a. The membership of this church shall consist of baptized (immersed)* believers who have demonstrated their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ to the satisfaction of the pastor and the Board of Deacons, and who, upon recommendation of the pastor and the Board of Deacons, have been accepted for membership at the Right Hand of Fellowship before the church. *Bold added for emphasis DOCTRINAL STATEMENT (PROPOSED) M. OF BAPTISM AND THE LORDS SUPPER We believe that Jesus Christ has instituted and established two ordinances for His Church: the initiatory rite of baptism and the ongoing rite of the Lords Supper. We believe that baptism is the visible identification of a believer with Christ through water. Baptism is an act of obedience that proclaims the believer's faith in and union with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection, which is best represented by immersion. Baptism also symbolizes the believers baptism of the Holy Spirit and cleansing from all sin and unrighteousness by the power of Christs blood. As an ordinance, baptism is prerequisite to the privileges of local church membership. - - - Matthew 3:16; John 3:23; Acts 8:36-39; Romans 6:3-5; Colossians 2:12. Whereas baptism symbolizes our initial union with Christ at conversion, the Lords Supper symbolizes our ongoing union with Christ as His committed followers. We believe that the Lords Supper is the commemoration of His death until He comes, and should be preceded always by solemn self-examination. - - I Corinthians 11:23-28 CONSTITUTION (PROPOSED) ARTICLE IV. MEMBERSHIP 1. Admission of Members a. The membership of this church shall consist of baptized (immersed) believers who have demonstrated their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ to the satisfaction of the pastor and the Board of Deacons, and who, upon recommendation of the pastor and the Board of Deacons, have been accepted for membership at the Right Hand of Fellowship before the church. An otherwise approved membership candidate who has not been baptized as a believer shall be baptized by immersion prior to acceptance into membership.