WELCOME
WHO WE ARE
Thank you for taking a moment to visit our website. We hope that you find this site helpful so that when you come and visit Anchor Baptist in person you will have an idea of who we are and it will help you feel like family.
Anchor Baptist Church of San Diego is a welcoming group of people whose heart is to glorify Jesus Christ as we journey through life together.
OUR CORE VALUES
We value the Bible's power to transform lives through the peaching and practice of God's Word. (2 Tim 4:2)
We believe that God has given us the responsibility to share the love and hope of Jesus Christ to our community lovingly and compassionately. (Mark 16:15)
We value love and obedience to Christ which fosters love and unity of believers that draws others to the Gospel. (John 13:35)
We value the Bible's power to transform lives through the peaching and practice of God's Word. (2 Tim 4:2)
OUR CORE BELIEFS
THE BIBLE We believe the Bible to be the verbally and completely inspired Word of God in the original manuscripts and preserved int the Masoretic texts of the Old Testament and the Majority Texts/Textus Receptus of the New Testament. We also believe that the Bible in the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testament is complete, and is our only and final authority in all matters of faith and practice above culture, tradition, and opinion. (John 17:17; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21).
THE BIBLE
GOD We believe in one God (also called the Trinity), eternally existing in three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – each co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19, Luke 3:22, John 14:10, 2 Corinthians 13:14). The First Person of the Trinity is God the Father. Though the three persons of the Godhead are One, the Son and the Holy Spirit willingly submit to the Father’s directives (Matthew 26:42). He is the Father of Jesus (Luke 3:22) and of all the redeemed in Christ (Hebrews 2:11).
GOD
Jesus We believe that Jesus Christ is the Second Person of the Trinity. He is the eternal Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God, and was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin and is completely God and completely human (Isaiah 7:14; 9:6; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:35; John 1:1-2, 14, 20:28). This He did in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men (John 1:18; 2 Corinthians 5:19-21; Galatians 4:4-5; Philippians 2:5-8). He redeemed mankind through His substitutionary, sacrificial death on the cross and three days later, literally and physically resurrected from the dead (Acts 2:18-36; Romans 3:24-25; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:3-5, 2:24). He ascended to Heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate, and we look for and wait for His promised, imminent return (Acts 1:9-10; Romans 8:34; Hebrews 9:24; 7:25; 1 John 2:1-2; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 22:20).
JESUS
The Holy Spirit The Third Person of the Trinity is the Holy Spirit. He is sent to abide and dwell in us (John 14:16-17), convince the world of sin, righteousness and judgment (John 16:8), and testify of Jesus (John 15:26). He is dwelling in and seals all Christians (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 12:13). Without His power we are incapable of doing God's work effectively (Zechariah 4:6). We are commanded to be filled with Him (Ephesians 5:18) and walk in Him (Galatians 5:16, 25). He is the divine Teacher who assists believers to understand and appropriate the Scriptures (John 14:26; 1 Corinthians 2:10-13; Ephesians 1:17-18; 1 John 2:20, 27). He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the Body of Christ, and indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption (John 16:8-11; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians12:12-14; 2 Corinthians 3:6; Ephesians 1:13-14).
THE HOLY SPIRIT
Sin and Salvation We believe that all men are inherently born with a sin nature received from the first man, Adam (Genesis 1:27: 2:21-25) who disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden and was then removed with Eve (Genesis 1:16-17; 3:1-24). This sin brought upon the whole human race the curse of death and separation from God and as a result of this sinfulness, every man is born in condemnation, and if a man dies in his sins he will be cast into Hell and eventually the Lake of Fire (Romans 3:10, 23; 5:12; 6:23; Ephesians 2:1; Hebrews 9:27; John 3:18; Revelation 20:14). We believe that salvation is the free gift of God offered to man by grace alone and received by personal faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ alone who shed His precious blood on the cross of Calvary that we might receive the forgiveness of God (John 1:12; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-10; 1 Peter 1:18-19; 1 John 1:9; John 3:3; 14:6; Hebrew 2:3).
SIN AND SALVATION
The Church The local church is an assembly of professing Christians who are scripturally baptized and united into a local congregation. The main mission of the church as defined by Christ in The Great Commission is to preach the gospel in the entire world, to make disciples of all ethnicities, to baptize, and to instruct them to obey His commands. The work of the local church is a collaboration between the pastor and the flock to equip believers for the work of the ministry, to edify one another, and to evangelize the lost world. The local church is autonomous and free of any external authority or control (Acts 13:1-4; 15:19-31; 20:28; Romans 16:1, 4; 1 Corinthians 3:9, 16; 5:4-7, 13; 1 Peter 5:1-4).
THE CHURCH
Missions We believe that God has given the church a Great Commission to proclaim the Gospel to all people and every nation so that there might be a great multitude from every nation, tribe, ethnic group, and language group who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. As ambassadors of Christ we must use all available means to go to foreign nations and not wait for them to come to us. We furthermore believe that it is the obligation of this local church to reproduce itself, as God provides the means and opportunity, into other communities of our own nation which are lacking a sound, Bible-believing church (Isaiah 49:6; Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 2:32; 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; 2 Corinthians 5:20; Philippians 4:15-18; Revelation 5:9; 14:6).
MISSIONS
The Last Days We believe that we are currently living in the last days (2 Timothy 3:1-9), and await the blessed hope, the personal, imminent return of Christ, Who will rapture His church prior to the seven-year tribulation period. At the end of the Tribulation, Christ will personally and visibly return with His saints, to establish His earthly Messianic Kingdom which was promised to the nation of Israel (Psalm 89:3-4; Daniel 2:31-45; Zechariah 14:4-11; Colossians 3:4; 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; Jude 14-15; Revelation 3:10; 19:11-16; 20:1-6).
LAST DAYS
OUR CORE DISTINCTIVES
Anchor Baptist Church is a traditional, unaffiliated, fundamental, Baptist church. The term "Baptist" encompasses more than just our views about baptism. It is our biblical position. This acrostic will serves as a tool to clarify what we mean by Baptists.
Biblical Authority The Bible is the final authority in all matters of belief and practice because the Bible is inspired by God and bears the absolute authority of God Himself. Whatever the Bible affirms, Baptists accept as true. No human opinion or decree of any church group can override the Bible. Even creeds and confessions of faith, which attempt to articulate the theology of Scripture, do not carry Scripture's inherent authority. No tradition of the church will equal nor supersede the authority of Scripture. 2Ti 3:15-17;1Th 2:13; 2Pe 1:19-21;Mt 15:3-5
BIBLICAL AUTHORITY
Autonomy of the Local Church The local church is an independent body accountable to the Lord Jesus Christ, the head of the church. All human authority for governing the local church resides within the local church itself. Thus the church is autonomous, or self-governing. No religious hierarchy outside the local church may dictate a church's beliefs or practices. Autonomy does not mean isolation. A Baptist church may fellowship with other churches around mutual interests and in an associational tie, but a Baptist church cannot be a "member" of any other body. Col 1:18; 2Co 8:1-5, 19, 23
AUTONOMY OF THE LOCAL CHURCH
Priesthood of the Believer "Priest" is defined as "one authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and God." Every believer today is a priest of God and may enter into His presence in prayer directly through our Great High Priest, Jesus Christ. No other mediator is needed between God and people. As priests, we can study God's Word, pray for others, and offer spiritual worship to God. We all have equal access to God--whether we are a preacher or not. 1 Peter 2:5, 9; Revelation 5:9-10
PRIESTHOOD OF THE BELIEVER
Two Ordinances The local church should practice two ordinances: (1) baptism of believers by immersion in water, identifying the individual with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection, and (2) the Lord's Supper, commemorating His death for our sins. Matthew 28:19, 20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-32
TWO ORDINANCES
Individual Soul Liberty Every individual, whether a believer or an unbeliever, has the liberty to choose what he believes is right in the religious realm. No one should be forced to agree to any belief against his will. Baptists have always opposed religious persecution. However, this liberty does not exempt one from responsibility to the Word of God or from accountability to God Himself. Romans 14:5, 12,23; 2 Corinthians 4:2
INDIVIDUAL SOUL LIBERTY
Saved Church Membership Local church membership is restricted to individuals who give a believable testimony of personal faith in Christ and have publicly identified themselves with Him in believer's baptism. When the members of a local church are believers, a oneness in Christ exists, and the members can endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Acts 2:41-47; 1 Corinthians 12:12; 2 Corinthians 6:14; Ephesians 4:3
SAVED CHURCH MEMBERSHIP
Two Officers The Bible mandates only two offices in the church--pastor and deacon. The three terms--"pastor," "elder," and "bishop," or "overseer"--all refer to the same office. The two offices of pastor and deacon exist within the local church, not as a hierarchy outside or over the local church. 1 Timothy 3:1-13; Acts 20:17-38; Philippians 1:1
TWO OFFICERS
Separation of Church and State God established both the church and the civil government, and He gave each its own distinct sphere of operation. The government's purposes are outlined in Romans 13:1-7 and the church's purposes in Matthew 28:19 and 20. Neither should control the other, nor should there be an alliance between the two. Christians in a free society can properly influence government toward righteousness, which is not the same as a denomination or group of churches controlling the government. Matthew 22:15-22; Acts 15:17-29