Penia Baptist Church is a New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ and as such, is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the two ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in us by His Word, and seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth. Our congregation operates under the Lordship of Christ through democratic processes. In this congregation each member is responsible and accountable to Christ as Lord. Our scriptural officers are the pastor and deacons. While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of the pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.

The New Testament speaks also of the church as the Body of Christ which includes all of the redeemed of all the ages, believers from every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation.

We are Penia Baptist Church and therefore, We, the members of the PENIA BAPTIST CHURCH, INC. of CORDELE, GEORGIA, having been led, as we believe by the Spirit of God, to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, and on the profession of our faith, having been baptized by immersion in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, have in the presence of God, and the congregation, entered into a covenant with each other, as one body in Christ.

We, therefore agree, by the help of the Holy Spirit along with the Bible, the inspired Word of God as our guide, to walk together in Christian love, to strive for the advancement of this church, to promote spirituality, to sustain its worship, discipline and doctrine; to observe the church ordinances of believer’s baptism and the Lord’s Supper as authorized by our local church; to contribute cheerfully and regularly of God’s tithes and our offerings to the support of the ministry of our church, and to the spread of the gospel to all nations.

We agree to encourage personal and family devotions; to educate our children according to our faith; to seek the salvation of the unbeliever, to be just in our dealings, to be reliable in our responsibilities, and to serve as an example to those around us; to abstain from the sale and use of alcohol, drugs, and other substances harmful to our bodies, which are the temples of God; to use our influences to combat the abuse of all such harmful substances; and to work untiringly for the advancement of the kingdom of our Savior by witnessing in words and actions.

We agree to walk in Christian harmony and watchfulness, to give and receive assistance with meekness and affection; to pray for one another; to help each other in sickness and sorrow; to be slow to get angry; to always be eager for reconciliation, seeking it without delay. 

We further agree that, when we move from this area, we will as soon as possible unite with some other church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God’s Word.