Fundamental Truths, Bylaws & Constitution

Whereas we, being a corporate body of people of like Christian faith:

  1. Believe in the Triune God: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit.
  2. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life through His death and the power of His resurrection.
  3. Believe the Bible to be God’s word and the revelation of His will to man and accept it as our rule for faith and conduct.
  4. Believe Christian fellowship, mutual edification, and discipling efforts, in the form of churches, is God’s ordained order for His people.
  5. Believe each church is to assemble for worship, fellowship, counsel, and instruction in the Word of God, and the work of the ministry in the local community and abroad.
  6. Believe each church should exercise the gifts and offices provided for in the New Testament to manifest Christ to all creation.
  7. Believe God has called us to let our light shine before all others that they may see our good works and give glory to our Father who is in Heaven.

Therefore, we have accepted and adopted the following Statement of Fundamental Truths and Constitution. We shall seek, by the grace of God, to be governed by the Constitution as set forth, and will also seek to teach and propagate the biblical truths contained in the Statement of Fundamental Truths.

Statement of Fundamental Truths

  1. The Scriptures Inspired. The Bible is the inspired Word of God, a revelation from God to man, the infallible truth. (2 Timothy 3:16-17, Romans 15:4).
  2. The One True God. The one true God has revealed himself as the eternally self-existent, self-revealed “I AM” and has further revealed Himself as being, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Deuteronomy 6:4, Mark 12:29, Isaiah 43:10-12).
  3. Man, His Fall and Redemption. God created man and said it was good, “Let Us make man in our image, after our likeness.” But man, by his transgression, fell and his only hope of redemption is in Jesus Christ the Son of God (Genesis 1:26-31, Genesis 3:1-7, Romans 5:12-21).
  4. The Salvation of Man.
    1. Conditions of Salvation. Only through God’s grace can men be saved. Man must recognize his sinfulness and need for God. The grace of God brings men to repentance, salvation, and faith through the belief in the work the Cross, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. (Titus 2:11-14, Romans 10:13, Titus 3:4-7).
    1. Evidence of Salvation. The inward evidence to the believer of his salvation is the witness of the Spirit (Romans 8:16). The outward evidence to all men is the fruits of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23).
  5. Baptism In Water. Baptism is the outward expression that declares to the world that the believer has died with Christ and have been raised with Him to walk in newness of life (Acts 10:47-48, Romans 6:3-4).
  6. The Lord’s Supper. The Lord’s supper, consisting of the elements, bread and the fruit of the vine, is the symbol expressing our sharing of the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:3-4), a proclamation of His suffering, death and a prophecy of His second coming and is enjoined on all believers until He comes. (1 Corinthians 11:24-26)
  7. Regeneration. All people who are born again receive a new birth by which their life is regenerated by the power of God’s Holy Spirit (Titus 3:4-6). From that time forth the regenerated person has God’s Holy Spirit dwelling within them enabling them to live a holy life and empowering them to be witnesses for Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:16, 2 Peter 1:3-4, Acts 1:8).
  8. The Promise of the Father. All believers are to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit according to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ. With the Holy Spirit comes a greater power for God’s purposes, the bestowment of the gifts and their uses in the work of the ministry (Luke 24:49, Acts 1:4-5, 1 Corinthians 12:1-31). This wonderful experience is distinct from and subsequent to the experience of the new birth (Acts 10:44-46, Acts 11:15-16, Acts 15:7-9).
  9. Sanctification. The scriptures teach a life of holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we are able to obey the command, “Be holy, for I am holy.” When we are saved through faith in Christ, we are sanctified in the eyes of God through the blood of the cross. As God the Father looks at us, He sees the holiness of Jesus, which is imputed to us, and does not see our sin (Hebrews 10:10, Hebrews 13:12). We strive, by the grace of God, to daily live holy, considering ourselves dead to sin and alive to God. (Romans 6, Philippians 2:12-13, 2 Peter 1:3-4).
  10. The Church. The church is the body of Christ, with Christ being the head. It is a habitation of God with the Holy Spirit for the fulfillment of His purposes. Each believer, born of the Spirit, is an integral part of the church, His body, (Ephesians 1:22-23, Ephesians 2:19-22).
  11. The Ministry and Discipleship. The Lord calls us to proclaim the Gospel to the world and edify the body of Christ (Mark 16:15-20, Ephesians 4:11-14).
  12. The Blessed Hope. The resurrection of those who have fallen asleep in Christ will rise first, then those who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them to meet the Lord. This is the imminent and blessed hope of the Church (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, Titus 2:11-13, 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, Romans 8:23).
  13. The Lake of Fire. The devil and his demons, the beast, and the false prophet, and whoever not found written in the Book of Life, will be condemned to everlasting punishment in the lake, which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death (Revelation 19:20, Revelation 20:10-15).
  14. The New Heaven and the New Earth. We, “according to His promise, look for new heaven and a new earth wherein dwells righteousness” (Revelation 21, Revelation 22).

Bylaws / Ordinances

(A) The ordinance of Baptism by immersion in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost as commanded in the Scriptures, shall be administered to all those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. (Matthew 28:19, Colossians 2:12).

(B) The ordinance of the Lord’s Supper shall be observed regularly as a part of public worship, as commanded by the Lord. (Luke 22:19-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26).

PRIVILEGES

(C) Infants and small children may be dedicated to the Lord in the church upon the request of the parents or guardians.

(D) The ministration of laying on of hands and anointing with oil, for the healing of the sick, shall be granted as a request is made and the need may require (Mark 16:18; James 5:14).

ARTICLE I

MEMBERSHIP

Membership in Blanco Cowboy Church shall be recognized in those who give evidence of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. When a person chooses to be a part of Blanco Cowboy Church they attend, serve, and contribute financially to Blanco Cowboy Church.

(Other articles will be posted soon.)