Non-denominational
Historically, Baptists have been known as "Men of the Book," by both Catholics and Protestants. They
also are historically known as owing allegiance to no ecclesiastical body, professing no earthly head but
only a heavenly one, the Lord Jesus Christ, and no authority but the Bible itself. This allows them to
teach the Bible without the poison of denominational error and the false traditions of men.
Denominationalism is in itself foreign to the Bible. Every Church in the Bible was a local, independent
Church carrying the authority of God, with Jesus as
its head and the Bible as its mandate and guidebook. In addition, each one carried the authority to Baptize
with the Baptism they had received and which Jesus himself had received- that of John the Baptist.
Jesus, by submitting to the Baptist's baptism, gave His seal of approval to that baptism and
it was handed down from that first Church He had started at Jerusalem to every New Testament
Church started by the believers that went out from that Church. There was no
denominationalism; that was a later heretical invention of men who sought to control other churches
contrary to the Bible which teaches that the local Church is to submit ONLY to Jesus Christ.
The Independent Baptists of today are the ONLY group that carries on that same biblical
precept of the Independent, autonomous, New Testament Church, carrying the Baptism of John,
which Jesus Christ himself gave His seal of approval to as the proper and only acceptable
Baptism pleasing to God as an act of obedience.
No other group, Catholic or Protestant follows those biblical precepts.
Many groups that call themselves Baptist today are Protestant rather than Independent.
They are not of the lineage of the Independent New Testament churches descended from the
original Church started by Jesus Christ himself.
The Independent Churches were known by many names since the time of Christ. Most of their names echo down
through the pages of history resounding with the names of millions of martyrs from many different groups.
Waldensians, Montanists, and ana-Baptists are but a few of the Independent groups from which those martyrs
came. They existed long before Catholicism reared its head; they existed separate from Catholicism after
Catholicism gained its power; and they existed separate from the later Catholic offshoots that began with the
Reformation but which later were known as the Protestants and became the various mainline denominations.
Therefore, any Church today that considers itself either Catholic or Protestant is obviously NOT a
biblical New Testament Church because it has put itself in the Catholic group proper or in the Catholic
offshoot group known as the Protestants. Either way, they have declared themselves to be part of a group
that is outside of biblical Christianity. And that includes ANY "Baptists" that consider themselves as
part of some type of Protestant "denomination."
When we call ourselves Independent Baptists we are not delineating that we are part of the Baptist
denomination, instead we are stating what we are and what we do. We are Independent in the way that Christ
set up His Church and we Baptize with the baptism of John the Baptist. Therefore, we call ourselves
"Independent Baptists," which term carries NO denominational connotation but instead is merely
a statement of position and function.
We are NOT Protestant.
We owe allegiance to NO ecumenical body or denomination.
We recognize NO head but Jesus Christ.
And we recognize NO authority but the Bible.
We ARE Independent New Testament churches.
And we DO baptize with the Baptism of John.
Therefore we ARE Independent Baptists!
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Such historical adherence to the teachings of God through the study of His infallible Word without the admixture of
denominationalism allows the existence of SLBC to meet the specific needs
of those who want a true Bible education. One that is TRUE TO and STRAIGHT FROM THE BIBLE!
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Through SLBC you will study the Bible in the exact way that God prescribed in that Bible.
Through SLBC you will be able to have full confidence in not only the quality of your education, but
also confidence in the content of what you will study.
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All of the professors at SLBC are currently pastoring or working full-time in Independent Baptist churches.
They all hold to the Bible as their only rule for faith and practice; and because of that you know that what they
teach you will be both biblical and doctrinally sound.
From them you will be taught none of the doctrines of men- only the doctrines of God, exactly as they
are taught by Him in His preserved, infallible Word!
If this is the type of God-pleasing Bible education that you are seeking, then
SLBC is definitely for you!
