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Faith Calvary Baptist Church
Constitution & By-laws
FCBC Constitution Page
Updated (formatting only) 11/5/02

THE PREAMBLE
REPOSING OUR FAITH WHOLLY IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST FOR OUR SALVATION, AND BELIEVING IN THE TEACHINGS OF THE HOLY BIBL AS THE PLENARILY AND VERBALLY INSPIRED WORD OF THE LIVING GOD, WE HAVE AFFILIATED OURSELVES WITH ONE ANOTHER AS A BODY OF IMMERSED BELIEVERS, AND WE ADOPT THIS CONSITUTION AS A DECLARATION OF OUR CONVICTIONS SO THAT WE MAY CARRY ON THE LORD'S WORK DECENTLY AND IN ORDER.

ARTICLE I - NAME
The name of this organization shall be: FAITH CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCH, Los Angeles, California. It is incorporated as a nonprofit corporation under the laws of the State of California.

ARTICLE II - PURPOSE
Our purpose is to glorify God by conducting a Baptist Church in accordance with the Word of God, the articles of faith, the covenant and the constitution of this local church, promoting the worship of our God, edifying believers, teaching the whole counsel of God, administering the ordinances and Biblical discipline, seeking to win the lost to Christ through personal witnessing and the preaching of the gospel carrying on a vigorous missionary program around the world, establishing other Baptist Churches, defending the faith, and maintaining a good testimony for Christ in our community by godliness and good works.

ARTICLE III - ASSOCIATIONS
This church shall be an independent, autonomous church, subject only to Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church. It has the right to cooperate and associate with other Biblical groups on a voluntary basis. There shall be no cooperation with any group that permits the presence of apostates or apostasy, or that endorses groups that permit the presence of apostates or apostasy.

ARTICLE IV - ARTICLES OF FAITH
Section 1 -THE SCRIPTURES
We believe that the Holy Scriptures as originally written was verbally and plenarily inspired and is the product of Spirit-controlled men, and therefore is truth without any admixture of error for its matter. We believer that the Bible is the center of true Christian unity and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds and opinions shall be tried. 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21.

Section 2 -THE TRUE GOD
We believe that there is one and only one living and true God, an infinite, sovereign Spirit, the Maker and Supreme ruler of heaven and earth; inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy of all possible honor, confidence and love; that in unity of the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, equal in every divine perfection and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption. Exodus 20:2-3; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Revelation 4:11.

Section 3 -THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, equal with God the Father and God the Son and of the same nature; that He was active in creation; that in His relation to the unbelieving world He restrains the evil one until God's purpose is fulfilled; that He convicts of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; that He bears witness to the truth of the gospel in preaching and testimony; that He is the agent in the new birth; that He seals, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctified and helps the believer. The gifts of tongues and healing were "sign gifts" until the Scriptures were completed. The gifts ceased at that time. John 14:16-17; Matthew 28:19; Hebrews 9:14; John 14:26; Luke 1:35; Genesis 1:1-3; John 16:8-11; Acts 5:30-32; John 3:5-6; Ephesians 1:13-14; Mark 1:8; John 1:33; Acts 11:16; Luke 24:49; Romans 8:14, 16, 26, 27; 15:19; Hebrews 2:4; 1 Corinthians 13:8.

Section 4 -THE DEVIL, OR SATAN
We believe in the personality of Satan, that he was created by God as an angel but through pride and rebellion became the enemy of his Creator, that he became the unholy god of this age and the ruler of all the powers of darkness and is destined to the judgment of an eternal justice in the lake of fire. Matthew 4:1-11; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 20:10.

Section 5 -THE CREATION
We believe the Genesis account of creation as being neither allegory nor myth, but a literal, historical account of the direct, immediate creative acts of God without evolutionary process; that man, -- spirit, soul and body - was created by a direct work of God and not from previously existing forms of life; and that all men are descended from the historical Adam and Eve, first parents of the entire human race. Genesis 1 and 2; Colossians 1:16-17; John 1:3.

Section 6 -THE FALL OF MAN
We believe that man was created in innocence under the law of hi Maker, but by voluntary transgression of Adam fell from his sinless and happy state, and all men sinned in him, in consequence of which all men are totally depraved, are partakers of Adam's fallen nature, and are sinners by nature and by conduct; and therefore are under just condemnation without defense or excuse. Genesis 3:1-6, 24; Romans 3:10- 19; 5:12, 19; 1:18-32.

Section 7 -THE VIRGIN BIRTH OF CHRIST
We believe that Jesus was begotten of the Holy Spirit in a miraculous manner, born of Mary, a virgin, as no other man was ever born or can ever be born of woman, and that He is both the Son of God and God the Son. Genesis 3:13; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:35; John 1:14; Hebrews 1:8.

Section 8 -SALVATION
We believe that the salvation of sinners is divinely initiated and wholly of grace through the mediatorial offices of the Son of God who, by appointment of the Father freely took upon Him our nature, yet without sin, honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and by His death made a full and vicarious atonement for our sins; that His atonement consisted not in setting us an example by His death as martyr, but was voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner's place, the Just for the unjust, Christ, the Lord, bearing our sin in His own body on the tree; that having risen from the dead He is now enthroned in heaven and uniting in His wonderful person the most tender sympathies with divine perfection. He is every way qualified to be s suitable, a compassionate and an all-sufficient Savior. We believe that repentance is a change of mind and purpose toward God prompted by the Holy Spirit; that it is characterized by godly sorrow for sin as offensive to God and ruinous to the soul; and that the true repentance is inseparably needed and related to saving faith. We believe that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the only condition to salvation. Johah 2:9; Ephesians 2:8; Acts 15:11; Romans 3:24-25; John 3:16; Matthew 18:11; Philippians 2:7; Hebrews 2:14; Isaiah 53:4-7; 1 John 4:10; 1 Corinthians 15:3; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Luke 13:1-3; 15:7; Acts 8:22; Romans 2:4; 2 Corinthians 7:10; Acts 20:21; Acts 16:31.

Section 9 -RESURRECTION AND PRIESTHOOD OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
We believe in the bodily resurrection of Christ, in His ascension into heaven, where He now sits at the right hand of the Father as our High Priest interceding for us. Matthew 28:6-7; Luke 24:39; John 20:27; Mark 16:6; 1 Corinthians 15:14; Luke 24:2-6, 51; Acts 1:9-11; Revelation 3:21; Hebrews 8:6; 12:2; 7:25; 1 Timothy 2:5; 1 John 2:1; Hebrews 2:17; 5:9-10.

Section 10 - GRACE AND THE NEW BIRTH
We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be born again, that the new birth is a new creation in Christ Jesus, that it is instantaneous and not a process; that in the new birth the one dead in trespasses and in sins is made a partaker of the divine nature and received eternal life, the free gift of God; that the new creation is brought about by our sovereign God in a manner above our comprehension, solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with divine truth, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the gospel, that it is proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance, faith and newness of life. John 3:3; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 John 5:1; John 3:6-7; Acts 16:30-33; 2 Peter 1:4; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:1, 5; John 3:8; 2 Corinthians 5:19; Colossians 2:13.