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

Earlier posts in this series:

• Statement or Confession of Faith?

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

2024 Giving Highlights (By Thomas Hill)

Jesus stated, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt 6:21). In his book, Budgeting for a Healthy Church, pastor Jamie Dunlop draws from Jesus’ statement a principle for churches: “To understand what really matters to a church, look past its vision statement, past its website, past its glossy brochures, and look at its budget. Follow the money. What a church treasures—how it spends its money—reveals its heart, its values, and its priorities” (15). This reality is true for Crestview.

Now that we have closed the books on 2024, I want to share several exciting observations that were made possible by your active participation and generous contributions:

In 2024, your giving allowed us to direct $100,000, or 18% of expenses, to international, regional, and local mission and relief efforts! These efforts include the cooperative program, International Mission Board, North American Mission Board, Mission Georgia, Flint River Baptist Association, Christian Women’s Center, Fayette Pregnancy Resource Center, McIntosh Baptist Church replant, Crestview Compassion, Lesotho trips, and more. Your contributions clearly demonstrate Crestview's commitment to engaging the world with the gospel, from here to the ends of the earth (Matt 28:18-20).

We devoted $65,000, or 12% of expenditures, to support gathered worship, equipping courses, disciple-making, and ministries to kids and students. Crestview clearly values worship, community, and building up our church (Eph 4:11-12).

We invested $260,000, or 46% of expenditures, in pastoral staff and families, administrative staff, and the development of elders, deacons, and their wives. Crestview clearly values and honors its leaders (1 Tim 5:17; Heb 13:17).

We applied $138,000, or 25% of expenditures, to maintaining the church campus. These costs included utilities, property insurance, and keeping fixtures and equipment operational. Crestview clearly values a functional, attractive, and safe campus as a ministry tool (Deut 22:8).

Separate from these budget expenditures, in 2024, the Henry and Myrtis Holman Memorial fund, a fund set up by past Crestview members in their estate planning to support mission work, distributed $36,000 in Crestview’s name, divided evenly, to the International Mission Board and North American Mission Board. The Holmans set up this perpetual fund in their estate planning. I suspect they will give more to missions from heaven than they did during their earthly days!

Even with your commendable efforts and your leaders’ appeals, the church fell $34,000 short of our budget goal for 2024. However, I am hopeful that with your continued generosity, we can surpass our goals in 2025, enabling us to direct more funds to the initiatives valued by the Lord and Crestview.

Our church’s budget is a key way we work together as a church in gospel ministry. Dunlop highlights the budget’s importance: ”Think of your church’s budget as a long-term mutual fund with an excellent rate of return. It’s a spiritual mutual fund” (36). May every Crestview member be thankful on that last day for every dollar we entrusted to this budget!

For His Glory,

Pastor Thomas

Replanting: Who? (By Thomas Hill)

NOTE: A significant ministry initiative planned for Crestview in 2025 is the replanting of McIntosh Baptist Church. Over three weeks, I am devoting this weekly article to answer questions related to this initiative:

Part 1: Replanting: Why? Why is this a worthy effort?

Part 2: Replanting: How? How will McIntosh be rebirthed?

Today: Replanting: Who? From where will the members of this new church come?

The final question in this series is this: From where will the members of the new McIntosh Baptist Church come? Should you consider being part of this new work?

The aim in this effort is for Crestview, our sister FRBA churches, and other interested churches to send members to join the new church. I am praying for three to five Crestview families to commit to this new work. Once McIntosh is established and functioning, the hope is for the Lord to add to the church as the members carry out the church’s biblical purposes. Initially, though, the plant team should be comprised of healthy, mature believers from sister churches. However, joining the replant team will not be for everyone, so keep reading to see if this may be right for you.

As I wrote in last week’s article, a church is formed when believers intentionally covenant together before the Lord to practice what he reveals his church to be. They promise to rightly practice the ordinances and truly proclaim God’s word. They promise to love and encourage one another’s discipleship. Together, then, they carry out the Lord’s purposes for his church: worship, fellowship, evangelism, disciple-making, and mission.

Six questions to help you consider joining the plant team for McIntosh:

1.Are you already actively involved with Crestview?

The members of the plant team for McIntosh should be composed of those who are already committed and involved in their church. Though there will be some differences, the ministry philosophy and schedule of the new church will be similar to Crestview’s. If you struggle with active involvement with Crestview, then joining McIntosh is not for you.

2. Do you understand and appreciate Crestview’s beliefs and philosophy of ministry?

McIntosh will share the same statement of faith as Crestview: Baptist Faith and Message 2000. Crestview shares most all the distinctives of McIntosh’s ministry philosophy. If you struggle with Crestview’s beliefs and philosophy of ministry, then joining McIntosh is not for you.

3. Does being part of a smaller church with an abundance of service opportunities sound exciting?

I am praying for at least fifty members to comprise the plant team (not all from Crestview). McIntosh may be a quarter of the size of Crestview when it launches this September. Those on the plant team will need to step up and serve in a variety of ways, from loving fellow members to assisting with services to cleaning toilets and mowing the lawn. Do you foresee your family thriving in such an arrangement? If you foresee struggling in a church smaller than Crestview with rudimentary service needs, then joining McIntosh is not for you.

4. Are you already a joyful, faithful giver?

As Crestview does, McIntosh will depend on the faithful, joyful giving of its members. Those who join the plant team should enthusiastically support the work financially. If you currently struggle to support Crestview financially, then joining McIntosh is not for you.  

5. Can you envision sitting under Daniel Sanderson’s preaching and leadership?

This Sunday, Jan 26, you will have the opportunity to hear Daniel Sanderson preach with Crestview. Between now and September, he will host a variety of information sessions and invest time with the prospective plant team. Those who are considering joining should invest time in getting to know Daniel by participating in these gatherings. If you foresee yourself struggling under Daniel’s preaching and leadership, then joining McIntosh is not for you. To learn more about Daniel and the replanting meetings, check out: McIntosh Replant Site

6. Have you discussed your potential interest with your current pastor and Daniel Sanderson?

If you are considering joining the McIntosh replant, Crestview members should discuss this with me sooner rather than later. I welcome the opportunity to prayerfully consider this decision together. Crestview’s elders and church hope to commission several families to join the work. You should also make your interest known to Daniel. If, over the coming months, you find yourself answering six questions in the affirmative, then the Spirit may be guiding you to become part of the McIntosh replant.

As you can see, joining the McIntosh replant is a high call. It is for those who desire to be local “missionaries” endeavoring to establish a new healthy church. Those who wish to join will, in time, be affirmed by Daniel and the elders of the new McIntosh church and commissioned by Crestview, or their current church, for this mission.

Undoubtedly, the vast majority of Crestview members will remain in our church. For those staying at Crestview, how can you encourage the replant of McIntosh?

• PRAY for the Lord to bless the replanting of McIntosh Baptist Church.

• SEND out members well. Encourage them as they prepare to depart in the coming months and look to fill the holes they leave behind in our church family.

• GIVE to Crestview. Our 2025 ministry budget includes monthly support for the McIntosh replant. As you support Crestview, you are enabling us to undergird this new work together. 

• SERVE as needs arise. There will be opportunities to serve by aiding in tangible ways, such as work projects around the McIntosh church campus.

Join me in praying for several families from Crestview and from sister churches in the region to join this new work. Though most of us will remain with Crestview, there are valuable ways we can all support the replanting of the new McIntosh Baptist Church. May our Lord strengthen Crestview, and may his kingdom come and will be done in Griffin and Spalding as it is in heaven.

For His Glory,

Pastor Thomas

Replanting: How? (By Thomas Hill)

NOTE: A significant ministry initiative planned for Crestview in 2025 is the replanting of McIntosh Baptist Church. Over three weeks, I am devoting this weekly article to answer questions related to this initiative:

Last Week: Replanting: Why? Why is this a worthy effort?

Today: Replanting: How? How will McIntosh be rebirthed?

Jan 20: Replanting: Who? From where will the members of this new church come?

How will those involved carry out the replanting of McIntosh Baptist Church? How will it be rebirthed?

With Reliance on the Lord

Scripture reveals that the Lord establishes and strengthens his church for his glory and purposes in the world. After Peter confesses Jesus' Lordship, Jesus declares, "I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matt 16:18). Jesus, therefore, promises to expand and guard his church. Paul teaches the church in Ephesus that "Through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places” (Eph 3:10). God’s wisdom, then, shows forth in the world through local churches. Paul instructs Timothy that the local church is the Lord’s priority: “I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth” (1 Tim 3:14-15). The local church protects and proclaims the truth the living Lord has revealed. The Lord highly regards his church and has given birth to it for his glory.

Most fundamentally, then, the replanting of McIntosh Baptist Church must be the Lord’s work carried out through his people. He must bless, build, and sustain it. It is our responsibility, then, to rely upon him by utilizing his ordained means for this work. We must pray. Will you pray daily for this effort to honor the Lord and thrive? We must diligently follow Scripture, employ sound doctrine, and apply wisdom. We must keep in step with the Holy Spirit. Then, we must give time, money, service, and members to this work. After all, Jesus warned, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

With a Clarity about the Nature of the Church

One potential hindrance to replanting can be fuzziness about what a local church is. A local church is not established by having a building, a website, a worship service, evangelism, or even a crowd—as vital as these may be. A church is formed when believers intentionally covenant together before the Lord to practice what the Lord reveals a church to be. They promise to rightly practice the ordinances and truly proclaim the word. They promise to love and encourage one another’s discipleship. Together, then, they carry out the Lord’s purposes for his church: worship, fellowship, evangelism, disciple-making, and mission. Throughout the process of replanting McIntosh, there will be clarity about the nature of the church.

With Cooperation from Multiple Churches

Replanting McIntosh will be the united effort of many Baptist churches united in the gospel. Primarily, the forty-five churches of the Flint River Baptist Associational Network are leading the way. We also expect other churches from outside our immediate area to support the work. All these churches will contribute in varied ways according to their abilities. The initial members of the new McIntosh will, likewise, come from these cooperating churches. A few will be sent from here and a few from there. My prayer is that the church will covenant in September with fifty initial members commissioned from sister churches in the region.

With a Purposeful Process

The replanting effort will follow a purposeful process that, Lord willing, will birth a new McIntosh Baptist Church this September.

INTEREST MEETINGS: From January to March, Daniel Sanderson, McIntosh's new pastor, will conduct interest meetings for anyone interested in learning more. At these meetings, he will describe the vision and process of the replant. These interest meetings will be the primary season for recruiting potential members.

PLANT TEAM FORMATION: From April to August, Daniel will begin meeting regularly with those who have the most interest in potentially joining the new church. Together, this group will start considering what it means to be a church together.

COVENANTING: In September, those in the plant team who desire to be initial members of the church will covenant together to be the new McIntosh Baptist Church.

PUBLIC GATHERINGS: The Sunday following covenanting, the church will start public worship gatherings and functioning as a church.

To learn more about Daniel and the replanting process, check out the McIntosh Replant Site.

As McIntosh Baptist Church is replanted, our aim is to rely upon the Lord, remain clear about the nature of the church, cooperate with sister churches, and follow a purposeful process. As we do, our aim is that all our churches will show forth the manifold wisdom of God.

For His Glory,

Pastor Thomas

Replanting: Why? (By Thomas Hill)

A significant ministry initiative planned for Crestview in 2025 is the replanting of McIntosh Baptist Church. Over the next three weeks, I am devoting this weekly article to answer questions related to this initiative:

Today: Replanting: Why? Why is this a worthy effort?

Jan 13: Replanting: How? How will McIntosh be rebirthed?

Jan 20: Replanting: Who? From where will the members of this new church come?

Why is replanting McIntosh Baptist Church a worthy effort? I will answer this question on several fronts. First, I will provide some background.

Background

McIntosh Baptist Church, founded in 1894, has a long history on the north side of Griffin. The Lord worked through this church over the past decades to affect many lives in our region – including some of our own Crestview members. However, for a variety of reasons, the church fell into steady decline over many years. Participation dwindled to an average of fifteen people, which pressed the church to consider its future viability. Crestview’s elders were instrumental in guiding McIntosh to entrust the Flint River Baptist Association to replant the church. In May 2024, the church made the unanimous kingdom-minded decision to continue the vision and purpose of the church through replanting. The church held its last gathering in December.

The goal of replanting is to fold the church’s remaining assets into a completely new church that will gather in the same location. The new McIntosh Baptist Church will have new leadership, new members coming from sister churches, and a fresh vision of ministry. Former members may choose to join the new church or move on to other local churches. Daniel Sanderson will serve as the replanting pastor. Throughout the winter and spring, he will promote the replant within the association, assemble a replant team of initial members, reconstitute the church, and launch public gatherings in September 2025 (Lord willing).

Biblical Reasons for Replanting:

Most importantly, there are sound biblical reasons for starting – and replanting - new churches. The storyline of Acts proves that the local church is the instrument of God’s mission in the world. For example, we read in Acts how the church of Ephesus was planted through gospel preaching and subsequently started other churches: The word of God is preached in Ephesus (11:19-20); people believe (11:21-26); the church gathers and grows (11:26); the church sends out missionaries (13:1-3); and the cycle of church planting starts afresh in Asia Minor (Acts 14 and beyond). The mission of the church is to start new churches through the preaching of the gospel and conversion of unbelievers. There are many more biblical reasons, but the storyline of Acts is considerable evidence for starting new churches.

Practical Reasons:

There are several practical reasons for replanting McIntosh. First, the former members of the church wanted to see this work carried out. Without kingdom-minded members who were willing to trust their association of sisters FRBA churches, this would not be possible. Second, the church has a highly visible facility on Highway 92 that features a beautiful 150-seat worship center and various other spaces. It needs maintenance and updating, but the campus can be a superb ministry tool for a new, healthy church for decades to come. Third, this is our opportunity to save a church facility for kingdom use. If replanting does not occur, the campus would likely be sold and lost for church use. Due to zoning, resistance, and expense, churches are increasingly finding it challenging to obtain facilities in which to gather. By replanting McIntosh, we are capitalizing on the investment that generations of members made to establish their campus as a beachhead for Christ's kingdom in our region.

Demographic Reasons:

We have done the demographic research, and it reveals that a new, healthy church is needed in north Griffin. Within a 5-mile radius of McIntosh (and Crestview!) live 45,000 people. We estimate that 80% of the people are unbelievers, which is 36,000! Individuals will generally drive no more than 10 minutes, or 5 miles, to gather with a church. Compare these facts to the estimated combined seating capacity of all existing churches within a 5-mile radius of the McIntosh campus: 5,000 seats. So, yes, there is plenty of room in the harvest field for at least one more new, healthy church to reach the tens of thousands in our community who are are lost in sin. What's more, we are not adding a new church facility; we are saving one from being lost to this mission!

Cooperative Reasons:

First, the Lord calls us to cooperate with sister churches in the great commission. Churches are independent yet interdependent. Again, see the example in Acts: the church in Jerusalem sent both Barnabas and then Saul to serve the newly formed church in Ephesus (Acts 11). They were later, then, commissioned to start other churches in Asia Minor.

The Lord is not likely to win our region to himself through Crestview alone; our community is too populated. We must not stand in competition with other churches but in cooperation – rejoicing to see them preach the gospel and grow. Frankly, I believe that Crestview’s future will be found in leading the charge to plant, replant, and revitalize sister churches in the Griffin/Spading region and beyond. McIntosh is only the first, I pray, of many. I have little desire to see our church build more extensive facilities when the opportunities for replanting and revitalizing sister churches are so abundant (and cost-effective).

Second, we are one of many churches that are cooperating to replant McIntosh. Woolsey Baptist, Pinecrest Church, and First Baptist Zebulon are providing significant leadership and financial support. The forty-five churches of the FRBA are collaborating in this work. Mount Vernon Baptist Church in Sandy Springs is sending a pastor and, potentially, more members. Christ Memorial Church in Vermont is sending a team of fifty-six members on a construction mission trip in February. The bottom line: we are not doing this alone, but we must do our part.

Conclusion:

Why should McIntosh be replanted? I have laid out a handful of biblical, practical, demographic, and cooperative reasons. We could develop many more motives. Still, this much is clear: there are many solid reasons for Crestview to support replanting McIntosh.

For His Glory,

Pastor Thomas