Statement of Faith

From NHC 1853 to BFM 2000: Why did Crestview’s Statement of Faith Change? (By Thomas Hill)

Earlier posts in this series:

When Crestview was covenanted in 1957, the members used the New Hampshire Confession of Faith (1853 version) as the church’s doctrinal statement. Today, the church uses the Baptist Faith and Message 2000. When and why did the church change? Over the last few weeks, I have been asking long-time church members this question and looking for answers in the church's records.

BFM 1963

At the 1963 Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Kansas City, Missouri, messengers adopted a revision of the 1925 BFM. By 1982, perhaps earlier, Crestview was using the BFM 1963 as its doctrinal statement, according to the constitution and bylaws dating from that year. Connie Otis related that Pastor Ed Sission was keen on using the doctrinal statement recognized by the national and Georgia conventions because of his concern about the growing influence of liberal theology. The change to the BFM 1963 marked the first modification in Crestview’s doctrinal statement.

BFM 2000

By 2004, the church updated its doctrinal statement a second time. When Southern Baptists convened in Orlando, Florida, during the summer of 2000, they strengthened the BFM to reflect the growing conservative convictions of the convention. In the wake of this update, theologically moderate SBC churches kept the 1963 version or withdrew fellowship entirely. Conservative churches, marked by their belief in the inerrancy and sufficiency of Scripture, affirmed the BFM 2000. Crestview’s adoption of this new version of the BFM was a substantial, if non-controversial, move by the church. Several members related to me how the church gladly and peacefully received the BFM 2000 without rancor or division. Such was not the case in some SBC churches during that period.

Lessons to Learn

We may draw three lessons from this history. First, doctrinal statements need periodic updates. The Bible does not change over time, but the challenges the church faces do change. The worlds of 1853, 1963, 1982, 2000, and 2025 are vastly different.

Second, because Crestview’s doctrinal history has tended to follow the influence of the SBC, our church has shared the strengths and weaknesses of the BFM. The BFM has many strengths, but one of its weaknesses may be that it is a consensus document for a convention made up of thousands of churches. The primary purpose of the BFM is to give doctrinal guardrails for SBC entities and to identify cooperating churches. A consensus statement of faith may not provide the precision a local church needs. I am not suggesting that a local church should not use the BFM, but when using it, a church should not be surprised to find itself navigating diverse convictions on various issues among its members.

Third, we have changed it in the past, so we ought to expect Crestview’s statement of faith to change in the future. As I monitor controversies at the national SBC level, I am surprised at the unorthodox interpretations that some contend are within the boundaries of the BFM 2000 (like egalitarian leadership and open communion, to name two). I suspect a new BFM update may be on the horizon in the next decade (perhaps sooner than later). As a church, we must remain steadfastly committed to "the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3). We must not compromise biblical fidelity. However, we may need to update our statement of faith occasionally to address new challenges in this sinful, fallen world faithfully. Thankfully, the Lord has given us his Book to guide us.

For His Glory,

Pastor Thomas

Why Did Crestview Use the New Hampshire Confession? (By Thomas Hill)

Earlier posts in this series:

On January 6, 1957, 113 believers covenanted to form Crestview Baptist Church in Griffin, GA. In the covenanting service, each signed the church covenant and statement of faith. The church utilized the New Hampshire Confession of Faith (NHC) as its doctrinal statement (the 1853 update, not the 1833 version, as I incorrectly wrote last week). These original signed documents hang in the hallway outside our worship center.

This sounds relatively straightforward, but it does raise an interesting question. If the Baptist Faith and Message (BFM) was adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) in 1925, thirty-two years before Crestview was formed, why did Crestview utilize the older NHC? I can imagine a few possible reasons.

First, as Timothy George explains, in the late 1800s and 1900s, churches across the American South widely accepted the NHC.[1] Gordon Wood, Crestview’s founding pastor, and many of the original members formed Crestview after withdrawing from DeVotie Baptist Church. Since it was founded in 1891, I suspect DeVotie may have been using the NHC. Therefore, one possible reason Crestview used the NHC is that it merely retained DeVotie’s confessional statement.

Second, the BFM was a doctrinal statement for the Convention, not necessarily for local churches. Local churches already possessed statements of faith. The SBC's approval of the BFM formed doctrinal moorings for convention entities and helped churches rally around the Cooperative Program (also adopted in 1925, coincidentally).[2] Therefore, a second possible reason Crestview used the NHC was its precedent among SBC churches before the BFM was written.

Third, perhaps the original members of Crestview preferred the NHC over the BFM. While the writers of the BFM used the NHC as a starting point, they expanded the BFM to include articles on evangelism and missions, education, stewardship, and cooperation.[3] These articles primarily undergird cooperative support of mission boards and seminaries. Such inclusions made the BFM valuable to the Convention yet less needful for a local church. Finally, a third possible reason Crestview used the NHC was that it was more suitable as a local church’s statement of faith.

These three reasons stand as possible reasons Crestview was formed using the NHC. (Perhaps there are others). Interestingly, between 1957 and 2004, Crestview changed its statement of faith to the Baptist Faith and Message. I'll look more closely at this in my next post.

For His Glory,

Pastor Thomas

[1] Timothy George, Baptist Confessions, Covenants, and Catechisms, 12.

[2] Timothy George, Baptist Confessions, Covenants, and Catechisms, 13.

[3] See the Preamble to the BFM 1925: “Your committee have decided to recommend the New Hampshire Confession of Faith, revised at certain points, and with some additional articles growing out of present needs, for approval by the Convention…”

Where Did Statements of Faith Begin? (By Thomas Hill)

Earlier posts in this series:

 

In this series of articles, I am reflecting on the profound role of our church's statement of faith. Today, I want to consider where statements of faith began. Let’s take a condensed tour through church history.

First, we discover brief statements of doctrine in Scripture:

  • Exodus 34:6–7: “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”

  • Deuteronomy 6:4: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.”

  • 1 Corinthians 15:3–5: “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.”

  • 1 Timothy 3:16: “Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.”

The Spirit inspired these biblical summary statements. Believers across the ages have treasured, memorized, and repeated them as potent declarations and heartfelt expressions of devotion and doctrine.

Next, after biblical times, believers and their churches have stated the truth openly, clearly, and precisely. Summary statements of the Bible's teaching served the church by promoting clear confession. Let's admit the Bible is a thick book and has been interpreted in numerous ways. Therefore, summary statements about what believers understand the Bible to teach have proven to be valuable, durable tools. Statements of faith are not inspired Scripture, so they should always be revised in light of Scripture. Still, they have proven effective.

Statements of faith have not only helped believers positively confess their faith but also helped to protect the church from strange doctrine. For example, the early creeds of the church helped to defend against a host of heresies related to the nature of God.

By the fourth century, we find the church writing statements of faith:

  • The Apostle’s Creed, A. D. 300-400

  • The Nicene Creed, 325

  • The Chalcedonian Creed, 451

  • The Athanasian Creed, A. D. 400-500

  • The Augsburg Confession, 1530: Martin Luther’s statement of faith.

  • Short Confession of Faith in Twenty Articles, 1609: One of the earliest Baptist statements of faith by John Smyth.

  • The London Confession of Faith (1644)

  • The Philadelphia Confession of Faith (1742): one of the first Baptist statements of faith in the American colonies.

  • The New Hampshire Confession of Faith (1833): Crestview’s original statement of faith.

  • The Baptist Faith & Message (1925, updated in 1963 and 2000): Crestview’s current statement of faith.

As one can see, there is a long history of believers—Baptists included — setting forth their convictions in brief summary statements and then revising them as needed. These summary statements enabled churches to keep unity around the most essential teachings of Scripture and be clear where interpretations of Scripture differed.

Timothy George concludes: “From their beginning Baptist Christians have set fourth their most cherished convictions about God, salvation, the church, and the life of faith in confessions, covenants, and catechisms. The malign neglect of these important primary sources has certainly contributed to the theological amnesia and spiritual myopia which afflict all too many Baptists today.”[1]

Statements of faith are helpful instruments for preserving the gospel and strengthening the church. They have existed in one form or another since biblical times. May the history of such statements reinforce our appreciation of the importance of Crestview’s statement of faith.

For His Glory,

Pastor Thomas


[1] Timothy George, Baptist Confessions Covenant, and Catechisms, 1-2.

Statement or Confession of Faith? (By Thomas Hill)

Today, I embark on a series of articles delving into the profound role of a church's statement of faith. In this series, we will explore how our doctrinal statement not only serves as an educational resource for our faith but also acts as a guardrail, steering us away from straying off the path of sound belief and practice.

To truly grasp the significance of a statement of faith, we must first understand the place of confession. Confession, the verbalization of sincerely held belief, is more than just words. As Paul explains, it is a manifestation of faith: "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved” (Rom 10:9–10). Genuine confession is rooted in a heart conviction.

When Peter confessed Jesus as "the Christ, the Son of the living God,” Jesus acknowledged the divine source of this confession: "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven" (Matt 16:16–17). This revelation underscores the spiritual depth of true confession, which is rooted in God's work of regeneration. Through this divine process, the Lord enlightens the heart with the glory of Christ and enables his apprehension (2 Cor. 4:6). Verbalizing the lordship of Jesus Christ is not just a mere act of speech, but a profound expression that arises from an enlightened, transformed heart.

The most profound and condensed confession of faith remains: “Jesus Christ is Lord” (1 Cor 12:3). John affirms such straightforward expressions as the indicator of sincere faith: “By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God” (1 Jo 4:2). The confession of one’s faith, then, is of supreme importance.

A confession of faith, another term for a statement of faith. For a statement of faith to be truly effective, two things must be true. First, the statement must accurately express heart convictions. Second, and equally importantly, believers must voluntarily subscribe to the statement. This voluntary subscription is not just a formality, but a responsibility that each believer should take seriously. A statement of faith that does not accurately convey the heart is worthless. Furthermore, a statement of faith that is superficial – merely ecclesiastical boilerplate – is of little use. Yet, just as we benefit tremendously from singing lyrically rich hymns in gathered worship, a written statement of faith can also assist us in expressing our heart’s convictions.

If someone asked you to confess your faith by summarizing the most essential truths about the Lord, how would you do this? I hope you will perceive the immense value of Crestview's statement of faith in assisting you in articulating your understanding of the Bible's key doctrines.

 For His Glory,

 Pastor Thomas