Beliefs

Westwood Baptist Church has adopted the Baptist Faith & Message 2000 as its Confession of Faith. You can access an online copy of the BF&M 2000 clicking the above link.

What you will find in this Confession is:

1. Largely a Christian Confession

Most Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants are able to affirm many of the statements found in this document.

2. Largely a Protestant Confession

Most Protestant Churches (not Catholic or Orthodox) are able to affirm most of the statements found in this document.

3. A Baptist Confession

While this Confession finds broad agreement with other Christian Churches, it is distinctively Baptist. Three chief Baptist practices are Believer’s Baptism, Regenerate Church Membership, and Congregational Polity.

Baptists believe that Christian Baptism is reserved for those who have confessed Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, therefore WBC will not baptize infants.

Baptists practice Regenerate Church Membership. Only Christians who have been baptized after a confession of faith may be received into local church membership. We do commit our little ones to prayer. We do give instruction to them as they grow. We do give them our love and care. However they are not recognized as local church members until they believe and are baptized.

Baptists also practice a Congregational form of Church Government. While certain responsibilities are delegated to staff and committees, significant decisions are voted upon by the congregation. Only local church members of Westwood may vote in Church Meetings.