We believe that all associations, fellowships, and committees are, and properly should be, servants of, and under control of the churches (Matt. We believe that God deals with believers as His children, that He chastises the disobedient, and that He rewards the obedient (Matt. Many of the denominations self-governing regions, such as the Evergreen Association in Washington and the Rochester-Genesee region in New York, openly accept churches disassociated from other regions because they accept unrepentant homosexuals as members. 4:13-18; 2 Thess. 21. , Sticky notes 3:21). 12. Dr. Gardner Taylor was a servant of God whose service in ministry stood large. We profess the Christian faith as contained in the Old and New Testaments. 10:39; 1 Peter 1:5). NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)Following the approval of a large majority of its churches, the board of the American Baptist Churches Pacific Southwest region voted unanimously May 11 to withdraw from its covenant relationship with its parent denomination. 7:2-4; Eph. 19; Rev. The denominations general board has refused to discipline the regions who accept such churches, citing Baptist freedom and local church autonomy as reasons. GOD There is one living and true God, the creator of the universe (Exod. 2:9; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Peter 3:18; 2 Peter 3:9; 1 John 2:2). Resolutions: 4:18-22; Matt. chapters 12-14). Children in Poverty, D Employment (Revised 6/07) The ABC (USA) is a longtime member of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA), a global Baptist fellowship. We believe that the suffering and death of Jesus Christ was substitutionary for all mankind and is efficacious only to those who believe (Isa. chapters 12-14). 2:8, 9), and that the Holy Spirit convicts sinners, regenerates, seals, secures, and indwells every believer (John 3:6; John 16:8, 9; Rom. The American Baptist Association is a worldwide group of independent Baptist churches voluntarily associating in their efforts to fulfill the Great Commission. Policy Statements: How important the Bible is to everything the American Baptist Association upholds. 22:12). American Baptists in West Virginia narrowly rejected a proposal to withdraw from the ABC (USA) at their meeting last year.