Jeffersontown Baptist Church

Our Beliefs

We embrace a fundamentally evangelical Christian identity and are thus in agreement with historic confessions such as the Nicene Creed, the Second London Baptist Confession, and the Heidelberg Catechism, as well as the affirmations and denials set forth by Together for the Gospel. Our confessional statement is adapted from The Baptist Faith and Message.

THE BASICS

God - We believe that there is one, and only one, living and true God. He is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal Being: the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and

Ruler of the universe. God is the essence of perfection, all powerful and

all knowing; and His perfect knowledge extends to all things, past, present, and future. We believe that the eternal triune God reveals Himself to us as Father,

Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of

nature, essence, or being.

Man - We believe that in the beginning man was innocent of sin and was given the freedom of choice by his Creator. Through the temptation of Satan, and by that

free choice, man rebelled against God, bringing a nature inclined towards sin into

the human race. God's grace is the only way of restoring man's relationship with God, and enabling man to fulfill his creative purpose. We believe that man was made in God's image. In this image we see the beauty of human personality and creativity; therefore, every person of every race possesses full dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love.

Christ - We believe that Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation as Jesus Christ He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. As a man, Jesus perfectly upheld the law, and became the ultimate sacrifice for sin in His substitutionary death on the cross. He was physically raised from the dead and appeared to His disciples and over 500 others before ascending into heaven where he is now exalted at the right hand of God. He is fully God, fully man, the One Mediator between God and man. He will one day return in power and glory to judge the world and to complete His redemptive mission.

Salvation - We Believe that Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone,

in Christ alone. It is freely given to all who accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

In its broadest sense salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification,

and glorification.

A. Regeneration, or the new birth, is a work of God's grace where we become new creatures in Christ. It is a change of heart by the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, seen through conviction of sin and turning toward God in faith. We believe that turning from sin and believing in Christ are inseparable experiences of grace.

B. Justification is God's gracious and full forgiveness of our sin because of the righteousness of Christ applied to our account.

C. Sanctification is the lifelong process of becoming more like Christ. Growing

in moral and spiritual maturity.

D. Glorification is the fulfillment of salvation. Eternity in the presence of God, living in the fullness of how we were created to live.

Bible - We believe that the Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God's revelation of Himself to mankind. It has God for its author, salvation for its end,

and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter. We believe that the original writings are completely perfect and without error, and that those writings have

been preserved by God and translated by man with unwavering reliability. We believe it is the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and

religious opinions should be tested.

Baptism - We Believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience, symbolizing the believer's faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Savior; and the believer's death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ.

Lord's Supper - The Lord's Supper is a symbolic act of obedience where followers of Christ eat of the bread and drink of the cup to remember the death of the Redeemer and anticipate His second coming.

If you would like to discuss any of these core beliefs, please contact us at office@jtownbaptist.com.

Our History

On October 12, 1845, thirty people of mixed racial background chartered “The Baptist Church of Jesus Christ at Jeffersontown.” Today this same church is known as Jeffersontown Baptist Church. For years after organization, the church met together on the 4th Saturday and Sunday for preaching and fellowship. In the early decades of the church’s history, church discipline was practiced with great frequency. Members were expected to abide by the Church Covenant and those who broke it were reprimanded. Though later members would look back at this era with skepticism, the church’s effort was to establish purity within the church in hopes of honoring Christ. In 1866 the Church bought the lower level of the Masonic Lodge and began meeting there. For the next 60 years, (until 1926), the Church continued to share the Masonic Lodge with area Masons. In August of 1916, the Church disbanded and then reorganized in order to trim the church roll and reestablish a regenerate church membership.

In 1924 the church had purchased the property which we occupy today. Church records document 145 members at that time. Construction on the first building began in August of 1926. The first service was held in the basement in December of that year. The first meeting of record held in the sanctuary was on April 8, 1928. Unfortunately, in March of 1937, there was a fire and the building burnt to its foundation. However, the church family remained strong and in 1949 the current building was constructed. In 1963, Sunday School swelled to over 480 attendees, but in a matter of 16 years it had plummeted to approximately 110 members. Over the next three decades, the church’s membership plateaued to 100 - 150 members. In the Church’s history, there were over twenty pastors who served for an average of 2-5 years, while a handful of pastors served longer than 10 years. L. T. Wright, Edward Straney and Luke Bray, served the church 23 years, 29 years, and 11 years respectively. In the past decade, the church has deliberately focused on more missional activities. The church has supported church members on mission in Kenya, Yemen, South Africa, and Haiti.

In April of 2024, the church called its 40th pastor, Barry Gibson. Over the past few years, the church has been revitalizing to server our growing community, with the grace and truth found in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Email: office@jtownbaptist.com

Phone: (502) 267-1123