We are a Gospel church
The Gospel is the good news of an event. The event is that Jesus Christ died for our sins, and that he rose again on the third day. It is good news because we are sinners, alienated from God and in ourselves without any hope of rescue from God’s righteous judgment which is coming in all men. But all those who look to Jesus for Salvation will be saved. Those who by faith are joined to Jesus Christ are justified, adopted, sanctified and live in hope of the resurrection of the dead and glorification.
We are a Baptist church
- We believe that the command of the Lord Jesus is that only those who have made a credible profession of faith are to be baptized.
- We believe that the membership of the church is limited to those who have experienced the new birth and upon credible profession have been baptized.
- We believe that the Lord has ordained two offices in the church: elder and deacon.
- A Baptist church is congregational, recognizing that each local congregation is independent, autonomous under the headship of Christ as opposed to being under an ecclesial body governing over the local church.
- Read our statement of faith here.
We are a confessional, or Reformed Baptist church
- The London Baptist Confession of Faith is our full doctrinal statement. It is a theologically informed, Biblically grounded, and helpfully organized historic statement of our convictions.
- Robert Martin has a helpful essay which explains the legitimacy and use of confessions of faith. Read it here.
- Another good resource is Carl Trueman's book The Credal Imperative, which makes the longer argument not just for the benefit but for the absolute need to have such a doctrinal statement.
Where we worship
Outside
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Sanctuary
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"Examine your own hearts. Do you see there any habit or custom which you know is wrong in the sight of God? If you do, don't delay for a moment in attacking it. Resolve at once to lay it aside. Nothing darkens the eyes of the mind so much, and deadens the conscience so surely, as an allowed sin. It may be a little one, but it is not any less dangerous."
J. C. Ryle (1816-1900)
J. C. Ryle (1816-1900)
Meet OUR PASTOR
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PASTOR JOEL ZARTMAN
Joel Zartman was called to West Side Baptist in March of 2019. He was born in Uruguay in South America to missionary parents; he grew up in Colombia and Mexico City. He attended Central Baptist Seminary in Minneapolis and is currently doing work on Church History at Westminster Seminary in Philadelphia. He and his wife live in Hanover.
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