Ellensburg Baptist Church is a King James Bible-believing, independent Baptist church. We trace our heritage all the way back to Christ and the Apostles. Some of the doctrines that make us distinct from other Christian groups are…

The King James is our Sole Authority for Faith and Practice

We believe that the Holy Scriptures of the Old (Hebrews 1:1) and New Testament (2 Peter 3:15-16; Revelation 1:1-2) only and exclusively, in whole and in part, are the divinely inspired (2 Timothy 3:16-17), inerrant (Psalm 19:7-11), God breathed (2 Samuel 23:2; 2 Peter 1:19-21), written word of God, and are the sole and total rule together of our faith and practice(Psalm 119:104,128; Isaiah 8:20).

Trinity

We believe God is a person, eternally existing. There is one true God existing in the unity of the Godhead. There are three eternal and coequal persons; God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. They are the same substance but distinct in subsistence. There is one Godhead made up of three persons who are the same in attributes, power, characteristics and desires. (Romans 1:7; Hebrews 1:8; Acts 5:1-3; Matthew 28:19; I Corinthians 8:6)

Deity

We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God because of His character, His miracles, His influence, His power to forgive sins and set people free from Satan and because He claimed to be and died making this claim and arose victorious over death. (Mark 12:6; John 5:22, 23; Matthew 26:63, 66; John 14:9; John 1:1; Hebrews 1:8; John 20:28; Romans 9:5; I John 5:1-5)

Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit ministers to the Christian. He regenerates, baptizes (not with water), indwells, seals, and fills the believing sinner. The believer does not get more of the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit more of the believer. Therefore, these ministries of the Holy Spirit happen instantaneously to the believing sinner. They all occur by faith and are not in the least dependent upon one’s personal emotional feelings at the time. (I Corinthians 14:33; Titus 3:5; Romans 5:3-4; Acts 2:4; I Corinthians 3:16; II Corinthians 1:22)

Virgin Birth

We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten of the Holy Ghost and was in miraculous manner born of Mary, a virgin, as no other person was ever born or can ever be born of woman. He is both the Son of God and God the Son. (Matthew 1:20; Luke 1:30-35; Isaiah 7:14)

Depravity of man

By nature, man is wicked and corrupt. All are under sin. Romans 3:10 proves that all are alike under sin in an unregenerate condition. (Genesis 6:5; Job 15:16; Psalm 14:3; Isaiah 1:6; Jeremiah 16:12; Matthew 23:27; Mark 9:41; Romans 1:24; II Peter 2:12)

Heaven and Hell

We believe that Heaven and Hell are real, literal, and physical places. Heaven is a place of indescribable beauty and glory, just as Hell is a place of indescribable torment and punishment. Throughout all eternity Heaven is the final eternal dwelling place of the saved, and Hell is the final eternal dwelling place of punishment of the lost including total separation from God. (Matthew 6:20; Luke 10:20; John 14:2; Daniel 7:10; Isaiah 33: 14; Matthew 13:42; Mark 9:41; Revelation 14:10)

Devil and Satan

We believe in the personality of Satan; that he is the god of this world, blinding the minds of them, which believe not, and the author of all the power of darkness. We believe that Satan was once holy, and enjoyed heavenly honors. But, through pride and ambition, to be as the Almighty, he fell and drew after him a host of angels. Satan is the author of all false religions, the chief power of darkness—destined, however, to judgment of an eternal justice in Hell, a place prepared for him and his angels. (Matthew 4:1-3; Revelation 20:1-3; II Corinthians 4:3,4; Revelation 20:10; I Peter 5:8; Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:14-17)

Substitutionary death of Christ 

We believe Jesus took the saved sinner’s place, bore his sins, and met the penalty through His substitutionary death for all men. Jesus satisfied the law, becoming our accepted substitute. His righteousness, or His right doing, is imputed to us by faith. Therefore, we have through Him kept the law. Instead of merely covering the sins of man, the blood of Christ cleanses man’s sins. (Isaiah 53:5; Acts 20:28; II Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 9:28; I Peter 3:18; Matthew 26:28)

Salvation by grace through faith

The sacrifice made by Jesus is the only basis of salvation, the only means of reconciliation, and the only ground of justification. We believe that no man cometh to God except through Jesus Christ. We hold and believe many important truths, but the most important to every individual is the personal salvation of his own soul. God’s order is salvation and then works. (Acts 4:12; I Thessalonians 5:9; Hebrews 5:9; John 12:46; John 20:31; Romans 10:9; Ephesians 2:9, 10; Titus 3:5-8)

Eternal security

We believe in the eternal security of all believers in our Lord Jesus Christ. When a person is born again they have everlasting life, which never ends, and cannot be taken away from them. Saved forever, God’s children are kept by the power of God through faith unto eternal salvation and sealed unto the day of redemption. (John 10:27-30; I Peter 1:5; Ephesians 4:30; Romans 8:35-39; John 5:24)

Genesis Account of Creation

We believe the Genesis account of creation, and that what you believe about your origin will determine your philosophy of life. We believe creation was a direct act of God, which included literal days, and that it was instantaneous and miraculous. We believe man was created in the image of God and all reproduction was “after their kind.” (Genesis 1:1; Job 26:7; Psalm 33:6, 9; John 1:3; Colossians 1:17)

The Autonomy of the Local Church

We believe that the church, as referred to most often in the New Testament, is a local congregation or body of disciples of Jesus Christ; that it is identified by its location and membership, and referred to under various titles and descriptions, singularly considered as the church, the whole church, the body, the body of Christ, the bride of Christ, the temple of the Holy Ghost, and collectively known as the churches of Christ and the churches of God.

We believe that the biblical worship of God is vital, a demonstration of adoration from a base and humble heart. Thus as given by precept and example in the New Testament that demonstrate devotion to God consists of assembling to pray, sing, praise God, offer up thanksgiving, exhort one another to our duties, make collection for poor saints and for the support of the ministry, and hear God’s word taught and proclaimed.

We believe that the New Testament emphasizes the teaching aspect of God’s worship, so that this is given preeminence over other forms of worship, with the aim of proper instruction being to guide members to better performance of their duties, first of all toward God, then to each other, and finally toward men with whom they associate in this world.

James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless, and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the word.

Colossians 1:18, “And he Christ is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.”

The Priesthood of Every Believer

1 Peter 2:5, “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”

Individual Soul Liberty

We believe that our liberty is not to be used as a cover for wickedness, and that it is to be limited by a charitable consideration of the conscience of others and our own faith.

Romans 14:12 “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.”

Judgment of members in sin

We believe that a church is responsible before God to judge those of its own who are publicly known to be living in sin or error, as the New Testament teaches that there are offences which are not to be named once among saints. Those found guilty of such offences are to be removed from the membership of the body, turned over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, and exhorted to repentance, for the glory of Christ and their own salvation. Upon demonstration of repentance such should be reinstated as members of the congregation.

We believe that it is the duty of each member to work for the recovery of any brother or sister that is privately known to have committed sin or be in error, and upon demonstration of godly repentance such matters should be covered, forgiven and forgotten, even as Christ covers, forgives and forgets our sins when we confess them to Him and forsake them.

We believe that the church has the right to judge between members in small matters of this life as they arise, and that such judgment is binding upon all; any member failing to abide by the church’s judgment in such matters is to be removed from the membership, as discussed above.

Two Ordinances: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper

I. Baptism:

1. Purpose of Baptism: 

We believe that baptism is the first act of gospel obedience for the child of God;he publicly declares his allegiance to Jesus Christ and witnesses his dependence on Christ’s death, burial and resurrection for his salvation, of which baptism is a symbol and picture.

2. Nature of Baptism:

We believe that baptism is totally figurative and emblematic in nature, no special grace or supernatural power being conferred upon the recipient; that it is simply the answer of a good conscience toward God, and not a means of imparting regeneration to a soul, as the Roman Whore and other heretical groups maintain.

We believe that baptism is a picture of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ; a symbol of the believer’s death to sin, and its power over him, and his resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ; and a figure of his hope, that being his resurrection at the last day to be with his Lord and Savior forever in glory.

3. Subject of Baptism:

We believe that baptism is only properly administered to a person who is of sufficient age and sensibilities to express belief and confidence in Jesus Christ for the saving of his soul.

4. Mode of Baptism:

We believe that the mode dictated in Scripture (by the meaning of the words used, by the nature of what it symbolizes, and by the examples given in the New Testament) is immersion of the candidate into water and the raising of him up out of water. Therefore pouring, sprinkling or any other wetting is not Bible baptism.

Acts 8:36-38, “And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

  5. Saved, Baptized, Church Membership

Acts 2:47 “Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.”

II. Lord’s Supper:

1. PURPOSE AND NATURE OF COMMUNION:

We believe that the Lord’s supper is an observance given to New Testament churches as a memorial of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ until He returns. It is totally symbolic in nature and serves to remind God’s people of the price that was paid for their redemption.

We believe that the Mass, transubstantiation, consubstantiation and all other forms of Roman Catholic sacramentalism are doctrines from the father of lies himself and are to be rejected as gross heresy.

  2. ONLY FOR MEMBERS OF THE LOCAL BODY:

We believe that the Scripture clearly teaches that communion – common union – can only exist among members of a body, the same local body that is responsible for maintaining its purity through church judgment; therefore, only those who are members of our local body are allowed to partake of the Lord’s table in our assembly.

  3. DUTY OF SELF-EXAMINATION:

We believe that God expects His children to judge themselves and to come to His table with clean hearts, having confessed their sins to Him, and that those who come without such preparation bring upon themselves His chastisement and judgment.

1 Corinthians 11:26 “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.”

Personal Separation

We believe that God has called His children to be light and salt in a dark and corrupt world, so that it is incumbent upon every believer to walk in wisdom toward those who are in the world, to be renewed in his mind, to think soberly and righteously, to keep his body under subjection, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

Sanctification

We believe that sanctification is a personal separation from things that are unclean to things that are holy, clean, and sacred. Sanctification is a progressive work that is begun in regeneration and carried on in the hearts of the believers by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. The sanctification of the believer will be complete at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Then, and only then, will we have entire sanctification or be sanctified wholly, body, soul, and spirit. (I Thessalonians 4:1-10, 5:23; I Corinthians 6:11; II Peter 3:18; II Corinthians 3:18; II Thessalonians 2:13; Romans 8:5)

Two Offices: Pastor and Deacon

We believe that God, as the Supreme Lord and King of all creation, has ordained positions or offices of authority over men for the orderly functioning of society, for the good of those under them, and for His own honor and glory.

  1. Pastors:

1 Timothy 3:1, “This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.”

  2. Deacons: 

1 Timothy 3:13 “For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

Separation of Church and State

Matthew 22:20 “And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.”