Who Are We and What We Believe
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| Faith Missionary Baptist Church 200 S. Boulevard W/PO Box 751, Davenport, FL 33836 Phone/Fax: 863-421-7163 E-Mail: info@fmbchurch.org Pastor: Rev. Piro Varfi |
DOCTRINAL STATEMENT
We believe In:
1. The Great Commandment: Love one another just as Jesus loves us manifests our discipleship, proves
our love for God, and symbolizes our authority as New Testament churches.
2. All of the Bible is inspired of God and not only contains, but is the Word of God and is the all-sufficient
rule for faith and practice.
3. God is one Personal God who exists in three persons. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
4. The Genesis account of creation is to be accepted literally.
5. Man was created in the image of God and lived in innocence until he fell by voluntary transgression
from his sinless state, the result being that all mankind are sinners condemned before God.
6. Jesus is the Son of God and is indeed God. He was begotten by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary,
lived a perfect sinless life, vicariously suffered for sin, and died a substitutionary death on the cross,
making provision for all mankind for redemption from sin.
7.Jesus was bodily raised from the dead, appeared to His disciples, ascended into heaven, and is now at
the right hand of the Father, and as Christ was raised from the dead so shall his saints be bodily
resurrected.
8.We believe in the pre-millennial, personal, bodily return of Christ as the crowning event of the Gentile
age. This event will include the resurrection of the righteous to eternal heaven, and the Millennium will
be followed by the resurrection of the unrighteous to eternal punishment in the lake of fire. The righteous
shall then enter the eternal age.
9. The sinner is saved wholly by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and the requisites to regeneration are
repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit convicts sinners, regenerates,
seals, secures, and indwells in every believer.
10. All who trust in Jesus Christ for salvation are eternally secure in Him and shall not perish.
11.God deals with believers as His children – chastising the disobedient, and rewarding the obedient.
12. The church of the Lord Jesus Christ is a local congregation of scripturally baptized believers who have
come together to carry out the commandments of Christ. The church was established during the personal
ministry of Jesus with the promise of perpetuity - Christ promised that the gates of hell would not prevail
against it. There has been a succession of true churches adhering to the doctrines and practices of the
New Testament from the time of Christ to today. Each church is independent, and no ecclesiastical body
may exercise authority over it. The great commission was given to churches only.
13. There are two pictorial ordinances in the Lord's churches: Baptism and the Lord's Supper. Scriptural
baptism is the immersion of pentinant believers in water, administered by the authority of a New
Testament church in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Lord's Supper is a memorial
ordinance, restricted to members of the church observing the ordinance.
14. There are two divinely appointed offices in a church, pastors and deacons, to be filled by men whose
qualifications are set forth in Titus and 1 Timothy.
15. The New Testament teaches Scriptural association of Churches in all Phases of Missions.
Local
State
Inter-State
Foreign
Christian Education
All associations, fellowships, and committees are and properly should be servants of and under the control
of the churches.
16. Freedom of Worship without interference from the government and affirm our belief in civil
obedience, unless the laws and regulations run contrary to the Holy Scriptures.
17. Miraculous spiritual manifestation gifts were, for the most part, done away with when the Bible was
completed. Faith, Hope, and Love are the three categories of abiding Spiritual Gifts designated for
ministry in the church.
18. Literal Heaven for all the saved; Literal Hell for all those who reject Christ as Savior.
CHURCH HISTORY
Faith Missionary Baptist Church was started in 1988 in the Davenport community. The church moved at
its present location in 1993.
Faith Missionary Baptist Church is currently expanding its outreach and ministries with a local emphasis.
Every great work must be guided by a vision – the idea of what could be, and most of all what should be.
We believe that God’s vision for our church consists of the following:
A church where Christ’s authority is supreme, His person celebrated in worship, and His spirit prevalent in
our conduct.
A church where worship is the highest priority and main event in every meeting.
A church that is open to the community around us, always reaching forth with the Gospel of Grace.
A church that seeks to empower its members and those that join with us to seek and accomplish God's
purpose for their lives.
A church that strives for holiness and does not tolerate sin, while maintaining a high standard of quality in
every endeavor for Christ.
A church that diligently searches the Scriptures and faithfully applies biblical principles in our affairs, both
corporate and personal.
A church that will use all means available to take the Gospel to our immediate and global community.
We believe In:
1. The Great Commandment: Love one another just as Jesus loves us manifests our discipleship, proves
our love for God, and symbolizes our authority as New Testament churches.
2. All of the Bible is inspired of God and not only contains, but is the Word of God and is the all-sufficient
rule for faith and practice.
3. God is one Personal God who exists in three persons. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
4. The Genesis account of creation is to be accepted literally.
5. Man was created in the image of God and lived in innocence until he fell by voluntary transgression
from his sinless state, the result being that all mankind are sinners condemned before God.
6. Jesus is the Son of God and is indeed God. He was begotten by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary,
lived a perfect sinless life, vicariously suffered for sin, and died a substitutionary death on the cross,
making provision for all mankind for redemption from sin.
7.Jesus was bodily raised from the dead, appeared to His disciples, ascended into heaven, and is now at
the right hand of the Father, and as Christ was raised from the dead so shall his saints be bodily
resurrected.
8.We believe in the pre-millennial, personal, bodily return of Christ as the crowning event of the Gentile
age. This event will include the resurrection of the righteous to eternal heaven, and the Millennium will
be followed by the resurrection of the unrighteous to eternal punishment in the lake of fire. The righteous
shall then enter the eternal age.
9. The sinner is saved wholly by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and the requisites to regeneration are
repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit convicts sinners, regenerates,
seals, secures, and indwells in every believer.
10. All who trust in Jesus Christ for salvation are eternally secure in Him and shall not perish.
11.God deals with believers as His children – chastising the disobedient, and rewarding the obedient.
12. The church of the Lord Jesus Christ is a local congregation of scripturally baptized believers who have
come together to carry out the commandments of Christ. The church was established during the personal
ministry of Jesus with the promise of perpetuity - Christ promised that the gates of hell would not prevail
against it. There has been a succession of true churches adhering to the doctrines and practices of the
New Testament from the time of Christ to today. Each church is independent, and no ecclesiastical body
may exercise authority over it. The great commission was given to churches only.
13. There are two pictorial ordinances in the Lord's churches: Baptism and the Lord's Supper. Scriptural
baptism is the immersion of pentinant believers in water, administered by the authority of a New
Testament church in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Lord's Supper is a memorial
ordinance, restricted to members of the church observing the ordinance.
14. There are two divinely appointed offices in a church, pastors and deacons, to be filled by men whose
qualifications are set forth in Titus and 1 Timothy.
15. The New Testament teaches Scriptural association of Churches in all Phases of Missions.
Local
State
Inter-State
Foreign
Christian Education
All associations, fellowships, and committees are and properly should be servants of and under the control
of the churches.
16. Freedom of Worship without interference from the government and affirm our belief in civil
obedience, unless the laws and regulations run contrary to the Holy Scriptures.
17. Miraculous spiritual manifestation gifts were, for the most part, done away with when the Bible was
completed. Faith, Hope, and Love are the three categories of abiding Spiritual Gifts designated for
ministry in the church.
18. Literal Heaven for all the saved; Literal Hell for all those who reject Christ as Savior.
CHURCH HISTORY
Faith Missionary Baptist Church was started in 1988 in the Davenport community. The church moved at
its present location in 1993.
Faith Missionary Baptist Church is currently expanding its outreach and ministries with a local emphasis.
Every great work must be guided by a vision – the idea of what could be, and most of all what should be.
We believe that God’s vision for our church consists of the following:
A church where Christ’s authority is supreme, His person celebrated in worship, and His spirit prevalent in
our conduct.
A church where worship is the highest priority and main event in every meeting.
A church that is open to the community around us, always reaching forth with the Gospel of Grace.
A church that seeks to empower its members and those that join with us to seek and accomplish God's
purpose for their lives.
A church that strives for holiness and does not tolerate sin, while maintaining a high standard of quality in
every endeavor for Christ.
A church that diligently searches the Scriptures and faithfully applies biblical principles in our affairs, both
corporate and personal.
A church that will use all means available to take the Gospel to our immediate and global community.
Rev. Piro Varfi is a native of Albania. A graduate of Florida Baptist College (now Emmaus Baptist
College), he has pastored the church since November 2002. During this time the church has been
strengthened both through trials and blessings. The preaching and teaching of God's Word is his
highest priority as the church reaches out to the community.
Rev. Varfi also serves as Faculty member and Academic Dean of Emmaus Baptist College in Brandon
Florida and Assistant Editor to the Baptist Anchor.
STATS:
Saved: Age 14 in Sarande, ALBANIA
Education: Master of Pastoral Arts Degree (currently working on his dissertation)
Favorite color: Blue
Marital Status: Single and happy (for now)
Favorite car: Benz (but drives a Ford Taurus which runs great)
Linguistics: Fluent in Albanian, Greek, English and a little of Italian
Favorite food: Food (although leans towards Italian and can cook a mean pasta dish)
Sports: Basketball, swimming, volleyball, tennis, etc
Addictions: Blackberry (the phone)
College), he has pastored the church since November 2002. During this time the church has been
strengthened both through trials and blessings. The preaching and teaching of God's Word is his
highest priority as the church reaches out to the community.
Rev. Varfi also serves as Faculty member and Academic Dean of Emmaus Baptist College in Brandon
Florida and Assistant Editor to the Baptist Anchor.
STATS:
Saved: Age 14 in Sarande, ALBANIA
Education: Master of Pastoral Arts Degree (currently working on his dissertation)
Favorite color: Blue
Marital Status: Single and happy (for now)
Favorite car: Benz (but drives a Ford Taurus which runs great)
Linguistics: Fluent in Albanian, Greek, English and a little of Italian
Favorite food: Food (although leans towards Italian and can cook a mean pasta dish)
Sports: Basketball, swimming, volleyball, tennis, etc
Addictions: Blackberry (the phone)
The Pastor