IDENTITY STATEMENT

The faith community known as Second Baptist Church embraces the historic doctrines of our Christian tradition and affirms the distinctive features of our Baptist heritage:

     The right and responsibility of believers to interpret the Bible thoughtfully and faithfully, as guided by the Holy Spirit;

     The priesthood of all believers, who, with liberty of conscience under the Lordship of Christ, are free under God and responsible to God and to each other in the body of faith;

     The autonomy of the local church, which is free to cooperate with other Christian bodies as it deems appropriate to advance the cause of Christ locally and around the world; and

     The separation of church and state, recognizing that a free church within a free state best enables all to practice the God-given gift of religious liberty.

                                                                                                                                      Adopted 18 April 2001