2009 – The Church Today

Whereas Jesus said He would build His church (Matthew 16:18), which He loved and gave Himself for (Ephesians 5:25), which is the pillar and ground of the truth (I Timothy 3:15), and

Whereas the early church was a vibrant, committed, active fellowship which sounded forth the Word of God as a lighthouse in its day, whose example and pattern the church of today should follow carefully, and

Whereas many churches today have surrendered their God-given vitality for an apathy more reflective of the world that surrounds them, rather than being “steadfast, unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord” ( I Corinthians 15:58),

Be it, therefore, resolved that we, the members of the Independent Baptist Fellowship of North America meeting in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, on June 23-25, 2009, “knowing the time that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed” (Romans 13:11), do urge our people and churches to renew their commitment to a bold testimony and spiritual fervor, as clearly seen in the Book of Acts, where believers paid more than lip service to the authority of God’s Word in their lives and where evangelistic zeal was a part of daily life, even though they lived in times and circumstances far more difficult than believers do today.

Be it further resolved that we will, as pastors and leaders, set the example of doing God's work in the church “heartily, as to the Lord and not unto men” (Colossians 3:23) and continually search our own hearts for obedient attitudes consistent with God's Word, lest we become castaways by serving the Lord in the flesh. May we endeavor always to follow the pattern of the New Testament church in our worship practices, rather than recreate the church in the image of men with forms of worship that are the inventions of men, which have proven in hindsight to weaken the testimony of the church and pander to the flesh without truly edifying the Body of Christ. May we be resolved to uphold the high standards of God’s Word for the selection of both personnel and programs we employ for the purposes of God-given church growth which honors Christ above men. May we also endeavor to be people of the Book, given to an honest, methodical and thorough study and exposition of the Word of God, given to much prayer, and always seeking the mind of Christ, rather than be deceived by the latest whims and fancies which men propose as shortcuts to local church progress.

We finally resolve that we welcome this opportunity to remind God's people not to fall prey to the wiles of the devil by being complacent, lethargic, and apathetic, but resolve to be committed, diligent, and faithful in matters of true spirituality, spiritual worship, and the evangelization of the lost for Christ before it is eternally too late.