OUR STORY
Raising the banner of our Lord!
In the year 1931, it pleased our Lord to awaken persons in the Ohio Valley to the fact that in these last days, the banner of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ needed to be held high and that the Gospel of Christ crucified was needed to be preached in its purity.
On January 3rd, 1931, the following ministers met at the North Moreland Church, Portsmouth, Ohio: Van B. Williams, Williams Williams, S.P. Creech, C.A. Wright, A.L. Baldridge, Hollie Conley, J.F. Sparks, Flord see, H.H. Perkins, Robert Meenach and F.R. Kitchen. Rev. Van B. Williams was chosen as moderator pro tem and preceded to call the meeting to order. A presbytery was selected with Van B. Williams, moderator, J.F. Sparks, clerk: and Hollie Conley, assistant clerk.
Rev. John Kemper and Rev. James Upton of the Scioto Yearly Conference of Free Will Baptists and W.A. Hay of the Enterprise Association of Regular Baptist assisted in the work of the organization The Articles of Faith, Constitution and Rules of Decorum, which had been prepared, were read before the body and unanimously accepted. The moderator appointed J.F. Sparks and Hollie Conley as a committee on credentials, also S.P. Creech, William Williams and C.A. Wright as committee on arrangements.
Firebrick Chapel (Firebrick, Ky), Westwood Mission (Ashland, KY), Mabert Road Church (Portsmouth, OH), and North Moreland (Portsmouth, OH) were accepted into the organization. The association being now permanently organized, the following officers were elected: Van B. Williams (moderator), William Williams (assistant moderator), Hobart Day (Clerk), and J.F. Sparks (assistant clerk).
The name of the association was then discussed and it was decided it would be known as the Ohio Valley Association of Christian Baptists.
The full name today is the Ohio Valley Association of Christian Baptist Churches of God.
Now, there are 25 Christian Baptist Churches in the association in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia. We also support and over 200 in other nations.
WHAT WE BELIEVE
Articles of Faith
We believe in one true and living God, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, equal in essence, power and glory.
We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He was born of the virgin Mary and the scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the inspired Word of God, and that the New Testament is our rule of faith and practice. The King James Bible is the only version to be read in our churches. Other versions are of no more value than a commentary on the scriptures.
We believe that by the offense of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life by which the grace of God became equally accessible to all men. Rom. 5:18
We believe that sinners are justified by the grace of God, received by repentance toward God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
We believe that the church of Christ is composed only of those who are partakers of the Holy Ghost and the powers of the world to come.
We believe that those only who have received remission of sins are subjects for baptism and that immersion in water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost is the only mode.
We believe that the Lord's supper and the washing of one another's feet should be practiced by the saints of God until Jesus comes.
We believe that the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth and that it is commanded to be preached to every creature: that all men are responsible for the manner in which they hear.
We believe that there is but one true church and that every member thereof is an heir of God and joint heir with Christ, if so be that we suffer with Him that we may be also glorified together. Rom. 8:17
We believe in the support of the ministry as set forth in the scriptures.
We believe in the doctrine of salvation for sinners through the blood of Jesus Christ for a cleansing from all sin.
We believe in Sanctification as taught in John 17, Rom. 12:1-2, 1 Thess. 5, 2 Tim. 2:21, to all believers in Christ as preparation for sacred service. It is the result of complete consecration and is a second work of grace received after regeneration. Sanctification is wrought by the baptism of the Holy Ghost and is an increase of power, makes the Christian more able to stand against the wiles of Satan, better qualified for the service of the Lord, and brings increased joy to the Christian's heart. We do not believe in speaking in an unknown tongue as a witness of the baptism.
We believe in divine healing for the body as set forth in the fifth chapter of James.
We believe that we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous, and that He is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but the sins of the world.
We believe in the resurrection of the dead, of the just and the unjust and that the happiness of the righteous and the punishment of the wicked will be eternal.
We believe that every person is created in the image of God, that human sexuality reflects that image in terms of intimate love, communication, and fellowship. God's Word makes use of the marriage relationship as the supreme metaphor for His relationship with His covenant people and for revealing the truth that that relationship is of one God with one people. Therefore, God's plan for human sexuality is that it is to be expressed only in a monogamous lifelong covenant relationship between one man and one woman within the framework of marriage. This is the only relationship which is divinely designed for the birth and rearing of children and is a covenant union made in the sight of God, taking priority over every other human relationship. To follow the teachings of the Scriptures regarding marriage and divorce. We affirm that sexual relationships outside of marriage and sexual relationships between persons of the same sex are immoral and sinful. We further affirm that heterosexual monogamy is God's plan for marriage. We believe that the grace of God is all-sufficient to overcome the desire for and practice of sexual immorality. “Sexual immorality” includes but is not limited to incest, adultery, homosexuality, lesbianism, bestiality, fornication, pedophilia or lascivious activity such as the use of pornography in its varied forms. Gen. 1:27-28; 2:18-24, 19; Leviticus 18, 20; Deuteronomy 23:18; Judges 19-20; Mark 10:2-12; Luke 16:18l Romans 1:24-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11).