ZION BAPTIST CHURCH

We are committed to the preeminence of Jesus Christ as the head of the Church (both universal and local church), which is His body. As a local church, we display Him as preeminent by purposefully placing the gospel of Jesus (both in His person and work) at the center of every part of our life together. Due to Christ’s Lordship, we as a church do not submit to the opinions and traditions of men, but are committed to the Word of Christ to direct every area of our church (Matthew 15:3-9; 16:18; 17:5; 28:18-20; Mark 7:7-8; Luke 6:46-49; John 10:4-5, 16, 27; 3:36; Romans 11:36; 16:16; 1 Corinthians 11:3; 15:1-2; Ephesians 1:22-23; 3:17-21; 4:15; 5:23-24; Colossians 1:17b-18; 2:8, 19; Revelation 5:12).

We are committed to the expository preaching and teaching of the whole Bible as it is properly understood through the person and work of Jesus Christ. We understand expository preaching/teaching to be the faithful expounding of a passage of Scripture in its context. We desire to expound Scripture’s meaning without using it as a “springboard” to our own thoughts and agendas. Our commitment to the Bible leads us to teach the whole counsel of God as it finds its fulfillment in the gospel of Christ, which results (through the power of the Holy Spirit) in the conversion of unbelievers and the sanctification of believers. (Luke 24:27, 44; Acts 2:42a; 20:17-27; Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 1:23; Colossians 1:28; 2 Timothy 2:15; 3:14-4:2; James 3:1).

We are committed to set prayer as a corporate priority. We recognize the need for our people to become a people of prayer and to cultivate a lifestyle of ceaseless prayer. We also believe that God works powerfully in the midst of his covenant community when corporately their hearts and minds are knit together as one. (Luke 19:46a; Acts 2:42; Ephesians 6:18; Phil. 4:6; Col 4:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Exodus 3:9-10).

We are committed to Christ’s command to evangelize both locally and globally through the ministry of Word and deed. We believe the work of evangelism is not about making “converts” but making baptized disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our commitment to the Lord’s great commission is focused on three areas: (1) We are committed to providing a positive corporate witness through our involvement in our community; (2) We are committed to being a missional body, (by missional we mean that each church member is to personally enter into his/her sphere of influence as a missionary of the gospel); (3) We are committed to prayerful and financial support of missionaries through the Stone Mountain Baptist Association, Georgia Baptist Convention, Southern Baptist Convention, and others. (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; 2:46-47; 1 Peter 3:15).

We are committed to cultivating loving relationships within a regenerate church membership which holds common doctrine and practice. This fellowship is centered in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our fellowship is with the Father and Son, and also with Christian brothers and sisters. Our church unity is based not on social status, cultural or racial background, but solely on faith in Jesus Christ as Lord. (Psalm 133:1-3; Acts 2:42-46; Romans 12:10; 1 Corinthians 1:9-10; Ephesians 2:11-22; 4:1-6; Colossians 3:11-17; 1 John 1:3, 6-7)

We are committed to the importance of local church membership. This membership is supremely valuable, in that it provides believers with edification, encouragement, and accountability. We believe that local church membership is to be lived out by active involvement of every believer. (Romans 12:3-13; Ephesians 3:1-10; 4:25; Hebrews 10:24-25; Matthew 18:15-20; 1 Corinthians 5:1-11)